Christmas 2026 lands on a Friday, which means a long weekend for most families and a very busy week for anyone who delivers. In Tigard the season starts a few weeks earlier, with the holiday tree lighting in downtown. This guide covers that evening, the tree industry in our own backyard, how to keep a real tree and fresh flowers looking good through the holidays, and a calendar so your order goes out when you want it to.
🌟 Downtown Tigard Tree Lighting: Friday, December 4
The city’s tree lighting and holiday market is on Friday, December 4, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Universal Plaza in downtown Tigard. The schedule for the evening, all times approximate:
- 5:00 p.m.: the holiday market opens.
- 5:30 p.m.: the Dickens Carolers perform.
- 6:30 p.m.: Santa arrives.
- 6:45 p.m.: the tree is lit.
- 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.: visits with Santa.
The Baby Goat Reindeer at Beach Hut Deli is also on the evening’s list. It is the kind of event that works best on foot, so dress warmly, plan for the plaza and take your time on Main Street afterward. If you are going to a friend’s house for dinner after the lighting, a small arrangement is an easy thing to carry along. The same Friday is the first night of Hanukkah, so if you are also celebrating with friends or neighbors, see our Hanukkah 2026 guide.
🌲 Oregon Is the Christmas Tree State
Oregon ranks first in the nation for Christmas trees. In 2023, the most recent year with federal data, Oregon growers sold 3.17 million trees, worth $118 million to the state’s economy. The state has more than 300 growers, and noble fir makes up just over half of Oregon’s tree sales, along with Douglas-fir. Our mild summers and wet winters suit them. Nordmann and Turkish fir, both native to the country of Georgia, are a small but growing share of the crop and are known for holding their needles longer.
Here is the surprise: more than half of Oregon’s Christmas trees are sold in California. A lot of what we grow goes south, so plenty of California living rooms have a bit of Oregon in them.
💧 Keeping a Real Tree Fresh
Oregon State University’s Extension Service makes one point that matters more than any other: water, especially in the first few days after you bring the tree home. It also notes that additives such as sugar or alcohol, often sold to extend a tree’s life, are not supported by scientific evidence. With consistent water, the newer species can hold their needles for four to six weeks indoors. Our own additions, as florists:
- Check the stand every day. A thirsty tree drinks a lot, especially at the start, and it will not recover if the water line drops below the cut.
- Keep it away from heat. A fireplace, a heating vent and a radiator all dry a tree faster.
- Use cool lights. LED strings run cooler than old incandescent ones.
🌹 Flowers That Sit Well Beside a Tree
A tree already supplies the green, the scent and the sparkle, so the best flowers are the ones that add color and do not compete with it. Our favorites for Christmas:
- Red roses. Classic, and they look best in a simple vase on a side table or on the dinner table.
- White flowers. White roses, lilies and carnations look crisp against evergreen and pick up the glow of the lights.
- Amaryllis. Tall and dramatic, and good for weeks. Our holiday flowers and greens guide covers amaryllis, paperwhites, holly and the poinsettia myth.
- Greens in the arrangement. Cedar, fir and pine tips add the scent of the season, and they last a long time in water.
If you have a cat or a dog, read the pet safety section of that guide before you pick, and our fresh-cut flower care tips apply as much in December as in May.
📅 The 2026 Christmas Calendar
- Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving. A centerpiece or a host gift is the easy way to arrive, and the long weekend is when many families put up the tree.
- Friday, December 4: the Tigard tree lighting.
- Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve.
- Friday, December 25: Christmas Day.
- Thursday, December 31: New Year’s Eve.
We deliver seven days a week, including the weekends around Christmas. Our advice is simple: order early, and choose the delivery date you want when you place the order. The earlier you order, the better the choice of arrangements and the more room there is to reach the right date. If you are sending flowers to someone in a neighboring town, our delivery pages for Beaverton, Lake Oswego and Sherwood show the areas we cover.
🎁 Who to Send Flowers To at Christmas
- The host. A low arrangement that will not block the view across the table.
- A parent or grandparent who is far away. A bouquet that arrives while the house is quiet means a lot, and a card with a few handwritten lines means more.
- A neighbor, a coworker, a teacher. Our flowers and gifts under $50 page is a good place to start.
- Someone spending the holiday alone or in care. Flowers say you thought of them, and a plant that lasts past January is a good choice; see plants and gardens.
- Yourself. A fresh bouquet on the table makes a December night nicer.
📋 The Short Version
- The Tigard tree lighting is Friday, December 4, 5 to 8 p.m. at Universal Plaza, with the tree lit at about 6:45 p.m.
- Oregon is the nation’s top Christmas tree state, and more than half of its trees are sold in California.
- Water is the most important thing for a real tree; sugar and alcohol additives do not help.
- Red or white roses, amaryllis and fresh greens look best next to a tree.
- Christmas is Friday, December 25. Order early, and we deliver seven days a week.