The first holiday market of the season in Brentwood opened on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Center Court in The Streets of Brentwood. It runs every Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. through Dec. 20. Downtown's first market opens four weeks later. The City of Brentwood is holding its first Downtown Winter Market on Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6.
Council members proposed the downtown market so that holiday shopping would keep reaching downtown stores while The Streets, under new ownership, pulls more shoppers to Sand Creek Road. Knowing that makes this season's calendar easier to read. Downtown has packed most of its events into two weekends. The Streets has spread its events across six weeks of Sundays.
Why City Hall built a market on Second Street
The idea came from Mayor Meyer and Council Member Jovita Mendoza. They sent the request to the interim city manager on Oct. 25, 2025. It reached the council as agenda item H.4 at the Nov. 12, 2025 meeting. The request asked for Economic Development Grant money to support "the creation and operation of a Winter Market in 2026," aimed at drawing visitors downtown during the holidays.
When the council voted 5-0 at its Dec. 9 meeting to move ahead, Mendoza explained her reasoning, as The Press reported:
"We need to find other ways to help downtown drive sales. We thought about those holiday markets that are in Europe…We see them around in other cities in the United States. We see it in New York. It definitely drives sales."
In the same Press story, Mendoza named CenterCal, the new owner of The Streets of Brentwood, as part of the reason. She credited the company with reviving that center and said she wanted a reason for people to keep visiting downtown businesses as well. She described what she pictured as booths, Santa, and a stage where local kids could put on dance recitals. Vice Mayor Pa'tanisha Pierson suggested bringing the Brentwood Lions Club, the Downtown Brentwood Coalition and the Brentwood Rotary Club into the planning.
After that vote, the project moved forward in these steps:
- July 28, 2026. The council named the 2026 Downtown Winter Market an Economic Development Priority Project and approved $60,000 from the Economic Development Grant Fund for fiscal year 2026-2027.
- July 2026. The City signed the lease on the 2nd Street parking lot, according to its project tracker.
- Aug. 31 to Oct. 2, 2026. The City took applications from craft vendors, food vendors and performers, with vendor contacts planned for Oct. 16.
The staff report for the July vote tied the project to the council's economic development goal of "capturing retail leakage, promoting local businesses and key investments." City budget documents use "retail leakage" for shopping dollars that leave town. Here, the money the City wants to hold on to is holiday spending.
What changed on Sand Creek Road
CenterCal bought The Streets of Brentwood in October 2024. Since then, The Press has reported on a plan to bring in new retailers and on upgrades to The Patio and the central plaza. Those upgrades include new landscaping, shade trees and seating. Barnes & Noble and Mochinut are among the retailers the paper listed as part of that change. In a separate Press story, Mayor Susannah Meyer said the Planning Commission voted 4-0 on April 1 to approve three new buildings in the central plaza and new monument signs.
The center's holiday program this year is spread over several weeks:
- Holiday Market, Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. at Center Court, Nov. 8 through Dec. 20
- Merry-oke, Christmas carol singing by the large Christmas tree, Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. over the same dates
- Santa's Toy Workshop Visits & Photos, Nov. 21 through Dec. 24, with more details still to come from the center
If you're reading this on Thursday, Nov. 12, six Sunday markets are left: Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. The events page at The Streets keeps the current schedule.
Downtown puts its season into two Saturdays
The Streets spreads its program across weeks of Sundays. Downtown's holiday events land on two Saturdays a week apart.
Saturday, Nov. 28 has two events back to back. The Downtown Brentwood Coalition and the Contra Costa County Winegrowers Association hold the Winter Wine Walk & Holiday Shop from 1 to 4 p.m., with check-in starting at 12:15 p.m. Guests walk through downtown shops tasting local wines, sampling food from local restaurants and shopping holiday deals. Tickets are required. One hour after the wine walk ends, the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce starts its 44th Annual Holiday Parade, which runs 5 to 7 p.m. This year's theme is "Brentwood Express." In 2025, the City held a sing-along and tree lighting at City Park, 710 Second Street, right after the parade.
Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6 are the Winter Market. The City's page lists Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and says its dates are tentative and may change. The market will be based in the City-leased 2nd Street parking lot, with more activities in City Park and around downtown. The City plans vendors, live entertainment, family activities, winter décor and local businesses. It is asking vendors for food, drinks and goods tied to the winter and holiday season.
Plans for the market's setup changed along the way. The 2025 proposal called for matching vendor sheds, a "Santa Spot" twice the size of a vendor kiosk, and a community stage. Under the final vendor rules, vendors bring their own white tents and the City adds a decorated front to each one. The City supplies the stage and sound system for performers. The community stage from the original pitch is still part of the plan.
The full calendar, from publish day forward
| Date | Where | Event | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundays, Nov. 15 to Dec. 20 | The Streets, Center Court | Holiday Market | Noon to 6 p.m. |
| Sundays, Nov. 15 to Dec. 20 | The Streets, by the large tree | Merry-oke | Noon to 4 p.m. |
| Nov. 21 to Dec. 24 | The Streets | Santa's Toy Workshop Visits & Photos | Details to come from the center |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Historic Downtown Brentwood | Winter Wine Walk & Holiday Shop | 1 to 4 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Downtown Brentwood | 44th Annual Holiday Parade | 5 to 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | 2nd Street lot, City Park, downtown | Downtown Winter Market | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | 2nd Street lot, City Park, downtown | Downtown Winter Market | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
Sunday, Dec. 6 is the one day both markets are open
On Dec. 6, both markets run at the same time. The Winter Market opens downtown at 10 a.m. and The Streets' Holiday Market opens at noon at Center Court, and both close at 6 p.m. That gives you a full afternoon to visit both if you want to compare. On that Sunday, the morning hours downtown come before The Streets opens, and Merry-oke ends at 4 p.m., two hours before either market closes.
Saturday, Dec. 5 has its own scheduling issue. The City's July staff report noted that the Winter Market's Saturday falls on the same day as Discovery Bay's Parade of Lights. Discovery Bay's December has three separate parades. Our guide to Discovery Bay's December parades lists each date so you can check them against the Winter Market.
If you have guests visiting on the Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28 is the busiest downtown day of the season so far. The wine walk, the parade and a Sunday market at The Streets the next day all fall within about 24 hours. For more outings around town after the holidays, our Brentwood neighborhood guide lists what's nearby.
At The Lucas Group, we live and work in East County. A new downtown market started with a council vote is the kind of local change we follow all year. If you have questions about Brentwood, from how downtown is changing to what that means for your street, we'd be glad to talk it through. Get in Touch.
