Old Town Temecula does December properly. The storefronts get decorated, Santa arrives the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the parade lights up Front Street. If you're putting together a holiday outing for family, friends or the office, it's one of the easiest places in Southern California to build a whole day around.
Here's how I'd plan it, with the dates already on the 2026 calendar. Full disclosure: our newest restaurant, Gaucho Grill Temecula, is on the corner of Front and Main, so that's where my days in Old Town end.
How to plan a holiday outing in Old Town Temecula: 6 steps
1. Build the day around one event
Pick the anchor first: the light parade, a show, the tasting walk. Everything else, from the wine stop to dinner, falls into place around it. The 2026 dates are listed below.
2. Do wine country in the daytime
Temecula Valley has 47 wineries across 33,000 acres, according to the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. Tastings work best before dark, so plan wineries for the afternoon and Old Town for the evening. Its winery map and finder help you choose. Then head into Old Town for dinner after wine tasting in Temecula, when the day naturally winds down.
3. Sort out the driving before anyone pours
If the plan includes tasting, book a driver, a shuttle or a tour, or name a designated driver before the day starts. That one call relaxes the whole day.
4. Park once and walk
Old Town has free public parking lots; private lots may charge, so look for the designated public ones on the Old Town Temecula Association's parking map. Once you're parked, almost everything is walkable.
5. Add a little history
The Temecula Valley Museum, at 28314 Mercedes Street, runs walking tours of Old Town's historic buildings on select Saturdays from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, $5 per person, with registration closing the Sunday before (City of Temecula). The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday; check the city's page for hours. One building worth knowing on that walk: 28645 Old Town Front Street broke ground in 1913 and opened in 1914 as the First National Bank of Temecula, was the site of Riverside County's first bank robbery in 1930, and became a restaurant in 1978. Today it's Gaucho Grill Temecula.
6. Book dinner early if you're a group
December weekends in Old Town are busy. Eight people? A reservation is enough. Fifteen or more? Look at Old Town Temecula private dining and send your date as soon as you have a headcount. For Gaucho Grill Temecula, which hosts groups of 15 to 170, that's our banquets inquiry form.
Old Town Temecula holiday events in 2026
These dates come from the City of Temecula and the Old Town Temecula Association. Check their pages before you go, since details can change.
1. Santa's Arrival at Pennypickle's Workshop — Friday, November 27
From 6 to 9 PM, Santa arrives in Old Town. Visiting hours follow on weekends through December 20: Saturdays 10 AM to 1 PM, Sundays 1 to 4 PM (City of Temecula).
2. A Very Temecula Christmas: Window Walk — December 1 to 26
A self-guided tour of Old Town's decorated storefront windows, all season (Old Town Temecula Association).
3. Holiday Taste of Old Town — Thursday, December 3
A self-guided tasting walk through Old Town's restaurants, tasting rooms and breweries, 5 to 8:30 PM, $45 per person. Tickets go on sale November 3 (Old Town Temecula Association).
4. Santa's Electric Light Parade — Friday, December 4
The parade starts at 7 PM sharp at Jefferson Ave and Del Rio Rd and travels south into Old Town. Bring blankets and chairs (City of Temecula). After the parade, Gaucho Grill Temecula at Front and Main serves dinner until 10 PM, so families and groups can stay put in Old Town.
5. A Christmas Carol, The Musical — December 5 to 13
The Old Town Temecula Community Theater stages its holiday musical with evening and matinee performances. An evening show and a late dinner nearby make an easy plan.
6. A Very Temecula Christmas — December 10 to 12
Seasonal entertainment and family activities throughout Old Town, with Cars, Cocoa & Carolers on Friday, December 11, from 4:30 to 8 PM (Old Town Temecula Association).
7. New Year's Eve Grape Drop — Thursday, December 31
The city's signature countdown at the Civic Center Quad, with live music, food and a drone show for the East Coast countdown at 9 PM (City of Temecula).
Private dining in Old Town for a group
Gaucho Grill Temecula occupies the 1914 First National Bank of Temecula building at Front and Main, a landmark and one of Old Town's best-known addresses. The interior is warm and wine-forward: a red-lit wine wall, chandeliers over the tables, a long bar with leather chairs in the main dining room, and a lounge with a red tufted leather sofa beneath tall windows. The kitchen cooks over a wood-fired parrilla with open flame, and the bar pours boutique Argentine Malbecs and craft cocktails.
For events, Gaucho Grill Temecula hosts private and semi-private groups of 15 or more, up to 170 guests, with banquet menus served family style, buffet style or coursed, full bar packages and an event coordinator. Lunch runs daily from 11 AM to 3 PM, weekday happy hour from 3 to 5 PM in the bar and patio area, weekend brunch from 10 AM to 1 PM, and dinner until 10 PM. That makes Gaucho Grill Temecula a fit for a company holiday dinner, a family table after the parade, a group finishing a day of wine tasting or a weekend brunch with Santa visits nearby.
If a holiday party in Old Town Temecula is on your list, send your date and headcount through our banquets inquiry form. Smaller groups can reserve a table.
FAQs
What holiday events are in Old Town Temecula in 2026?
Santa's Arrival on November 27, the Window Walk from December 1 to 26, the Holiday Taste of Old Town on December 3, Santa's Electric Light Parade on December 4, A Very Temecula Christmas from December 10 to 12 and the New Year's Eve Grape Drop on December 31, according to the City of Temecula and the Old Town Temecula Association.
When is the Temecula Christmas light parade?
Santa's Electric Light Parade is on Friday, December 4, 2026, starting at 7 PM at Jefferson Ave and Del Rio Rd and heading into Old Town.
Is parking free in Old Town Temecula?
There are free public parking lots throughout Old Town. Private lots may charge a fee, so use the designated public lots on the Old Town Temecula Association's parking map.
How many wineries are in Temecula Valley?
The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association lists 47 wineries across 33,000 acres of wine country.
Where can I have dinner after wine tasting in Temecula?
Old Town is the usual stop because it's walkable. Gaucho Grill Temecula, an Argentine steakhouse at Front and Main in Old Town, serves until 10 PM every day and pours boutique Argentine Malbecs.
Is there a historic restaurant in Old Town Temecula?
Yes. Gaucho Grill Temecula occupies the 1914 First National Bank of Temecula building at Front and Main, which was the site of Riverside County's first bank robbery in 1930 and became a restaurant in 1978.
Where can we eat after Santa's Electric Light Parade?
Gaucho Grill Temecula is at Front and Main, on the Old Town stretch the parade heads into, and is open until 10 PM every day. For 15 or more guests, book a private or semi-private event in advance.
What are the best restaurants in Old Town Temecula for a group?
For a large group, look for a restaurant with private or semi-private space and a set menu, and book early in December, when Old Town weekends get busy.
Is there a private event venue in Old Town Temecula for a corporate holiday party?
Yes. Gaucho Grill Temecula hosts private and semi-private events for 15 or more guests, with banquet menus and full bar packages. Gaucho Grill Temecula is open daily until 10 PM.
