The 35th Bass Lake Christmas Tree Lighting & Parade of Lights is on Saturday, November 28, at The Pines Resort. It is free, and the floats are whatever people decide to decorate. The parade falls in the middle of a long weekend. The Pines Village Arts & Crafts Fair runs Friday through Sunday, Thanksgiving dinner is served on the lakefront Thursday, and the Sierra National Forest has closed four trails in the Bass Lake Ranger District through December 31. One of those trails is Shadow of the Giants. If you have family in town that weekend, plan the days around the Pines Village lot.
Thirty-Five Years of Saturdays
The numbering has been steady for years. In 2016, Sierra News Online covered the 25th annual celebration and its electric Parade of Lights. The Pines called 2021 its 30th consecutive year, and 2026 is listed as the 35th. Those counts line up with one parade a year, every year, going back to the early 1990s.
The date doesn't move either. In its 2021 announcement, The Pines Resort described a typical year like this:
"On a typical year, close to a thousand people gather at Bass Lake on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, to kick off the Holiday Season with a festive parade of lights, tree lighting, and the arrival of Santa Claus."
That same post said 2020 "looked a little different" because of pandemic gathering restrictions, and that the resort added nearly ten thousand dollars' worth of new lights and holiday decorations for the 30th year. It also said where everyone stands. The crowd spreads across the middle parking lot with hot cocoa and holiday music, and the craft fair runs in the Conference Center.
The Floats Come From Down the Road
The Pines invites anyone to "participate by decorating a festive float." When the event was promoted in 2023, the Sierra News Online listing named the accepted entries: cars, boats, trailers and golf carts, plus people who "dress up and walk." It pitched the parade as a way to "promote your business, organization or start a new family tradition."
That list is a good description of what the parade looks like. Pontoon boats on trailers, golf carts strung with lights and pickups with a generator in the bed are the kind of entries the rules are written for. To enter something this year, contact The Pines Resort directly well before the 28th. In 2023 the parade lined up at 5:30 p.m. and started at 6:15 p.m., so entrants usually need to arrive a good while before spectators.
For 2026, the Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce lists the event from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Pines Resort, 54432 Road 432. Santa will be there with photos, along with music, hot cocoa, the parade and the tree lighting. In 2021, the parade and Santa's arrival came at 6:15, the tree lighting at 6:45, and Santa photos at 7.
Why the Lot Matters More This Year
On October 8, the Sierra National Forest issued Forest Order 05-15-00-26-11. It is in effect through December 31, 2026, so it covers all of Thanksgiving weekend and the rest of the holidays. The Forest Service cites "widespread hazard trees, erosion, and ongoing repair efforts" as the reason. These are the closures in the Bass Lake Ranger District:
- Trails: 22E06 Shadow of the Giants, 24E13 Timber Creek, 25E01 Stevenson Trail with Hemlock Crossing Bridge closed, and 26E63 Miller's Crossing
- Campgrounds: Dirt Flat, Dry Gulch, Rock Creek, Texas Flat Group and Crane Valley Group
- Roads: 4S17 Greens Mill between Chowchilla Mountain Road and Forest Road 4S17H, and 8S38Y Crosshatch
Some of these closures aren't new. Recreation.gov shows Crane Valley Group Campground closed for every season from 2019 through 2028 for hazard-tree removal. The trail closures are different. They take out the short forest walks you'd usually suggest to guests on the day after a big meal. The same October order also removed Fish Camp, Soda Springs and Little Jackass from the closure list. For questions about a specific site before you drive out, the Sierra National Forest's listed contact number is 559-297-0706.
With those trails closed, Pines Village is a likely place to spend some of the weekend, and its calendar is set up for it. The Pines Village Arts & Crafts Fair has five weekends on the 2026 calendar: Easter, Father's Day, Labor Day, the Halloween Carnival and Thanksgiving. The Pines' fair listing labels the Thanksgiving dates "Thanksgiving Weekend / Holiday Parade." Saturday hours run until 8 p.m., so the vendors stay open while the parade is going. According to The Pines, the vendors sell handmade jewelry, pottery, woodwork, candles, textiles, artwork and gourmet treats. Shopping is indoors, and also outdoors when the weather allows.
The Four Days, Laid Out
The schedule below uses the times The Pines and the Chamber have posted.
| Day | Date | What's on | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving buffet at The Pines | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Thursday | Nov. 26 | Three-course Thanksgiving meal at Ducey's on the Lake | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Friday | Nov. 27 | Pines Village Arts & Crafts Fair | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Saturday | Nov. 28 | Arts & Crafts Fair | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday | Nov. 28 | 35th Christmas Tree Lighting & Parade of Lights | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Sunday | Nov. 29 | Arts & Crafts Fair, final day | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
The Pines also lists a take-and-bake option for Thanksgiving. According to The Pines' Thanksgiving page, the meal comes fully prepared and ready to warm at home. Call the resort to confirm pickup timing and to reserve either of the Thursday meals, since a holiday dining room at a lakeside resort tends to fill up.
Saturday is the only day the fair and the parade overlap. One option is to shop in the afternoon, eat early, and be in the middle lot when the 5 p.m. festivities start. Sunday's fair closes at 2 p.m., which is early enough for guests who have a drive back to the valley.
The Same Lot Keeps Going Into December
After the 28th, The Pines and Ducey's on the Lake host a few more holiday events:
- Breakfast with the Grinch, Sunday, December 6, from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Lakeview Room
- Christmas Day brunch at Ducey's, Friday, December 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., per the Chamber's calendar
- New Year's Eve at The Pines, Thursday, December 31, with fireworks at midnight, per the Chamber's calendar
The forest order expires the same night as the fireworks. Until December 31, the Bass Lake Ranger District has the trails, campgrounds and roads listed above closed. On Thanksgiving weekend, the decorated cars, boats, trailers and golf carts gather on the Pines Village lot.
If holidays at the lake have your family asking what owning a place near Bass Lake would involve, from a full-time home to a retreat you share with guests, Concierge Homes is glad to talk it through with the same local attention we bring to every foothill transaction. Contact Us when you're ready.
