Yreka Night of Lights lights up historic Miner Street in downtown Yreka on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. It is one of Siskiyou County's favorite holiday nights: downtown shops open late, artisan vendors line the street, Santa takes free photos, kids make art, and at 6:30 PM the whole crowd counts down to the tree lighting at the Yreka Fire Department. It is free to attend.
This is our complete guide to the 2026 event: the full schedule, who is taking part, where to eat and shop on Miner Street, how to get there from Etna, Ashland, Redding and Medford, and what a Night of Lights weekend at Blossom Sanctuary looks like, from Friday arrival to Sunday brunch, with prices.
Yreka Night of Lights 2026 at a glance
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026
Time: 4:00 to 7:00 PM, with the tree lighting at 6:30 PM
Where: West Miner Street and Broadway in downtown Yreka, CA 96097
Tree lighting: Yreka Fire Department, Oregon and Miner Streets
Santa: free photos in the party room at Bella Art Works Creative Cafe, 106 Broadway
Cost: free; bring money for vendors, food and shopping
Road closures: Miner and Broadway close to through traffic from 9:00 AM
Where to stay: Blossom Sanctuary, a private retreat house in Etna about 35 minutes away. See the Night of Lights trip.
Packing for slow mornings? The Vibes Valuta Winter Drop is six pieces in soft neutrals, embroidered in old gold thread: a ringer tee, rib tank, crew and pant, plus a yoga mat and bottle.
Poster: via Discover Siskiyou.
The 2026 schedule
Times come from the official schedule on the event website. Performers for the evening are still to be announced, so check back closer to the date.
9:00 AM: streets close
Miner Street and Broadway close to through traffic for setup. Plan to park on the side streets and walk in.
1:00 PM: vendors set up
Artisan and food vendors start building their booths along Miner Street. Booths must be ready by 3:30.
4:00 PM: Night of Lights begins
Downtown holiday shopping, with Miner Street and Broadway merchants open for the evening
Artisan vendors, food and warm drinks along the street
Free photos with Santa in the party room at Bella Art Works Creative Cafe, 106 Broadway
A free art project at the Liberty Arts Explorations Studio, 223 W. Miner Street
Family activities at the Siskiyou Community Resource Center, 201 S. Broadway
Live music, a magician, a balloon artist, a free photo booth and face painting
6:30 PM: the tree lighting
The crowd gathers at the Yreka Fire Department at Oregon and Miner Streets for the tree lighting, the moment the whole evening builds toward. Get there by 6:15 for a good view.
7:00 PM: the evening wraps up
The street event ends at 7. It is a good time to head to dinner or start the drive home.
Who makes Night of Lights happen
Night of Lights is organized through Discover Siskiyou, the county's tourism office, with the City of Yreka as a presenting sponsor. The event's sponsor page also shows Mechanics Bank, Fairchild Medical Center, Columbia Bank, Tri Counties Bank and Yreka Transfer, with the Yreka Elks Lodge #1980 as a community partner. Local businesses like these are the reason a free night like this exists, so thank them with your holiday shopping.
Inside the event, Bella Art Works Creative Cafe hosts Santa, Liberty Arts runs the free kids' art project from its Explorations Studio, and the Siskiyou Community Resource Center hosts family activities on Broadway.
Where to eat, shop and look around on Miner Street
Come early and make an afternoon of it. Downtown Yreka is a Gold Rush town, and the Miner Street Historic District still has its 1850s brick buildings, historical markers and hitching posts.
Eat and warm up
Bella Art Works Creative Cafe: a retro soda fountain and paint-your-own pottery studio, and Santa's home base for the night
Zephyr Books & Coffee: coffee and books on Miner Street
Strings Italian Café: a sit-down Italian dinner after the lights
Casa Ramos: Mexican food for a group
Natalee Thai Cuisine: Thai food for a cold night
Momo's Burgers, Linda's Soup Café, Pupuseria La Paz and Smoked Tomato Pie: more local favorites around town
Holiday Saturday hours vary, so call ahead or reserve for dinner, especially for a group.
Shop for gifts
Liberty Arts Gallery, 108 W. Miner Street, for work by local and guest artists
Look around
The Miner Street Historic District, including the Franco American Hotel building, founded in 1855
The Siskiyou County Museum, for Gold Rush and county history
Getting there and parking
From Blossom Sanctuary in Etna: about 35 minutes, Highway 3 north through Fort Jones and over Forest Mountain into Yreka.
From Ashland and Medford: about 45 minutes to an hour, south on I-5 over the Siskiyou Pass.
From Redding: about 1.5 hours, north on I-5 past Mount Shasta.
Parking: Miner and Broadway are closed to through traffic all day, so park on nearby side streets and walk in.
Sunset is about 4:40 PM, so you will arrive at dusk and drive home in the dark. Go together, take it slow for deer on Highway 3, and check Caltrans QuickMap and ODOT TripCheck before you leave: early December can bring ice to Forest Mountain and chain controls to the Siskiyou Pass.
More to do that weekend
Christmas in McCloud: the first weekend of the Victorian holiday celebration is on the calendar for Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5, about 1 hour 25 minutes from Etna. Read our Christmas in McCloud 2026 guide.
College of the Siskiyous Holiday Craft Fair: December 4 and 5 in Weed, about an hour away, for gifts by local makers.
Everything else: see our events calendar and Christmas towns and holiday lights near Etna.
December in lights: Etna and Scott Valley
All through December, Etna and the rest of Scott Valley fill with holiday lights. Main Street glows, porches and barns light up along the valley roads, and on a clear night the lights and the stars come out together. After a day in Yreka or a night by the stove, take a slow evening drive and see them for yourself.
The Blossom Light Tour
We are putting together the Blossom Light Tour, a self-guided evening drive past the best lights in Etna and Scott Valley for our guests and members.
