Saturday, December 5 has two holiday events on it. At 1 p.m., New Market's Main Street begins the town's Christmas in New Market celebration, which the Town lists until 11 p.m. From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Santa visits the Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall on Country Club Road for the Lake Linganore Association's Winter Festival. The first is a public town celebration and the second is open only to members and their guests. Because they share one afternoon, a Lake Linganore household can go to both.
The town side has also changed since last December. New Market now has a covered pavilion on Main Street with public restrooms, and there are more public parking spaces off Main Street.
Why New Market Built a Barn for Its Parties
Last December the town's tree lighting could not happen in its usual spot. On the eve of the 2025 celebration, the New Market Events organizers posted that construction at New Market Park had moved the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony to The Derby Restaurant & Bar, with caroling at 5 p.m.
That construction was the Event Barn, a partially enclosed pavilion with ADA-compliant bathrooms in the town's Community Park. The 2024 state bond initiative fact sheet described it as an approximately 1,800-square-foot structure for year-round community activities, in a $515,000 project. The Town's draft Master Plan Update, issued for public comment in September 2026, explains why it was built:
"In response to community frustration with weather impacts on Town sponsored outdoor events, a new pavilion in the Community Park was built and opened in 2026."
According to the same draft, a state grant paid for it and a staff person has been hired to promote and manage it. The Town's Event Barn rental page has a rental request form and names an Events & Pavilion Coordinator.
Two details from the draft plan matter most for a December afternoon. New public bathrooms are open during limited hours in the Event Barn at 23 W. Main St. They replace the old public restrooms at 39 W. Main St, which closed several years ago. The town has also built 29 additional public parking spaces on Fifth and South alleys, and it plans more public parking on a site it acquired in 2026. Those spaces add to the public parking the town already had on South Alley and Fifth Alley.
The Parade Is Now a Town Event on Paper
The other change happened at the September 10, 2026 Town Council meeting. Katie Malone presented the Christmas in New Market parade plan for December 5. The council voted 5 to 0 to approve the parade permit and to make Christmas in New Market an official Town event, run by a committee of Val Vinson, Heather Blanton and Katie Malone. You can read the council minutes in full on the Town's site.
The Town's Christmas in New Market page will carry the full program as it is released. One group has already posted its timing. The New Market Rotary lists its part of the day from 1 to 2 p.m. Its members stage at noon at New Market Middle School, 125 W Main St.
How December 5 Lines Up, Hour by Hour
These are the times confirmed for this year, in order:
- Noon: Rotary participants stage at New Market Middle School, 125 W Main St.
- 1 p.m.: Christmas in New Market begins on the Town calendar.
- 1 to 2 p.m.: The Rotary's listed time slot.
- 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.: The LLA Winter Festival at the Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall, 11330 Country Club Road.
- Until 11 p.m.: Christmas in New Market continues on the Town calendar.
The Winter Festival sits between the early Main Street events and the town's evening hours. Last year, the evening on Main Street began with caroling at 5 p.m. If that timing holds this year, a family could see the parade, drive back to Eaglehead for the Winter Festival, and return to town for the evening.
At the Winter Festival, children can decorate ornaments, make reindeer food and write letters to Santa, and there will be hot chocolate. The festival also collects canned food for the local food bank and toys for Toys for Tots. The LLA says the event needs volunteers and lists the sign-up link on its events page.
Last Year's Main Street, for Reference
The 2026 parade route and road closures will come from the Town. Here is how the parade ran last year.
The Frederick News-Post's 2025 listing gave a 1 p.m. parade from New Market Elementary to Marley Street, with the tree lighting and caroling at 5 p.m. at The Derby, 83 W. Main St. The organizers' 2025 notice banned parking on Main Street from Marley Street to New Market Middle School from 11 a.m. until the parade ended, at about 2:30 p.m. From 12:55 p.m., Main Street/MD Route 144 was closed in both directions from Route 75 to the middle school. Old New Market Road/MD Route 874 was closed southbound at E. Wainscot, and the elementary and middle school parking lots were closed until after the parade.
Lake Linganore drivers often reach town via Route 75, so last year's closure from Route 75 is worth knowing. The 29 added spaces on Fifth and South alleys are new since then.
Last year's organizer posts also named the places to eat and drink. They listed The Derby and Sunset N Main, then Prospect Pantry, 5 West Cafe and Vintage, plus food trucks parked at New Market Physical Therapy. New Market United Methodist Church hosted Mrs. Claus' Workshop.
The Lake's Half of the Season Starts Two Weeks Earlier
The town has one big day. The LLA's holiday calendar runs about four weeks, starting Saturday, November 21. All LLA events are private and open only to members and their guests. Guest details are in the Member Account under "Knowledge Base."
| Event | Dates | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Trot Fun Run | Saturday, November 21 | 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., rain or shine | Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall, 11330 Country Club Road |
| Holiday Décor Contest | Monday, November 30 to Friday, December 18 | Photo entries through December 10 | Your own front yard |
| Winter Festival | Saturday, December 5 | 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. | Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall, 11330 Country Club Road |
The Turkey Trot is a fun run on the paved path around the Eaglehead Preserve Social Hall. Runners are encouraged to wear Thanksgiving-themed gear, and leashed pets are welcome. The run starts at 11:30 a.m. and raffle prizes are given out at 12:15 p.m. Check in when you arrive to get a raffle ticket. There will be yard games and bonfires for roasting marshmallows. In10se BBQ and Red Envelope Coffees will sell food.
The Turkey Trot and the Winter Festival are both at Eaglehead, two Saturdays apart. Both end by mid-afternoon, so a household can go to either one and still have the rest of the day free.
The Décor Contest Turns Front Yards Into the Holiday Drive
The longest event on the LLA calendar is the Holiday Décor Contest. Between November 30 and December 10, members can email one photo of their decorated house to [email protected]. From December 11 through December 17, residents vote on the Member Portal, either from the photos or by driving past the houses.
Entering the contest means agreeing to share your information with other members so they can drive by and see your decorations. Winners will be announced on Friday, December 18 in the Friday Flyer, and the top three will be featured in LakeTalk. First place wins a $100 Visa gift card, second $50 and third $25.
Entries close on December 10, five days after the Winter Festival. Voting runs the following week, so the drive-by tour falls in the middle of December.
Our team is based in New Market, so Christmas in New Market happens right on our own Main Street. If you'd like help planning December 5 around the parade, or have questions about the town or the lake, The Trish Mills Team is happy to help. When you're ready to know what your Lake Linganore home is worth, get your instant home valuation from us.
