Downtown Walnut Creek has two holiday kickoffs this year, 13 days apart. Civic Park goes first on Friday, November 20, with the tree lighting and the opening night of Walnut Creek on Ice. Broadway Plaza holds its Parade of Lights on Thursday, December 3. Then on December 11 comes the date many dessert fans have been waiting for: the planned grand opening of Bacio di Latte at Mt. Diablo Boulevard and North Main Street. That's eight days after the second tree lighting.
The event calendar is set. The food map around it is not. Several of the most-watched openings near downtown are still listed as coming soon, and one familiar Locust Street restaurant is closed after a fire. So for the first half of the season, the useful stops are the ones that opened over the summer and are already pouring and scooping.
November 20: Civic Park Lights Up First
The Civic Park Holiday Tree Lighting runs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 20, at 1375 Civic Drive. It is free and open to the public. The Walnut Creek Downtown listing includes complimentary hot cocoa, live carolers and a meet-and-greet with Frosty the Snowman. The format looks a lot like last year's ceremony, which was held on Friday, November 21, 2025, in the same park and at the same 5:30 start.
On the same night, the ice goes in next door. Walnut Creek on Ice runs November 20, 2026 through January 18, 2027, at 1365 Civic Drive. Its organizers call it the Bay Area's only outdoor ice rink and ice slide. Walnut Creek Downtown Association presents the rink in partnership with the City.
The ticket details from the rink's Plan Your Visit page are worth knowing before you go:
- Skating: $20 per person for a 90-minute session, skate rental included. Your size isn't guaranteed.
- Frosty's Summit Ice Slide: a separate $20 ticket for a 90-minute session. Riders must be at least 36 inches tall to ride alone, or 32 inches to ride double with an adult.
- Combo Days: skating and the slide together for $20 per person on Monday through Thursday, outside holiday weeks.
- Payment: the rink takes no cash this season. On-site tickets accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App and major credit cards.
The Combo Days price matters most for families. Bought separately, a skate session and a slide session come to $40 per person. The rink's main page lists a skate-and-slide combo at $20 on non-holiday weekdays and $30 on weekends and holiday dates, which makes a Tuesday after school the better deal. The rink's posted hours and holiday-week dates still carry some leftover details from last season, and its ticket button points to the 2025/26 sales page. Check the rink site again closer to November 20 before you plan around a specific time slot.
What Changed on the Blocks Around the Rink
Most tree-lighting nights end with something sweet or a casual dinner nearby. The places that would have filled that role a year ago have shifted, and the main change is on Locust Street.
Lettuce Restaurant & Catering at 1632 Locust Street, near Civic Drive, was badly damaged in a fire on the morning of August 19, Bay Area Telegraph reported. No one was injured. The building's owner said he plans to rebuild, according to the Walnut Creek Record. No timeline for repairs or reopening had been announced.
Two summer openings fill part of the gap. Both are already operating, so neither depends on a construction schedule.
Taqueria Extra & Cantina moved within downtown to 1359 Locust Street, the former Fuego Tequila Grill space, and had opened there by mid-July, Beyond the Creek reported.
Milky Flakes opened at 1399 N. Main Street in early July. According to Beyond the Creek, the menu covers soft serve in Hokkaido milk and matcha flavors plus bingsu, the Korean shaved-ice dessert.
One block north, Salt & Lime is taking over 1521 N. Main Street, the former Oyama Sushi space next to 1515 Restaurant & Lounge. Bay Area Telegraph describes it as a full-service Mexican restaurant with Diablo Valley College culinary alum Chelsea Ozuna running the kitchen. As of October 2, its website still read "Coming Soon," and no firm opening date had been published. It might open before the holidays, but on November 20 it is still a maybe.
December 3: Broadway Plaza's Parade Moves Up a Day
Broadway Plaza holds its Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., throughout the Plaza. The listing promises music, entertainment, a parade and a tree lighting led by Santa. Last year's event fell on Thursday, December 4, ran until 8:30 p.m. and was centered at the Main Fountain. So the 2026 version is still a Thursday, ends half an hour earlier and spreads across the whole Plaza. The listing gives no admission price or parade route.
The Plaza's holiday page says Santa photos take online reservations, and walk-ins are always welcome with free visits. A holiday sweepstakes opens for entries on November 2. State & Liberty is back in its original Broadway Plaza spot after a temporary move for renovation, Beyond the Creek noted in mid-October.
For a drink nearby, The BOBA Lounge has opened at Broadway Pointe, 1245 N. Broadway Street. Beyond the Creek counts it as the latest in a line of boba shops at that address, following iTea, Teapot and Li Cha Tea.
December 11: The Corner That Opens Last
The former Vineyard Vines space at 1500 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, on the corner of North Main Street, is being split into two dessert and drink counters. This is where the late-season story lands.
Bacio di Latte was first expected in September. Bay Area Telegraph now reports a planned grand opening of December 11, 2026, citing an October 8 email from Brian Hirahara of BH Development, who said the shop hopes to open sooner. Beyond the Creek reported a lineup of 22 gelato flavors made in-house, plus espresso and an affogato bar.
Chagee, a Chinese tea chain, will take the corner half of the same space. A separate Bay Area Telegraph report says the chain's Bay Area locations, including Walnut Creek, are expected in 2027, and no exact Walnut Creek date has been announced.
At Agora at South Main, Shabu Go has been announced for the former California Pizza Kitchen space. The hot pot restaurant has no published opening date.
Here is where each place stood in October 2026:
| Spot | Address | Status as of mid-October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Milky Flakes | 1399 N. Main St. | Open since early July |
| Taqueria Extra & Cantina | 1359 Locust St. | Open at its new address since mid-July |
| The BOBA Lounge | 1245 N. Broadway St. | Open as of late September |
| Lettuce Restaurant & Catering | 1632 Locust St. | Closed since the August 19 fire; owner plans to rebuild |
| Salt & Lime | 1521 N. Main St. | Coming soon, no date |
| Bacio di Latte | 1500 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Grand opening planned for December 11 |
| Chagee | 1500 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Expected in 2027 |
| Shabu Go | Agora at South Main | Announced, no date |
The pattern is consistent. Everything already open came in over the summer. Everything still under construction is either aimed at mid-December or later, or has no date at all.
Fitting the Season to the Map
With the dates and statuses side by side, the season falls into three stretches.
November 20 to December 2. Civic Park has the tree and the rink. For food, count on what's already running: Taqueria Extra on Locust for dinner and Milky Flakes on North Main for dessert. A Monday-through-Thursday Combo Day is the cheapest way to do both the skating and the slide, as long as the date isn't in a holiday week.
December 3 to December 10. Broadway Plaza adds its parade, tree and Santa photos. The BOBA Lounge at Broadway Pointe is the newest drink stop on that side of downtown.
December 11 to January 18. Bacio di Latte's planned grand opening adds a gelato and espresso counter at Main and Mt. Diablo for the rest of the rink season. Salt & Lime and Shabu Go could open any time in this stretch or later, so check their own channels, including Salt & Lime's Instagram, @saltandlimewc, before counting on them.
The rink stays open well into January, so the openings that miss the first tree lighting still have about five weeks of skating nights to catch.
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