Ijamsville's holiday season is spread across a winery on the edge of town, a social hall at Lake Linganore, a farm near Mount Airy and the main streets of two neighboring towns. Each one keeps its own schedule, and they line up on two Saturdays. November 21 is the first day the lake and the farm overlap. December 5 holds the most events in a single afternoon. Plan around those two days and the rest of the calendar is easy to fill in.
There's also a deadline that comes earlier than most people expect. Linganore Winecellars' Holiday Market starts Saturday, November 7, and is over before Thanksgiving.
Ijamsville's 2026 holiday calendar
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat–Sun, Nov 7–8 | Holiday Market, weekend one | Linganore Winecellars | Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun noon–5 p.m. |
| Sat–Sun, Nov 14–15 | Holiday Market, weekend two | Linganore Winecellars | Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun noon–5 p.m. |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Turkey Trot Fun Run | Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Christmas season opens | Gaver Farm | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily through Dec 23 |
| Nov 30–Dec 18 | LLA Holiday Décor Contest | Lake Linganore | Entries through Dec 10 |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Christmas in New Market, Winter Festival, A Main Street Christmas | New Market, Lake Linganore, Mount Airy | Afternoon into evening |
| Fri, Dec 11 | Kris Kringle Procession | Downtown Frederick | 6:30 p.m. |
November belongs to the winery, and only for two weekends
The Linganore Winecellars Holiday Market runs on two November weekends only, Saturday and Sunday, November 7–8 and November 14–15. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. It's free to attend and you can drop in anytime. The winery describes local artisans selling everything from handmade leather keepsakes to children's books. The bar sells glasses and bottles all day, a food truck is on site from noon to 6 p.m. and live music runs from 1 to 4 p.m.
Both market weekends also fall on the winery's regular "Food Truck and Music Weekends" schedule, so the lineup changes each day. The winery's events calendar lists:
- Saturday, Nov 7: Dominica Knapp on music, Blues Pizza on the food truck
- Sunday, Nov 8: Michelle Hannan on music, Trippy Tacos on the food truck
- Saturday, Nov 14: Emily + Jorge on music, Three Daughters on the food truck
- Sunday, Nov 15: Craig Cummings on music, The Pita King on the food truck
On Sunday, November 8, the winery is also hosting a Paint Your Pet Portrait session with Sherry Kendall and Natalie Davis of Wagging Tail Studios. It costs $75. Painters send a close-up photo of their pet ahead of time, and the instructors sketch it onto the canvas before the event.
When the second market weekend ends on November 15, the season's center moves east toward the lake and the farm fields.
November 21 puts the lake and the farm on the same day
Saturday, November 21, is the first day the calendars overlap. The Lake Linganore Association holds its Turkey Trot Fun Run at the Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall, 11330 Country Club Road, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., rain or shine. The run itself starts at 11:30 a.m. on the paved path around the hall. The LLA invites families to wear Thanksgiving-themed gear and bring leashed pets. There will be yard games and bonfires for roasting marshmallows, and the raffle drawing starts at 12:15 p.m. In10se BBQ and Red Envelope Coffees are scheduled to sell food.
Gaver Farm at 5501 Detrick Road in Mount Airy opens its Christmas season that same morning. It's open daily from November 21 through December 23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Thanksgiving Day. You can cut your own tree or choose a fresh-cut one. The farm provides saws, tree carts, shaking, baling and pin-stand drilling. The Wreath Shop sells real wreaths, swags, boughs and pine roping.
November 21 through 25 is Gaver's Christmas Preview Week. Hayrides don't run that week, and the Christmas Café and Donut Hut is open only on November 21, 22 and 25. For the rest of the season, the café serves hot apple cider donuts, coffee, cider and hot chocolate on Black Friday and on weekends.
Since the Turkey Trot ends at 12:30 p.m. and Gaver stays open until 5 p.m., one Saturday can cover both. If you want hayrides at Gaver, the first weekend that offers them is the one after Thanksgiving.
