On Saturday, December 12, Wildlife Safari runs its midday giraffe and elephant encounters, then opens Wildlights at dusk, and the Winston Christmas Ball starts across town at the Community Center at 6 p.m. That is three of the season's headline events on one day.
That Saturday sets the shape of the whole season. Everything else falls into place around it, starting with a race on Thanksgiving morning and ending with a last lights weekend after Christmas. Here's how it lines up, with dates, times and prices pulled from the organizers' own listings.
Thanksgiving morning starts at the Safari
The season starts before December does. Wildlife Safari's Turkey Trot 5K is on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m., the 5K starts at 8:30 a.m., and the event wraps up around 10:30 a.m. Adult registration is $30, and children 12 and under run free. The Safari says all ages and fitness levels are welcome.
That 10:30 finish leaves plenty of morning for anyone with a turkey in the oven. The regular drive-through is a separate matter. The Safari's prices and hours page lists the park as closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Trot is a separately ticketed morning event.
The town lights its tree on December 5
The first Saturday in December belongs to downtown. Patch's Winston calendar lists the Winston Christmas Tree Lighting & Parade for Saturday, December 5, at 5:30 p.m. at Civic Wayside Park, 201 NW Douglas Blvd. That's the City Hall address, and the park sits behind City Hall on Douglas Boulevard. The listing links to the Winston-Dillard Festival Association, which runs the event. Check with them or City Hall at (541) 679-6739 for parade lineup details.
The parade comes six days before the Safari's evening lights open. If you have relatives coming for only one December weekend, this is the one weekend with only town events on it.
Saturday, December 12: the day everything lands
The following weekend, the Safari's two December programs start up, and the town's biggest evening event falls on the same Saturday.
| Time on Sat., Dec. 12 | Event | Where | Price listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noon and 1 p.m. | Holly Jolly Giants | Wildlife Safari, check in at the Safari Dome entrance | $50 per person |
| 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Wildlights | Wildlife Safari | $15 |
| 6 p.m. | Winston Christmas Ball 2026 | Winston Community Center, 440 SE Grape Ave. | See organizer |
Holly Jolly Giants is the Safari's smaller, up-close event. The $50 ticket covers a giraffe feeding and photo encounter, an elephant photo encounter, animal-painted ornaments, hot cocoa, coffee and a cookie, plus music, animal ambassadors and holiday shopping.
Wildlights is the evening event for the whole family: holiday light displays, hot cocoa, animal appearances and festive train rides from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. At $15, a Wildlights ticket costs less than half of the Safari's $32.95 adult daytime admission.
The Christmas Ball is the timing problem. It starts at 6 p.m. at the Winston Community Center, and Wildlights runs until 7:30. A household that wants to do both on the 12th gets about 90 minutes at Wildlights before heading to Grape Avenue. If the Ball is on your list, the Friday or Sunday nights of that weekend give you a full Wildlights evening without rushing.
The weekends that follow are easier
After the 12th, the calendar gets simpler. Both Safari programs repeat on the next two weekends, and no town event competes with them.
- Wildlights: December 11 to 13, 18 to 20, and 26 to 27, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Holly Jolly Giants: December 12 and 13, 19 and 20, and 26 and 27, with encounters at noon and 1 p.m.
Two details matter for planning. Wildlights opens on Fridays, December 11 and 18, but the last run is a Saturday and Sunday, December 26 and 27. That puts the final lights weekend right after Christmas, when family visits often stretch past the holiday. Holly Jolly Giants is weekends only and keeps the same noon and 1 p.m. times on every date.
Tickets for both are sold through the Safari's website by date, so check availability for the night you want before promising it to the kids. Safari members can buy Wildlights tickets at the gate to get their member discount.
The daytime drive-through is the quiet option
The holiday events get the attention, but the regular drive-through stays open all winter. From November through March, Wildlife Safari runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the last vehicle goes in at 4. General admission is $32.95 for adults and $29.95 for children, and kids 2 and under get in free. Douglas County residents get 20% off.
That 4 p.m. closing is 30 minutes before Wildlights opens on event nights. If your guests want to see the animals in daylight and the lights after dark, they can do both on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday in December. The daytime visit uses the resident-discount admission, and the evening uses the $15 Wildlights ticket.
On Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, the drive-through is closed.
Giving back before the lights go up
One November event on the town calendar raises food instead of money. The Winston-Dillard Seniors are organizing a Holiday Craft Fair this month to support the Winston Food Bank. Admission is a canned food item or a small cash donation per person, and vendor tables are $10. The date and place go up on the Winston Seniors Facebook page, and Carol Murray takes vendor sign-ups at 541-643-3842, according to the City's November 2026 newsletter.
The same newsletter covers the seniors' regular weekly schedule, which keeps going through the holidays. Douglas County furnishes lunches at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the Senior Room of the Community Building at Thompson and Grape Streets, with a suggested $3.50 donation. Penny Bingo runs Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Around town while you're out
A few smaller changes are worth knowing before the December rush:
- Winston Library hours changed on November 1, 2026. The library is now open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- City offices close for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, November 26 and 27.
- New business licenses issued in September and October include The Lunch Box, Ballard Oyster Co., Path of the Rogue and Lousignont Outdoor Solutions, according to the City. City Hall has details on each.
Up the road in Roseburg, the Roseburg Rotary Club's Umpqua Valley Festival of Lights at River Forks Park is the area's other long-running holiday tradition. Last winter was its 33rd season.
If family is coming in for the holidays and somebody starts asking what it would take to live closer, Gilman Homes is glad to answer those questions over cocoa or by phone, without any pressure. In the meantime, mark Saturday, December 12, on the calendar and check Wildlights ticket availability for the night you want.
