"Help create a new Treasure Valley holiday tradition by donating a Christmas ornament to the Nampa Civic Center's Community Christmas Tree!"
That's how the Nampa Civic Center began its ornament drive on July 15. Each household could give one ornament, and the finished tree makes its debut at the Holiday Makers Market on November 6 and 7.
The event itself is only two days long. The tree stays up much longer. The Civic Center's sponsor packet lists the display from November 6 through January 21, about eleven weeks. Most of Nampa's holiday calendar this year is single nights and four-day weekends. The newest tradition will be on display the longest, and that makes it a good fixed point for planning everything else.
What the Tree Actually Is
The sponsor packet lays out the build: a 9-foot artificial tree, 900 color-changing LED lights, garland, a tree skirt and a custom topper. One piece makes this different from a lobby tree. The Civic Center planned an interactive iPad kiosk where "every family types in their name to find their ornament."
If your household dropped off an ornament this summer, you can look it up on a screen and then go find it on the branches.
The donation rules kept things uniform: one ornament per Treasure Valley household, standard size of 4 to 8 inches, suitable for all ages. The Civic Center could turn down anything that didn't meet those terms. If you never got around to donating, the dates conflict. The sponsor packet listed September 30 as the deadline, while the donation page says ornaments are accepted "through the season." Call the Civic Center at 208-468-5500 before you bring one to 311 3rd Street South.
The Debut Weekend Is the Biggest Holiday Market in Town
The tree debuts at the Holiday Makers Market. Longtime residents may know it by its old name, the Craft & Chocolate Affaire. The hours:
- Friday, November 6: 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 7: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Admission: free
The Civic Center expects more than 100 artisans, with vendors filling "every space—from the theater stage to backstage dressing rooms." The listing names blankets, handmade ornaments, pet gear, pottery, paintings and jewelry. A scavenger hunt is coming back, with details still to be announced.
The timing works out well. Friday evening is the first chance to see the finished tree, and it's also when the market is open late. If you want to find your ornament on the kiosk and then shop, plan for that night.
How November Lines Up Around It
With the tree as the fixed point, the rest of the season falls into place. Here's the calendar starting today, Thursday, October 29.
- Thursday, October 29: Downtown Nampa's 39th Annual Trick-or-Treat. It's free, it's downtown, and costumes are encouraged. Downtown Nampa lists two time windows on its own pages: 4 to 7 p.m. on the event schedule and 6 to 9 p.m. on the calendar feed. Check downtownnampa.com before you head out.
- October 29 to 31: Nampa Nightmares Guided Walking Tour, listed on the downtown calendar for all three nights.
- Monday, November 2, 7:30 p.m.: Black Jacket Symphony performs Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" at the Civic Center.
- November 6 and 7: the Holiday Makers Market and the tree's debut.
- Saturday, November 7: Jo Koy at the Ford Idaho Center.
- Saturday, November 14: two shows across town. Three Days Grace plays the Ford Idaho Center, and Dynamic Duos of the 60s and The Buddy Holly Experience is at the Civic Center at 7 p.m.
- November 20 to 22: Canyon County Christmas Show at the Ford Idaho Center.
- November 27 to 30: Canyon County Festival of Trees at the Ford Idaho Center.
- Saturday, November 28: S'mores / Shop Small Saturday downtown, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.
The last weekend of November is the busiest. The Canyon County Festival of Trees has public hours of noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, November 27, and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Cookies with Santa runs Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and a gala on Monday, November 30, starts with cocktails at 5:30. Downtown's Shop Small Saturday falls on the same Saturday, so you could do Festival of Trees in the morning and s'mores downtown in the afternoon.
Then the Festival of Trees closes and Shop Small wraps up, while the community tree at the Civic Center stays up into late January. Out-of-town family arriving for Christmas or New Year's will have missed almost everything on this list, but the tree will still be there.
Where to Eat Downtown Between Stops
Two downtown restaurants are worth knowing about this season.
The Smoky Pickle, 112 13th Ave. S. This barbecue spot is run by Nate Lindskoog, who has owned The Tower Grill at Nampa Municipal Airport since October 2016. The Idaho Press described a deli-style serving line with brisket, ribs, pulled pork and turkey, plus a pickle bar. California tri-tip was still to come when that story ran. The Idaho Statesman reported it was selling out soon after opening. One published listing shows hours of Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. until sold out. That fits a market Saturday but not a Monday concert night, so confirm before you go.
Aguililla Restaurant, 324 11th Ave. North. Aguililla has served Mexican food in Nampa since 2002, and it's rebuilding on its original site. BoiseDev reported on October 7 that construction was almost finished on a 4,653-square-foot building, much larger than the old restaurant. The menu runs from street tacos and burritos to enchiladas, seafood and menudo. The restaurant was aiming to open in mid-October, according to its social media posts, and the Aguililla food truck is set to reopen once the new building is done. Check the restaurant's own pages for an opening date before you plan a market-night dinner there.
Getting There Looks Different This Fall
Downtown traffic has changed since last year's holidays. The City of Nampa scheduled 11th Avenue South to open to two-way traffic between 2nd Street South and 3rd Street South on Thursday, September 24. The project, funded by the Nampa Development Corporation, also called for rebuilding 11th Avenue South from 1st to 4th Street South, installing new traffic signals and improving sidewalks. If your usual route downtown still follows the old one-way pattern, it's worth a second look before the Friday night market.
If you live in south Nampa, plan around a temporary closure. The City of Nampa scheduled South Powerline Road to close south of East Sherman Avenue starting Monday, October 26, with reopening expected Friday, November 6. That's the same day the tree debuts. The closure is for installing a signalized pedestrian crossing, a rectangular rapid flashing beacon, lighting, signage and upgraded ramps, and the city said local access would remain available. If the work finishes on schedule, the road should reopen in time for the drive to the market.
For more about life in the city through the year, our Nampa neighborhood page and our summer guide to how downtown and the Idaho Center split the calendar cover the warmer months.
At The Canterbury Group, we love seeing a new Nampa tradition get started, especially one built from ornaments people brought in from home. If your family has one on the tree this year, stop by the Civic Center and find it. And if a move is coming up in the new year, we're happy to talk it through and help you plan the next step. Work With Us.
