At 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, the kids' race goes off at Bulverde Community Park. Fifteen minutes later, the 5K runners follow them onto the course. About thirty-four hours after that, the Christmas tree at the Village of Bulverde lights up for the season. By Saturday morning, maker vendors are setting up under the oaks on Bulverde Road.
The town's calendar is built to line up this way. The Christmas Lighting is tied to the Friday after Thanksgiving. Last year it fell on Nov. 28, 2025, and this year it falls on Nov. 27, 2026. Bulverde Market Day runs every second and fourth Saturday. In 2026 the fourth Saturday of November is Nov. 28, the day after the lighting. That gives anyone hosting relatives a full three-day weekend in Bulverde, and you can plan the Thursday morning, the Friday night and all of Saturday around it now.
Thursday Starts at the Park, Before the Oven Goes On
The 6th Annual Bulverde Turkey Trot is at Bulverde Community Park, 26515 Bulverde Lane. The kids' race starts at 8 a.m. and the 5K at 8:15. The Chamber's listing has the whole event wrapping up by 9:30. That leaves plenty of morning for whoever is cooking.
Registration is on RunSignUp. The early prices of $40 for the 5K, $30 for kids 12 and under and $20 for the virtual race applied through Oct. 31. After that, each goes up $5, to $45, $35 and $25. The virtual option suits relatives who want a bib but would rather run a course back home.
Race proceeds go to The Centre, which the race page describes as working to develop the next generation of healthcare and science professionals. The registration fee does some local good, and the day still opens with a race through the neighborhood.
Friday Night Moves to Bulverde Road
The Turkey Trot is over by midmorning Thursday. The next event on the calendar is the 2026 Bulverde Christmas Tree Lighting, on Friday, Nov. 27, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Village of Bulverde, 2360 Bulverde Road. The Bulverde Spring Branch Area Chamber of Commerce organizes the evening, and Redemption Roofing & General Contracting is this year's presenting sponsor.
The event takes up a stretch of the road. According to the Chamber's vendor signup page, the event area runs from 2265 to 2360 Bulverde Road. Product sellers, informational booths and food trucks are all accepted. Vendor fees are $35 for an informational 10-by-10 booth, $60 for a product-selling booth and $125 for a food truck. Those prices give a rough sense of the mix: booths selling holiday goods next to trucks selling dinner.
The 2026 listing gives the date, time, place and sponsor. Last year's format, as listed on the City of Bulverde's calendar, included:
- A tree lighting ceremony
- Vendors and food trucks
- Pictures with Santa
- A FunZone, where entry cost a canned good, a cash donation or a new unwrapped toy
If you're bringing kids or grandkids, put a few canned goods in the car. Last year that was all it took to get into the FunZone, and it's an easy thing to have on hand if the format comes back.
Saturday Fills From 9 a.m. to Midnight
The Saturday after Thanksgiving has the most going on, with the daytime events overlapping and the rodeo taking over in the evening. Bulverde Market Day sets up at 2545 Bulverde Road, also known as 2545 FM 1863. That's the same road as Friday night's lighting.
The market's own site describes 30 or more vendors selling art, handmade products and specialty foods under the oak trees, open all year, rain or shine. The Chamber's calendar places it across from Living Rock Academy. It's the shopping stop of the weekend for anyone who wants holiday gifts from local makers rather than a mall.
Here is how Saturday, Nov. 28, lines up:
| Time | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Bulverde Market Day | 2545 Bulverde Road | Free to browse |
| 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Jazz Brunch | Screaming Goat Yard & Tap, 4 Sun Valley Drive, Spring Branch | No cover; food and drink extra |
| 5 p.m. | Gates open | Tejas Rodeo Company | From $30 for adults |
| 7:30 p.m. | Saturday Night Rodeo | Tejas Rodeo Company | Reserved seats from $50 |
| 9 p.m. | Live music and dancing | Tejas Rodeo Company | Included |
Brunch starts two hours after the market opens, so you can do both. Shop first while the vendor tables are full, then head to Screaming Goat Yard & Tap for the Jazz Brunch, which runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with no cover charge.
The evening belongs to Tejas Rodeo Company. Its ticket page lays out the night: gates at 5 p.m., a pre-show at 7, the rodeo at 7:30 and live music and dancing from 9 until close. The Chamber's listing gives general admission as $30 for adults 13 and up and $20 for youth ages 3 to 12. Children 2 and under get in free, and reserved seats start at $50.
That pricing makes the rodeo a good fit for a holiday weekend with several generations at the table. Toddlers get in free, teenagers count as adults, and grandparents who would rather not sit in the general crowd can book reserved seats. The schedule also splits the night. Families with young kids can come for the 7:30 rodeo and head home before the dance floor fills at 9.
The Same Calendar Keeps Going Into December
Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest stretch, but the town's calendar runs well past it, and one date comes before the holiday:
- Saturday, Nov. 14: The 2026 Bulverde Jubilee & Craft Show runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bulverde Spring Branch Activity Center, 30280 Cougar Bend. Because Nov. 14 is the second Saturday of the month, it's also a Market Day. Holiday shoppers can work in two markets two weeks before the relatives arrive.
- Saturday, Dec. 12: Market Day and St. Paul Lutheran Church's Drive Thru Living Christmas fall on the same day. The church event runs 6:30 to 9 p.m. at 29797 US Hwy. 281 N.
- Saturday, Dec. 26: The last Market Day of 2026 lands the day after Christmas.
The second-and-fourth-Saturday schedule is what makes these dates line up. It put Market Day on the Saturday after Thanksgiving this year, and it puts the final market of the year on the day after Christmas. If you're hosting family at either holiday, both weekends already have a Saturday plan in Bulverde.
Holiday weekends are often when visiting family start asking what life in the Hill Country is really like. If that question turns into a serious one, Tamara and the team at Strait Luxury are glad to share what we know about Bulverde, from the Market Day oaks on Bulverde Road to the acreage just outside town. Schedule a Private Consultation whenever the timing is right for your family.
