The Camas tree lighting is Dec. 4 at 5 p.m., but on the Downtown Camas Association's 2026 calendar, the holiday season starts four weeks earlier. It opens on Nov. 6 with a pie walk, runs through two ticketed evenings and a long Thanksgiving weekend, and closes at 10 a.m. on Dec. 11, when the window for the $1,000 shopping-spree drawing shuts.
The events build on each other. Several share a check-in desk, and the December Sip & Shop falls inside the Golden Ticket window. The best nights to pick depend on what you want out of the season, and the first one is Friday, Nov. 6.
The Calendar, End to End
| Date | Event | Hours | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 | First Friday: Thankful for YOU! (and pie) | 5 to 8 p.m. | Downtown Camas Association |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | November Holiday Sip & Shop | 4 to 9 p.m. | Downtown Camas Association |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Little Box Friday | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Downtown Camas Association |
| Fri., Nov. 27 to Fri., Dec. 11 | Golden Ticket Event | Ends 10 a.m. Dec. 11 | Downtown merchants and the DCA |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Small Business Saturday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Downtown Camas Association |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Hometown Holidays and December First Friday | 5 to 8 p.m. | City of Camas Parks & Recreation, with DCA sponsorship |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | December Holiday Sip & Shop | 4 to 9 p.m. | Downtown Camas Association |
Three of these evenings start in the same place, the Fuel Medical Group lobby at 314 NE Birch St. The DCA sets up its tables there for the Nov. 6 First Friday, and both Sip & Shop nights use the lobby for check-in.
Nov. 6: The Night That Sets Things Up
The DCA's event page for the November First Friday lists a full evening. The theme is a multicultural celebration built around pie. Lore Tea + Coffee is donating the pie tastings at Fuel, pie raffles run across town, and a Pie Walk Dance Party starts at 7:30 p.m. inside Journey at 304 NE 4th Ave., sponsored by Synkwise. A "Gratitude Passport" sends you through downtown businesses for a prize entry. Kids get autumn crafts and games, and there's s'mores roasting if the weather cooperates.
Two things that night tie into the rest of the season. At 6 p.m., Evergreen Vinyl holds a ribbon-cutting for its new expansion at 321 NE 4th Ave. And registration at Fuel Medical doubles as a drop-off point for unwrapped toys for the Toys for Tots drive, so if you plan to donate this year, Nov. 6 is the first easy chance.
The evening also has four gallery stops within a few blocks: Attic Gallery at 419 NE Cedar, Gallery 408 at 408 NE 4th, RedDoor Gallery at 411 NE Dallas, and Second Story Gallery upstairs at the Camas Library, 625 NE 4th Ave.
The Two Thursdays That Pay for the Rest
The Holiday Sip & Shop is a $25 ticketed event, and the DCA runs it twice. The first date is Thursday, Nov. 12. The second is Thursday, Dec. 10, which the DCA describes as having new cocktail flavors and new locations. Both run 4 to 9 p.m., and both are fundraisers for the Downtown Camas Association itself.
Here's what a ticket gets you:
- $25 ticket: a passport listing the "sipping" locations, plus one prize ticket for the "Explore Downtown Camas" package.
- The package: dinner for two, movie tickets at the historic Liberty Theatre, free coffee, free chocolate, a free bottle of olive oil, and more from downtown merchants.
- Extra entries: one more ticket for every $10 you spend downtown that evening.
- Also on the night: live music, treats, a photo booth, raffle prizes, and "elves" around town handing out goodies and gift cards.
The two dates sit at different points in the season. Nov. 12 comes before Thanksgiving and before the Golden Ticket window opens. Dec. 10 falls inside it, and the Golden Ticket drawing stays open until 10 a.m. the next morning. A purchase at a participating merchant on the December Sip & Shop night can earn both a Sip & Shop prize entry and a Golden Ticket.
Thanksgiving Weekend Opens the Golden Ticket Window
The day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, is Little Box Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each participating shop offers its own "Little Box" special, and you unlock it by scanning a Little Box QR code posted inside the store. The DCA has not posted this year's participating shops yet, so check its Little Box Friday page closer to the date.
The same morning, the Golden Ticket Event begins. Any purchase from a participating merchant between Nov. 27 and Dec. 11 earns a Golden Ticket, which enters you in a drawing for a $1,000 Downtown Camas Shopping Spree from downtown merchants and the DCA. The 2026 merchant list for this one is also still to come.
Saturday, Nov. 28, is Downtown Camas's 17th annual Small Business Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. That day there are two golden tickets to keep straight. Purchases at participating shops still earn entries in the $1,000 drawing. DCA elves will also hand out free chocolate bars, and some of those bars, sponsored by Sweet Intention Gift Boutique, hide a separate golden ticket worth $50 in Camas Cash that you can spend at downtown merchants.
So the long weekend covers two days of shop specials, the opening of a two-week drawing, and the $50 chocolate-bar prizes.
Dec. 4: The City's Night
Hometown Holidays is the one event on this list that the DCA does not run. City of Camas Parks & Recreation hosts and organizes it, and it falls on the December First Friday, 5 to 8 p.m. The tree is lit at 5 p.m., and the City's Hometown Holidays page has the event details.
The DCA's role is specific. It sponsors the "snow" that falls over the evening, sends elves out with goodies for kids from its Holiday Swag Wagon, and helps coordinate the pedestrian safety corridors during the tree lighting.
The program includes photos with Santa, crafts, free hot cocoa sponsored by Journey Church, art shows, school and community choirs, bands and dancers, street food vendors, and downtown shops and restaurants staying open. Because it lands inside the Golden Ticket window, purchases at participating merchants that night also count toward the $1,000 drawing. For questions, Parks & Rec is at 360-834-5307.
What Else Is Open on 4th Avenue Between Events
The Liberty Theatre's event-cinema lineup fills several evenings between DCA dates. National Theatre Live's Golden Boy screens Nov. 5 and 7, so you can catch a show the night before First Friday. Exhibition On Screen: James McNeill Whistler plays Sunday, Nov. 8 at 12:55 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., and GIANT – The Play plays Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 22 at 12:55 p.m. The Liberty's event cinema page lists ticket prices and any changes.
There's also a change on NE Cedar. In late August, the DCA announced that Camas Cheese Co. would combine with Cedar Street Bagel Co. at 316 NE Cedar St. The plan was artisanal cheeses alongside a growing selection of charcuterie, accoutrements, wine and beer, with products expected at the bagel shop in the second week of September. If you're putting together a host gift or a platter for a holiday gathering, it's worth confirming with the shop what's on hand before you go.
Picking Your Nights
Seven dates is a lot to fit in. Here's how they sort by what you're after:
- For kids: Nov. 6 has crafts, games, s'mores and the pie walk. Dec. 4 has Santa, snow, free hot cocoa and the Swag Wagon.
- For a night out with adults: pick one Sip & Shop. Nov. 12 is better if you want to shop before Thanksgiving. Dec. 10 is better if you also want Golden Ticket entries.
- For gift shopping with the most prize chances: the Nov. 27 to 28 weekend has Little Box specials, the start of the $1,000 drawing, and the $50 chocolate-bar tickets.
- For a donation: bring an unwrapped toy to the Fuel Medical registration table on Nov. 6.
- For a quieter afternoon: the Liberty's Sunday 12:55 p.m. screenings on Nov. 8 and Nov. 22 fall on weekends with none of the downtown events listed above.
Participating-merchant lists for Little Box Friday and the Golden Ticket drawing should appear on the DCA site as the dates get closer.
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