Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 06, 2026
Vallejo's Mad Hatter Holiday Festival Returns with Victorian Air Ship Tree Lighting
TLDR
- Attend the Mad Hatter Holiday Festival to see exclusive Burning Man sculptures and gain a unique edge in holiday event experiences.
- The Mad Hatter Holiday Festival on December 5, 2026, features a parade at 4:30 PM and tree lighting at 6:00 PM with a Victorian Air Ship.
- The Mad Hatter Holiday Festival brings the Vallejo community together with free activities, fostering joy and connection for a brighter tomorrow.
- Did you know the Mad Hatter Holiday Festival features roaming R2D2 robots and a 501st Legion Imperial regiment for a whimsical experience.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it highlights a beloved community tradition that brings together thousands of residents and visitors to celebrate the holiday season in a unique, whimsical way. The Mad Hatter Holiday Festival not only boosts local tourism and supports small businesses through craft and food vendors, but also fosters a strong sense of community pride and creative collaboration. By featuring local talent like the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra and engaging interactive art from Burning Man artists, the event showcases Vallejo's vibrant cultural scene and provides family-friendly entertainment that creates lasting memories. Moreover, the involvement of Hyperion Community Partners demonstrates how public-private partnerships can successfully produce large-scale events that enrich the community and drive economic activity.
Summary
Vallejo, California, is gearing up for a whimsical holiday celebration as the Mad Hatter Holiday Festival, Parade & Tree Lighting returns on Saturday, December 5, 2026. One of the event's main attractions is the Victorian Air Ship, which will host the lighting of a 50-foot holiday tree. The lighting ceremony will feature Vallejo's Mayor alongside Grand Marshal C J Anderson, football coach at Benicia High School and former NFL running back who won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos. They will be joined by the Hatter's holiday songstress Tia Carroll, a blues, soul and R&B singer renowned as a premier vocalist of San Francisco's music circuit. The Community Grand Marshal is the esteemed Vallejo Symphony Orchestra, recognized for bringing holiday performances and classical music to the masses for decades.
Festivities kick off at 2:00 PM with Wonderland Festival activities and the Queen's Court, followed by the Mad Hatter Holiday Parade at 4:30 PM. The Tree Lighting Program begins at 6:00 PM, and the Lighted Yacht Club Boat Parade sets sail at 6:30 PM. Attendees can enjoy Obtainium Works' popular creations, the crowning of Kings, Queens & Princesses, a lighted inflatable Unicorn Park, interactive children's wonderland activities, and two 15-foot Flaming Feathers created by the Flaming Lotus Girls, award-winning Burning Man recipients. The Flaming Lotus Girls will also activate SOMA, a beautiful interactive giant sculpture originally displayed at Burning Man in 2009. Craft and food vendors, continual live performances, interactive Tea Party activities, roaming R2D2 robots, and the 501st Legion's Imperial regiment of Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers add to the whimsical atmosphere. For more information, visit HatterVallejo.com.
Hyperion Community Partners LLC, based in Vallejo, produces the festival in collaboration with the city to highlight its community creative spirit. The organization also produces the Mad Hatter's July 4th Waterfront Celebration and the Grand Victorian Homes Tour, which showcases the Heritage District's impressive architecture. Both the holiday festival and the July 4th event have attracted thousands of attendees and garnered multiple accolades. A YouTube video produced by WhatSF, a weekly television program that aired in San Francisco, has a growing viewership of over 100,000.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Vallejo's Mad Hatter Holiday Festival Returns with Victorian Air Ship Tree Lighting
