The 2026 holiday calendar for Celina's Downtown Square has been posted, and most of it needs no planning at all. Christmas on the Square is free. The Friday Night Market is free. The Saturday photo mornings in December are free. The only part that needs planning comes first, more than a month before the tree is lit. Granny's Bakery's special pricing on Thanksgiving pie preorders ends on Saturday, October 31, and Gift Tour tickets go on sale on Monday, November 2.
From Mustang Lakes, the Square is about eight miles away, based on the community's own estimate for Founders Station Park, one block east of the Square. That's close enough for a weeknight festival and a Saturday shopping trip. The dates below are in order, starting with the ones that need action this week.
The First Two Deadlines Fall on Either Side of Halloween
Granny's Bakery at 401 W. Pecan St. is offering Thanksgiving pie preorders at a special price, but only for orders placed and paid in full between October 1 and October 31. That window closes this Saturday.
Two days later, tickets go on sale for the Celina Gift Tour 2026, presented by Mac Haik Chevrolet and the Celina Chamber of Commerce. The tour itself runs on Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Chamber's event page is direct about demand:
"Tickets will be on sale 11/2 and like every other year, it WILL sell out!"
A ticket gets you a holiday shopping tote and a tour map. You then visit participating Gift Stops around Downtown Celina and collect a gift at each one. The 2026 listing does not include a price. Last year's ticket price applied to the December 6, 2025 tour only, so check the Chamber page on November 2 for this year's price.
November 6 Is the Last Friday Night Market on the Books
Celina's monthly Friday Night Market returns on Friday, November 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Downtown Celina, 141 N. Ohio St. The market is hosted by SBG Hospitality. The City describes it as free to attend, with local farmers, producers and artisans, food and live music.
The fall season so far has included markets on September 4 and October 9. The City's December 2026 calendar does not list a Friday Night Market, so November 6 is the last one scheduled this year. It's also a good time to shop for gifts made by local vendors before the December crowds arrive.
December 2 Is a Wednesday, So Plan the Evening
Christmas on the Square is set for Wednesday, December 2, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m. on the Downtown Square. Specialty Land Services presents the event, and it is free. Because it falls on a school and work night, the schedule matters more than usual. The 2026 event page lists the evening in half-hour blocks:
| Time | On the Square |
|---|---|
| 5:00 p.m. | Event kicks off, shuttles begin, A Cappella Social Club |
| 5:30 p.m. | Steps of Faith Dance Studio |
| 6:00 p.m. | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Youth Choir |
| 6:30 p.m. | 3-D Dance Performing Companies |
| 7:00 p.m. | FUMC Celina Christmas Choir & Band |
| 7:30 p.m. | Moore Middle School 6th Grade Choir |
| 8:00 p.m. | Tree lighting |
| 9:00 p.m. | Event ends |
| 10:00 p.m. | Last shuttle leaves |
The tree lighting at 8 p.m. is what most families will build the night around. If you leave Mustang Lakes after school pickup and dinner, you can still arrive in time for the 7 p.m. choir and band and stay for the lighting.
Parking is the main decision. The City is running free event shuttles from two lots: Celina High School at 3455 N. Preston Road and Moore Middle School at 300 E. G.A. Moore Parkway. Shuttles start at 5 p.m., and the last one leaves at 10 p.m., an hour after the event ends. That hour leaves time to finish shopping without rushing for the last ride.
The other option is the downtown parking garage, which opened in mid-October 2025. Community Impact reported that it added nearly 400 spaces, with public parking on the first three floors on a first-come, first-served basis. The fourth floor is reserved for contractor parking and staging while the Downtown Center is under construction. On the biggest night of the season, those first-come spaces will likely go to the people who arrive at 5.
The 2026 vendor directory already lists 63 artists, vendors and exhibitors. The organizers promise fair food "from corndogs and funnel cakes to authentic Texas BBQ." Treat the vendor list as a work in progress until the event.
December 5 Is Gift Tour Day
If you bought tickets on November 2, the Saturday after Christmas on the Square is the payoff. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so lunch falls in the middle. Three spots near the Square are open this year:
- Mangiamo Market Deli & Pizzeria, 203 W. Pecan St. Community Impact covered its January 2025 opening as an Italian deli, pizzeria and marketplace. It took part in Celina Restaurant Week, held August 21 through September 5, 2026. You can also order ahead from Mangiamo's website.
- Nowhere Bar, 501 W. Walnut St., Suite 100. It opened in July 2025 with burgers, wings and drinks, according to Community Impact, and serves food seven days a week.
- Granny's Bakery, 401 W. Pecan St., for something sweet before the afternoon Gift Stops.
The newest coffee stop is on Preston Road. 1418 Coffee soft-opened on July 28, 2026 at 565 S. Preston Road, with handcrafted drinks, cold brew and pastries. Community Impact describes it as near downtown Celina. It's a good place for coffee before the 10 a.m. start. The same team runs Ramble Coffee House at 2287 N. Preston Road, which opened on June 27.
Two Saturday Mornings for Photos
After the tree lighting and the Gift Tour, the City's calendar brings families back to the Square on two more Saturdays:
- December 12: Coffee with a Cop runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Photos with Reinsteer runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both are on the Downtown Square.
- December 19: Photos with Santa runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Downtown Square.
Both are late-morning events, so they don't take the whole day. You can get the photo and be back in Mustang Lakes by early afternoon. The Santa window is just two hours, and it falls on the last Saturday before Christmas, so it's the date most likely to have a line.
Still to Come on the 2026 Calendar
Celina's Countdown to Christmas page, which usually collects the month's smaller events, still says "Coming Soon" for 2026. The schedule posted below that banner is last year's. Until the City updates it, the dates above are the confirmed ones. Last year's extras, such as carriage rides and the craft cocktail evening, should be treated as unscheduled for 2026.
Before you drive downtown, check the City of Celina's site for road updates. In June 2026, Community Impact reported that reconstruction was scheduled to begin "later this year." The work covers Pecan Street between Arizona Drive and Florida Drive, plus South Ohio Drive and South Louisiana Drive. Those are the streets around the Square, so a closure could change which way you walk from the garage.
The Square will also look different next holiday season and after. In July, the City announced Trackside Junction, a $15 million mixed-use project at 111 W. Pecan St. with 15,000 square feet of commercial space. Its agreement calls for groundbreaking by the first quarter of 2027 and completion by the second quarter of 2028. In September, the City approved a $7.5 million reinvestment that includes restaurant space in the historic Mayer Building at 313 W. Pecan St. and new commercial construction at 102 N. Ohio St. Under that agreement, construction on the Mayer Building must begin by January 1, 2028. Neither project has named a tenant yet. For now, the restaurants on Pecan and Walnut and the stalls on the Square are what's open.
Downtown Celina's December calendar is filling up, and each new project on Pecan Street adds to why buyers are looking at homes a short drive from the Square. If you're curious what that means for your home's value this season, Rebecca Lee Group can give you a clear, local number before the holidays. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
