The big moment of the night happens at the west end of downtown. After fireworks on The Coeur d'Alene Resort Lawn, someone flips the switch and more than 1.5 million lights come on. The parade that leads up to that switch gathers at the other end of downtown. Entries stage in blocks of Sherman Avenue east of 8th Street, the stretch along Sanders Beach's northern edge, starting at 4 p.m. on Friday, November 27.
That puts Sanders Beach closer to the start of the Coeur d'Alene holiday season than any other neighborhood. The 2026 schedule makes timing count as much as the short walk. It matters when you move your car, which streets you take home, and whether you book a cruise in the two weeks before the regular season opens.
Friday, November 27, Hour by Hour From 8th Street
The Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association calls this year's event the 34th Annual Lighting Ceremony Parade. STCU presents it, and the theme is "Santa's Workshop." Last year's theme was "Candy Cane Lane," at the 33rd parade. The route has barely changed. The day's timing, as the association lays it out:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | Parked vehicles must be off Sherman Avenue |
| 3 p.m. | Sherman closes to all traffic from Northwest Boulevard to 8th Street |
| 4 p.m. | Barricades go up along the route, and parade entries stage in blocks east of 8th Street |
| 4 to 4:30 p.m. | Participants arrive at their assigned line-up times |
| 5 p.m. | Parade steps off at 8th and Sherman, heading west |
| After the parade | Carols and a fireworks countdown on The Coeur d'Alene Resort Lawn, then the lights come on |
The route ends at Lakeside Avenue and Government Way, just before Northwest Boulevard. All entries and exits to Sherman between 1st and 8th Streets will be closed. No traffic can exit Sherman until the pedestrian crowd clears, and drivers leaving afterward are told to use 4th and 7th Streets.
If you live in Sanders Beach, 1 p.m. matters more than 5 p.m. A car left on Sherman after lunch is in the way. A car parked on a side street south of Sherman is behind the closure until the crowd thins. The association has posted a 2026 route map on the same page. It's worth opening before Thanksgiving week.
At last year's ceremony, Judd Jones was the guest of honor and led the countdown.
The Two Weeks Before Anyone Else Sees the North Pole
The parade happens on one crowded night. The Journey to the North Pole cruises run for weeks, and the best part of their calendar comes before the parade.
The regular season runs November 26, 2026, through January 3, 2027. The 40-minute cruises leave at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Each one crosses Lake Coeur d'Alene to Santa's North Pole, where Santa reads each child's name from the Nice List. The Resort's page notes that extra cruise times vary by day.
From November 13 through 25, before the season officially opens, the same cruises run as Santa's Sneak Peek Week. The Resort calls it a first look at "Santa's NEW North Pole," with "same lights, same Santa, same MAGIC," at 25% off. These are the prices listed on Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises:
| Ticket | Sneak Peek Week, Nov 13 to 25 | Regular season, Nov 26 to Jan 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $23.50 | $30.50 |
| Senior, 55+ | $22.75 | $29.50 |
| Youth, 6 to 12 | $12.00 | $15.00 |
| Children 5 and under | Free | Free |
The operator says Sneak Peek prices include taxes, fees and the discount, and that the discount can't be combined with other offers. At the listed prices, two adults and two kids ages 6 to 12 pay $71 during Sneak Peek Week and $91 once the regular season starts. The page also says tickets sell out fast.
Boarding is inside the Resort Plaza Shops at 115 S. 2nd Street, about 30 minutes before departure. From the east end of Sherman, that's a short walk on any weeknight in mid-November, when the street is open and parking works the usual way.
Watching the Fireworks From the Water
On parade night itself, one ticket puts you on the lake for the show. The Lighting Ceremony cruise runs 90 minutes, visits the North Pole, and offers what the operator calls front-row seats for the fireworks at The Coeur d'Alene Resort. It sails once, on Friday, November 27, with departures at 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Adults pay $49.25, youth ages 6 to 12 pay $38.25, and children 5 and under ride free.
The listed boarding times are 4 p.m. for the 5:00 departure and 5 p.m. for the 5:30. Both are after Sherman's 3 p.m. closure. Walking to the Resort Plaza Shops avoids the question of where a car would go. Neighbors who board this cruise also skip the crowd on the Resort lawn. The parade will have stepped off from their end of town by the time the boat is out on the water.
For larger groups, private one-hour charters are available from November 15, 2026, through January 1, 2027, starting at $900 for a weekday package. Bookings go through Cruise Sales Manager Cheryl Johnston at (208) 415-5623.
A Christmas Show Set in Coeur d'Alene's Early 1960s
The same Friday also opens the Resort's annual Christmas show. In 2026 it looks back at the town itself. My Favorite Things runs November 27 through December 20, with shows at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It stars The Shotwell Family: Jenny and Dalton Shotwell, their daughter Skye, and Clark Shotwell.
The Coeur d'Alene Press reported in September that this year's theme is Coeur d'Alene at Christmas between 1960 and 1965. Songs come from The Sound of Music, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and A Charlie Brown Christmas. For the first time, the Shotwells asked the public to send in their own Christmas memories from that period. Stories chosen for the show become first-person monologues on stage. "We love Coeur d'Alene, and we love getting to represent pieces of Coeur d'Alene history," Jenny Shotwell told the Press.
Submissions closed at the end of September. The Resort says one story chosen from the community's memories will be part of the production. Sanders Beach has some of the oldest homes in the city, so it fits that one of the season's ticketed shows is about what downtown was like six decades ago. The Resort recommends the show for ages 6 and up, and infants are not permitted.
The Rest of the Season, in Order
Put the parade, the cruises and the show on one calendar and the season fills up early. Most dates fall in the first half of November and the first three weeks of December:
- November 6: CDA On Ice opens its 2026–27 season, which runs through January 18, 2027. Skating tickets and igloo reservations are on its site.
- November 7, 1 to 6 p.m.: Wine for the Holidays downtown. Presale tickets are $25 for eight one-ounce tastings and a commemorative glass, with a limited number of door tickets at $30.
- November 13 to 25: Santa's Sneak Peek Week cruises. Santa's Elves storytime also starts in the Resort lobby, nightly at 4:30 p.m. through January 3, for overnight guests.
- November 26: The regular Journey to the North Pole season begins.
- November 27: The Lighting Ceremony Parade at 5 p.m., the Lighting Ceremony cruise, and the opening of My Favorite Things. The Kootenai Health Foundation's 38th Annual Festival of Trees also takes place at The Coeur d'Alene Resort on November 27 and 28.
- November 28 to December 20: The free Elf On The Shelf scavenger hunt downtown.
- December 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Free Santa photos at STCU's downtown branch, 401 E. Front Ave. A low-sensory session runs from 9:30 to 10 a.m.
- December 13, 9 a.m. to noon: Breakfast with Santa at the Hagadone Event Center. Tickets are $75 for ages 13 and up and $45 for ages 12 and under, plus tax and service fees.
- December 20: The Christmas show and the elf hunt both end.
- January 3, 2027: The last Journey to the North Pole cruises.
- January 18, 2027: CDA On Ice closes for the season.
CDA On Ice still labels its 2026–27 season "Coming Soon," so check its ticketing page for daily availability. The rink sometimes closes to the public for private events.
Holidays at the east end of Sherman come with one afternoon when the street belongs to the parade. Every December after that, the lights and the boats are a short walk away. If you're wondering what that closeness is worth when a home on these blocks changes hands, Sarah Griffin has followed this end of Sherman for four generations. She's glad to talk it through over coffee before the lights go on, or to put together a personalized market valuation whenever you're ready.
