Solvang Julefest
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Sat, Nov 27 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sun, Nov 28 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Mon, Nov 29 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tue, Nov 30 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wed, Dec 01 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thu, Dec 02 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri, Dec 03 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sat, Dec 04 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sun, Dec 05 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Mon, Dec 06 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tue, Dec 07 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wed, Dec 08 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thu, Dec 09 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri, Dec 10 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sat, Dec 11 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sun, Dec 12 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Mon, Dec 13 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tue, Dec 14 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wed, Dec 15 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thu, Dec 16 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri, Dec 17 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sat, Dec 18 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sun, Dec 19 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Mon, Dec 20 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tue, Dec 21 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wed, Dec 22 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thu, Dec 23 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri, Dec 24 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sat, Dec 25 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sun, Dec 26 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Mon, Dec 27 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tue, Dec 28 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wed, Dec 29 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thu, Dec 30 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri, Dec 31 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sat, Jan 01 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Address (map)
1639 Copenhagen Drive, Solvang, CA 93463
Venue (website)
Solvang
Solvang has officially announced preliminary plans and dates for this year’s Solvang Julefest (www.SolvangJulefest.org; pronounced ‘Yule-Fest’), the Santa Ynez Valley wine country town’s annual celebration of all things “holidays”. The 2021 holiday season event, which will be modified as per Santa Barbara County COVID guidelines, will begin on Saturday, November 27, 2021 and run through Saturday, January 1, 2022. The 2021 edition of Solvang Julefest will entail multiple holiday happenings all located within the walkable California Central Coast destination, recently named by Oprah Daily as one of the “Most Magical Christmas Towns and Villages Across the World”.
As one of the nation’s most Christmas-y towns, Solvang will present a refreshed line-up of Julefest offerings and extra holiday cheer in the form of new illuminated displays, celebratory scenescapes and settings, in an effort to enhance the “hygge” holiday ambiance already native to the atmospheric city.
Plans are in place for the return of the Solvang Julefest Tree Lighting Ceremony, tentatively scheduled for Friday, December 3, 2021, at 5:00 PM in Solvang Park (corner of Mission Drive and First Street). The Tree Lighting Ceremony is slated to include ballerinas encircling the Solvang Christmas tree, live entertainment, caroling and of course, the season-starting tree lighting. The return of the Solvang Julefest Parade is also in the works, scheduled for Saturday, December 4, 2021, at 11:00 AM (parade route TBA).
During Solvang Julefest, the village will once again host its now-annual Nisse Adventure, where participants join in a city-wide hunt for the mysterious Solvang Nisse (Christmas elves) which will have hidden themselves throughout downtown Solvang. Elf-trackers may visit www.NisseAdventure.com, where they will find animated videos containing clues to the various hiding spots which the Nisse frequents. Once guests find each Nisse they scan a QR code to continue along the adventure, earning a special prize at completion.
Saturdays throughout the Julefest stretch, town-wide Solvang Food Tours will be led by the foodie – and photo – experts at Eat This, Shoot That!, and the popular evening Candlelight Tours will return select Saturday nights (November 27; December 4, 11, 18), tickets for which include holiday-themed refreshments and a VIP Santa meet and greet experience. Either tour option presents a unique, educational, and entertaining way to explore the history-filled village on foot during the most festive of Solvang’s seasons.
Certain Solvang Julefest 2021 components will take shape as COVID regulations allow, like this year’s “Nordpolen” in Solvang Park, where Santa will greet guests select Saturday afternoons during Julefest in the park’s Gazebo-turned-Santa’s-Workshop.
Solvang, known for its Danish-American roots, architecture and design details, pastries, bakeries and plentiful wine tasting options, also boasts dozens upon dozens of unique boutiques, restaurants and gourmet food purveyors. Carefully-curated indie bookstores, high-end stationers and home goods suppliers, mingle with fairy tale-like children’s boutiques and museum gift shops. Solvang’s numerous foodie havens offer up everything from elevated street cuisine – like locally-sourced fish tacos on hand-made tortillas, and comforting ramen noodles – to European-style pretzels and sausages, to Italian standbys or iconic Danish dishes, to elevated new-Californian fare in the form of Michelin-honored menus, to heritage grain sourdough loaves or limited edition cheese releases, to small-batch, locally-roasted coffee, exotic and familiar hand-bottled spice blends, to Tiki cocktails and craft beers, all forming an indulgent holiday shopping and playing escape.
Dog-friendly and ideal for kids, Solvang Julefest promotes family fun and adventure through traditional holiday-favorite activities, with the addition of more-adult, wine country entertainment.
Further event announcements about Julefest 2021 and updates to the Julefest schedule will be made over the course of the next two months.
Solvang Julefest 2021 is produced by the City of Solvang (www.CityofSolvang.com) and IDK Events, in creative partnership with Cogs & Marvel (www.CogsandMarvel.com). All Solvang Julefest events are open to the public with either free or paid admission. More information will be available at www.SolvangJulefest.org. Event updates will also be posted to the SolvangUSA Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts: @SolvangUSA, facebook.com/SolvangUSA, and twitter.com/SolvangUSA.