Cedar City's Lighting Ceremony Runs Nine Hours, and the Lights Come On at Six
On Saturday, November 28, 2026, the Historic Downtown Cedar City Holiday Lighting Ceremony is listed from noon to 9 p.m. on Main Street, and the lights come on at 6 p.m. Two other events open that same Saturday within a block or so of 10 N Main St. The Festival City Christmas Market starts its four-week run at 100 W Center St., and the Holiday Tree Jubilee opens at Festival Hall at 3 p.m. Most of the day happens before dark, and two of the three events keep going well into December.
Visit Cedar City's listing gives a detailed schedule for the day. Admission is free.
| Time | What's happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Noon | Lighting ceremony and its Christmas market open; Festival City Christmas Market opens | Main Street at 10 N Main St.; 100 W Center St. |
| 3:00 p.m. | Carriage rides, crafts, reindeer pen and bounce houses begin; Holiday Tree Jubilee opens | Main Street; Festival Hall |
| 4:30 p.m. | First activity window ends; program pre-show begins | Main Street |
| 5:00 p.m. | Program | Main Street |
| 6:00 p.m. | Lighting and fireworks | Main Street |
| About 6:30 p.m. | Santa arrives, live nativity begins, activities reopen | Main Street; Festival Hall |
| 8:00 p.m. | Holiday Tree Jubilee and Festival City Christmas Market close | Festival Hall; 100 W Center St. |
| 9:00 p.m. | Activities and the ceremony end | Main Street |
The children's activities run in two windows. The first goes from 3 to 4:30 p.m., then everything stops for the pre-show, the program and the lighting. The second window opens around 6:30 p.m. and lasts until 9. A family that wants carriage rides and the reindeer pen without the evening crowd can come for the first window, stay for the program, and leave after the fireworks. A family that wants Santa should plan on staying past 6:30.
Santa's visit has a second stop. When he arrives, he heads to Festival Hall to take photos as part of the Holiday Tree Jubilee fundraiser. The Jubilee is listed until 8 p.m. on November 28, which leaves about 90 minutes between his arrival and its close.
The three events share an afternoon, but each runs on its own schedule. Cedar City's street grid puts them close together.
Main Street at 10 N Main St. This is the lighting ceremony itself, with the program, fireworks, live nativity, activities and its own Christmas market running noon to 9 p.m. It runs the latest of the three, an hour past the other two.
Festival Hall at 105 N 100 E. This is home to the Holiday Tree Jubilee, about a block east of Main and a block north of Center. The listing promises dozens of decorated Christmas trees to view and win, auction items, a children's area, free hot chocolate, and Santa photos. Local businesses and families donate the decorated trees, and the city's calendar listing for last year's Jubilee said the event supports local charities that help children, families, and people in need. The Jubilee is open 3 to 8 p.m. on the 28th, with more dates listed on Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1. The Holiday Tree Jubilee Facebook page has the hours for those weeknights.
100 W Center St. The Festival City Christmas Market sets up here, one block west of Main. The Festival City Farmers Market puts it on. Entry is free, and it runs noon to 8 p.m. The vendors are the same local growers and backyard gardeners behind the farmers market. They sell fruit, vegetables, cheese, jam, bread, eggs, honey and other farm products, along with handcrafted items.
Both off-Main stops close an hour before the ceremony does. If the Jubilee trees or a gift from the Center Street market are on your list, go before or right after the 6 p.m. lighting.
The gap between the first activity window and the lighting is long enough for a sit-down stop. Visit Cedar City's downtown dining guide and shopping directory list a cluster of places along this same stretch. Check each one's holiday-weekend hours before you go.
On Main Street, north of Center:
South of Center and along Center Street toward the market:
November 28 is also Small Business Saturday. With the shops on Main, the Center Street restaurants, and a market of local growers and makers all in the same few blocks, that afternoon is the easiest day of the year to do your holiday shopping close to home.
The ceremony is over by 9 p.m., but the market and the concerts keep going into December. The Festival City Christmas Market runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. through December 19, which adds up to ten market days. The other events through mid-December fall around those market days:
Frontier Homestead State Park Museum lists Christmas at the Homestead among its December programs in its 2026 brochure. The museum's park page will post the date.
Cedar City keeps the full lighting ceremony schedule on its Downtown Lighting Ceremony page, which the tourism listing links to. Check that page during the week of Thanksgiving for the final program. For market updates, the Festival City Farmers Market posts on its Facebook page, or you can email [email protected].
The Christensen Team has spent a long time in Cedar City, and the Saturday after Thanksgiving downtown is part of how we know this town. If family is in for the holiday and you want ideas for where to take them once the lights are up, The Christensen Team at ERA Realty Center is happy to share the downtown stops we come back to every year.
Buying or selling a home is one of life’s most meaningful decisions, and having a trusted team by your side makes all the difference. With over 30 years of combined experience and deep ties to the Cedar City community, The Christensen Team offers thoughtful guidance and a highly personalized approach to every transaction. From strategy and negotiations to closing day, we ensure a smooth, seamless experience built on expertise, dedication, and proven results.
Donna Christensen
Tayler Christensen
Camry Miller
259 W 200 N Cedar City UT 84720