A giant turkey has stood near Arhaus at Town Center Corte Madera since November 5, collecting cans and boxes for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. This is the center's 34th annual food drive, and the turkey stays until January 1. It's usually the first sign of the season on this side of Highway 101, and it stays put all the way through. Most of what follows in Corte Madera moves around more, and the gatherings meant for the whole town keep landing on the same weeknight.
The cheese board workshop at Book Passage, the Chamber's holiday mixer and the Corte Madera Town Band's free holiday concert are each on a Thursday evening. Food trucks come to The Village every Thursday at lunch. Santa, the pet photos and the author talks fill the other days. If you already live here, that's the useful part. Hold your Thursdays and you'll catch the town's shared moments. Use Mondays, Wednesdays and weekends for everything else.
Tonight sets the pattern
Today, Thursday, November 19, is a good example. From 5 to 7 p.m., Book Passage at 51 Tamal Vista Blvd. hosts a hands-on Holiday Cheese Board Workshop on how to build a board. RSVPs go through malt.org, not the bookstore's own page. Check before you go if you plan to drop in on the way home.
Earlier in the day, The Village at Corte Madera runs its regular Food Truck Thursdays, with a rotating lineup of trucks every week. So a Thursday in late November can start at a food truck and end with a cheese board, about a mile apart on Tamal Vista and Madera Boulevard.
The next two Thursday evenings follow the same pattern, with one exception.
| Thursday | What's happening | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 19 | Holiday Cheese Board Workshop | Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd. | 5:00–7:00 p.m. |
| Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving; Santa is off at The Village | The Village at Corte Madera | Closed |
| Dec. 3 | Corte Madera Chamber Holiday Mixer | Corte Madera Inn, 56 Madera Blvd. | 5:00–7:00 p.m. |
| Dec. 10 | Last day of Santa's posted early-season hours | The Village at Corte Madera | 3:00–7:00 p.m. |
| Dec. 17 | Corte Madera Town Band Holiday Concert | Corte Madera Community Center, 498 Tamalpais Drive | 7:00–8:30 p.m. |
December 3 and December 17 are the town's two evenings
The Corte Madera Chamber of Commerce Holiday Mixer is Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Corte Madera Inn, 56 Madera Blvd. It's the Chamber's holiday gathering, set on a weeknight right after work, the same time slot as the Book Passage workshop two weeks earlier.
Two Thursdays later, the Corte Madera Town Band plays its Holiday Concert on December 17, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Corte Madera Community Center, 498 Tamalpais Drive. Admission is free, and the band's listing promises refreshments too. Patch also posted the concert as the band's annual holiday show. It's the one event on this calendar that happens on the Tamalpais Drive side of town, and it falls a week before Christmas Eve, after most December weekends are already booked.
Those two Thursdays, the 3rd and the 17th, are the dates to write on the fridge now. Most of the rest of the season repeats every week or runs for weeks at a time, so there's less risk of missing it.
Santa keeps after-school hours on weekdays
Santa arrives at The Village at Corte Madera on Friday, November 20, at the east mall entrance next to Verizon. Visits are free, and photo packages are for sale. The Village's events page runs the Santa season from November 20 through December 24.
The posted hours for November 20 through December 10 follow the school day:
- Monday through Thursday: 3 to 7 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with breaks from 2 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 5:30 p.m.
- Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the same breaks
- Thanksgiving, November 26: closed
Weekday visits start at 3 p.m., so a quick stop after school works Monday through Thursday. On weekends, the 2 p.m. break is the one to plan around. The Village recommends booking a time slot, and the Photos with Santa page has the reservation link. Families who pre-book get a free personalized digital message from Santa through Portable North Pole before the visit.
Two special sessions change the usual routine.
Pet Nights with Santa run Mondays from 4 to 7 p.m. on November 23, November 30 and December 7. Bring the dog, take the photo, and that's your Monday.
Sensory Santa Cares is Sunday, December 6, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., a sensory-friendly visit held before the regular weekend hours begin. It's the only Santa session on the calendar that starts in the morning.
