Georgetown Holiday Events Preview
By • November 11, 2025 0 847
By Mia Pech and Kalyn Tippett
Santa Swaps His Sleigh for Donuts at Volta Park
Happy to be with Santa Claus: Elizabeth Reid with her daughters Ellie, Charlotte and Caroline, and her mother, Martha Bowen. Georgetowner photo.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, families can enjoy a morning filled with holiday spirit, sweet treats and plenty of photo opportunities at Friends of Volta Park’s “Breakfast with Santa.” The event will take place on both the tennis and basketball courts, with a DJ playing festive holiday music throughout the morning. Guests can look forward to mini donuts from Mama’s Donut Truck, hot cocoa, coffee, reindeer races and a festive craft station. Tickets are $20 per family and can be purchased at the event via cash or Venmo. Last year had over 300 attendees from the community.
Sugar, Spice and Serious Skill: Georgetown Debuts Its First Gingerbread House Making Competition
The holiday season got even sweeter with the announcement of the very first Georgetown Gingerbread House Competition, on display the month of December across some of the neighborhood’s top culinary and hospitality destinations, including the Four Seasons Washington, D.C., CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Clyde’s of Georgetown, Fiola Mare, La Bonne Vache and Call Your Mother Deli. Each venue will showcase a gingerbread house, no larger than 30 inches per side, crafted by local culinary talent. Visitors can follow a self-guided tour map, admire the magical designs and vote for their favorites by donating to the Marine’s Toys for Tots Foundation with one dollar counting as one vote.
“As a luxury real estate leader passionate about the joy of home and the spirit of generosity, I founded this event to turn whimsical gingerbread houses into a force for good,” said Serhant founding agent Chris Itteilag.
For more event information, sponsorship opportunities or to make an advance donation, contact Chris directly at chris.itteilag@serhant.com.
Holiday Cheer Returns with the Second Annual Georgetown Jingle
The upcoming holiday season kicks off with the second annual Georgetown Jingle on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 1–4 p.m. The event will bring live music to locations throughout Georgetown. Performers will fill the streets with seasonal classics and upbeat tunes while more than 40 shops, restaurants and services will offer special discounts, complimentary refreshments and pop-up events.
The celebration continues with the St. Lucia Choir procession from the Embassy of Sweden to Washington Harbour at 5:30 p.m., featuring Swedish holiday treats and samples of nonalcoholic Glögg.
Book Hill Tree Lighting Lights Up with Third Annual Ceremony
Courtesy Georgetown Main Street.
Georgetown neighbors will gather on Thursday, December 4, at 5:30 p.m. at Book Hill Park for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, celebrating the season with joyful holiday caroling by the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and light bites.
“It’s a wonderful and intimate event for the community to get together to launch the holiday season,” said Billy Martin of Martin’s Tavern, the event’s lead sponsor.
Georgetown Main Street will sell its annual Georgetown holiday ornament at the event and accept donations to support its mission of making Georgetown a festive place to celebrate the holidays.
Sweet! The Georgetown Main Street Cookie Tour is Back for a Fifth Year
The annual Georgetown Cookie Tour marks its fifth anniversary this year and will take place on two Saturdays, December 6 and December 13, beginning at 1:00 p.m. It’s a popular event with more than 400 tickets that sold out in advance. VIP and VVIP tickets were introduced this year for the first time, offering goodie bags with extra gifts.
Ticketholders will visit 12 retail locations along the Georgetown Main Street corridor, collecting one cookie prepared by local bakeries at each stop. Participating shops will also offer a broad holiday shopping selection, from pet supplies, toys, food and wine, books and garden supplies. Each location will also offer special in-store promotions for attendees during the tour.
“This sweet tour kicks off the holiday shopping season and allows ticketholders to discover our small businesses that are either new or new to them,” said Allison Cooke, Board Member of Georgetown Main Street.
Mark Your Calendars: Friends of Rose Park’s Holiday Market is December 6
Santa visits the Rose Park Holiday Market in 2024. Courtesy Friends of Rose Park.
The Rose Park Holiday Market will take place on December 6 from 1 to 4 p.m., inviting neighbors to celebrate an afternoon of festive fun. Organized by the Friends of Rose Park, the event has become a local tradition that marks the start of the holiday season.
Families can explore local vendors, enjoy seasonal treats, and plenty of holiday cheer. Santa will arrive promptly at 1:30 p.m.
“The Rose Park Holiday Market is pure holiday magic, with cheerful vendors and Santa and his elves sprinkling a little joy on everyone,” said Gail Daubert, Whether you are shopping gifts or just soaking up the holiday spirit, it’s the perfect way to kick off the season,” said Gail Daubert, president of Friends of Rose Park.
