The Christmas Walk Ends at Five on December 6. Sherman Gardens Opens Its First Night Entry at Five.

The 47th Annual Corona del Mar Christmas Walk is Sunday, December 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is free, and the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce says it has "no specific starting point." You simply stroll the sidewalks of Pacific Coast Highway through the village. What has changed is the evening after it. This year Sherman Library & Gardens, at the Dahlia Avenue end of the village, has replaced its daytime holiday event with an evening one. Its first entry time is 5 p.m., the same minute the Walk ends.

That makes December 6 the one day on the calendar when the village's biggest street celebration runs straight into a night of garden lights a few steps away.

A walk with no start still has two anchors

The chamber's line about "no specific starting point" is true for strollers. The vendor setup, though, tells you where the crowds collect. The chamber's vendor registration page lists two vendor fairs for 2026, one at PCH and Marguerite and one at PCH and Dahlia. The Marguerite fair was already sold out as of the October 19 posting. The Dahlia fair is directed to 2647 E. Coast Highway, "near the popular Sherman Gardens."

Between those two points, the chamber promises more than 17 local bands, Santa visits, children's activities, street performers, vendor gifts, merchant and restaurant promotions, and a Beer & Wine Garden with dancing to the "Pinch Me" Band. Exhibitors must be set up by 10:45 a.m., stay in their spaces until 4 p.m., and clear the lots by 5 p.m. That means the vendor fairs wind down in the last hour, while the music and storefront offers continue along the sidewalks.

What the sidewalk looked like last year

The best record of how the day actually plays out is the Daily Pilot's coverage of the 46th Walk on December 7, 2025. It describes a village "teeming" with people, nearly 20 bands, Santa and plenty of food samples. Mayur Cuisine of India handed out chicken tikka masala and naan. Absolute Caviar drew a line for caviar samples at its sidewalk table. The Pilot noted that the store had opened just two weeks before the Walk, so its first anniversary on the corridor falls around late November.

The Pilot also put both ends of the village in the story. The Friends of OASIS membership table and the OASIS Sailing Club table were set up outside Mother's Market. The Aloha OASIS Strummers played ukuleles in front of Sherman Gardens "to entertain the steady flow of walkers."

The Newport Beach Independent's 2025 preview promised live entertainment on multiple stages, Santa photos with live reindeer, restaurant tastings and the returning Beer & Wine Garden. For 2026, the chamber lists the Walk's hours as 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the Walk closes right as Sherman's first entry opens.

Sherman moved its holiday from daytime to after dark

In 2025, the Gardens' holiday event was "A Very Sherman Holiday." It was a daytime affair that ran from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a members-only day on Saturday, December 6, and an open day on Sunday, December 7. It featured volunteer and local-vendor shopping, Santa photos, cookies and hot chocolate, live music, a Wishing Tree and Letters to Santa. Last year, then, the Gardens held its holiday shopping during the Walk's daytime hours, at the same end of the village and on the same Sunday.

For 2026, Sherman calls Merry & Bright Nights "an all new magical evening of lights, music, dancing, food, and sparkling holiday fun." It runs 14 nights: December 3 to 6, 10 to 13, and 17 to 22. The program lists twinkling lights and whimsical scenes, Santa, the Wishing Tree, holiday crafts, a model train winding through a holiday landscape, Mexican food, adult beverages and a dance party. Stu News Newport calls the train the Sherman Express.

The change opens up the full day. Instead of a garden event competing with the Walk for the same daylight hours, December 6 now has a daytime village event and an evening garden event, one after the other. Santa appears at both.

December 6, hour by hour

1. 11 a.m. The Walk opens along PCH. Vendor fairs at Marguerite and Dahlia are already set up, since exhibitors must be ready by 10:45.
2. 4 p.m. Exhibitors are free to start packing up.
3. 5 p.m. The Walk officially ends, vendor lots must be clear, and Sherman's first Merry & Bright entry begins.
4. 7 p.m. Sherman's second and final entry time.
5. 9 p.m. Merry & Bright Nights closes for the evening.

If you want to spend the full afternoon on PCH, the 7 p.m. entry gives you time for dinner in between. The 5 p.m. entry fits households that would rather walk east to west and finish at the Dahlia end as the lights come on.

Tickets, the taco cart and the lots off Dahlia

Sherman's evening is ticketed by entry time, and seats are going quickly. Members could buy from October 5 and the public from October 19. By late October, the opening night, Thursday, December 3, was already marked sold out, while Sunday, December 6, was still listed for purchase.

• Admission: $45 for members, $65 for non-members, free for ages 3 and under.
• Membership bundles: The Family Package is $335 for four tickets plus a year of Family Membership. Four non-member tickets alone come to $260, so the bundle adds $75 for the year of membership. The Adult Dual Package is $230 and the Senior Dual Package is $205, each with two tickets and a year of membership.
• Food and drink: A cash-only taco cart sells tacos, quesadillas, water and hot chocolate, and a no-host bar pours beer and wine. Outside food is not allowed.
• Entrance: Sherman's current notice puts the entrance on Dahlia Avenue, with signs to guide you, and says some areas are temporarily closed during improvements.
• Parking: For the event, Sherman lists two free lots off Dahlia, Lot A at Dahlia and PCH and Lot B at Dahlia and 3rd Avenue, plus street parking, all first come, first served. On Walk day, the Dahlia vendor fair sits at that same corner, so expect a full block until the vendors clear out at 5.
• By bus: OCTA's 2025 holiday roundup listed OC Bus Route 1 for last year's Walk. Check the current schedule before you count on it this year.

Regular dining on the Sherman grounds is still unavailable. A few Hazeltine's Afternoon Tea seatings are on the 2026 calendar, and full service at the new restaurant is planned for fall 2027.

Two dates to put on the calendar first

The village's holiday season starts before December. On Sunday, November 8, BLSSD the Label at 2721 E. Coast Highway, Suite 205, hosts an embroidery grand opening and ribbon cutting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free embroidery on purchases, goodie bags, and coffee and matcha. If you're giving monogrammed gifts this year, you can order them a month ahead of the Walk.

The corridor itself is changing too. In August, the Newport Beach Independent reported the $13.7 million sale of 2515 E. Coast Highway, the multi-tenant building that includes El Ranchito. The Poole family had owned it since the 1940s. The new owner, Shops at CDM, LLC, is led by Phil Berry, who already owns property next door. No tenant changes have been announced. This year's Walk will be the first under new ownership for one of the village's longest-held buildings.

The most useful thing you can do this week is buy Sherman tickets. The Walk is free and needs no planning, but the garden's December 6 entry slots are limited, and opening night has already sold out.

Our team plans every listing's presentation around what a home looks like at its best, and December evenings in this village have a look of their own. If you're thinking about how your Corona del Mar home will show this winter or in spring, JoJo Romeo & Associates can walk you through a complimentary home valuation and transformation plan.