Valley Village Builds Its Own Holiday Season, One Block at a Time

Valley Village's holiday season is put together by groups that already work in the neighborhood. A union of film and television costume makers is clearing its shelves on Laurel Canyon. Four small businesses near Magnolia and Wilkinson are keeping their doors open after dark. A Saturday farmers market sets up in a church parking lot on Colfax. The neighborhood council will close it all out on Dec. 12 with its 19th annual Light Up Valley Village.

Taken together, these make a calendar with a clear order. Each stop leads into the next, and most of them end at the same Saturday in December.

Sunday, Nov. 15: the costume makers' sale

The season starts on Sunday, Nov. 15, with the people who dress film and television productions. Motion Picture Costumers IATSE Local 705 describes itself as a union of costume artisans and craftspeople in film and television. That day it is hosting a Holiday Garage Sale & Maker's Market at 5127 Laurel Canyon Blvd. The sale starts at 10 a.m. and offers handmade goods and secondhand finds from local sellers.

The hosts are what make this one worth the trip, since costume work is their trade. If your gift list includes someone who would value something made by hand, this sale is the earliest chance of the season to find it close to home. The listing gives a start time but no end time, so a morning visit is the safer plan.

Thursday, Dec. 3: the Magnolia block stays open late

The next date brings the season down to one storefront block. The Neighborhood Council Valley Village describes Sip & Shop as a monthly evening event presented by local businesses at 12437 to 12441 Magnolia Blvd. Recent listings put it on the first Thursday of October, November and December. The next one is Thursday, Dec. 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. The listing says shops stay open late, sidewalk vendors line the block, and there are free sips and an early start on holiday shopping.

Four businesses host it:

• The Gift Muse, a gift boutique at 12437 Magnolia Blvd. carrying home goods, personal goods and gifts.
• Twirls + Twigs, a gift shop at 12441½ Magnolia Blvd. with handmade toys and stickers.
• Miss Shannon's Sewing, listed as a co-host.
• MacFarlane Studio, a full-service portrait studio next door at 12445 Magnolia Blvd.

The Gift Muse gives its location as Magnolia and Wilkinson. This matters later in the month. Sip & Shop and the evening half of Light Up both happen on Magnolia, but on different stretches. If you plan to go to both, treat them as separate stops.

Every Saturday: the parking lot where the big day starts

The farmers market runs every week, and it is also where Light Up Valley Village begins. According to Village Arts, the market runs every Saturday in the parking area on the Faith Presbyterian Church campus, next to the Village Arts mural. The church campus is at 5000 Colfax Ave.

The NoHo Farmers Market describes itself as a nonprofit focused on fresh, locally grown food. It lists California produce, bread, nuts, cheeses, fruit juices, cookies and a food court. It also has clothing, crafts, an Artist Village, live entertainment and children's activities such as face painting. The Artist Village and the handcrafted jewelry, hats and clothing make the market a regular weekend gift stop as well as a grocery run.

That is why the council starts its biggest day of the year here. The Saturday market already draws a crowd, so Light Up begins where people already are.

Saturday, Dec. 12: one celebration in two places

The Neighborhood Council Valley Village lists the 19th annual Light Up Valley Village for Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The day has two parts:

1. 10 a.m. to noon at the Valley Village Farmers Market, 5000 Colfax Ave. The council lists shopping, coffee and good fun to start the day.
2. 5 to 8 p.m. at Magnolia Boulevard and Whitsett Avenue. The evening brings special shopping, holiday treats, free food and a chance to see Santa.

The afternoon between the two parts is open. A Saturday market morning and a Magnolia evening fit easily into one day without rushing.

Light Up also asks you to bring something. The NCVV Student Committee is running a toy drive again and collecting unwrapped, unused toys and games at both locations. The council is also collecting food for the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry. If you plan to go, pick up a toy or a few pantry staples ahead of time. You could get the toy at the Nov. 15 maker's market or on Magnolia during Sip & Shop on Dec. 3, so the earlier dates feed straight into the last one.

After Dec. 12: where the food donations end up

The food collected at Light Up goes to a pantry that takes donations all year. The North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry accepts food at 11634 Moorpark St. in Studio City on Mondays and Fridays from 7:30 to 11 a.m. It cannot accept expired food or opened containers. The pantry also takes financial gifts online, checks mailed to its address in care of First Christian Church at 4390 Colfax Ave., and items from its Amazon wish list.

If you miss the Dec. 12 collection, or want to give again after the decorations come down, a Monday or Friday morning drop-off on Moorpark does the same thing.

Between stops

Most of these stops are a short drive apart, and two intersections on the route changed this fall. LADOT's Oct. 22, 2026 weekly update reported new dedicated left-turn signals at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Magnolia Boulevard, and at Colfax Avenue and Moorpark Street. The first is on the way from the Laurel Canyon sale to the Magnolia shops. The second is on the way between the Colfax market and the pantry on Moorpark.

For dinner between a market morning and a Magnolia evening, or after a Thursday Sip & Shop, there is Anna Pizza at 12417 Burbank Blvd. The Los Angeles Times wrote about it in March 2026. It moved into the former Gorilla Pies space, chef-owner Thomas DeSantis runs it, his father helped with the renovation, and his mother, Anna, is involved in the restaurant that carries her name. Anna Pizza's site lists dine-in, carryout and delivery, Tuesday through Sunday.

All of these are scheduled events, and community calendars can change. Check the council's event page and each host's listing the week of, especially before Dec. 12.

Tammy has worked in these Valley neighborhoods for more than two decades, and dates like these are part of what she pays attention to. If you have questions about your home or your block before the new year, Tammy Jerome is happy to help. Let's Connect.