Holly and Jolly Small Business Holiday Shopping in Bastrop

The holiday season is here! Lights are going up, wassail is being mulled, and Christmas lists are getting written. And at the heart of the holiday season are the small, local businesses that put on magical events, invite Santa to town, and make sure everyone in Bastrop gets into the Christmas spirit. The Bastrop Economic Development Corporation would like to spotlight some of the events that make the holidays in Bastrop feel truly special as we all continue to support local and “shop small” through the end of the year.

Lost Pines Wassail Fest & Small Business Saturday

The Lost Pines Christmas season begins with Wassail Fest on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29! Sip and sample house-made wassail from participating businesses while holiday shopping in Bastrop’s historic downtown. Then cast your vote for your favorite wassail and help a local business earn some yuletide bragging rights. Delicious festive treats, small-town charm, and joyful holiday music put a bow on a wonderful afternoon of shopping small and supporting local.

Since being founded in 2010, Small Business Saturday has become an integral part of Bastrop businesses’ shopping season. The holiday recognizes the profound impact small businesses have on the local economy and community, and Wassail Fest is paired with Small Business Saturday every year to help these crucial contributors jumpstart their holiday shopping season. Money spent within the community stays within the community, supporting jobs and local services. From Wassail Fest onward, the Bastrop EDC hopes that Bastrop residents will continue to show their support for local businesses and shop small this holiday season.

2025 Rockin’ Holiday Revue

Sleigh bells ring, and guitars shred – Bastrop’s Rockin’ Holiday Revue returns to the stage on Dec. 5 at the Bastrop Opera House! The classic holiday hits with a rockin’ twist you love return alongside new songs, skits, and, if you can believe it, even more holiday cheer. Come out and support an all-star and all-local cast and live band as they rock out around the Christmas tree every weekend starting Dec. 5 through Dec. 21.

Christmas Movies in the Park

Bundle up and bring your blankets for a festive evening under the twinkling holiday lights and night sky on Dec. 5. The City of Bastrop Parks & Recreation will be screening the family-friendly Christmas movie The Grinch (2018) on the big outdoor screen in Fisherman’s Park. Local vendors, concessions, Jingles the Elf, and more will be on-site to enhance the movie-going experience. Grab a cozy spot in the park and return to Whoville this holiday season!

Holiday Market at Community Gardens

Community Gardens is hosting the eighth annual holiday market on Dec. 6 and 7, a festive and family-friendly celebration full of holiday cheer, tasty treats, and one-of-a-kind shopping for the gift-giver in all of us. Explore an amazing variety of handpicked local vendors offering unique gifts, seasonal decor, artisanal goods, and more to whittle away at that Christmas list (and maybe treat yourself too). Delicious food and handcrafted cocktails will be available to help shoppers relax, re-energize, and revel in the holiday spirit.

And word is Santa will be making an appearance! And he’ll be bringing along some bounce houses and a magical inflatable snow globe for the kids to hop, jump, and bound around in while you shop. There truly is something for everyone here at this year’s holiday market.

Historic Homes Tour

One of Bastrop’s most beloved holiday traditions returns on Dec. 13. Each year, a selection of historic treasures open their doors to the public as part of the Historic Homes Tour, a storied showcase of Bastrop’s architecture that’s been a part of the Lost Pines holiday season since the 1960s. This season features four beautifully preserved homes and one stunning church, each dressed in festive holiday finery. Become enchanted and inspired by what Bastrop has imagined and then turned into reality with wood, stone, passion, and innovation.

And after the tour, consider going downtown to experience even more Lost Pines Christmas magic, where you can find a variety of specialty stores to snag those Christmas gifts that you just can’t find anywhere else. There are plenty of unique shops all around Bastrop for clothing, art, music, and much more. Downtown Bastrop is the perfect place to find some one-of-a-kind gifts and holiday cheer.

Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade

Don’t miss more than 150 fanciful floats, fire trucks, unicycles, vintage cars, dancing Honey Bears, dignitaries, Santa’s helpers, the big man himself, and plenty more lighting up Main Street on Dec. 13 as part of the Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade. Produced every year by the City of Bastrop, this joyful local tradition literally lights up Bastrop’s holiday festivities for the season. The parade begins around 6 PM and will proceed south down Main Street.

Shop Small and Support Local in Bastrop

So many great events put on by our community make Bastrop such a magical place around the holidays. Enjoy the festivities and continue shopping small and supporting local businesses. Bastrop significantly benefits from your support of restaurants, retail, manufacturers, service providers, and more that create jobs and drive growth up and down Main Street and all over town. Learn more here.