The 2026 holiday calendar from Ladera Ranch Community Services keeps the same Thursday-to-Saturday rhythm as last year, but several pieces have new owners. Santa and Mrs. Claus move from a clubhouse to Heritage Farm, the community's newest amenity. Winter Fest's shopping booths now belong to kid entrepreneurs instead of a craft fair. The Veterans Day ceremony at Town Green is organized by a teen service group. Taken together, younger residents and the new farm are doing more of the work this season, and the dates that call for planning ahead fall in November.
That changes how a household should read the calendar. The tree lighting on December 5 needs no registration. The Santa registration window that opens on a Monday morning in mid-November does.
November 11 starts the season, and teens are running it
The first holiday-season gathering on the post-Halloween calendar is the Veterans Day Event at Town Green on Wednesday, November 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. According to the LaderaLife event listing, the event is organized by Lion's Heart Group 2029. Residents can order a Tribute Sign honoring a veteran, and the sign is displayed at Town Green on Veterans Day.
The order form asks for the veteran's name, rank, branch and years served, plus a contact email. Neither the listing nor the form lists a price or an order deadline, so ordering in the next week or two is safer than waiting until the week of the event.
Lion's Heart describes itself as a teen volunteer and leadership organization. It connects teens with service opportunities at local nonprofits and lets them pick their own causes, and each group plans its service events together. A group named for its graduating class is putting on a community ceremony, and that sets the pattern for the rest of the season.
Santa's new address is a working farm
The biggest change of the season is a move. In 2025, Santa Visits took place on Thursday, December 4, at the Covenant Hills Clubhouse, 1 Covenant Hills Drive, according to South OC Moms' 2025 holiday roundup. This year's Santa Visits listing puts it at Heritage Farm on McGwire Road on Thursday, December 3, from 4:00 to 7:45 p.m.
Most of the rules carried over from last year:
- One registration per Ladera Ranch address, good for one household, with household members only.
- Shared time slots. Each slot includes several families, so expect a short wait.
- Bring your own camera. Santa and Mrs. Claus will hear wish lists and pose for family photos, but photography is up to you.
- A sensory-supportive session from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. is set aside for families of children with autism, special needs or disabilities, to keep the visit calm.
The timing has tightened. Registration opens at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, November 16. Last year it opened Monday, November 10. In 2025 the gap between registration and the visit was 24 days. In 2026 it is 17. The listing says space is limited and gives no slot count, so a household that wants a particular time should be ready when registration opens that Monday morning.
Why the farm matters as a venue
Heritage Farm replaced the old plot-by-plot Heritage Garden. LARCS announced the change on April 28, 2025, and described a managed community farm built around shared growing, education, community events and volunteering. The Heritage Farm amenity page now lists it as open. The page describes a regenerative farm that uses organic methods and is designed as both a working farm and an educational space.
Its first Resident Farmer season runs August 2026 through February 2027. Participants commit at least two volunteer hours a month and sign up for shifts through VolunteerMark. Farm field trips on the LaderaLife calendar start October 31.
For households that have never signed up for a farm shift, the December 3 Santa visit may be their first time on the McGwire Road site. Hosting the season's most-registered event there puts the community's newest amenity in front of a large share of Ladera Ranch families within a few weeks.
Winter Fest's shopping booths now belong to kids
Two days after Santa Visits, Winter Fest returns to Town Green at 28801 Sienna Parkway on Saturday, December 5, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Santa lights the holiday display at 5:00 p.m. The format looks familiar, with performances, inflatables, games, crafts and photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. One element has changed.
The 2025 Winter Fest description included "shopping at the craft fair." The 2026 Winter Fest page replaces it with a Kids Market run with Kids Markets, where young entrepreneurs sell their own products and services, from handmade crafts, soap and slime to inventions and neighborhood services.
| Winter Fest 2025 | Winter Fest 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, December 6 | Saturday, December 5 |
| Hours | 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. | 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. |
| Shopping | Craft fair | Kids Market with Kids Markets |
| Lighting | Santa lights the park at 5:00 p.m. | Santa lights the park at 5:00 p.m. |
| Santa Visits, two days earlier | Covenant Hills Clubhouse | Heritage Farm |
Kids Markets' event page expects 1,500 patrons. Vendor registration closes at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, or earlier if spots sell out. Young vendors cannot sell food or drinks or run face-painting or airbrush booths, and families bring their own canopy, table and chairs. On the partner-booth form for community partners, nonprofits and recreation programs, LARCS says the activities are aimed at about 600 children.
Last year's stage also leaned young. The 2025 lineup included Pacific Prep School at 2:30 p.m., Tutu School Ladera Ranch at 3:00, the Kids Imagine Nation Holiday Show at 3:30 and the SJES Upper Elementary Choir "Bella Voce" at 4:45. With kid sellers added in 2026, kids now fill both the stage and the shopping booths.
The practical details for December 5
- Mercantile Way closes between Sienna Parkway and First Street from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. that Saturday.
- Pets should stay home, except necessary leashed service animals.
- Bikes, scooters and other vehicles stay off the event space and in designated parking areas.
- No glass containers and no drones, and children must be supervised at all times.
- No selling or advertising of products, food or drinks without permission from LARCS, which is why the kid vendors register through the official market.
The Winter Fest page lists no ticket price and no attendee registration. Of the three big December events, it is the only one a family can simply show up to.
Covenant Hills Clubhouse gets the Sunday
The clubhouse that hosted Santa last year holds the weekend's last event. The Menorah Lighting is set for Sunday, December 6, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Covenant Hills Clubhouse, with music, activities, dreidels, crafts, candle lighting and traditional Hanukkah snacks. LARCS says it is partnering with local organizations on the event. That makes December 3 through 6 a four-day run of Heritage Farm on Thursday, Town Green on Saturday and Covenant Hills on Sunday.
The quieter programs that run all season
Several drop-off programs run alongside the headline events, at Avendale and Oak Knoll village clubhouses and at Terramor Aquatic Park.
Letters to Santa runs November 30 through December 11 at Avendale Village Clubhouse. Include a return address so Santa can reply. With the Santa visit now at the farm, Avendale handles the mailbox.
The Holiday Gift Card Drive for Marines runs December 2 through December 12. It asks for clearly labeled $10 gift cards to Starbucks, Amazon or Target for 1st LAR at Camp Pendleton. Drop-off points are Avendale Village Clubhouse, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Oak Knoll Village Clubhouse, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Goodwill Donation Site at Terramor Aquatic Park runs November 8 through January 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It accepts household items and clothing but not furniture or bulk items, and it closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. It opens before the Santa and Winter Fest weekend and stays open past New Year's.
The dates that need action ahead of time
Most of the season is walk-up. These are the exceptions, in order:
- Before November 11, order a veteran Tribute Sign through the form linked on the Veterans Day listing. The listing posts no deadline, so earlier is safer.
- Monday, November 16, at 9:00 a.m., Santa Visits registration opens, one per Ladera Ranch address.
- By Friday, December 4, at 8:00 p.m., young entrepreneurs register as Kids Market vendors, or sooner if spots sell out.
- Saturday, December 5, plan around the Mercantile Way closure from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
If your household is weighing a move within Ladera Ranch or across south Orange County, timing matters just as much there. Scott Alpi can help you plan a listing or purchase around the holiday calendar, so the Heritage Farm visit and the Winter Fest lighting stay on your family's schedule. Schedule a Consultation when you are ready to talk it through.
