Between mid-November and early December, the Beaver Area Chamber of Commerce has set up the borough's holiday season as a series of stops on Third Street. Most of them bring people into stores. The Holiday Open House, Small Business Saturday and the Cookie Tour all depend on walking through local doors. The Light Up Festival is the one evening built for standing outside. It lands on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the Chamber has put the shopping day right after it, on the same street, with a raffle that only pays off if you go inside.
Read the 2026 calendar that way and the order makes sense. Here's how it runs.
November 14: The Open House Comes First
The season starts on Saturday, Nov. 14, two weeks before the fireworks. The borough's event listing for the Holiday Open House shows a 10 a.m. start, a town stroll and participating businesses along the route.
The listing doesn't mention a parade, a stage or fireworks. It's a daytime shopping stroll, two weeks ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend events.
November 17: A Talk About the Buildings Themselves
Three days later, the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation turns from the shops to the buildings they're in. Its 2026 exhibit and event schedule lists a free program at Beaver Station on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. The title is "The Changing Lives of Our Historic Buildings," and Chuck Copeland is presenting.
It isn't a holiday event, but it falls in the middle of this stretch. It's free, it's on a Tuesday evening, and it's well before the holiday weekend.
November 27: The One Night About the Street
The Light Up Festival is on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. The Chamber's Light Up Festival page lists 5 to 9 p.m. in the Business District and names Shell Polymers as the 2026 fireworks sponsor. The borough's calendar entry lists 6 p.m. and promises the Chamber will "light up the town for the holiday season." The two times probably mean the festival starts at 5 and a main event happens at 6. If you're bringing small children for one specific part, check with the Chamber before you go.
The 2026 program hasn't been posted yet. Last year's schedule, published by Beaver County Radio for the Nov. 28, 2025, festival on Third Street, gives a good sense of how the night usually runs:
- 5 p.m. Festival opens, with a live DJ listed to start the night.
- 6 p.m. Christmas parade.
- 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Pictures with Santa.
- 7 p.m. Casanova & the Divas on the music lineup.
- 8:30 p.m. Fireworks.
Throughout the evening in 2025, there were horse-drawn carriage rides, hayrides, hot chocolate and donuts. The 2025 listing described the festival as free and hosted by the Chamber. In 2024, the Beaver County Times listed a Nutcracker-themed parade, live music, a seasonal-drinks tent, holiday shopping and visits with Santa on the same 5-to-9 schedule.
Those are 2024 and 2025 programs, and the 2026 lineup could be different. The overall shape has held for at least two years, though. The parade comes early, Santa fills the middle of the evening, and the fireworks close the night.
The Friday date also keeps Beaver's night separate from its neighbor's. In 2025, the Beaver Falls Christmas Parade and Winterfest ran on Seventh Avenue the next evening, Saturday, Nov. 29, according to the same Beaver County Radio roundup. That left Saturday on Third Street for shopping.
November 28: Saturday Points Everyone Back Inside
Small Business Saturday follows Light Up by less than 24 hours, and the Chamber's 2026 page sets it up so people go into the shops.
- Shop Small Raffle. Show your receipts from small-business purchases to earn raffle tickets. The raffle is at the Beaver Borough Building, 469 Third Street.
- Main stage. Live music on the stage at the corner of College Avenue and Third Street.
- In-store events and specials. The Chamber describes the day as a chance to "peruse the unique assortment of boutiques and eateries."
The raffle is the clever part. Friday's events don't depend on buying anything. Saturday's main draw needs a receipt, so the people who came downtown for the parade have a reason to come back and shop. In 2025, the day ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a Macaroni Kid event listing. The 2026 page doesn't list hours yet, so plan around last year's as an estimate.
A New Stop for Holiday Shopping This Year
This is the first holiday season for one Third Street storefront. The Beaver County Times reported on Aug. 24, 2026, that Fable & Craft Co., a woman-owned independent bookstore for readers of all ages, had opened at 501 Third St. Beaver County Radio's coverage, published Aug. 25, said the store opened the previous Saturday, which was Aug. 22.
Books fit Small Business Saturday well. They're easy to give, easy to wrap, and they come with a receipt you can take to the raffle at the Borough Building, 469 Third Street.
The rest of the street has longtime names too. The borough's business directory lists Kathleen's on 3rd at 428 3rd Street, The BeautyMark Salon at 549 Third Street, Wildwood Boutique at 618 3rd Street and Kretchmar's Bakery at 664 3rd St. The directory doesn't say which of them are taking part in this year's events. Check a shop's own channels or the Chamber's Instagram, @shopdowntownbeaver, before you plan a route around one of them.
December 5: The Cookie Tour Wraps Up the Season
The last stop goes back to walking into stores. The Chamber's annual events page lists the Cookie Tour for Saturday, Dec. 5, without printing a year. Dec. 5 falls on a Saturday in 2026. Its Cookie & Holiday House Tour page still shows last year's information, with a Dec. 6 date and the 2025 keepsake recipe box. Wait for the Chamber to update ticket details before you buy.
Going by last year's version, the cookie stops were at participating downtown businesses, and the house tour ran from 4 to 8 p.m. The 2025 Eventbrite listing placed the tour at the Beaver Borough Municipal Building on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. The season that began with an open house on Nov. 14 would end with people collecting cookies from shop to shop on the same street.
The Season at a Glance
- Sat., Nov. 14: Holiday Open House, from 10 a.m.
- Tue., Nov. 17: "The Changing Lives of Our Historic Buildings," Beaver Station, 7 p.m., free
- Fri., Nov. 27: Light Up Festival, Business District, 5 to 9 p.m. per the Chamber
- Sat., Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday, raffle at 469 Third Street, stage at College Avenue and Third Street
- Sat., Dec. 5: Cookie Tour, listed on the Chamber's annual calendar without a year, details pending
For a broader look at the borough beyond this season, our guide to Beaver's riverfront small-town life covers the rest of the year.
If you own a home near Third Street and wonder what it's worth heading into the new year, The Cannon Group can put together a free home valuation with the same care we bring to telling the story of every Beaver home we list.