Welcome to Calaveras County for the holidays! Here are 8 things to do during Christmas vacation in Calaveras and fun ways to get in the holiday spirit in one of the most charming and rustic regions California has to offer!
1. Play in the Snow, of course!
In Calaveras, we LOVE the snow! And playing in the snow during the holidays creates magical Christmas memories, so break out the sleds, skis, snowboards, snowshoes, and snowmobiles because you can do it all here. Rent a snowmobile from Bear Valley Adventure Company, snowshoe at Calaveras Big Trees (limited free shoes at the park or rent some at Sierra Nevada Adventure Company), ski and board at Bear Valley Mountain or sled at one of the three California State SNO-parks in the area. Make sure to get your parking pass for the SNO-parks online or at Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods, Camp Connell Store, or Sierra Nevada Adventure Company. Daily passes are $15 or a season pass is $40 – Parking is first come, first serve. Or, rent a giant inner tube at Bear Valley Adventure Company and slide down the snow hills. It’s great fun!!
2. Make it a movie or live theatre night!
No holiday would be complete without a trip to the movies! Angels 6 Theater is the perfect place to top off your Calaveras holiday experience with the latest releases in this beautiful historic art-deco style building with its six state-of-the-art auditoriums. Built during the silent film era, this historic theater comes with all the modern perks–including comfy high back luxury reclining loveseats with flip-up armrests and the latest blockbuster releases. Angels 6 Theatres is a special treat. Small town friendliness, delicious GMO-free popcorn, (more affordable prices for tickets and concessions than the average California cinema), and a charming downtown atmosphere all make this a great place to create new memories with loved ones. Check current Angels Camp showtimes here.
Before you head out, grab a bite at Angels Creek Restaurant or Cascabel just a few steps away. Or, relax afterwards at Avellino Italian Bar & Market right across the street. A fun and casual gathering spot to meet for a drink, share a bite, and bring home a delicious dinner for the family! Enjoy small bites and shop the imports market for gifts and homemade Italian goods to-go! Pop in for a quick gelato & espresso or savor a bottle of Italian wine with a beautiful charcuterie plate!
Live theatre your thing? Well, you’re in luck because Calaveras boasts TWO theatres featuring Christmas stories both familiar, yet unique.
Fourth Wall Entertainment Troupe performs the classic Belles On Broadway, a fun, light-hearted radio show perfect for the whole family. Performances run Friday & Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees from November 29th – December 15th in downtown San Andreas at the historic Metropolitan.
Murphys Creek Theatre features an incredible one-actor show, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol. Robbie Allen is the infamous Jacob Marley who gives us a look behind the scenes of Ebeneezer Scrooge’s overly-produced story of redemption, making it an intimate and spirited evening of theatre perfect for the whole family! Murphys Creek Theatre is offering “pay-what-you-can” tickets to ensure everyone in our community can enjoy this festive performance and in the spirit of the holidays is asking those who can consider “Pay it forward” by contributing a little extra when purchasing tickets to help support the theatre. Performances run Friday & Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees from November 29th through December 22nd.
3. Stroll through Calaveras’ festive & historic downtowns
We love our Christmas parades and celebrations through our historic and charming downtowns – Angels Camp, Mokelumne Hill, and Murphys, as well as our small towns of Arnold, Copperopolis, and Valley Springs. Christmas tree lightings and celebrations happen everywhere between the Friday after Thanksgiving through the middle of December where you can visit with Santa and explore local stores. Check our Calendar of Events for a schedule of Christmas events. Enjoy leisurely strolls through town for those last minute flashes of inspiration in one of our small family owned shops and boutiques where you will get excellent and personal customer service. Plus, you’ll feel great knowing you’ve directly supported a family-owned-and-operated business that gives back to their community!
4. Sleigh all day & ring in the New Year!
Sequoia Woods in Arnold, Camps Restaurant in Angels Camp, and Verona18 in Copperopolis will all be having New Year’s Eve dinners, dancing, music and revelry this year to ring in 2025. Or head up the hill to Bear Valley’s New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration on the mountain where the snow reflects the colorful light display in the sky. Find more ways to celebrate the New Year on our calendar of Calaveras events.
