Two family outings in Walnut Creek share the same nine days this year. On Friday, November 20, Walnut Creek on Ice opens in Civic Park for its 21st season. On Sunday, November 29, Putter's Goat Track Mini Golf closes its course on South California Boulevard for good. Thanksgiving falls between those two dates, along with the days most visiting relatives are in town.
The rink's calendar makes the overlap better still. The organizer marks November 21 through November 30 as a holiday period. On weekdays in that window the rink is open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., compared with 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on regular Mondays through Thursdays. That gives the rink its longest weekday hours during the same week Putter's runs its final rounds. If you're hosting family, it's the only week you can do both.
Putter's final week runs Wednesday to Sunday
Putter's Goat Track Mini Golf has 21 holes and three golf challenges for $12 a person, and dogs are welcome. It started as a pandemic-era pop-up in 2020. Walnut Creek Spotlight reported that it is closing because the property is slated for condominium development, and that owners Sean and Carolyn hope to reopen somewhere else. The Bay Area Telegraph also reported that no new site had been announced.
The course is closed every Monday and Tuesday, so the last week is short:
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 26: regular Thursday hours are 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., so call ahead on Thanksgiving Day.
- Friday, Nov. 27: 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29: 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
All hours depend on the weather, and golfers can start up to 30 minutes before closing. That puts the last tee time around 7 p.m. The course shares a parking lot with The Habit Burger, at the southwest end bordering Botelho Drive, and the entrance is next to the old KFC building. The owners are asking anyone with a gift card to use it before November 29.
Putter's closes at 7:30 p.m., and the rink stays open until 9:30 p.m. on holiday weekdays and 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. So on any evening of the long weekend, you can play mini golf in the afternoon and then skate. Putter's on South California Boulevard and the rink at 1365 Civic Drive are both downtown.
What the rink costs and how tickets work
The Walnut Creek on Ice visit page lists skating at $20 a person, skate rental included, for a session of up to 90 minutes. The 90-foot ice slide is another $20 a person and includes unlimited rides during the ticketed session. Skating and the slide each need their own ticket and time slot, and combo tickets start at $20 a person. A family of four that wants to skate and ride the slide should plan on two separate time slots.
The organizer calls it the Bay Area's only outdoor ice rink and ice slide, with fire pits around the rink. The rink calendar also lists drop-in hockey November 27 through 29 and youth skating and hockey academy sessions on November 29. Check the calendar before you book a slot on those days.
Thanksgiving Day starts and ends in Civic Park
Thanksgiving is the one day this week when most of downtown is closed. Broadway Plaza is closed on November 26. Lindsay Wildlife Experience is closed too. The holiday events that are on happen at Civic Park, one in the morning and one at night:
- Morning: The Walnut Creek Turkey Trot runs from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The 10K starts at 8 a.m. and the 5K at 8:10 a.m., with some assigned corrals going out earlier. The Kids Fun Run starts at 10 a.m. Race-day registration is near the library in Civic Park.
- Before the day: Packet pickup is at Forma Gym, 1908 Olympic Blvd., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, from 1 to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 25, from noon to 6 p.m.
- Evening: Walnut Creek on Ice is open from 6 to 9:30 p.m., a short window after dinner.
Turkey Trot entry fees go up by tier. The tier running November 3 through 16 lists $73.31 for the adult 5K, $78.49 for the adult 10K, $50.79 for the 5K for ages 17 and under, and $30.22 for the Kids Fun Run.
The rest of the week, day by day
Everything else on the calendar fits around the overlap between the rink and Putter's. Broadway Plaza reopens Friday at 8 a.m. and stays open until 9 p.m., then runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The Lesher Center for the Arts has two holiday shows running Friday through Sunday.
| Day | What's on | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov. 20 | Civic Park Holiday Tree Lighting, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., with cocoa, carolers and Frosty the Snowman. The rink's season opens the same day | Civic Park | Free |
| Sat, Nov. 21 | Once Upon a Street: Evergreen & Elegance, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Downtown | Listed as family-friendly |
| Sat, Nov. 21 | Craft Fest at the Bedford, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Public Art Walking Tour, 10 to 11 a.m. | Bedford Gallery and downtown | See Lesher listings |
| Sat–Sun, Nov. 21–22 | Smuin's The Christmas Ballet | Lesher Center | Ticketed |
| Sat, Nov. 21 | Redwood Hike: Journey to the Ladybug Grove, 9 to 11 a.m. | Lindsay Wildlife Experience program | See Lindsay listing |
| Wed, Nov. 25 | Putter's open 2 to 7:30 p.m.; rink on holiday hours, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | S. California Blvd. and Civic Park | $12 golf; $20 skate |
| Fri, Nov. 27 | Sounds of the Street live music, noon to 2 p.m. | Broadway Plaza | Free to listen |
| Fri–Sun, Nov. 27–29 | Once Upon A Christmas and Mary Poppins | Lesher Center | Ticketed |
| Sat, Nov. 28 | Makers Market Outdoor Market, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Broadway Plaza Street, between Nordstrom and Macy's | Free |
| Sun, Nov. 29 | Putter's final day, 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. | 1275 S. California Blvd. | $12 |
Three things on that table are worth planning around.
The first is the Saturday before Thanksgiving. If your guests arrive early, Saturday, November 21, has the fullest daytime schedule of the week. You could do the Lesher Center art walk at 10 a.m. and Craft Fest at the Bedford, and the same day also has a charcuterie workshop on holiday spreads from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and the FOREJOUR tribute show to Foreigner and Journey at 7:30 p.m. It's also the first day of the rink's holiday-period hours.
The second is Lindsay Wildlife Experience. At 1931 First Avenue, it's open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., so on the holiday weekend it opens Friday through Sunday, along with Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Exhibit hall admission is $20 for adults and $17 for seniors, students and children ages 2 to 17, and free for members and children under 2. That pricing matches a rink skating ticket, which helps if you're budgeting a day per attraction.
The third is Santa. Broadway Plaza's free Santa visits, near True Food Kitchen, start November 14, and photo packages are sold separately. If you have grandchildren in town, Friday's 8 a.m. opening gives you the earliest start of the weekend.
One gap on the Iron Horse Trail
If guests want a walk to balance the turkey, plan your route on the Iron Horse Regional Trail around the Robert I. Schroder Pedestrian Bridge over Treat Boulevard. The East Bay Regional Park District lists that bridge section as closed through December 31 for Contra Costa County repairs. The work runs from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, skipping holidays, and drivers can expect occasional lane closures and delays of about 10 minutes on Treat Boulevard.
After November 29
When Putter's closes, the overlap ends. Walnut Creek on Ice keeps running through January 18, 2027, with a second holiday period from December 19 through January 4. Broadway Plaza holds its Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting on December 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. Putter's last round is Sunday, November 29, at 1275 S. California Blvd., with the final tee time around 7 p.m.
At Bogosian & Co., we track the places that shape everyday life across the East Bay, from new openings to longtime favorites closing their doors. If a change like the one on South California Boulevard has you thinking about your own plans, we'd be glad to talk it through. Schedule a Free Consultation whenever the timing feels right.