Book Passage fills Saturdays, plus one busy Wednesday
Thursday evenings bring the town together. Book Passage covers most of the rest of the week with author talks. All of these events are at the Corte Madera store, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
On Saturday, November 21, two talks start at 4 p.m. Charles Finch presents Midnight in the House of Commons, and Diane Frankel appears with Lew Reid and Jay Mall for Reluctant Voices. The next morning, Sunday the 22nd, is the last day of The Village's Jo Malone London "Deck the Box" weekend.
On Saturday, November 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nicole Nelson and Rebecca Rubenstein discuss Family Language at 1 p.m.
On Monday, November 30, Mona Chalabi presents Ten Lives at 6 p.m. That's also the second Pet Night at The Village, which runs until 7, so the dog and the book talk can share one evening.
Wednesday, December 2, is the busiest day on the Book Passage calendar. At 11 a.m., Elaine and the store's staff present the Book Passage All-Stars Annual Holiday Book Talk 2026, their picks for the season across every genre. The talk is in person at the store and also streams live online. At 6 p.m. the same day, Rebecca Handler appears with Daniel Handler for In the Round.
December 2 is also a Wednesday, which means the farmers market is running in Town Center's center court from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. So the holiday book list, a stop at the market and a stop at the Giant Turkey with a bag of cans all fit into one late morning on one side of the freeway.
The weekly grid, start to finish
The calendar is easiest to use by weekday. Santa's hours below are the posted November 20 to December 10 schedule; The Village's Santa page lists different, longer hours for the weeks after that.
| Day | Recurring weekly | One-time dates |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Santa 3–7 p.m.; Pet Nights 4–7 p.m. | Nov. 23, Nov. 30, Dec. 7 Pet Nights; Mona Chalabi, Nov. 30 |
| Wednesday | Town Center farmers market, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Holiday Book Talk and the Handlers, Dec. 2 |
| Thursday | Village Food Truck Thursdays; Santa 3–7 p.m. | Cheese board, Nov. 19; Chamber mixer, Dec. 3; Town Band, Dec. 17 |
| Saturday | Santa 11 a.m.–7 p.m. | Finch and Frankel, Nov. 21; Nelson, Nov. 28 |
| Sunday | Santa 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Sensory Santa Cares, Dec. 6, 9–10:30 a.m. |
| Every day | Giant Turkey food drive near Arhaus, through Jan. 1 |
Something new at The Village
The Village may have a new storefront when you stop by for Santa or the food trucks. The Southern Marin Ledger reported that Reformation, the Los Angeles clothing brand, was expected to open a store at The Village around November 13, after construction began in August. The Village's own store listing has the latest on its opening.
Your dates, in order
- Thu., Nov. 19: Food Truck Thursday at The Village; Holiday Cheese Board Workshop, Book Passage, 5–7 p.m.
- Fri., Nov. 20: Santa arrives at The Village, east entrance next to Verizon
- Sat., Nov. 21: Charles Finch and Diane Frankel talks, Book Passage, 4 p.m.
- Mon., Nov. 23: Pet Night with Santa, 4–7 p.m.
- Thu., Nov. 26: Thanksgiving; Santa is off
- Sat., Nov. 28: Nicole Nelson with Rebecca Rubenstein, Book Passage, 1 p.m.
- Mon., Nov. 30: Pet Night, 4–7 p.m.; Mona Chalabi, Book Passage, 6 p.m.
- Wed., Dec. 2: Holiday Book Talk, Book Passage, 11 a.m.; Rebecca and Daniel Handler, 6 p.m.; farmers market at Town Center, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Thu., Dec. 3: Chamber Holiday Mixer, Corte Madera Inn, 5–7 p.m.
- Sun., Dec. 6: Sensory Santa Cares, The Village, 9–10:30 a.m.
- Mon., Dec. 7: Final Pet Night, 4–7 p.m.
- Thu., Dec. 17: Town Band Holiday Concert, Community Center, 7–8:30 p.m., free
Hosting family over the holidays and want a local's pick for the right Thursday night out? I'm always happy to talk Corte Madera, whether that's this calendar or the street you're thinking about calling home next. Reach out to Jennifer Bowes to schedule a consultation, and I'll see you at the Town Band concert on the 17th.
