When does the holiday season start in Sunriver this year? There are two answers, and they come one week apart. Sunriver Resort lights its tree at The Lodge on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Village at Sunriver holds its kickoff the following Saturday, Nov. 28.
The Village ice rink ties the two dates together. It opens its season on the day of Grand Illumination. Its longest daily schedule covers Thanksgiving week and ends on Nov. 28, the day of the Village kickoff. Six days after that, Mt. Bachelor plans to open.
Saturday, Nov. 21 Fills The Lodge From Noon to Fireworks
Grand Illumination is Sunriver Resort's tree-lighting ceremony and fireworks show, held at The Lodge, 17600 Center Dr. It runs from midday into the evening, and the resort lists this schedule:
- Noon to 4:30 p.m.: petting zoo activities, pony rides in front of The Lodge, train rides and putt-putt
- Noon to 5:15 p.m.: raffle ticket sales benefiting Wonderland Express, a local nonprofit
- Noon to 7 p.m.: food and beverage vendors
- 2 p.m.: Santa arrives, and the North Pole opens for visits until 5 p.m.
- 2 to 7 p.m.: Oregon Observatory telescope viewing and holiday retail
- 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.: live music from Jessie Leigh
- 5:30 p.m.: raffle drawing
- 5:40 p.m.: tree lighting and fireworks
- 6 to 7 p.m.: the North Pole reopens for Santa visits
Live entertainment plays on the outdoor stage in The Backyard. Holiday shopping is in the Merchant Trader. For a sit-down meal during the event, the resort suggests reserving a table at Lodge Kitchen or Owl's Nest. The resort notes that the schedule may change and that activities depend on the weather.
The telescope viewing starts at 2 p.m. and lasts until 7 p.m., so it goes well past the 5:40 p.m. tree lighting. Families who stay at The Lodge after the fireworks can still use the telescopes and visit Santa until 7.
The Rink Opens the Same Day and Keeps Its Longest Hours for Thanksgiving
The ice rink in The Village at Sunriver is run by Alpine Entertainment, and its season page gives Saturday, Nov. 21 as opening day. On Saturdays the rink runs three sessions, and the evening one starts at 6 p.m., about twenty minutes after the fireworks at The Lodge.
After opening weekend, the rink switches to its holiday schedule. From Monday, Nov. 23 through Saturday, Nov. 28, it runs three sessions every day. Regular hours return the next day. In a regular week, Monday through Thursday skating runs only from 3 to 8 p.m., so the Thanksgiving schedule adds morning and early-afternoon sessions on days that otherwise open at 3.
| Period | Days | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Regular hours, from Nov. 21 | Sunday | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. |
| Regular hours, from Nov. 21 | Monday through Thursday | 3 to 8 p.m. |
| Regular hours, from Nov. 21 | Friday and Saturday | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 5 p.m., and 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Thanksgiving Break, Nov. 23 to 28 | Every day | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 5 p.m., and 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Winter Break, Dec. 21 to Jan. 2 | Every day | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 5 p.m., and 6 to 9 p.m. |
Regular sessions cost $18 for skaters 13 and older and $14 for ages 5 to 12. Children under 5 skate free with a paying adult. Holiday sessions cost $20 and $15. Skaters who bring their own skates get $4 off. A season pass costs $200 for the first skater and $100 for each additional skater. At holiday prices, an adult who skates ten times would pay $200, the same as the pass, so a pass makes sense for anyone planning to skate several times a week through Thanksgiving.
The rink fills the outdoor gap during Thanksgiving week. As of early November, SHARC has closed outdoor aquatics for the season. The facility is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Indoor recreation swimming runs 2 to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends. Check SHARC's daily operations page for Thanksgiving week hours before you go.
Thanksgiving Day Is Spread Across Four Resort Kitchens
Sunriver Resort has Thanksgiving dinners at four locations on Thursday, Nov. 26. Each is a different setting:
- The Great Hall: a Thanksgiving buffet
- Lodge Kitchen at The Lodge: a three-course dinner
- Lake House at Caldera Springs: a Thanksgiving dinner
- The Grille at Crosswater: a Thanksgiving dinner priced at $99 per adult and $49 for children 6 to 12, with children under 5 free
Lodge Kitchen also serves a Thanksgiving brunch from Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29. That covers the long weekend, including the morning of the Village kickoff.
In The Village at Sunriver, Campfire Cucina & Pizzeria will have its first holiday season. The Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce announced its grand opening and ribbon cutting for Feb. 7, 2026. The restaurant is between Artists' Gallery and Hot Lava Bakery, close to the rink.
Saturday, Nov. 28 Is the Village's Turn, and SHARC's
The last day of the rink's Thanksgiving schedule is also the busiest day on Sunriver's own calendar. Two events take place in different parts of town.
The Village at Sunriver hosts its 9th annual Rockin' Holiday Kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 28. The Village calls it the start of the 2026 holiday season, and the event is free.
The same day, the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce holds the Sunriver Saturday Holiday Market at SHARC from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 40 vendors will sell holiday décor, gifts, food and beverages. There's no set entry fee. Instead, the chamber asks for a donation of canned pasta sauce, pasta or peanut butter for Care & Share, the local food bank. Raffle tickets for gift baskets support the fifth annual Career Exploration Lunch for middle school students in Sunriver and La Pine. Black Duck Road Homemade Cookies, Bennington Sunriver Vacations and Sunriver Snow Service are the sponsors.
The rink keeps its three daily sessions through that Saturday, so the Village has skating in the morning, afternoon and evening on kickoff day. On Sunday, Nov. 29, regular hours return, and the rink settles into its weekday schedule of 3 to 8 p.m. until Winter Break on Dec. 21.
Friday, Dec. 4 Is the Planned Close of the Stretch
Mt. Bachelor plans to open for the 2026 season on Friday, Dec. 4, with hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on opening day. The mountain says the date depends on conditions.
Sunriver Resort's Hometown Holiday offer is for Central Oregon residents with a ZIP code starting in 977. Rates start at $170 per night and include a $50 resort credit per night. A 20% nightly resort fee applies to each room, and the stay includes access to the resort's Mt. Bachelor winter shuttle. The offer covers stays from Nov. 5, 2026 through March 31, 2027, so it applies to both Grand Illumination weekend and opening day. For year-round residents hosting family over Thanksgiving, it is one way to put guests up nearby when the house is full.
The Riley Group lives and works in Sunriver, and we keep a close eye on calendars like this one, because the holidays are often when out-of-town family first asks what owning a place here would be like. If you're hosting this year or thinking about a Sunriver home of your own, Bend Homes and Land is happy to talk it through. Contact Us.
