Holiday Festival Lights, Parades, Live Music and Holiday Season Magic!
Kick off the holiday season in style at the 33rd Annual Festival of Light in downtown Ashland — a dazzling, family-friendly celebration that transforms our charming historic city into a twinkling winter wonderland. With more than one million lights illuminating the plaza, storefronts, and streets, live music filling the air, and Santa’s grand procession lighting up the night, this event marks the official start of the holidays in the Rogue Valley.
Stay right in the heart of the action at The Columbia Hotel — where you’re just steps from the Plaza, walking distance to the festivities, and can retreat to historic charm, modern comfort, and art-filled rooms each night.
Event Info:
Date & Start Time: Friday November 28 (2025) – festivities begin at 3 p.m. on the Plaza with music, snacks and family fun, followed by Santa’s procession at 5 p.m. and the Grand Illumination of the lights downtown.
Location: Downtown Ashland, from Lithia Way and the Plaza outward — shop windows, cafés and the town’s historic core all aglow.
What to expect:
A festive procession featuring Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves and reindeer, culminating in the flip-the-switch Illumination moment.
Live music and performances starting in the afternoon, then continuing into the evening under the lights.
Family-friendly fun: winter snacks, vendors, caroling weekends, and new activities like Holiday Sip & Shop downtown.
Why stay at The Columbia Hotel:
Located in the heart of downtown Ashland with walkable access to the Plaza and Festival activities.
Art-filled interiors, local-artist murals in each room, and direct connection to Ashland’s creative community.
Pet-friendly, trail-friendly: Whether you’ve been hiking the nearby Pacific Crest Trail, skiing at Mt. Ashland, or simply strolling downtown, you’re in the perfect spot for rest and revelry.
Ideal location for combining Festival of Light enjoyment with Pride block-party energy, lodging for thru-hikers, holiday parties, and local event access.
Ashland Festival of Lights Parade
Friday November 28th
2025 Schedule of Events
2pm - Plaza Closes for Festival of Lights
3pm - Music on the Plaza Starts & Main Street Closes for Festival of Lights Parade
5pm - Festival of Lights Parade Starts from The Ashland Library
5pm - Danielle Kelly playing Live on the Plaza!
6pm - Grand Illumination Lighting up Ashland!
Where & How to Watch
The Parade begins at The Ashland Library and moves North down Main Street ending at the Ashland Plaza. You can view the parade from anywhere along the parade route then walk to the plaza to view the grand lighting of our Festival Lights!
Street Closures & Navigating Town
On Friday the 28th: street closures will begin at 2pm until about 7pm.
Inbound and outbound traffic from N Laurel Street to S Mountain Ave will be re-routed onto Lithia Way which will operate as a two-way street.
Vehicle access through Ashland Plaza will be closed, unless you are an event vendor
Pink: Road Closures
Blue: Two-Way traffic through Downtown Ashland
Yellow: Recommended Route for The Columbia Hotel guests
Parking at The Columbia Hotel
Please Note: We have limited parking spots in our private lot at The Columbia Hotel and we would like to be able to cater for our guests who have booked and paid for parking.
We also have times where locals may try to sneak in a parking spot so we are asking all our guests to please use their provided parking tags on their cars to ensure they do not get towed.
Due to heavy traffic and congestion over Thanksgiving weekend we highly recommend you park your car at The Columbia Hotel and enjoy the walkability of our location in downtown Ashland. All activities and celebrations are only a few blocks from the hotel and easy access from either our front or back entrance.
For more information on parking with us, please contact us here.