Mason's Light Up Our Town Starts in Daylight This Year, and the Season Doubles Up a Week Later

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 28, the Christmas season officially opens on Historic Mason Square, at the corner of Moody and Westmoreland. The sun will still be up and the vendor tents will be open. A horse-drawn carriage will be loading its first riders. Last year, the same event didn't start until 6 p.m., after dark.

That four-hour shift is the biggest change in Mason's 2026 holiday calendar. Light Up Our Town is no longer only an evening event, and one week later, December 5 fills a whole Saturday too. The trout season opens on the Llano River in the morning, and the Seaquist House glows after dark. In 2026, the season starts with two back-to-back Saturdays that each run from daylight into night.

Three Years of the Same Event on Three Different Clocks

The Mason County Chamber of Commerce has run Light Up Our Town in each of the last three years. Its start time and its length have changed every time.

The 2025 version was three hours long, starting after dark. The 2026 version is six hours long, and it starts in the early afternoon. That's the earliest start and the longest run of the three years. It's also the Saturday after Thanksgiving again, so families with relatives in town have an afternoon outing, not just an evening one.

Most of the program carries over from 2025. The Chamber's event page lists a Christmas parade, local vendors, the tree lighting in Heritage Park and a business decorating contest. All four were also on last year's listing. This year's page calls the parade the "first annual Christmas Light Up Our Town Parade." Since a Christmas parade was also part of the 2025 event, the new part looks like the parade's name and its focus on lights.

What the Extra Hours Hold

A longer window gives the afternoon its own activities, and the 2026 calendar adds some.

Carousel Carriage Co. is offering horse-drawn carriage rides through Mason for the full 2 to 8 p.m. run. The listing bills it as a way to "experience Christmas in Mason like never before." The rides start in daylight and keep going after dark. Riders can see the decorated storefronts in afternoon light or wait until the displays are lit.

The decorating contest has a theme this year. The Chamber is asking businesses to go for "full Western Wonderland flair" and "cowboy Christmas cheer," and businesses sign up through a form on the event page to get on the judging list. With six hours instead of three, those storefronts are on view through the afternoon, not only after sundown.

Vendors have a firm limit. The Chamber is capping craft and food vendors at 35 spots. If you're a local maker or food seller who wants a spot, a fixed cap with weeks to go means applying early. The page lists a vendor application, a parade entry form and sponsorship contacts. You can reach the Chamber at 325-347-5758.

The parade asks for "the more lights, the merrier" from floats, vehicles and walking groups. A parade built around lights works best after dark, and the tree lighting in Heritage Park is the event's other evening moment. So expect the afternoon to center on shopping, carriage rides and storefronts, with the parade and tree lighting closer to the end. The Chamber's page still says more details are coming, so check it for the final run of show.

The Next Afternoon Is Quieter

On Sunday, November 29, the Mason Community Choir performs its Advent Cantata from 4 to 5 p.m. The Mason Ministerial Alliance sponsors it, and the listing describes the Alliance as serving local residents and travelers in need. After a six-hour Saturday on the square, Sunday is one hour of music.

December 5 Fills a Whole Saturday

Six days later, Mason has another full-day Saturday. This one is split between the river and a historic house in town.

The day starts at the James River Crossing of the Llano River on FM 2389, where the WinterFisch Celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It opens a rainbow trout season that lasts through February 28, 2027. The trout go in below the bridge and at the upstream, western end of the island. The Chamber's listing promises:

• Public trout fishing, plus fishing and outdoor demonstrations and instruction
• Prizes for tagged fish, and eligibility for a $100 gift certificate from a sponsoring business for anglers who catch a rare golden trout
• Live music from local musicians
• Breakfast tacos from the Gomez Family, burgers from the James River Icehouse, and fresh-caught trout cooked by Team WinterFisch at the WinterFisch HQ & Cantina

Access depends on where you set up. You can fish from the public island, from Dos Rios RV Park and from the James River Icehouse. The Icehouse allows free access during regular business hours. Dos Rios charges day-use fees to fish from its property after December 5. WinterFisch is Mason County's part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's winter rainbow trout stocking program. The Chamber says TPWD contributes 1,500 trout to the event and tags many of them for prizes. Local and out-of-county businesses and individuals pay for the rest.

TPWD's trout stocking page says trout anglers need a valid fishing license with a freshwater endorsement, and anglers under 17 don't need a license. The Chamber's listing gives the same reminder to make sure your license is current. This is general information, not legal advice. Check TPWD directly for the license details that apply to you.

Back in town, the Seaquist House runs on two schedules that same day:

1. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Guided tours, with a $15 entry fee.
2. 5 to 8 p.m.: "A Seaquist House Christmas," a free open house in the fully lit home. Donations are welcome, refreshments are provided and children are welcome.

The morning tours overlap the WinterFisch opening, so that part of the day takes a choice. The evening doesn't. The river celebration ends at 4 p.m., and the open house starts an hour later. So you can spend the day on the Llano and still catch the Seaquist House lit up that night.

If you'd like to start that weekend a night early, Robert Clay Vineyards holds its First Fridays gathering on Friday, December 4, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The Season Moves Indoors After That

After the two big Saturdays, the rest of the calendar moves inside to seated evening shows.

On Tuesday, December 8, the Artisan String Quartet performs "Many Moods of Christmas" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, December 12, Los Texmaniacs bring their Feliz Navidad show to The Odeon Theater at 122 S. Moody Street at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. The Odeon has one more show before Thanksgiving. Ordinary Elephant plays there on November 7.

In order, the season looks like this:

The trout season runs on long after the holiday calendar ends. Fish stay in the Llano at the James River Crossing through February 28, 2027, so the Dec 5 celebration kicks off almost three months of winter fishing a short drive from the square.

If you're thinking about land along the Llano near the James River Crossing or a home within walking distance of the square, Topper Real Estate knows Mason County down to the creek crossings. Schedule your Hill Country consultation.