Want your house, shop or ranch added as a stop? Text the concierge at 530 572 1122 or email Concierge@blossomsanctuary.com with the subject "Blossom Light Tour." Tell us roughly where you are and when your lights are on. We only add a stop with the owner's permission, we never share more than you are comfortable with, and you can ask to come off the tour any time.
A Night of Lights trip from Blossom Sanctuary
Blossom Sanctuary is a private retreat house in Etna, in Scott Valley, about 35 minutes from Miner Street. You get the whole house: three bedrooms, a full kitchen, a wood stove, a walled garden and 4.2 acres of meadow and oaks. It sleeps up to four adults or a family of up to six, and the couch makes a comfortable extra bed.
Saturday night, December 5, is already booked at Blossom this year, so we built the trip around Thursday and Friday. Yreka sits where Highway 3 meets I-5, so Night of Lights lands right on your way home.
Thursday, December 3: arrive and settle in
Drive in before dark. Check-in is at 3:00 PM.
Light the wood stove and unpack.
Dinner at Denny Bar Co. on Main Street in Etna, or pick up a wood-fired pizza and eat by the fire.
Step outside before bed. Scott Valley skies are dark enough for real stargazing.
Friday, December 4: a full spa day in Etna
Coffee by the stove, then breakfast at Wildwood Coffee.
An Etna spa day in the right order: the sauna at Mountain Healing Spa, a massage with Mari Kraus Massage and Wellness, then a facial, nails and Reiki at Citrine Lounge Spa. Save hair at The Parlour for another day, since heat should not follow fresh color.
After dark, a slow drive past the holiday lights in Etna and around the valley.
Dinner at the house, or a private chef arranged by the concierge for an added fee.
Saturday, December 5: Night of Lights on the way home
A slow breakfast with the wood stove going, then check out at 11:00 AM.
Head north on Highway 3 through Fort Jones to Yreka.
Spend the afternoon on Miner Street: the shops, Liberty Arts Gallery and the Siskiyou County Museum.
4:00 PM: Night of Lights. Santa photos at Bella Art Works, the free art project at Liberty Arts, gifts from the downtown shops.
6:30 PM: the tree lighting at the Yreka Fire Department.
Dinner in Yreka before you go. Night of Lights works best as a send-off if you live within an hour or two up or down I-5, in Ashland, Medford or Redding. From farther away, plan your drive so you are not on mountain roads late at night.
Or come back the next weekend
Sunday, December 6 onward is open, and the next Christmas in McCloud weekend is on the calendar for December 11 and 12. See open dates and prices.
What it costs to book Blossom for Night of Lights
Prices below are the founding member rate for winter dates, for members of the Sovereign Circle. Joining is free through December 31, 2026. Every price includes cleaning and every fee. The 14% county lodging tax is added and shown before you pay.
Two nights, Thursday and Friday, December 3 and 4: $783, plus $109.62 tax, is $892.62 for the house. That is $223.16 each for four adults.
Three nights, Wednesday to Friday, December 2 to 4: $1,090, plus $152.60 tax, is $1,242.60, or $310.65 each for four adults.
Card payments add 3%. A $500 refundable deposit is held for every member stay.
Included: the whole house, free EV charging and concierge planning for your weekend.
How to book
1. Join the Sovereign Circle for free to lock in the founding member rate.
2. Check open dates and prices for December 2 to 4. Holiday weekends book first, and there is only one house.
3. Plan the extras. Members open the Members Portal and choose Plan your wellness itinerary to send spa, massage, hair and private chef requests to the concierge.
4. Questions? Text the concierge at 530 572 1122.
Common questions
Are there Christmas lights in Etna, CA?
Yes. All through December, Etna and the rest of Scott Valley fill with holiday lights, from Main Street to the porches and barns along the valley roads. Blossom is putting together the Blossom Light Tour, a self-guided drive past the best of them.
When is Yreka Night of Lights 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM in downtown Yreka.
What time is the Yreka tree lighting?
6:30 PM at the Yreka Fire Department, at Oregon and Miner Streets.
Where is Yreka Night of Lights?
Along West Miner Street and Broadway in historic downtown Yreka, CA 96097.
Is Yreka Night of Lights free?
Yes. Walking the event, the Santa photos, the kids' art project and the tree lighting are free. Bring money for vendors, food and shopping.
Where can I take photos with Santa in Yreka?
Free Santa photos are in the party room at Bella Art Works Creative Cafe, 106 Broadway, during Night of Lights.
Where should I park?
Miner Street and Broadway close to through traffic from 9:00 AM, so park on nearby side streets and walk in.
Who sponsors Yreka Night of Lights?
The City of Yreka and Discover Siskiyou lead a list of local sponsors that includes Mechanics Bank, Fairchild Medical Center, Columbia Bank, Tri Counties Bank, Yreka Transfer and the Yreka Elks Lodge #1980. See the full list on the event's sponsor page.
How do I become a vendor?
Apply through the vendor page on the Night of Lights website. The 2026 vendor fee is $65, and Miner and Broadway merchants can ask for a booth in front of their own shop.
Where should I stay for Yreka Night of Lights?
Blossom Sanctuary is a private retreat house in Etna, about 35 minutes from Miner Street, for up to four adults or a family of up to six. Saturday, December 5, is already booked this year, but Thursday and Friday, December 3 and 4, are open: two nights are $892.62 including tax at the founding member rate, and Yreka is on your way home. See open dates and prices.
How far is Yreka from Etna?
About 35 minutes by car, north on Highway 3 through Fort Jones.
What else is happening that weekend?
Christmas in McCloud is on the calendar for December 4 and 5, and the College of the Siskiyous Holiday Craft Fair runs December 4 and 5 in Weed.
