Granbury's 2026 holiday calendar fits on one street. The Santa House, the Opera House, the petting farm, the nativity collection and the first of this month's two holiday markets all list East Pearl Street addresses, and the Night of Lights Parade travels down Pearl to start the season. For its first ten days, Christmas in Granbury happens within a short walk of the courthouse.
That holds until the weekend of December 4–6. On that weekend the Candlelight Tour of Homes, the opening of Holiday Inn, the first market weekend at Warren's Backyard, two holiday shows at Granbury Live and the closing days of the Gordon House nativity display all land on the same three days. After that, the season moves off Pearl Street. The order you plan in matters more than which events you pick.
One Street, Five Addresses
These are the addresses the 2026 listings give for the season's main fixtures:
| Address | What's there this season | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|
| 100 E. Pearl St. | Santa House at the Hood County Courthouse Gazebo | Nov. 28 – Dec. 23 |
| 133 E. Pearl St. | Holiday Inn at the Granbury Opera House | Dec. 4 – Dec. 23 |
| 201 E. Pearl St. | Country Christmas Petting Farm at Granbury Square Plaza | Nov. 27 – Dec. 20 |
| 307 E. Pearl St. | Wisemen Seek Him nativity display at the Gordon House | Nov. 27 – Dec. 6 |
| 621 E. Pearl St. | Lake Granbury Holiday Market at the David Southern Lake Granbury Conference Center | Nov. 7 |
Look at the right-hand column. Three of the five stay open until at least December 20. The nativity display opens the same day as the petting farm but closes two weeks earlier, and that December 6 closing date shapes the whole calendar.
November Warms Up at Both Ends of Pearl
The season starts with two Saturday markets, one at each end of the street.
The Lake Granbury Holiday Market runs this Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the David Southern Lake Granbury Conference Center, 621 E. Pearl St. The listing promises free admission, local vendors, food, live music and Santa photos. A free trolley runs from the Square, so you can park downtown and ride out to the market. Visit Granbury's regular weekend trolley is a complimentary 24-seat service that runs Fridays 4 to 10 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A week later, on November 14, the Granbury Square Plaza Holiday Market sets up at 201 E. Pearl St. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with local vendors, food and live music. That plaza becomes the petting farm two weeks later, so November 14 is your one Saturday to shop there before the animals arrive.
Thanksgiving Weekend Fills In the Middle of the Street
The Friday after Thanksgiving starts the main season. The Historic Granbury Merchants Association's Night of Lights Christmas Parade steps off at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 27. The route comes down Pearl Street, circles the Historic Granbury Square and then heads down Bridge Street. Santa's arrival switches on the Christmas lights at Shanley Park and the City Hall building, according to Visit Granbury's parade listing.
Two other fixtures open the same day:
- Country Christmas Petting Farm, 201 E. Pearl St. It is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is $5. Visit Granbury presents it, and Great American Entertainment Company brings it to town. It runs through December 20.
- Wisemen Seek Him, the Langdon Center's Gordon House at 307 E. Pearl St. This free, self-guided display holds more than 1,000 nativities from around the world. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Visit Granbury's 2026 holiday guide describes the collection as private.
On Saturday morning, November 28, the Granbury Santa House Grand Opening Party starts at 8 a.m. in the courthouse parking lot with a free pancake breakfast. Judging for the Elf Contest begins at 9:30 a.m., and the Santa House opens at 10 a.m. The listing also promises music, hot drinks, games and crafts.
After opening day, the Santa House at the Hood County Courthouse Gazebo is free and keeps a weekly schedule:
| Day | Santa House hours |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 6–8 p.m. |
| Friday | 6–8 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10 a.m.–noon, 2–4 p.m., 6–8 p.m. |
| Sunday | 2–4 p.m., 6–8 p.m. |
The regular schedule runs through December 20. A separate listing adds evenings on December 21, 22 and 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.
December 4–6 Is When Everything Runs at Once
The first weekend of December is the only one where every season-long event is open at once. Here it is in order:
- Friday, December 4. The 42nd annual Granbury, A Candlelight Tour of Homes opens. The Historic Granbury Merchants Association's listing promises decorated homes and locations, a VIP night and party, and a holiday atmosphere. Broadway on the Brazos opens Holiday Inn, presented by the Granbury Theatre Company at the Historic Granbury Opera House. The Granbury Christmas Market at Warren's Backyard opens its first weekend. At 7 p.m., Granbury Live puts on its REBA Christmas Tribute Show.
- Saturday, December 5. The Candlelight Tour continues, and Granbury Live presents A Michael Hix Christmas Party at 3 and 7 p.m.
- Sunday, December 6. The Candlelight Tour ends, and so does Wisemen Seek Him at the Gordon House.
The Candlelight Tour is the anchor, and it has a long history here. The Austin American-Statesman reported in 2014 that the tour had welcomed visitors since December 1983, and it called that year's edition the 31st. Visit Granbury describes a selected group of residents opening their private historic homes, with volunteer docents and the owners themselves telling each home's story, alongside lights, carols, Christmas treats and carriage rides. Tickets and the list of homes will be posted on the Historic Granbury Merchants Association's events page.
The Gordon House closing date is the one to plan around. After that Sunday, the Santa House, the petting farm and the Warren's Backyard market each have two more weekends, December 11–13 and 18–20, and the Santa House adds its evenings on December 21–23. December 6 is your last chance to see the nativity collection. A Sunday that includes a stop at 307 E. Pearl St. and a home or two on the Candlelight Tour is the most Pearl Street day of the season.
After December 6, the Season Leaves Pearl Street
Once the nativity display closes, the season's center shifts to Weatherford Highway and to evening shows.
The Granbury Christmas Market at Warren's Backyard, 2901 Weatherford Highway, runs for three weekends: December 4–6, 11–13 and 18–20. Hours are 2 to 9 p.m., and entry and parking are free. Visit Granbury's holiday guide lists local craft vendors, a 200-foot inflatable Christmas obstacle course, a light showcase, live music, holiday drinks from Warren's and photos with Santa. The market keeps the same Friday-through-Sunday schedule as the petting farm, so both end on December 20.
Granbury Live keeps booking through the middle of the month:
- Texas Flood, December 11 at 7 p.m.
- An ELVIS Christmas, December 12 at 3 and 7 p.m.
- The Texas Bluesmen, December 18 at 7 p.m.
- Cory Morrow, December 19 at 7 p.m.
Back on Pearl Street, the Opera House stays busy the longest. Holiday Inn plays Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 20, then adds 7:30 p.m. performances on December 21, 22 and 23. Those last three nights line up with the Santa House's added evenings at the gazebo, so the final days before Christmas bring the season back to where it started.
For a slower evening on the Square, Eagle Eye Ranch Carriage Company offers 15- to 20-minute rides through historic downtown. You book the whole carriage instead of paying per seat, and reservations must be made in advance through the company's Visit Granbury listing.
If the Candlelight Tour has you thinking about the stories behind Granbury's older homes, or about what a historic house near the Square takes to care for, The Atkins Agency would be glad to talk it through with you, from the details of the house to the history behind it.
