The first holiday lights in downtown St. Joseph this year are luminarias, two weeks ahead of the million bulbs at Lake Bluff Park. On Friday, Nov. 20, luminarias line the downtown blocks from 5 to 8 p.m. A decorated trolley starts looping at 4:30 p.m. and keeps going until 8:30.
Light Up the Bluff comes two weeks later, on Dec. 4. The weeks in between already have a plan. St. Joe Today has fixed the season around a few specific dates, and its receipt giveaway gives extra weight to three of them.
The Giveaway That Sets The Calendar
Countdown to New Year runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 13. Every $25 you spend at a St. Joe Today member business earns one entry, whether it's one purchase or several added together. Take your receipts to the Welcome Center at 301 State St. to get an entry form. Winners are drawn daily from Dec. 1 to Dec. 13. Winners for Dec. 14 through 31 are drawn and announced together on Dec. 14 so there's more time to use the prizes, which are $50 gift certificates from member businesses.
Three days earn double entries:
- Friday, Nov. 20, Luminary night
- Saturday, Nov. 28, Small Business Saturday
- Saturday, Dec. 5, Reindog Parade day
Those three dates are spread about a week apart, from the start of the season to its busiest weekend. Holiday shopping that lands on one of them counts twice. The calendar actually starts a couple of weeks before the first of them, and a few miles north.
Saturday, Nov. 7: A Krasl Opening In Benton Harbor
The Krasl Art Center holds its grand opening for the Richard Hunt Studio Center on Saturday, Nov. 7. The building is at 258 Territorial Road in Benton Harbor. Richard Hunt, the renowned Chicago artist, opened a satellite studio there in 1995 and used it for galleries and to store his collection. When he died in 2023, he left the 20,000-square-foot building to the Krasl, which has been renovating it as a public space ever since. Moody on the Market reported that about a quarter of the building has been finished so far.
The Krasl's Tami Fauver described the space to Moody on the Market:
"We will have gallery space, an exhibition about Richard and Benton Harbor community and the arts, and we will have a garage space that is now our workshop, concert hall, event space."
Free family photos run from 4 to 6 p.m. Fauver told Moody that anyone can dress up and come in, and the Krasl will share the photos afterward. A public reception follows from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening also celebrates the renaming of that part of Territorial Road to Richard Hunt Way, which the Benton Harbor City Commission approved in late October. If you want a holiday photo before the December rush, this is a free one, taken weeks earlier.
Friday, Nov. 20: The First Lit Night Downtown
Luminary is the first double-entry day, and it packs the most into one evening. Along with the luminarias, there's a one-night snowflake scavenger hunt across 10 participating downtown locations. Pick up a passport at the Welcome Center at 301 State St. to start. The participating locations haven't been announced yet.
The free Holiday Trolley makes three stops:
| Stop | Address | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boulevard Inn & Bistro, 521 Lake Blvd. | Bistro on the Boulevard serves dinner Friday from 4 to 10 p.m. |
| 2 | Corner of Ship St. and the alley, 610 Ship St. | Ship Street side of downtown |
| 3 | Pleasant Street Plaza/The Market, 301 Main St. | Year-round indoor market |
The Bistro's Friday hours line up with the whole Luminary window, so you can eat dinner before or after the walk without leaving the trolley route.
Inside The Market at 301 Main
The Market's current vendor list includes Community Taproom, The Cheese Lady, Dad's Farm, Infusco Coffee, St. Joe Wine Shoppe, Wild Ginger, The Tea Annex and Gelato Paradiso. The building is generally open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., though individual businesses set their own hours. Community Taproom lists 301 Main as its address and is open seven days a week.
The roster changed in October. Moody on the Market reported on Oct. 21 that The Chef's House closed the week before, after 11 months at The Market. The headline hints at a new chapter in another location. The Chef's House had started full operation there in early December 2025.
The Krasl's preview party, same night
From 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 20, the Krasl Art Center at 707 Lake Blvd. holds a public preview party for its 2026 Community ⇄ Members' Show. The show is the Krasl's annual exhibit of work made over the past year by Berrien County residents and Krasl members. The Krasl and the Bistro are both on Lake Boulevard, so the preview fits into a Luminary evening without a separate trip. The Krasl's visitor page notes that galleries close during the week of an exhibition opening, so check gallery access for that week with the Krasl.
Saturday, Nov. 28: The Middle Date
Small Business Saturday runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's the second double-entry day and the plainest of the three, with no parade and no ceremony. St. Joe Today lists a Holiday Trolley for this day too, but the times and stops haven't been posted yet, and neither has the list of participating businesses.
It falls almost exactly between Luminary and the Reindog Parade. That makes it the natural day to finish the gift list you started on Nov. 20, with receipts still counting double.
Dec. 4 Through Dec. 6: Merry & Bright Weekend
This is the weekend most people mean when they talk about holidays in St. Joe. St. Joe Today bills it as a weekend of extended shopping hours, events and special offers. The 2026 list of participating businesses is still marked as to be announced.
Friday, Dec. 4. Light Up the Bluff starts at 6 p.m. at Lake Bluff Park, with the St. Joseph High School Choir singing carols. The tree lighting follows at 6:30 p.m. The one million lights stay on through Valentine's Day.
Saturday, Dec. 5. This is the third double-entry day, and the busiest. The Reindog Parade fills downtown with costumed pets, from what St. Joe Today calls "Santa Bernards" to "Reindeer Rottweilers." The parade also marks Santa's arrival. If your dog is marching:
- Registration: in advance at stjoetoday.com/reindog, or on the day at the Welcome Center from noon to 2:45 p.m.
- Cost: $5 for the first pet, $3 for each additional pet
- Judging: 1 to 2:45 p.m., outside the Welcome Center
- Lineup: corner of Elm and State streets by 2:50 p.m.
- Parade start: 3 p.m.
Right after the parade, Santa's House opens from 4 to 7 p.m. at the corner of State and Pleasant streets.
Sunday, Dec. 6. The indoor Holiday Artisan Market takes over Union+Social at 216 Court St. Admission is free, and the event listing gives hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santa's House is open again from 1 to 5 p.m.
Santa's House Runs Two More Weeks
After Merry & Bright, Santa's House keeps going until Dec. 23, with short weeknight hours. Visits are free. Photos aren't provided, so St. Joe Today asks families to bring their own camera.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Thu. Dec. 10, Fri. Dec. 11 | 4 to 6 p.m. |
| Sat. Dec. 12 | Noon to 5 p.m. |
| Sun. Dec. 13 | 1 to 5 p.m. |
| Thu. Dec. 17, Fri. Dec. 18 | 4 to 6 p.m. |
| Sat. Dec. 19 | Noon to 5 p.m. |
| Sun. Dec. 20 | 1 to 5 p.m. |
| Mon. Dec. 21 through Wed. Dec. 23 | Noon to 5 p.m. |
Even when Santa isn't there, the house stays on its corner as a drop-off for letters. Postcards for writing to Santa are available at the Welcome Center. Sunday, Dec. 13 is the last day for qualifying Countdown to New Year purchases, so shopping on Santa's first full weekend after Merry & Bright still counts toward entries.
The Jason Stroud Team is based in St. Joseph, so the stretch from Luminary to the Reindog Parade is part of our calendar too. If the season has you wondering what your own place near downtown is worth, the Jason Stroud Team can put together a free home valuation, whether you ask before Luminary or after the bluff lights come on.
