California's enchanting Danish town goes full Christmas. Now is the time to plan a trip

If you’re anxious to people the holidays this twelvemonth with a Danish flair but Copenhagen seems a tad excessively acold away, you mightiness find the reply successful Solvang. An reply that includes gnomes and a troll.

That city, founded successful 1911 by Danish immigrants, celebrates its Julefest — the wintertime holidays — with an accent connected visitor-friendly Old World traditions. This year’s docket includes a bid of events and activities from Nov. 28 done Jan. 4 — roaming carolers, European-style nighttime markets, candlelight tours and shops transformed into micro wintertime wonderlands.

If you’re readying a wintertime roadworthy trip, present are immoderate things to know.

The astir quaint hotels successful municipality are tiny, truthful publication early

Solvang, astir 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles, has astir 20 hotels and astir are smallish and independent. The largest is the Corque Hotel (122 rooms), which is affiliated with Marriott but owned by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

The astir intimate and affordable hotels — often successful a vintage motel benignant of mode — see the Atterdag Inn (8 rooms), New Haven Inn (10 rooms), Hamlet Inn (13 rooms), Mirabelle Inn (13 rooms), the Viking Inn (13 rooms) and the Winston (14 rooms).

The astir luxurious is the Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, whose 73 rooms and cottages routinely rent for $1,500 nightly oregon much (the spot includes a water and 2 play courses).

A histrion volition rise, amid carols, trade markets and more

Solvang’s vacation celebrations see a histrion lighting, similar this 1 successful 2023.

(SolvangUSA)

Tree lighting volition hap astatine 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, successful Solvang Park, followed by a Julefest Parade the adjacent greeting astatine 11 a.m.

Caroling is scheduled connected respective Saturdays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13 and 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. successful Solvang Park (weather permitting). Art and trade markets volition materialize connected Wednesdays, Dec. 3, 10 and 17, from 3 to 7 p.m.

There volition beryllium European-style markets to peruse.

(SolvangUSA)

Solvang Park volition connection hourlong airy and euphony shows nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. Nov. 28 done Jan. 4. There are besides evening trolley rides done the San Ynez Valley and meet-and-greet opportunities with Santa (in Solvang Park) are acceptable for noon to 4 p.m. connected Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 29 and 30, past Dec. 6, 7, 13,14, 20 and 21.

On Dec. 31, attraction shifts to Julefest’s Copenhagen Countdown successful Solvang Park, ringing successful the Danish caller twelvemonth astatine 3 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. This event, from 2 to 4 p.m., volition diagnostic unrecorded euphony from an ’80s tribute set known arsenic the Molly Ringwald Project.

Gnomes and a troll are expected

The seasonal offerings besides see candlelight tours (featuring LED candles and hosts successful costume), Christmas airy tours and regular hunting for nisser (gnomes) passim downtown Solvang.

The troll — nicknamed Lulu Hyggelig — isn’t truly a seasonal addition. It (or she, if you prefer) is simply a imperishable nonmigratory of the city’s California Nature Art Museum, added successful February. Lulu, made of recycled pallets and vino barrels, is 1 of galore trolls created worldwide by Danish creator and recycling activistic Thomas Dambo and his squad of seasoned builders and volunteers.

Christmas trees volition pain — and that’s portion of the celebration

Solvang’s vacation Julefest play often ends with a Christmas histrion burn. This 1 happened successful 2023.

(Randy De La Pena/SolvangUSA)

The play ends with a Christmas histrion burn, billed arsenic a information demonstration, supervised by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, upwind permitting.