Downtown White Bear Lake's Friday farmers market ended its season on Oct. 30. The holiday events that follow mostly happen on one weekday. Between mid-November and mid-December, the evening events along 4th Street and at the Fillebrown House keep landing on Thursdays. That's also the one day each week when the Festival of Trees at the White Bear Lake Armory stays open after dark. If you plan around Thursdays, most of the season is in reach.
The Armory Stays Open Late Only on Thursdays
The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society opens its 4th Annual Festival of Trees on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the White Bear Lake Armory, 2228 4th St. It runs through Dec. 19. According to the Historical Society, the Armory will hold more than 50 trees decorated by local businesses and nonprofits, and the festival has drawn more than 9,000 visitors so far. Admission is free.
The schedule is what makes it worth planning around. The festival's posted hours are:
- Wednesdays: 10 am to 3 pm
- Thursdays: 2 pm to 8 pm
- Fridays: 10 am to 3 pm
- Saturdays: 10 am to 3 pm
The Armory is closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Three of its four open days end at 3 pm, so on most workdays the trees are only open while people are at work. Thursday is the one day the doors stay open until 8 pm, and the downtown and Historical Society calendars have filled those Thursday evenings with events.
Wednesday Lights the Gazebo, Thursday Opens the Shops and the Trees
The season begins the night before the festival opens. White Bear Rotary lists the 2026 Gazebo Lighting for Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 5 to 7 pm downtown at 4th and Washington Square. The same evening, the Historical Society holds a 6 to 8 pm preview at the Armory for its members and Festival of Trees participants, "in conjunction with the Downtown WBL Gazebo lighting," with light holiday bites. Members can watch the gazebo lights come on and then walk down 4th Street to see the trees a day before the public.
Thursday, Nov. 19, the Festival of Trees opens to everyone, and downtown holds its Holiday Open House from 5 to 8 pm. Downtown White Bear Lake's 2026 event schedule notes that times and promotions vary by store. Shoppers should check the downtown events page and individual shops' social media as the date gets closer. The shopping hours and the Armory's Thursday hours both end at 8 pm. That gives the full evening to shop downtown and see the trees on 4th Street.
In 2024, downtown held its Holiday Open House and the gazebo lighting on the same night, Nov. 21. In 2026 they're on back-to-back evenings, which makes the opening of the season two nights long.
Every Thursday Evening From Nov. 12 to Dec. 17
The Thursday pattern starts before the festival does and runs to its last week. Here is every Thursday evening event on the calendars from the Historical Society, Downtown White Bear Lake and Explore White Bear:
| Thursday | Evening event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 12 | Candle Blending Class | Floristry North, 4901 Long Ave. | 6:30 to 7:30 pm |
| Nov. 19 | Festival of Trees opens; Holiday Open House | Armory, 2228 4th St.; downtown shops | Festival 2 to 8 pm; shops 5 to 8 pm |
| Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving Day | ||
| Dec. 3 | Festival of Trees | Armory | 2 to 8 pm |
| Dec. 10 | Fillebrown House Candlelight Tours; Festival of Trees | 4735 Lake Ave.; Armory | Tours 6 and 7:30 pm; festival 2 to 8 pm |
| Dec. 17 | Candlelight Tours; Festival of Trees with the John Eckhardt Trio | 4735 Lake Ave.; Armory | Tours 6 and 7:30 pm |
The Nov. 12 class at Floristry North comes a week before the Armory opens. Explore White Bear lists it as a public class. Floristry North has two more workshops on other weeknights: a Thanksgiving Centerpiece workshop on Monday, Nov. 23, from 6:30 to 7:45 pm, and a Doorstep Gnome class on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Both fall on days the Armory is closed.
On Dec. 17, the Historical Society's calendar lists an evening of holiday music by the John Eckhardt Trio at the Armory, with free cookies and cocoa and no registration. It falls on the same night as the last public candlelight tour at the Fillebrown House.
Two Thursdays Belong to the Fillebrown House
The candlelight tours are the one Thursday event here that needs planning ahead. The Historical Society runs public Candlelight Tours of the Fillebrown House at 4735 Lake Ave. on Dec. 10 and Dec. 17, with start times of 6 pm and 7:30 pm. Each tour lasts about an hour. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for Historical Society members, and reservations are required. According to the event listing, guides tell stories about the house and the people who lived there while it's decorated for the holidays, and cocoa and cookies are served. A members-only tour on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 6 pm is free for members and also requires a reservation.
Both public tour dates are Thursdays, when the Armory is open until 8 pm. That means one evening can include both, and the order depends on which tour time you book. With the 7:30 tour, there's time to see the trees first. With the 6 pm tour, the trees can come afterward as long as you arrive before the Armory closes at 8.
The Fillebrown House has one more December weeknight event, this one for younger kids. Children's Storytime with Santa is Tuesday, Dec. 8, from 6 to 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 per person and must be bought in advance, and children age 2 and under get in free. The listing says families can take photos with Santa and stay for cider, a cookie and a story, and pajamas are welcome.
Saturdays Run on Daytime Hours
The weekend events take place during the day, so Thursday evenings don't have to cover everything.
Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. Downtown White Bear Lake lists 10 am to 5 pm for its Small Business Saturday, two days after Thanksgiving. The Armory's Saturday hours end at 3 pm, so a late-afternoon shopping trip can follow a visit to the trees.
WinterFest, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12. Downtown's 2026 schedule lists WinterFest on both Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm, with Santa, carriage rides, holiday carolers and an Elf Hunt. On those same days, the Historical Society holds special open houses at the Armory from 10 am to 3 pm. They include free photos with Santa, cookies, cocoa, activities and holiday music. The Armory's open house runs an hour past the end of downtown's listed WinterFest hours, which leaves time for the trees after the carriage rides and carolers are done.
Planning Around a Four-Day Week
The Festival of Trees is open four days a week for about a month, and some of those days are holidays. Here's how the open days break down:
- Opening week, Nov. 19 to 21. The festival opens Thursday evening with the Holiday Open House, then stays open Friday and Saturday during the day.
- Thanksgiving week. Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, which is normally the late night. The listed Wednesday, Friday and Saturday hours bracket the holiday, and Small Business Saturday follows on Nov. 28.
- WinterFest weekends, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12. These Saturdays have the longest lineup of events, with activities downtown and special open houses at the Armory.
- Candlelight Thursdays, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17. These are the two evenings to pair the Armory with the Fillebrown House.
- Closing day, Saturday, Dec. 19. This is the last day to see the trees, from 10 am to 3 pm.
Not counting Thanksgiving, the Armory is open until 8 pm on four Thursdays this season: Nov. 19, Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17. All four fall during the festival's run, and three of them also have downtown or Fillebrown House events the same evening.
The Muske Team covers White Bear Lake and the nearby lake communities year-round, including the seasonal calendars around 4th Street and the shoreline. If a winter on White Bear Lake has you wondering what your home is worth, The Muske Team can put together a free home valuation in time for the new year.