Two other farms close to Ijamsville also sell trees, though neither has published 2026 dates or hours yet. Franz Tree Farm at 12056 Fingerboard Road in Monrovia is a cut-your-own grower, according to Maryland's Best. Mayne's Tree Farm at 3420 Buckeystown Pike in Buckeystown sells cut-your-own and pre-cut trees plus holiday greenery, according to Visit Frederick. Check with either farm before you drive over.
Lake Linganore's contest runs on a deadline
Once Thanksgiving weekend is over, the lake has its own countdown. The LLA Holiday Décor Contest runs from Monday, November 30, through Friday, December 18. Entrants email one photo of their decorated house to [email protected] between November 30 and December 10. Residents vote on the Member Portal from December 11 through 17, either from the photos or by driving past the houses. Winners are announced in the Friday Flyer on December 18. First place gets a $100 Visa gift card, second gets $50 and third gets $25, and the top three are featured in LakeTalk.
One rule to know before you enter: by submitting, you agree to have your information shared with other members so they can drive by and see your decorations. That's why the week of December 11 is when the lake's decorated streets get the most visitors.
The entry window closes December 10, so it makes sense to have your lights up before the season's biggest Saturday.
December 5 puts three towns in one afternoon
On Saturday, December 5, three holiday events in neighboring towns fall in sequence instead of on top of each other. In time order:
- Christmas in New Market. The Town of New Market has posted a save-the-date for December 5 with "more information to follow." The Rotary Club of New Market lists the event for December 5, 2026, from 1 to 2 p.m. at New Market Middle School. Check the town's page for the rest of the day's schedule as December gets closer.
- Lake Linganore Winter Festival. From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall, Santa visits, kids decorate ornaments, make Reindeer Food and write letters to Santa, and there's hot chocolate. The LLA is collecting canned food for the local food bank and toys for Toys for Tots, and it's asking for volunteers to help run the event.
- A Main Street Christmas in Mount Airy. It's free and starts at 5:30 p.m. with the town tree lighting in the Railyard at 1 N. Main St., led by the mayor, the town council and a group of local students. The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. and runs from Mount Airy Elementary School down Main Street to Calvary United Methodist Church, with floats from nonprofits, businesses and community groups, and Santa.
Gaver Farm is open that day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well, so a tree pickup can come first. That makes December 5 the day with the most of the season's events: a tree, a small-town Christmas, the lake's own festival and a parade, across four stops in about 12 hours.
If the Winter Festival is on your list, bring canned goods or a new toy.
After December 5, the lights are in Frederick and Gaithersburg
Once December 5 has passed, the events nearby get bigger and farther away. The Kris Kringle Procession in downtown Frederick is on Friday, December 11, at 6:30 p.m. It's free and ends at the Baker Park Bandshell with the City Tree lighting. That's also the first night of voting in the lake's décor contest, so you can do both in one evening.
Two light shows run well past the lake's contest:
- Merry & Bright Holiday Lights Experience. A 45-minute tour of downtown Frederick's lights on a double-decker bus. It runs on selected evenings from November 27 through December 27, plus January 2 and 3, 2027. Visit Frederick lists hours of 5:30 to 9:15 p.m. and early-bird prices of $12 to $28 per person.
- Winter Lights Festival. A 3.5-mile drive-through at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg. It runs nightly from November 27 through December 31 and is closed December 25. Every vehicle needs a ticket bought in advance: $15 Monday through Thursday, $25 Friday through Sunday and $35 for vehicles carrying 15 or more people, according to the City of Gaithersburg.
Weeknights at Seneca Creek cost $10 less per car than weekends. Merry & Bright adds dates over the last two weekends of the year and into early January, after the local events are over.
Gaver Farm's last day for trees and wreaths is Wednesday, December 23.
Our team lives and works in Frederick County, and we keep track of these calendars because they're part of the places we help people buy and sell homes. If you're thinking about a move in 2027, The Katie Nicholson Team is glad to talk it over with you, whether that's at the Turkey Trot or on a call in the slow week after December 5. Start Buying or Start Selling whenever you're ready.