5. Treat yourself with Calaveras sweets
Nothing says Christmas vacation like holiday sweets. Surprise your loved ones with an early morning treat or bring a little something special to the holiday table from one of Calaveras’ local bakeries or sweet shops this Christmas vacation. Grab yummy apple donuts for game night from The Red Apple located between Murphys and Arnold, or if you happen to be on the west side of the county, stop into Mo’s Bakery or The Sweet Shop in Valley Springs for delicious holiday treats made from scratch. Ice cream in winter? Absolutely!! The Ice Cream Parlor in downtown Angels Camp makes artisan ice cream right there in their shop. YUM! For extra special chocolate-y goodness, make sure to stop in at Nelson’s Candy Kitchen in downtown Murphys. Using pure and fresh ingredients, cooked in bright copper kettles, and cooled on marble tables that are over 100 years old, the Nelson family has delighted visitors with handmade candies and confections for five generations!
6. Get cozy indoors
The holidays are a perfect time to get cozy with our loved ones indoors. Don your comfiest attire to snuggle in with some of those delicious baked treats, some nice warm beverages, and get ready to add some playful memories to the mix. If you love working a new puzzle or getting lively with a fun game, both are great ways to get cozy and bond with loved ones. Looking for a new fun game for the whole family? Pop into Murphys Village Toy Store in downtown Murphys for a peek at their offerings. Or, maybe create a new culinary masterpiece with olive oil from Marisolio Tasting Bar or new spices from The Spice Tin.
7. Explore Gold Rush History
You could spend hours soaking in all of the indigenous American and Gold Rush history artifacts located in the seven museums throughout Calaveras. Be sure to check out our Calaveras museum scavenger hunt where you can explore the county’s museums, find the hiding plush frog at each location, snap a picture and download it to win a small prize. Kids and kids-at-heart will love the 3 1/2 acre Angels Camp Museum where you can tour one of the largest covered wagon exhibits West of the Mississippi. Don’t miss seeing the largest gold leaf nugget ever found at Ironstone Vineyard’s Heritage Museum open Thursday – Sunday. Learn what sets each museum apart by clicking the links below:
- Angels Camp Museum & Carriage House – Angels Camp, CA
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park Museum – Arnold, CA
- Calaveras County Museum Complex – San Andreas, CA
- Ironstone Heritage Museum – Murphys, CA
- Red Barn Museum – San Andreas, CA
- Sierra Nevada Logging Museum – Arnold, CA
- Mokelumne Hill Historical Society – Mokelumne Hill, CA
8. Get a Taste of Calaveras
From the moment wine lovers enter Calaveras County, they can sense the difference in attitude. It’s a laid-back, easy-going, meet-the-winemaker kind of vibe with endless recreational opportunities to round out a memory-making trip. But don’t let our laid-back attitude fool you. Calaveras wineries also win big, prestigious awards. Calaveras wine country, with its Mediterranean climate and rolling foothills, is perfectly suited to growing Rhone, Spanish, and Italian varietals with big, bold flavor. The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance organized a easy-to-use maps of tasting rooms and vineyards showcasing the best of the best right here in Calaveras County.
Two fun wine experiences in Murphys – wine tasting and cheese pairings at Lavender Ridge and Pop the Bubbly Champagne Bar which, of course, showcases the sparkly stuff from around here and abroad. In Arnold, don’t miss the cozy Alpine-inspired Hinterhaus Distillery, where you can enjoy the most wonderful Old Fashioned. In Mokelumne Hill, don’t miss Posterity Ciderworks, and in Angels Camp, don’t miss the beautiful historic underground bar, Miner’s Lounge.
Looking for more fun things to explore in Calaveras County or need help finding something in particular? We’re here to help! Explore our website by town at www.gocalaveras.com, reach out via email at info@gocalaveras.com, give us a call at 1-209-736-0049, or visit us in person at 753 S. Main Street in Angels Camp, CA.
Happy vacation!