Brentwood's city holiday calendar runs on three fixed rules. The tree lighting falls on the first Monday of December, Morning with Santa on the first Saturday, and the neighborhood luminaries on the second Saturday. Because the rules decide the dates years ahead, the library can hand out tickets for its two ticketed events well before December. By Thursday, Nov. 12, both rounds of tickets have already started going out at the John P. Holt Brentwood Library on Concord Road. In practice, Brentwood's December gets planned in November.
Three Rules, Printed Years Ahead
The City of Brentwood lists its holiday events as repeating appointments. The Christmas Tree Lighting listing gives Monday, Dec. 7, 2026, as the next date, 5:30 to 6 p.m. It also lists the years after that.
- 2025: Monday, Dec. 1
- 2026: Monday, Dec. 7
- 2027: Monday, Dec. 6
- 2028: Monday, Dec. 4
- 2029: Monday, Dec. 3
- 2030: Monday, Dec. 2
Each of those dates is the first Monday of December. The Neighborhood Luminaries listing follows the same approach. It states the rule as "each second Saturday in December" and shows Dec. 12, 2026, Dec. 11, 2027, and Dec. 9, 2028. The city's Holiday Events page describes Morning with Santa the same way: "the first Saturday in December," which this year is Dec. 5.
This year the rules land early. Dec. 1 is a Tuesday, so the first Saturday is Dec. 5 and the first Monday is Dec. 7. Both library events fall in the first week of the month, two days apart. The luminaries come the following Saturday.
Why the Calendar Starts at a Desk in November
Two of the three city events need a free ticket for part of the program, and both sets of tickets go out in person. The Brentwood Library's Morning with Santa event page says free magic-show tickets could be picked up at the Children's Department beginning Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1:30 p.m. The city's Holiday Events page says tickets for the Polar Express readings are "limited" and would be available starting Nov. 11 at the Children's Service Desk.
Put in order, the season runs like this:
- Sunday, Nov. 8, 1:30 p.m.: Morning with Santa magic-show tickets begin at the Children's Department.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Polar Express reading tickets begin at the Children's Service Desk.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m.: Morning with Santa opens at the library.
- Monday, Dec. 7, 3:45 p.m.: The first Polar Express reading, followed by the tree lighting at 5:30.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 6 to 9 p.m.: Neighborhood luminaries.
The two ticket steps both happened before this post was published, and the city calls supply limited. Families who still want seats can call the library at 615-371-0090, ext. 8380, or check the library's event calendar for what's left. Only some parts of each event need a ticket. Seeing Santa and the tree lighting itself are open to everyone.
One Building on Concord Road, Two Events in Three Days
Both library events take place at the John P. Holt Brentwood Library, 8109 Concord Road. Both of the city's ticketed holiday programs run out of the same Children's Department, two days apart.
Saturday, Dec. 5: Morning with Santa
The library lists the event from 9 a.m. to noon. The city's page puts Santa's visiting hours at 9 to 11 a.m. Magician Scott Humston, whom the city says "will once again" perform, does shows at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Admission is free, and the magic shows need the free tickets described above. The morning also includes treats, prize drawings, crafts and a station where children can write letters to Santa.
The schedule has one useful gap. Santa's hours end at 11 a.m., but the last magic show starts at 11:30. A family holding an 11:30 ticket can see Santa first and still get to the show.
Monday, Dec. 7: Merry and Bright
The city calls it "the start of the holiday season," hosted by the Brentwood City Commission. Polar Express readings start at 3:45 and 4:45 p.m. The Friends of the Brentwood Library serve hot chocolate on the way to the tree. After a choir sings, a countdown leads to the lighting at 5:30 p.m. This year's listing says the event will light "the new library tree."
The weekday matters here. In its preview of last year's event, the city scheduled Merry and Bright from 3:45 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, with the Brentwood Academy Singers performing. A 3:45 reading on a Monday overlaps with the end of the school day and the start of the evening commute. The 4:45 reading is the later of the two, and it ends close to the 5:30 lighting.
The Second Saturday Belongs to the HOAs
The luminaries work differently from the library events. The city sets the date, but there is no single gathering place. The Neighborhood Luminaries listing says "each Homeowner Association plans the details." Neighborhoods are encouraged to put out luminaries from dusk until 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. For safety, the city suggests glow sticks or flameless candles.
The weather plan is also neighborhood by neighborhood. The listing gives Sunday, Dec. 13, as the rain date, and says each neighborhood, "usually through its Homeowners Association, makes the final decision on luminary postponement." If rain is in the forecast, one subdivision might stay with Saturday while the next one moves to Sunday. Your own HOA's notice is the one to check.
A Morning on Beech Creek Road, an Evening on Your Own Street
Dec. 12 is also one of the dates for Marshmallow Hikes at Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary, 545 Beech Creek Road South. Hikes leave at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. A 1 p.m. hike still leaves the rest of the afternoon to set out luminaries before dusk.
| Owl's Hill Marshmallow Hikes, 2026 | Day | Lines up with |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 28 | Saturday | Saturday after Thanksgiving |
| Dec. 12 | Saturday | Neighborhood luminaries, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Dec. 19 | Saturday | Saturday before Christmas |
| Dec. 22 | Tuesday | Only weekday date of the four |
Owl's Hill uses a ticket model, much like the library. Tickets cost $11 online or $13 at the gate, and children 2 and under get in free. Online sales close at 8 a.m. on the day of the hike. So a family deciding that morning has until 8 a.m. to pay the lower price.
Ravenswood Sits Outside the Rules
One city-owned holiday sight has no weekday rule and no ticket. The city says Ravenswood Mansion, 1825 Wilson Pike, "will be lit up for the holidays starting the first week of December." It suggests the grounds for outdoor photos and offers the venue for small holiday gatherings, with booking through Ravenswood Mansion's website.
The lights go up the same week as both library events. The tree lighting is on Dec. 7 and the luminaries on Dec. 12, with no city events between them. A household can photograph Ravenswood on a quieter weeknight and leave Monday and Saturday for Concord Road and its own street.
Planning the Rest of December From Here
The city's December events are set: Dec. 5 and Dec. 7 at 8109 Concord Road, and Dec. 12 at home, with Dec. 13 as the rain date if your HOA calls it. What's left to decide is which Owl's Hill date to book and whether you got library tickets before supply ran out. Next year the same rules put the tree lighting on Dec. 6, 2027, and the luminaries on Dec. 11, 2027. That means next year's November ticket dates are worth noting now.
At Exceptional Living Group, we keep track of how Brentwood's neighborhoods run their own traditions, from which HOA calls the luminary rain date to when the library hands out tickets. If you're thinking about a move before or after the holidays and want an advisor who knows the city's calendar, Request a Confidential Consultation.
