The 38th annual Warren Holiday Festival runs Friday, November 27, and Saturday, November 28, and every event is free. Its lights come on in stages over the two days, and each lighting is timed to move people somewhere new. On Friday night the crowd starts at the waterfront, climbs Baker Street and ends at Town Hall. On Saturday the festival spreads across town by trolley, then draws everyone back to the water for a second tree lighting at Burr's Hill Park.
If you know the order, you'll know where to stand. Below is the weekend laid out by place and time, with full schedules on the Friday events page and the Saturday events page.
Friday Starts at the Foot of Baker Street
Friday kicks off at 5:00, when Santa arrives at the foot of Baker Street on a decorated firetruck. He then heads to the Firemen's Museum at 38 Baker St. to hear children's wishes, and he stays until 7:00. For the next two hours, everything happens within a few blocks of that corner.
You can pick up hot chocolate and cookies at 215 and 243 Water St. The Wharf Tavern and Mechanics Fire Company, Station #2 sponsor those stops. Back on Baker Street, the Federal Blues R.I.M. carriage house at 42 Baker St. holds an open house with refreshments and militia in colonial attire. Next door, Washington Lodge #3 at 39 Baker St. offers tours. The festival describes it as the second-oldest continuously running Masonic Hall in the Western Hemisphere. Stilt-walkers, jugglers and hula-hoopers roam Water and Baker Streets, and Balloons by Ciel & Jen makes balloons to order.
Two sets of shows fill the early evening. Marvelous Marvin Magic presents "Laugh Count" at 5:15 and 6:00. Circus Dynamics brings its fire spinners to the space behind Washington Lodge #3 at 5:15 and 6:15, sponsored by Rep. June Speakman of the RI House of Representatives.
A block over on Church Street, the evening moves indoors:
- First Methodist Church, 25 Church St.: Ornament crafts downstairs with hot chocolate, cider and cookies, thanks to Kickemuit-Portsmouth Grange #24. The Mt. Hope High School Vocal Ensemble sings holiday music upstairs in the sanctuary at 6:00.
- Maxwell House, 59 Church St.: At 5:30, the Massasoit Historical Association serves mulled cider and cookies with "Cantica Nativitatis," the songs of Christmas from the 10th to 19th centuries, presented by historian and musician Richard Donohue.
- Baptist Church, 407 Main St.: S'mores until 7:30.
Bring a new, unwrapped toy on Friday for the "Fill-a-Trunk" toy drive, which benefits children in need.
From Water Street Up to Town Hall
At 6:45, the festival pulls everyone back to the water. The Mt. Hope High School Marching Band plays in front of Massasoit Park at 236 Water St., ahead of the countdown to the Water Street lighting ceremony.
Then the crowd moves on. Everyone follows the band and Santa's truck up Baker Street to Main Street, where the Main Street lighting ceremony begins at Town Hall, 514 Main St., at 7:15. The program there includes a sing-along with the Vocal Ensemble, a few words from Santa and the Warren Holiday Festival Committee, and then the countdown. The Very Merry Dickens Carolers sing at Town Hall at 6:00 and stroll Main Street after the lights come on.
That walk up Baker Street links Friday's two lightings, so where you start matters. To catch both, be near Massasoit Park by about 6:45 and walk up with the parade. If you only want the Town Hall lighting, the Dickens Carolers' 6:00 set there gives you a reason to arrive early.
Friday doesn't end at the countdown. The festival's "After-Light" runs until 9:00. arc{hive} book + snackery at 4 Market St. hosts cocktails and snacks, and The Collaborative at 508 Main St. holds an After-Light Poetry Night where you can bring a poem to share.
