Late on July 28, the Brentwood City Council took a short recess at 11:08 p.m. and came back at 11:17. Its next vote created something the city had never run before: a Downtown Winter Market, set for Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The motion passed 5–0. It set aside $60,000 and also covered two smaller add-ons that matter more than they sound: folding the city's Tree Lighting and its "Deck the Park" into the market weekend.
For years, Brentwood's holidays have been run by separate groups on separate days: a chamber parade, a downtown wine walk, Santa at the shopping center, a hospice remembrance in City Park. This year is the first time the city has put its own money behind making downtown the place where the season comes together. It is starting with one weekend, and the paperwork behind it shows that was deliberate.
A Request That Took a Year to Become a Weekend
The idea first came up in October 2025, when Mayor Susannah Meyer and Council Member Jovita Mendoza asked for it as a future agenda item. On December 9, 2025, the council formed an ad hoc committee of Mendoza and Council Member Faye Maloney. It told staff to come back with plans, budgets, timelines and possible partners for a 2026 market paid for with Economic Development Grant funds.
Staff met with that committee on March 23 and again on June 9, 2026, bringing research on how other cities run winter markets along with cost estimates. At the July meeting, everyone who spoke in public comment supported a downtown market. One speaker asked how the city would measure success. Another suggested growing it slowly over time. The plan the council approved already matched that advice.
Why the Smaller Version Won
Staff put three options in front of the council. Side by side, they show that December 5–6 is a test run.
| Option | Estimated budget | Length | Status for 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff and ad hoc recommendation | $60,000 | 2 days | Approved |
| Original Proposal, matching the full vision | $100,000 to $338,198 | 18 days | "Not an option for 2026, but may be considered for future years" |
| Hire a consultant | $12,500 to $25,000 | 18-day plan | Study only, with no event this year |
The 18-day version would have meant daily operations, snow play features and expanded décor and lighting. The approved two-day version keeps most of the same pieces at a smaller size: a holiday vendor marketplace, seasonal décor and lighting, live entertainment and holiday singing groups, food vendors and downtown restaurants, craft stations and children's activities, photo spots, community gathering spaces, and promotions from downtown businesses. The staff report says the marketplace is "smaller scale for 2026" because there was less than six months to prepare. It also describes the format as one that can "grow" or "shrink" depending on how 2026 goes.
The city's Economic Development Grant Fund started fiscal 2026–27 with $277,375. After an earlier event allocation, the $60,000 market and a separate round of competitive grants, staff projected $19,963 left over. Going beyond that, as the Original Proposal would have, meant drawing on the city's Budget Stabilization Fund.
Staff also priced four add-ons. The council approved the two cheapest, Tree Lighting Integration at an estimated $1,000 and Deck the Park Integration at $500, and paid for them from the leftover grant balance. The Family Fun Zone, estimated at $2,500, and a Snow Hill and snow play area, estimated at $6,000 to $9,000, were not part of the approved motion.
Folding the Tree Lighting Into the Market
With those two add-ons, the market pulls existing city traditions into a single downtown weekend. The staff report calls it a chance to "re-imagine" how the city's winter events line up with the others in town, and names the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce Holiday Parade, The Streets of Brentwood Tree Lighting and the Downtown Brentwood Coalition's Pictures with Santa.
The plan presented to council put the market in the City-leased 2nd Street Parking Lot, with activities spreading into City Park and the rest of downtown. The city's call for performers asked for musicians, vocalists, choirs and dance groups, both for the market and for "Brentwood's Tree Lighting Ceremony," and promised to fill downtown with "twinkling lights, festive shopping, seasonal flavors, live entertainment, and community cheer."
The city's vendor timeline opened applications on August 31 and closed them on October 2, with initial review set for October 5–9 and vendor contact set for October 16. The city asked for offerings that are family-friendly and "clearly connected to the Winter Market's vision," meaning goods, food and drinks that carry the look and traditions of the holiday season. Updates will appear on the City of Brentwood's Winter Market page.
The Rest of the Season, in Order
The market lands at the end of a calendar that is already full. According to the Brentwood Press calendar, the first event was Hospice East Bay's 40th annual East County Tree of Lights, scheduled for November 6 at Brentwood City Park. The ceremony reads aloud the names of loved ones and raises money for hospice care for people without insurance, along with services that include Bruns House and support for veterans. Here is what comes next:
- Wednesday, November 18. Last day to register a parade entry, or earlier if spots fill up, on the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce event page.
- Saturday, November 21 through December 24. Santa's Toy Workshop visits and photos at The Streets of Brentwood. The center has a new neighbor this year. Slice House by Tony Gemignani opened October 17 at 2523 Sand Creek Road, according to Better in Brentwood. Its two Brentwood-only slices, the Brentwood BBQ and A Slice of Brentwood, are New York-style pies built around local Brentwood corn. It's open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Contra Costa News reported.
- Saturday, November 28, 1 to 4 p.m. The Winter Wine Walk & Holiday Shop in Historic Downtown Brentwood, presented by the Downtown Brentwood Coalition and the Contra Costa County Winegrowers Association. A $50 ticket includes a commemorative glass and tastings of more than 12 local wines. Check-in opens at 12:15 p.m., and organizers suggest leaving extra time to park. Tickets are on the Downtown Brentwood Coalition site.
- Saturday, November 28, 5 to 7 p.m. The Brentwood Chamber of Commerce's 44th Annual Holiday Parade, themed "The Brentwood Express," in Downtown Brentwood. It starts an hour after the last wine walk pour, so downtown is busy from midday into the evening.
- Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6. The city's first Winter Market. Saturday runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
One Saturday, Two Celebrations
The staff report points out a scheduling overlap for anyone with family on both ends of East County. The market's Saturday is the same day as the Discovery Bay Parade of Lights. The market stays open until 8 p.m. that night, so households can split the day: downtown Brentwood earlier and the water later. Sunday's shorter 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. run is the easier option for anyone who would rather see both events without rushing.
The overlap also connects back to the July vote. A two-day market was cheap enough to try in a year with a tight grant fund. It's also small enough for the city to learn whether one December weekend downtown can draw a crowd alongside the parades, wine walks and Santa visits Brentwood already has. Whatever the city does with the 18-day version later, this December 5 and 6 is when residents get to try it.
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