Spokane Valley's 2026 holiday season takes place almost entirely inside city limits. It opens at the fairgrounds on Friday, November 20. It reaches its main event two weeks later at Balfour Park, where the city lights its tree on Friday, December 4. Two Saturdays at CenterPlace follow. Three years ago the tree lighting was outside City Hall. Today it is held in a park the city has spent $6 million rebuilding, and as of this summer that park stays lit after dark all year.
That change explains the shape of the season. Here is how the dates line up.
The 2026 dates, in order
- Friday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 22. Custer's 50th Annual Christmas Arts & Crafts Show at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
- Friday, Nov. 20. Spokane Valley Mall has Photos with Santa slots open for booking, and walk-ups are welcome daily until closing.
- Friday, Dec. 4, 5:30 to 7 p.m. The City of Spokane Valley Tree Lighting at Balfour Park, 105 N. Balfour Road.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. Breakfast with Santa at CenterPlace, with entry times of 8, 9 or 10 a.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Spokane Valley Winter Market at CenterPlace.
The last three come from event listings rather than a 2026 city announcement. Check the city's pages before you head out on any of those days.
Why the tree ended up on Sprague
As recently as Friday, December 1, 2023, the city held its tree lighting at City Hall, 10210 E. Sprague Ave. By December 6, 2024, the event had moved to Balfour Park. The city's listing called it a "New location!" and paired the tree with Santa, music, cocoa, cookies and a walking light parade.
The move followed the construction. The city's Balfour Park expansion project is a roughly $7 million plan covering about 5.6 acres of park and library campus. Phase I included pathways, lighting, landscaping, a new park building and an events plaza with a veterans memorial. In May 2024 the city scheduled the Veterans Memorial dedication for Friday, May 24, and described Phase I as nearly complete. The city's own summary says all of those Phase I pieces were finished in 2024.
The tree lighting arrived in December of the same year the events plaza was completed. Balfour Park sits beside the Spokane Valley Library, and that location shapes the program. This year's listing ends the evening with storytime with Santa at the library after the lights go on.
What's different at Balfour this December
The 2026 lighting is the first one held since the park's sports courts opened. The Spokesman-Review reported in September that the city finished four pickleball courts, one full basketball court and two half courts after a summer of construction. The work also added sports lighting and a new sound system. According to the paper, thousands of people came to the late-August celebration, and city spokeswoman Jill Smith said the courts will be open year-round.
That matters on December 4 because of the light. A 5:30 p.m. start in early December means arriving after dark, and the park now has courts built for evening use. The same story puts the city's spending on the park at $6 million so far and calls the courts "the first of many improvements" planned for the site.
The rest of the plan is still coming. The Spokesman-Review says a playground and splash pad are planned for 2027, while the amphitheater has only been graded so far. The city's summary gives the same timeline: sports courts in 2026, playground and spray park in 2027. The park hosting this year's tree is close to finished but still being built.
Here is what's on the ground for the December 4 crowd compared with the 2024 lighting:
| Feature at Balfour Park | December 2024 lighting | December 2026 lighting |
|---|---|---|
| Events plaza and Veterans Memorial | Completed in 2024 | In place |
| Pathways and park lighting | Completed in 2024 | In place |
| Pickleball and basketball courts | Not yet built | Open year-round since late summer 2026 |
| Sports lighting and sound system | Not yet built | Installed in summer 2026 |
| Playground and splash pad | Planned | Planned for 2027 |
| Amphitheater | Planned | Graded, future project |
The weekend before Thanksgiving starts at the fairgrounds
The season opens two weeks before the tree lighting, and the first weekend is also in Spokane Valley. The fairgrounds' mailing address says "Spokane," but Spokane County describes the Fair & Expo Center as 97 acres within the City of Spokane Valley.
This year's Custer's Christmas Arts & Crafts Show is the 50th. It brings in more than 250 artisans from across the Northwest selling fine art, handcrafts and specialty foods. Booths include hand-thrown pottery, fused glass, woodworking, fiber art, candles and seasonal décor. Here are the details for a weekend visit:
- Admission: $9 for a single day, or $11 for a three-day pass
- Parking: free
- Longest day: Friday, Nov. 20, open until 8 p.m.
- Shortest day: Sunday, Nov. 22, closing at 4 p.m.
At $11, the three-day pass costs $2 more than a single day. That makes a Friday evening preview followed by a Saturday return a cheap option. Spokane Valley Mall's Santa booking calendar also shows open slots that Friday, so a day at the show can include a mall stop.
After Balfour, the season moves to CenterPlace
The morning after the tree lighting, the calendar shifts to CenterPlace Regional Event Center at Mirabeau Point. Breakfast with Santa is listed for Saturday, December 5, with seatings at 8, 9 and 10 a.m. One week later, Visit Spokane's holiday events guide lists the Spokane Valley Winter Market at CenterPlace on December 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last year's market took place on Saturday, December 13, at 2426 N. Discovery Place.
Put together, the city's December runs as a Friday night outdoors on Sprague, followed by two Saturdays indoors at CenterPlace. All three events fall within nine days.
Two new places to eat after an event
Two restaurants that opened since summer give the season some new stops.
Capitol Bar & Grill, 18219 E. Appleway. It opened Friday, August 7, according to the Spokane Journal of Business. The 85-seat bar and grill serves American comfort food alongside cross-cultural dishes and has a 20-seat patio. It's a sit-down option for a group coming from an evening at Custer's or the mall.
Kindlers, 14816 E. Sprague. This certified gluten- and seed-oil-free fast-casual restaurant opened this fall, the Spokane Journal of Business reported in October. It seats 40, has a drive-thru, and was open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily when it launched. With a 9 p.m. close and a drive-thru, it works for a quick dinner after a tree lighting that ends at 7, especially for a family with dietary restrictions.
Planning around December 4
The tree lighting runs for 90 minutes on a Friday evening. A choir from an elementary school and the University High band perform, with free cocoa and cookies. It's free, and it takes place in a park the city now lights for year-round evening use. The event listing points readers to the city's Tree Lighting page and notes that details can change. That page is the one to check the week of the event.
Amy Khosravi follows the Balfour Park build-out closely, from the 2024 plaza and memorial to this summer's courts and the splash pad planned for 2027. If you're curious how investments like Balfour fit into your own plans for next year, schedule a free consultation and we'll talk it through over cocoa.
