Severna Park's holiday calendar is short. After the church bazaar this Saturday, most of the season falls on two stretches: Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 6, and Friday, December 11 through Sunday, December 13. Each one starts with a Friday-evening gathering, has a Saturday morning outdoors with Santa, and ends with a Sunday event at or connected to the Severna Park Community Center. A church, a garden club, a parks friends group, a dance school and the Chamber of Commerce run most of it. Plan those six days and you will see nearly everything.
The weekend before Thanksgiving gets things started.
Saturday, November 21: The Bazaar on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church's 2026 Holiday Bazaar runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, November 21, at 611 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard. Entry is free. The Severna Park Voice listing promises holiday shopping, basket auctions, Santa and lunch, with proceeds going to missions the church supports.
That makes this Saturday the first Santa sighting of the season, two weeks before the Chamber brings him to Holly Avenue. It is also an early chance to shop handmade and auction items before the December weekends fill up.
The Table, Closer to Home
Holiday cooking in Severna Park may have a new stop on Benfield Road this year. The Severna Park Voice reported on October 29 that Judy and James Sanders, both Severna Park residents, are preparing to open The New York Butcher Shoppe at 543 Benfield Road. They were targeting a late-November opening, subject to construction and final approvals.
According to the Voice, the planned case includes Certified Angus Beef, poultry, pork, house-made sausages, smoked meats, seafood and house-made crab cakes. The shop will also carry heat-at-home dishes and hot meals for same-day pickup, and custom smoking will be available on request. "We want the shop to be a comfortable place where neighbors can get to know our team, ask questions about cuts and cooking, and find something for dinner," Judy Sanders told the Voice. The shop's Severna Park page is the place to check for opening updates and holiday ordering.
Dessert is already on Ritchie Highway. Y'ollk Bakery held its grand opening September 19 at 489 Ritchie Highway, Suite 101. Partners Marie Cris Garay and Basaran Mulgan sell pastries, custom cakes, sandwiches and coffee. In an October profile, the Voice reported a temporary schedule of Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you want a custom cake for a December gathering, call ahead. Those hours also make the bakery a morning stop, so it pairs better with the Saturday events below than with the Friday-evening ones.
Weekend One: December 4 to 6
Friday, December 4: The Tree Lighting on Holly Avenue
The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce holds its Annual Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday, December 4, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 1 Holly Avenue. The Chamber's calendar says Santa will arrive "in true North Pole style" and that the Grinch may turn up too, along with music, entertainment and dancers.
The performers are local. The Patch event listing names the Severna Park Elementary School Chorus, The Edge Dance Complex, the Severna Park High School Jazz Band, the Severna Park High School Cheerleaders and the Bach to Rock Glee Club, and lists the event as free. The whole event lasts 90 minutes, so arriving at 5 gets you everything.
Saturday, December 5: Kinder Farm Park, Morning and Afternoon
Two separate organizations have booked Kinder Farm Park, at 1001 Kinder Farm Park Road, on the same Saturday. Their schedules overlap, so you can do both with a little planning.
| Event | Organizer | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wreath Workshop, morning session | Hollyberry Garden Club | 9:30–11:30 a.m. | $60, preregistration required |
| Jingle Bell Hayride | Friends of Kinder Farm Park | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | $10 per person plus processing fee; 2 and under free; park gate fees apply |
| Wreath Workshop, afternoon session | Hollyberry Garden Club | 1–3 p.m. | $60, preregistration required |
According to the Friends of Kinder Farm Park, hayrides leave every half hour from 10:00 a.m., with the last one at 12:30 p.m. Anne Arundel County's event page adds snacks, warm drinks, roasted marshmallows, a decorated farmhouse, and Santa and Mrs. Claus from about 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
With those times, a family can do the park in one trip in either of two ways:
- Take the morning wreath session, finish at 11:30, and catch the 12:00 or 12:30 hayride while Santa is still at the farmhouse.
- Ride a morning hayride, have lunch, and come back for the 1:00 wreath session.
The wreath sessions require preregistration, so book that first. The Voice listing has the details.
Sunday, December 6: The Nutcracker
The Dance Center at SPCC presents The Nutcracker on Sunday, December 6, at Severna Park High School. Shows are at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. According to the Severna Park Community Center's events page, tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children, and seniors and military attend free.
Midweek: Pottery and Greenery From Providence
Providence's Holiday Pottery, Gift and Decor Sale fills the gap between the two weekends and then returns during the second one. The first session is Tuesday, December 8, from 5 to 8 p.m. The second is Saturday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Voice listing lists handmade pottery, gifts, garlands, wreaths and poinsettias. If you didn't make a wreath at Kinder Farm Park, this is your second chance to buy fresh greenery locally. The Tuesday-evening session suits anyone whose weekends are already booked.
Weekend Two: December 11 to 13
The second weekend follows the first one's pattern: a Friday evening, a Saturday morning with Santa, and a Sunday afternoon.
Friday, December 11, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Cookies & Cocoa with Santa at the Severna Park Community Center is free, with Santa photos, crafts, music, dancing, cocoa and treats.
Saturday, December 12, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Santa Visits the Trail Parks brings Santa to the B&A Trail at 51 West Earleigh Heights Road. He will hand out candy canes and collect non-perishable food for the county food bank, according to Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks. Bring a few cans along with the kids. Providence's second sale session runs from 9 to 1 that same morning, so you can fit in both before lunch.
Sunday, December 13, 1–4 p.m. The Holiday Marketplace at the Severna Park Community Center gathers local vendors and holiday gifts. It is the last big shopping event on the calendar, with time left to wrap gifts before the final full week before Christmas.
Who Runs the Season
Count the hosts. Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, the Hollyberry Garden Club, the Friends of Kinder Farm Park, The Dance Center at SPCC, the Severna Park Community Center, Providence, the Chamber of Commerce and county Recreation and Parks put on every event above. Several give back directly. The bazaar's proceeds go to church-supported missions, and Santa's trail visit collects food for the county food bank.
The geography is just as compact. Holly Avenue, the Community Center, Severna Park High School, the trail at Earleigh Heights and Kinder Farm Park carry nearly the whole season. Add Woods Memorial on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, Benfield Road and the bakery on Ritchie Highway, and a resident can do the holidays almost entirely in town: wreaths, hayrides, a ballet, five chances to see Santa, three shopping events and, possibly, a holiday roast.
Here are the dates for the calendar on your refrigerator:
- Nov. 21: Woods Memorial Holiday Bazaar, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Dec. 4: Chamber Tree Lighting, 5:00–6:30 p.m.
- Dec. 5: Wreath Workshops and Jingle Bell Hayride, Kinder Farm Park
- Dec. 6: The Nutcracker, 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
- Dec. 8: Providence sale, 5–8 p.m.
- Dec. 11: Cookies & Cocoa with Santa, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
- Dec. 12: Santa on the B&A Trail, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; Providence sale, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Dec. 13: Holiday Marketplace, 1–4 p.m.
A house gets plenty of attention between the tree lighting and New Year's, from wreaths on the door to guests in the dining room. If you'd like to know how your Severna Park home would present and price when the season turns, Liz Dooner would be glad to walk through it with you. Request a complimentary home valuation.
