Calendar

Welcome to AVA’s monthly calendar of events. Take a peek and plan your stay-cation or your next visit to our region. The city’s most notable annual events include historic home tours, outdoor summer concerts and movies under the stars, and the Northwest Art and Air Festival.

*Note for event organizers: If you’d like to have your event listed on the AVA calendar, head over to our contact page and submit your event to us.

Dec
9
Fri
Night Time Magic Holiday Light Contest @ Albany, Oregon
Dec 9 – Dec 18 all-day
Night Time Magic Holiday Light Contest @ Albany, Oregon

The 2022 Nighttime Magic Holiday Light Contest is ON! Houses throughout Albany are decked out in holiday themes, and YOU can help choose the winners! You can also just enjoy the lights. For information and a map go to the AVA webpage

Dec
17
Sat
Annual Ornament Hunt and Sweepstakes
Dec 17 all-day
Annual Ornament Hunt and Sweepstakes

The Willamette Valley Visitors Association is teaming up with the Willamette National Forest and the Umpqua National Forest to place 200 wooden ornaments, featuring a colorful valley scene, across non-wilderness trails in both national forests. Beginning November 25, 2022, eagle-eyed hikers and visitors can hit the trail to track down an ornament; once you’ve found one ornament per household, register to win the grand prize and put the ornament on your tree back at home. Ornaments are placed on family-friendly trails and more arduous paths alike, giving hikers of all abilities the chance to win. Register to win HERE.

Candy Cane Express @ Santiam Excursion Trains
Dec 17 all-day
Candy Cane Express @ Santiam Excursion Trains | Lebanon | Oregon | United States

Enjoy the holiday season on the Santiam Excursion train with Santa, Mrs. Clause and maybe an elf or two on each ride for family photo ops and to make sure your wish list gets to the right man. There are lots of dates and times for this event. For information and tickets visit https://santiamexcursions.com/

Santa at the Carousel @ Historic Carousel & Museum
Dec 17 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Santa at the Carousel @ Historic Carousel & Museum | Albany | Oregon | United States

Join Santa at the Carousel every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. until Christmas and during First Friday on December 2nd from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Littles can visit and tell him what they want for Christmas while their adult snags a photo of a precious Christmas memory- all for FREE! While you are here, make sure and grab a hot chocolate at the Carousel Café and take a ride (or two) on the carousel.

Christmas Concert @ Albany Performing Arts Center
Dec 17 @ 3:00 pm
Christmas Caroling by Horse Drawn Wagon @ Monteith House Museum
Dec 17 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Christmas Caroling by Horse Drawn Wagon @ Monteith House Museum | Albany | Oregon | United States

Join the Monteith Historical Society to spread a little Christmas Cheer! Visitors will ride in a horse drawn wagon around the Monteith Historic District and serenade the neighborhood with Christmas Carols. After the tour, visitors will be invited into the Monteith House to warm up by the fire and enjoy some hot apple cider and Christmas cookies. For tickets visit https://monteithhouse.ticketleap.com/. Photo by Camron Settlemier.

Dec
18
Sun
Candy Cane Express @ Santiam Excursion Trains
Dec 18 all-day
Candy Cane Express @ Santiam Excursion Trains | Lebanon | Oregon | United States

Enjoy the holiday season on the Santiam Excursion train with Santa, Mrs. Clause and maybe an elf or two on each ride for family photo ops and to make sure your wish list gets to the right man. There are lots of dates and times for this event. For information and tickets visit https://santiamexcursions.com/

Santa at the Carousel @ Historic Carousel & Museum
Dec 18 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Santa at the Carousel @ Historic Carousel & Museum | Albany | Oregon | United States

Join Santa at the Carousel every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. until Christmas and during First Friday on December 2nd from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Littles can visit and tell him what they want for Christmas while their adult snags a photo of a precious Christmas memory- all for FREE! While you are here, make sure and grab a hot chocolate at the Carousel Café and take a ride (or two) on the carousel.

Christmas Caroling by Horse Drawn Wagon @ Monteith House Museum
Dec 18 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Christmas Caroling by Horse Drawn Wagon @ Monteith House Museum | Albany | Oregon | United States

Join the Monteith Historical Society to spread a little Christmas Cheer! Visitors will ride in a horse drawn wagon around the Monteith Historic District and serenade the neighborhood with Christmas Carols. After the tour, visitors will be invited into the Monteith House to warm up by the fire and enjoy some hot apple cider and Christmas cookies. For tickets visit https://monteithhouse.ticketleap.com/. Photo by Camron Settlemier.

Dec
20
Tue
Cooking Classes with Novak’s @ Novak's Hungarian Restaurant 
Dec 20 @ 12:00 pm
Cooking Classes with Novak's @ Novak's Hungarian Restaurant  | Albany | Oregon | United States

Novak’s invites you to make beautiful food and beautiful memories. In each class, you can enjoy appetizers with your choice of wine and other beverages as you work together to create some of Novak’s exquisite foods. When you are done, you’ll feast on a lovely meal, and take home the recipe for future reference. Classes are $50 per person. Call for reservations at 541-967-9488. There are three classes in December: 13th at 12 p.m. Chicken Paprikas, Novak’s signature dish and our famously delicious Red Cabbage, 20th, 6 p.m. Szekely Toltott Kaposzta (Cabbage Rolls) and Oma’s sugar cookies, Tuesday, December 27th at 6 p.m. Mama’s Meatballs in a creamy mushroom sauce and Spatzel (Hungarian Pearl Noodles).