Fredericksburg's Christmas season begins on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026. That morning, Heritage School families open the Eisbahn ice rink on Marktplatz. Down Main Street at the Pioneer Museum, the Gillespie County Historical Society starts its 67th annual Historic Home Tour, which opens seven private homes around town. Three days later, on Tuesday, Nov. 24, the 30-foot Community Christmas Tree lights for the first time. All of this happens before Thanksgiving.
Most of what follows, from the rink to the home tour to the parade, is run by people who live here. A school, a historical society, the Chamber of Commerce and the City each run their own piece. Laying out who runs what, and when, shows why the best week to see the season is the one before the turkey.
Saturday, Nov. 21, Hour by Hour
Both openings share Main Street on the same day, and their hours overlap almost completely:
- 10 a.m. Eisbahn opens at Marktplatz, 101 West Main Street, for a 12-hour opening day. The Pioneer Museum and its Historic Sanctuary open at the same hour.
- 11 a.m. The seven homes on the Historic Home Tour open their doors.
- 5 p.m. The home tour closes.
- 10 p.m. The rink closes for the night.
That leaves five hours of evening skating after the last house closes. On Sunday, Nov. 22, Eisbahn runs shorter hours, 1 to 8 p.m.
Seven Houses and a Sanctuary, Without the Market
Tickets for the 67th Historic Home Tour cost $40. They are nonrefundable, include admission to the Pioneer Museum, and are sold through Eventbrite or by phone at 830-990-8441.
This year's route covers more than a century of building in Fredericksburg, from an 1850s pioneer homestead to two new builds:
- Historic Sanctuary, 312 W. San Antonio St., the 1855 First Methodist Church at the Pioneer Museum
- Dangers Stone House and Pape Log Cabin, 213 W. Creek St., a restored 1850s pioneer home
- South Milam Homestead, 410 S. Milam St., a restored 1870s home
- Neisens-Pyka House, 710 W. Schubert St., a restored 1905 home
- Judge A. H. Kneese Home, 706 W. Schubert St., a restored 1920 home
- Klett-Seipp House, 302 E. Orchard St., a restored 1927 home
- Old Vine, 51 Old Vine, and Courtyard Sage, 1002 Winterberry Court, both new construction
Two of the stops have the deepest history. According to the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post, the Dangers Stone House and Pape Log Cabin property was first known as townlot 442. The German Emigration Company granted it to Fr. Pape, one of the original 1845 colonists who settled Fredericksburg. The paper describes the South Milam Homestead as a limestone example of Victorian architecture with detailed gingerbread fretwork and wide exterior porches, and says the house shows its owner's lifelong work in historic preservation.
The Kneese and Neisens-Pyka houses sit next to each other on West Schubert Street, so those two stops are a short walk apart.
The tour has changed in one way this year. The Holiday Market that used to come with it is gone. The Standard-Radio Post reports that familiar vendors from past tours will sell at the Christmas Market at St. Joseph's Hall on Saturday and at the Makers Market on South Lincoln Street on Saturday and Sunday.
First United Bank is the tour's grand sponsor, and Altstadt Brewery is among its diamond sponsors. Like the rink and the parade, the tour is paid for locally.
The Rink Runs on Heritage School Families
Eisbahn has been part of Fredericksburg's Christmas season since 2008. According to the City's event listing, 100 percent of Heritage School families volunteer to staff it. Part of the proceeds goes to the Lifeline Foundation, which supports cystic fibrosis research, and to the Boys and Girls Club of Fredericksburg. Eisbahn also funds needs-based tuition help for qualifying Heritage School families.
The 2026 price is $20 for a come-and-go all-day pass that includes skate rental, or $15 on Tuesdays. Prices are subject to change. Last season, the City listed $15 for the all-day pass and $10 on Tuesdays, so both prices are $5 higher. The pass covers the whole day, so you can skate in the afternoon, leave for dinner and come back after dark on one ticket.
The rink is open every day of the season except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Harsh weather can close it without notice. Those closings go up on Eisbahn's Facebook page, and daily hours are on the Heritage School Eisbahn page.
Tuesday, Nov. 24, Is the First Night of Lights and the Discount Day
The schedule has a useful overlap. Christmas Nights of Lights starts on Tuesday, Nov. 24, which is also the rink's $15 day. Eisbahn is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. that day.
According to Visit Fredericksburg, holiday music starts on Marktplatz at 5 p.m. A 10-minute audio presentation and countdown begins at 6 p.m. and lights the Community Christmas Tree and the pyramid, and the program ends at 6:30 p.m. The tree stands 30 feet tall, and Hill Country artisans make its ornaments. The City's calendar also lists the opening program at Marktplatz from 6 to 6:30 p.m.
The program repeats every night through Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027. That gives you about six weeks to bring visiting family to the 6 p.m. countdown, with two exceptions covered below.
December's Two Biggest Days Fall Back to Back
After Thanksgiving, the busiest stretch on the public calendar is Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5. Eisbahn keeps shorter weeknight hours of 4 to 8 p.m. from Dec. 1 to 3, then stays open later for the weekend.
| Friday, Dec. 4 | Saturday, Dec. 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Main event | Light the Night Christmas Parade, 6:30 p.m. | Weinachten Christmas in Fredericksburg, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Where | Main Street, Washington to Bowie streets | Marktplatz |
| Eisbahn hours | 4 to 10 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Nights of Lights program | Canceled for the parade | Runs as scheduled |
The Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce hosts the parade. CBS Austin will televise the first 30 minutes and stream the full parade online, so relatives who can't make the drive can still watch it live. Food will be for sale, and free photos with Santa and Ms. Claus follow at Marktplatz after the parade. The rink stays open until 10 p.m. that night.
On Saturday, Weinachten Christmas in Fredericksburg fills Marktplatz from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The rink is open on the same square the whole time.
New Year's Eve Ends the Season on the Same Square
The other night without a lights program is Thursday, Dec. 31. That night the City holds its Countdown to 2027 New Year's Eve Ball Drop on Marktplatz, a family event with inflatables, games, activities and music. Eisbahn is closed on New Year's Day. The nightly tree program picks back up on Jan. 1 and runs five more nights, ending on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
For the dates above, Heritage School families run the rink, the Historical Society opens the houses, the Chamber puts on the parade and the City hosts the ball drop.
When we market a historic Fredericksburg home, we tell the story of the house the same careful way this tour does. We work out what the limestone, the porches and the original townlot say about the property, and we capture it on film. If you own a home with that kind of history and want to talk about how to present it, Strait Luxury is glad to help. Schedule a Private Consultation with Tamara.
