The Commons at Calabasas has one night on its holiday calendar this year. On December 8 at 7 p.m., the center will host a Festival of Lights for Chanukah, according to the Winterland schedule Caruso posted on November 2. Every other evening this season, the main thing happening at Commons Way is construction.
That leaves room on the calendar, and Calabasas Road and the city's parks and community center have filled most of it. The Commons is still a holiday stop, but it is one stop among several now. A Calabasas December this year runs on three schedules: one evening at The Commons, Saturday mornings in Old Town, and a short list of city events spread from Mulholland Highway to Malibu Hills Road.
The Commons is keeping its one signature night
The redevelopment is bigger than the fencing suggests. Plans call for 80 apartment homes and about a dozen new stores and restaurants at the 200,000-square-foot center, The Acorn reported in August. The Calabasas Courier put the new retail and restaurant space at about 27,000 square feet, and said the former theater site is part of the plan. The Regency Calabasas theater next to Barnes & Noble closed when work began.
The center's lineup has thinned too. Marmalade Cafe, one of the original 1998 tenants, closed on August 2 after nearly 30 years, and Fresh Brothers Pizza has also closed, The Acorn reported. Several longtime names are still open for holiday errands, including Barnes & Noble, Ralphs, Polacheck's Jewelers, See's Candies and King's Fish House. In October, the Courier also wrote that construction has made parking and traffic around the center harder.
The December 8 event fits the center's own tradition. The Commons has long marked the season with a menorah lighting, not a tree lighting. The 2024 celebration, on December 30, included music, latkes and a fireworks finale, and then-Mayor Peter Kraut lit the menorah, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. This year's Festival of Lights is described as a community gathering "celebrating the eight nights of Chanukah."
Families with younger children have two smaller reasons to stop by:
- Kids Club, with Jammin' with Jared on November 17 at 4 p.m.
- Letters to Santa, a postcard and mailbox activity running November 21 through December 24.
The new shops and restaurants could start opening around the end of the year, according to The Acorn. Until they do, the center offers one big night and a few small things for kids.
Old Town's 23500 block picked up the slack
Head west on Calabasas Road to Old Town, where the holiday season is easier to find. Two addresses about 30 numbers apart do much of the work.
The Calabasas Certified Farmers Market sets up at 23504 Calabasas Road every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., all year, according to the state's certified market list. It keeps running through the holidays, so every Saturday between now and Christmas has a fixed morning plan.
A few doors down at 23538 Calabasas Road, Jon & Vinny's is now open. The restaurant took over the former Mulholland space, which closed in October 2025, Valley News Group reported when the move was announced. The same report described the menu as Italian-inspired with pizza, pasta, polenta, salads and a full kids' menu, served at breakfast, lunch and dinner, with dine-in, takeout and delivery. The all-day hours fit the market's Saturday schedule. You can shop the stalls in the morning and have lunch a short walk away.
The Calabasas Courier also reported in October that the Courtyard shopping center, across the street from The Commons, is adding Alfred Coffee. The same article said The Commons redevelopment will bring at least four new restaurants. For now, though, the newest place to sit down for a meal this season is in Old Town.
The city's calendar covers two weekend mornings
Old Town takes care of Saturdays. The City of Calabasas has two December events, each in a different part of town, and both are on weekend mornings.
Santa Paws Photobooth is on Sunday, December 6, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Wild Walnut Park, 23050 Mulholland Highway. Pets can get a holiday photo with Santa, and holiday outfits are encouraged. It is free and open to all ages, with no registration.
Holiday Breakfast with The Grinch is on Saturday, December 12, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road. Tickets are $20 per person, for ages 2 and up. Registration is required for children and adults and opened November 2. The morning includes a light breakfast, crafts and a portrait with holiday characters. Guests are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the San Fernando Valley Volunteer League. Sign up on the city's special events page.
The Calabasas Library adds a quieter weekday option. Fourth Wednesday Craft Makers, for children ages 5 to 12, meets November 25 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Children's Room, the day before Thanksgiving.
The city also runs the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center at 23400 Park Sorrento, where Canyon Café is listed as now open in the city's October update. In its November 5 update, the city said the pool was open but could close temporarily if heater repairs let the water drop below 75 degrees. Call ahead before planning a winter swim.
The season by date
Put together, the calendar has one clear peak. Saturday, December 12 brings the Grinch breakfast on Malibu Hills Road and the farmers market on Calabasas Road on the same morning, with The Commons' Festival of Lights four nights before.
| Date | Event | Location | Cost and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Saturday, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. | Calabasas Certified Farmers Market | 23504 Calabasas Rd, Old Town | Year-round |
| Nov. 17, 4 p.m. | Kids Club: Jammin' with Jared | The Commons | Family music program |
| Nov. 21–Dec. 24 | Letters to Santa | The Commons | Postcard and mailbox activity |
| Nov. 25, 1:30–3 p.m. | Fourth Wednesday Craft Makers | Calabasas Library, Children's Room | Ages 5–12 |
| Sun., Dec. 6, 9–11 a.m. | Santa Paws Photobooth | Wild Walnut Park, 23050 Mulholland Hwy | Free, no registration |
| Tue., Dec. 8, 7 p.m. | Festival of Lights for Chanukah | The Commons | Community gathering |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 9–11 a.m. | Holiday Breakfast with The Grinch | Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Rd | $20, registration required, toy donation |
On December 12, a family can be at the Community Center by 9, finish by 11 and still reach the market before it closes at 1. Lunch at Jon & Vinny's is down the block.
A tree lighting means a short drive to Westlake
Caruso's tree lightings and in-person Santa visits are at its other centers this year. The Winterland schedule lists tree lightings at The Grove, Palisades Village and The Promenade at Westlake. The Promenade's tree lighting is on November 20, with a holiday market starting at 4 p.m. and the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Santa's Cottage runs there from November 21 through December 24. The same page lists open-air skating all season at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks. For anyone in Calabasas who wants a tree, a Santa visit and an ice rink, those two stops cover it before December starts.
That leaves December mostly in town. You can visit Santa with the dog at Wild Walnut Park on the 6th, attend the Festival of Lights at The Commons on the 8th, and spend the 12th at the Grinch breakfast, the market on Calabasas Road and lunch nearby.
If you'd like to talk about how The Commons redevelopment and the new restaurants on Calabasas Road fit your own plans in Calabasas, Jennifer Holmes and The Royal Group would be glad to help. Schedule a Consultation Today.
