For those of us yearning for a holiday season filled with good cheer and merry making, we have these suggestions to help welcome the holiday season and make it a time to remember. From dining and shopping, to hiking and exploring, a visit to Visalia this holiday season will evoke the holidays of your childhood with simple pleasures, gathering with our nearest and dearest, and finding joy in a brisk winter day outdoors.
From Sequoia National Park to boutique shopping, these ideas are perfect for a winter holiday whether you’re traveling solo, with just the two of you, or with your family. Planning is simple and carefree. Book your stay now for a holiday you will always remember!
A Stroll along Main Street in Downtown Visalia looking at the windows all decorated for the Holidays will put you in the holiday spirit. The joy of sipping a hot cocoa while peeking in at the decorated windows will boost your holiday mood. Pop into the boutiques to find the perfect gift for those on your list. Downtown has lots of great restaurants for a fun holiday gathering or to spend time with a special someone. For an elegant night out, consider the Vintage Press Restaurant for a special and memorable holiday meal. Looking for a more casual spot? The patio at Pita Kabob is charming with its twinkle lights and delicious Mediterranean food. They also have a market with Mediterranean specialty items perfect for creating a gift basket for the food-lover on your list. During the holidays, Main Street is renamed “Candy Cane Lane” with swags of garland that stretch across the street and twinkle lights that brighten the sidewalk trees. The holiday spirit is alive in downtown! Be sure to mark you calendar for all of their special holiday events, including the Winter WINE-derland Wine Walk.
The holidays will be evident all around Visalia. Here are a few places that evoke that holiday feeling and bring back memories from your childhood. And making us feel like children is what the holidays are all about!
Visalia Mall
Bring the family for a classic visit and photo with Santa! The Visalia Mall is helping to preserve this time-honored tradition for families, including families with fur-babies. T. The Visalia Mall will have the North Pole, holiday decorations, hot chocolate and more that will excite children in anticipation of the upcoming holiday. You can even receive a call from Santa Claus! They will be delighted when they visit knowing that Santa will still hear their secret wish.
On December 4, Santa Cares, a very special Santa, will also be available. Designed for Children within all spectrums of special needs and their families, Santa Cares offers a sensory-friendly visit for fun family photos with Santa!
Downtown Visalia
The holidays are always special in downtown and several events are planned to help get you in the holiday spirit. From the Winter WINE-derland Wine Walk to the Christmas as the Plaza to the Holiday Brew Fest, Downtown is sure to be fun and festive. And every Thursday night are Horse-drawn Carriage rides are available.
Christmas at Vossler Farms
Enjoy Christmas on the Farm and make wonderful holiday memories. Vossler Farms has been transformed into a winter wonderland with ice skating, Holiday Hay Rides, Light Displays and of course lots of photo ops. Christmas on the Farm is open from November 26 to January 8.
Viewing holiday lights is an annual tradition for most families. Looking at the decorations and the twinkling lights while sipping hot cocoa makes the holidays come to life. Here are a few suggestions of where to see some spectacular light displays in and around Visalia this holiday season.
This winter, celebrate the holidays with a new tradition - one that gets you outdoors and exploring wildlife. As birds and other animals migrate, many find their home in and around Visalia in the winter.
Visalia has many opportunities to explore the outdoors from the nearby national parks to local conservation lands - ranches, farms, scenic vistas, cultural sites, wildlife habitat and waterways - in the Kings, Kaweah, Tule and Kern River watersheds. Managed by a local non-profit, these lands are opened for public use and offers an opportunity to volunteer, hike and discover these beautiful places. Most Friday and Saturday, Sequoia Riverlands Trust hosts events at several of their locations from volunteer days to discovery days. If you’d like to help, contact them and make a reservation to be there. Their docents will teach you about the local area. You can make a difference by helping preserve the land for future generations or simply hike among some of the most beautiful areas in the southern sierra.
The sequoia trees in winter are one the most beautiful sights to see! Did you know that the General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon National Park is a living shrine to the men and women of the Armed Services? It is also considered the nation’s Christmas tree. On the second Sunday of each December, rangers from the National Park Service hold a ceremonial wreath laying at the base of the tree while visitors gather around. Touching and significant, the ceremony at once reminds us of the freedoms we enjoy and the holiday spirit that fills us all.
There are other winter activities in the parks that make a visit to the parks in winter one of the best trips ever. Rangers in the parks often host snowshoeing walks in winter when snow levels allow. The beauty of the cinnamon colored bark of the giant sequoias against the brilliant white of the snow is unforgettable. And as you walk through the forest you have an experience like no other.
If you are looking for a guide that can help your family explore the parks in winter, including a private snowshoeing tour, make arrangements with Sequoia Parks Conservancy or Sequoia Guides. These expert guides know the park and can help you have a unique and memorable experience.
