On four December weekend afternoons, Cedar and Main hosts two holiday events back to back. Santa House Selfies run there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then the Vintage Village Carriage Rides leave from that corner from 3 to 5 p.m. and loop through the Village's residential streets. The pocket park on that corner is one of two sites in a plaza contract that Zionsville's Redevelopment Commission approved in September. A few blocks south, the Town is preparing a roundabout at Main and Sycamore. Mayor John Stehr said this month that construction is likely to begin early next year.
That makes this year's Christmas in the Village, which runs November 27 through December 24, likely the last holiday season on downtown's current layout before work starts. The calendar is full, and nearly all of it happens on the blocks that are about to change.
A Season Built on a Few Blocks of Main Street
The Zionsville Chamber of Commerce runs the season. In 2025, Current in Zionsville reported that the Chamber is a team of two and that the Christmas in the Village committee is made up entirely of business owners. Here is the 2026 schedule with each event's location:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 20 to Dec. 19 | Teeny Tiny Art Market | SullivanMunce Cultural Center |
| Nov. 27 to 29 | Small Business Weekend | Shops throughout downtown |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 5 to 6:30 p.m. | Parade and Tree Lighting | Eagle Elementary to South Main near Old National Bank |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 6:30 to 8 p.m. | Santa House, parade-night hours | Cedar and Main |
| Nov. 29; Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Santa House Selfies | Cedar and Main |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to noon | Winterfest Open-Air Maker's Market | Lot just south of Friendly Tavern |
| Dec. 5, 6, 19, 20, 3 to 5 p.m. | Vintage Village Carriage Rides | Depart Cedar and Main |
| Thu., Dec. 10, 5 to 9 p.m. | Ladies' Night | Participating downtown businesses |
| Thu., Dec. 17, 5 to 9 p.m. | Christmas Crawl, 21 and over | Participating shops and restaurants |
Main Street Zionsville lists the December 5 market as the Zionsville Parks Winter Market. The Chamber's flyer calls it the Winterfest Open-Air Maker's Market. Both refer to the same free morning event with makers, food trucks and seasonal music.
On the parade route, Santa and Mrs. Claus light the tree once the procession reaches its end near Old National Bank, at about 6 p.m. Last year the lighting took place at the corner of Pine and Main. The Chamber also advised parade-goers to arrive early and dress for cold weather, since street parking is spread throughout downtown.
Cedar and Main, the Season's Busiest Corner, Is Next for a Refresh
Most of the season's daytime events happen at Cedar and Main. In 2020, Current in Zionsville described Santa greeting visitors from the doorway of the seasonal Santa House and a chalk-art event using "the pocket park behind Santa's House at Main and Cedar Streets."
At its September 22 meeting, the Zionsville Redevelopment Commission approved, 3 to 0, a design and construction contract covering two downtown sites. Citizen Portal's summary of that meeting describes them this way:
- Village Corner, at Cedar and Main. This is a refresh of the existing pocket park across from Rosie's.
- Pop Up Plaza, at 345 South Main. This is a new plaza on a privately owned lot south of the Scoop, near Baker's House. The Town will lease the lot for five to ten years.
Oasis Outdoors is the contractor named in the meeting summary. The combined contract for both sites is capped at $230,000, and the property owner pays for part of the work directly. The mayor gave both parks their names publicly on November 2, in the same remarks where he gave the roundabout timeline.
The corner where the Village gathers for Santa visits and carriage rides is getting reworked. The South Main block by the Scoop is getting a new public space. Both projects are moving forward alongside the larger road project at the Village's south entrance.
The Roundabout at Main and Sycamore Comes After the Holidays
The road project is called Main Street Momentum. Its central piece is a peanut-shaped, or dog-bone, roundabout at Main and Sycamore streets. In March, Current in Zionsville reported that the design aims to keep downtown traffic moving and prevent backups while lowering the speed limit for pedestrian safety. It also adds pedestrian crossings on First Street and near Lions Park. Stehr described the project's purpose to the paper:
"Main Street Momentum will make the entryway to our town more efficient for emergency responders and vehicles, and safer for pedestrians. At the same time, it will enhance access to our historic Village and our iconic brick-paved Main Street."
The project is being built in stages. At the June 15 Town Council meeting, Public Works Director Lance Lantz explained that the council was not yet ready to take up the traffic-code changes for the project's northern portion. Those changes include proposed one-way conversions of First and Second streets. For now, the $4 million READI 2.0 state grant appropriation will advance "the southern or the roundabout portion." The council minutes also record a Town official saying that more concrete plans for aesthetics and pedestrian facilities would come closer to construction.
The project's FAQ page lists $10 million in total funding:
- $4 million from READI 2.0
- $1.5 million from the General Fund
- $2.5 million in TIF
- $2 million in Road Impact Fee funding
On timing, Stehr told the November 2 meeting that "construction on the Main Street Momentum Project is likely to begin early next year." He also cautioned that there may be short-term disruption next summer and said the goal is to preserve downtown's character while improving access. The project site posts updates as the work gets closer.
Four Dates That Cover the Whole Village
Because the season's events are concentrated in a few blocks, four dates cover nearly all of it.
Saturday, November 28. Small Business Weekend runs November 27 through 29. Impact Financial Group is sponsoring free tote bags while supplies last. The parade leaves Eagle Elementary at 5 p.m. Afterward, the Chamber's Santa House flyer lists extra parade-night hours at Cedar and Main from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 5. This is the fullest daytime schedule of the season, and the three events follow one another almost without a gap:
- 9 a.m. to noon: the Maker's Market in the lot just south of Friendly Tavern.
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Santa House Selfies at Cedar and Main.
- 3 to 5 p.m.: carriage rides leaving from the same corner.
December 6, 19 and 20 repeat the Santa and carriage schedule without the market.
The two Thursday evenings. Ladies' Night on December 10 and the Christmas Crawl on December 17 both run from 5 to 9 p.m. Participating businesses offer specials, and carriage rides are available both nights. The Crawl is for guests 21 and over and holds its ugly-sweater contest at 8 p.m.
For shopping before Thanksgiving, SullivanMunce Cultural Center's Teeny Tiny Art Market opens November 20 and runs through December 19. The full program, with each event's flyer, is on the Chamber's Christmas in the Village page.
When the Village corners start changing in 2027, Kelly Todd will keep following the work on Main Street, Cedar and Main, and the new plaza by the Scoop. If you're curious how downtown projects like these might affect a home near the Village, our team is glad to talk it through, and you can start with a quick instant home valuation.