Saturday Spreads Out Along a Trolley Loop
Saturday works differently. Friday has one route, but Saturday runs from noon to 4:00 at about a dozen spots at once, connected by an old-fashioned trolley that tours historic Warren, sponsored by Navigant Credit Union. One full loop takes 20 minutes. Here are the six trolley stops, with what's happening near each:
| Trolley stop | Nearby on Saturday |
|---|---|
| #1 Town Hall, 514 Main St. | Holiday crafts and hot cocoa from the Warren Prevention Coalition and East Bay Recovery Center at the Warren Youth Center behind Town Hall; gingerbread cookie decorating with timed-entry tickets at George Hail Library, 530 Main St., plus tours of its Charles Whipple Greene Museum; face painting at The Collaborative, 508 Main St. |
| #2 Joyce Street and Railroad Avenue | Walk to the Very Merry Mudstone Market at Mudstone Studios, 30 Cutler St., for wheel-throwing demos indoors and an outdoor raku firing if the weather allows |
| #3 28 Market St., the old 2nd Story Theatre | A musical instrument "petting zoo" with Aubrey Atwater from 1:00 to 2:00 and Dulcimer & Co. at 3:00, both at Imago Gallery, 36 Market St. |
| #4 Luca's Children's Boutique, 193 Water St. | Face painting with Deb |
| #5 243 Water St., across from Studio 246 | Face painting with Alana at Studio 246, 246 Water St. |
| #6 Blount Clam Shack & Market, 406 Water St. | Free chowder, mac and cheese and fuzzy socks |
Centerville Bank sponsors all three face-painting stations. Over on Main Street, Balloons by Ceil works out of Savon Shoes at 471 Main St.
Santa also changes spots on Saturday. He arrives by fire truck at 521 Main St. and walks to the Historic Warren Armory at 11 Jefferson St., where he's available for selfies from noon to 3:00. On Saturday, bring a non-perishable food item for a local food pantry. The Armory also hosts the Toe Jam Winter Variety Show at 12:30 and 1:30, when Mr. Tom and Mr. Vinny bring "Walk Like A Penguin" and a snow machine, and Marvelous Marvin's "Brain Circus" at 3:00.
The churches stay busy too:
- Baptist Church, 407 Main St.: Holiday greeting card making for the senior center from noon to 4:00, thanks to the Kickemuit-Portsmouth Grange #24. The Very Merry Dickens Carolers sing from noon to 2:00, and The Vox Hunters lead a holiday sing-along from 2:00 to 4:00.
- First Methodist Church, 25 Church St.: Orange-and-clove pomander making from noon to 4:00, sponsored by the Warren Preservation Society and Warren Heritage Foundation. The New England Bell Ringers play from 2:30 to 4:00, with hot chocolate and Christmas cookies afterward.
- Maxwell House, 59 Church St.: Corn husk doll making with mulled cider and cookies from 1:00 to 4:00.
The Last Lighting Is Back on the Water
The trolley stops running at 4:00 on Saturday, and at 4:30 the festival gathers at Burr's Hill Park at 540 Water St. The festival calls it a "Special 2nd Tree Lighting." There's an hour of holiday singing first, then the tree lights at 5:30, and the Blount Clam Shack food truck hands out free snacks. Blount lists the Warren Holiday Festival on its own event calendar for November 28, 2026.
Friday's first countdown is at Massasoit Park on Water Street, and Saturday's lighting is at Burr's Hill Park, also on Water Street.
After that, the evening returns to Market Street. The Vox Hunters play an after-gathering at arc{hive} book + snackery at 6:00 with music and a sing-along. There's no cover, and drinks and snacks are available to buy. The schedules for both days suggest a stroll and selfies under the light arches on Parsonage Way, and the festival asks people to tag @warrenholidayfestival.
What to Carry Each Day
- Friday: A new, unwrapped toy for Fill-a-Trunk.
- Saturday: A non-perishable food item for Santa's stop at the Armory.
- Saturday, at the library: Plan around a timed-entry ticket for gingerbread decorating at George Hail Library.
The festival website also offers a downloadable scavenger hunt.
Before and After the Lights
Market Street gets started before Thanksgiving. Imago Gallery at 36 Market St. opens a new group exhibition on November 12 that runs into December. On November 15, the Mark Russell Trio plays there from 4:00 to 6:00. After the festival, Town Hall hosts The Collaborative's screening of "Rising Waters" on December 7 from 6:30 to 8:00. The Discover Warren events calendar has the rest of the month's listings.
If you're walking up Baker Street with the band this year and want to talk about the town beyond the festival lights, from Market Street galleries to quiet blocks near Burr's Hill, Chanthaly Morin would love to hear from you. Schedule a Free Consultation whenever you're ready, guided with care.
