Avon's 2026 holiday season starts on the evening of Friday, November 20, at the Farmington Valley Arts Center. The Arts Center will hold its Candlelight opening from 5 to 8 p.m. and calls it the "50th Candlelight Holiday Stroll." The next morning, the Avon/Canton Chamber of Commerce runs its free Jingle Bell Trolley from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. After that weekend, most of the dated holiday calendar keeps returning to the same buildings off Arts Center Lane. Between them, the Arts Center and its Fisher Gift Gallery have open hours on six weekend afternoons in December.
Fifty Candlelights in Red Sandstone
The Farmington Valley Arts Center became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1974. It works out of the historic red sandstone buildings of the former Climax Fuse Factory in Avon. Local coverage from 2013 gives the address as 25 Arts Center Lane in Avon Park North.
The "50th" lines up with past coverage. In November 2013, the Hartford Courant called that year's event the 37th annual Candlelight Opening. Count forward thirteen years and November 20, 2026 is the fiftieth. The Arts Center has been in the factory buildings for more than fifty years, so the stroll has been on the calendar for almost as long as the nonprofit itself.
The Arts Center's event page describes the evening this way:
"As you stroll the illuminated boardwalk at the historic, two-story brownstone, and enjoy some complimentary delectables, you will feel miles away from the frenetic places frequented by most holiday shoppers."
The work comes from artists who rent studios on site all year. According to the Arts Center, they make paintings, prints, photography, films, textiles, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics and fine art illustration. On Candlelight night the studios and galleries are open with finished work and gifts for sale, and visitors can meet the people who made them. TRUMPF Inc is listed as the event supporter for the 50th stroll.
The Arts Center runs as a nonprofit and asks visitors to consider a donation to support events like this one. The 5 p.m. start comes right as Friday workdays end, so you can go straight from the office to Avon Park North.
Saturday Morning Moves the Season to West Main Street
Fourteen hours after Candlelight ends, the Jingle Bell Trolley starts its loop. It runs Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, and makes four stops between Avon and Canton. In the order the Chamber lists them:
- 302 West Main Street, Avon. The stop is in the parking lot directly behind M&T Bank. Activities include letters to Santa, paper snowflakes from JB Dance Wellness, pictures with Santa, and an activity from New England Ballet Theatre that is still to be announced.
- Canton Village. Drop-off is in front of The Frosted Sheep Bake Shop and pickup is in front of Little Oak Cafe. Stops include cookie decorating at The Frosted Sheep and a marshmallow snowman activity at Little Oak Cafe.
- Village of Collinsville. Drop-off is between the Canton Historical Museum and Lisa's Crown & Hammer Restaurant & Pub. Stops include the museum's Festival of Trees and a family photo stand at Blue Skies Emporium.
- The Shops at Farmington Valley. The stop is in front of Sur la Table, with hot cocoa and cookies, holiday coloring pages and "Pin the Glasses on Santa" at Harvey & Lewis Opticians.
The PeoplesBank Avon branch is the title sponsor and also hosts the letters to Santa at the Avon stop. A few rules matter more than the activity list. Admission is free and seats go first come, first served. Strollers and car seats are not allowed on the trolley. Riders who need to get back to their cars get priority seating. If you're bringing a toddler, plan to carry them. Stop details can change before the day, so check the Jingle Bell Trolley website on the Friday before.
Breakfast Next Door, and a Familiar Street Name
The Avon trolley stop sits next to one of this year's newer places to eat. DORO Marketplace is at 300 West Main Street. The Hartford Courant reported that it opened in April 2026 in the former New England Pasta space, and that it's an upscale bakery and restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. That makes it the closest place to eat before the 10 a.m. first loop or after the last ride at 2 p.m. 300 and 302 West Main are next-door addresses, so you can park once for both.
The other recent opening shares a name with the factory. Michaels Estate Jewelers held a ribbon cutting at Avon Village Center on Friday, June 26, and, according to Fox 61's report, the showroom at 25 Climax Road focuses on estate jewelry, luxury watches and diamonds. If you're doing holiday shopping that weekend, the handmade work at the Arts Center on Friday and the estate pieces on Climax Road give you two very different options on the same theme.
December Keeps Returning to Arts Center Lane
After Candlelight, the Arts Center opens its studios again on three Saturdays, December 5, 12 and 19, from noon to 4 p.m. The Fisher Gift Gallery adds extended Sunday hours on the following days, December 6, 13 and 20, also from noon to 4 p.m. Together that's six afternoons over three consecutive weekends, and the gallery is the one Avon venue with holiday hours on both weekend days for most of December.
The gallery sells fine art and craft from local, regional and national artists: jewelry, wearable art, ceramics, wood, metal, glass, paintings, prints and photographs. Its regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. It closes on Thanksgiving Day and from December 25, 2026 through January 1, 2027. So December 20 is the last Sunday to shop there in person. Weekday shopping is open through December 24, and the gallery also sells online.
The Town's Own Deadlines Fall in Between
Avon Recreation and Parks has several holiday programs in its fall 2026 brochure. Their dates fall between the Arts Center weekends.
- North Pole mailbox at the Senior Center. It accepts letters from November 30 through December 10. Each letter needs a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
- Holiday jigsaw puzzle competition. This is a team event on Monday, December 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Residential holiday decorating contest. Entries are due December 10 and voting runs December 14 through 30. Each winning category gets a trophy and a $100 recreation gift card.
The decorating deadline lands right after the second open studio Saturday. If your house is in the contest, finish the lights before you head to Arts Center Lane on December 12.
The Avon Free Public Library has dates of its own. On Thursday, November 5, at 6:30 p.m., the library is holding a community conversation about its next three-year strategic plan. Later in the season, its virtual Agatha Christie series marks the 100th anniversary of the author's eleven-day disappearance. Biographer Jared Cade joins on Monday, November 30, at 2 p.m., with more sessions on Tuesday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, December 3, at 1 p.m.
The Season, Weekend by Weekend
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20, 5–8 p.m. | 50th Candlelight Holiday Stroll | Farmington Valley Arts Center |
| Sat., Nov. 21, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Jingle Bell Trolley | 302 West Main St. and three Canton/Farmington Valley stops |
| Nov. 30–Dec. 10 | North Pole mailbox | Avon Senior Center |
| Sat.–Sun., Dec. 5–6, noon–4 p.m. | Open Studios and Fisher Gift Gallery Sunday hours | Arts Center Lane |
| Mon., Dec. 7, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Holiday jigsaw puzzle competition | Avon Recreation and Parks |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Decorating contest entries due | Avon Recreation and Parks |
| Sat.–Sun., Dec. 12–13, noon–4 p.m. | Open Studios and Fisher Gift Gallery Sunday hours | Arts Center Lane |
| Dec. 14–30 | Decorating contest voting | Avon Recreation and Parks |
| Sat.–Sun., Dec. 19–20, noon–4 p.m. | Final Open Studios and gallery Sunday | Arts Center Lane |
The Arts Center appears on the calendar more than any other venue. It opens the season on November 20, and the gallery's last extended Sunday is December 20.
If the Candlelight weekend has you thinking about what your own home would look like with the lights on, Meghan Girard can give you a current, data-backed number before the season gets busy. Request Your Instant Home Valuation.
