Merry McMinnville's Scratch & Win promotion runs from Nov. 9, 2026, through Feb. 28, 2027. That means a gift card bought in December can earn a ticket you redeem on a gray Saturday in February.
The rest of the 2026 calendar follows the same idea. Lights, contests and markets stretch into January. The downtown spaces that are changing this month are taking on new uses rather than going dark. Here is how the season lines up, starting with ticket pickup on Friday, Nov. 6.
Tickets go out Friday, and the window stays open nearly four months
Merry McMinnville scratch-off tickets are available for pickup on Friday, Nov. 6, and redemption opens Monday, Nov. 9. Here is how the program works, according to Merry McMinnville:
- Earn: Every purchase of $25 or more at a participating business earns one scratch-off ticket.
- Win: Scratch the ticket. It names the business where your prize is redeemed.
- Redeem: Take it to that business before the expiration date printed on the ticket.
- Free ticket: You can also pick up one complimentary ticket per person at the MDA office, 105 NE Third St., on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Retailers are only part of the participant list. It includes Third Street Books, Hopscotch Toys, Oregon Stationers, Alea Bakery, Noble Knights Chocolate Co., Serendipity Ice Cream, Harvest Fresh, WildWood Cafe and McMenamins Hotel Oregon. Tasting rooms are well represented too, among them R Stuart Winery, Troon Vineyard McMinnville, Bjornson Wines, Brittan Vineyards, Coleman Vineyard and Terra Vina Wine Bar. A wine purchase in January counts the same as a toy purchase in December.
The MDA office handing out those tickets gets a new leader the same Monday redemption opens. The News-Register reported that the association hired Tara Gibson as executive director, and she starts Nov. 9 at 105 NE Third St. Her first season in the job runs through the end of February.
Third Street changes two weeks before the parade
The biggest change downtown comes the Friday before Thanksgiving week. Eater Portland reported that The Ground, the Carlton-based hospitality company founded by Brenda Smola-Foti and Frank Foti, will suspend operations at Grounded Table and The Pub on Friday, Nov. 20. Grounded Table is at 411 NE Third St. The Pub faces 326 NE Davis St., and the two restaurants share a kitchen.
Grounded Table opened in summer 2022 under the name Humble Spirit. The Pub followed in April 2025 with a counter-service menu built around pasture-raised barbecue. Foti explained the decision to Eater this way:
"The current restaurant-and-pub model has not proven financially sustainable."
The company is keeping both rooms. According to the same Eater report, The Ground will hold onto both McMinnville storefronts and use them as private event spaces for ticketed dinners and events. Chefs Sarah Schafer and Brett Uniss stay on with the company. The Ground also runs Stillwater, an event space in McMinnville that holds up to 120 guests. One week after the restaurants close, Merry McMinnville still lists The Ground Holiday Market at Stillwater for Nov. 27 through 29, with local makers, wine and coffee, and live music.
So the company is pulling back from nightly service while keeping its downtown rooms in use. It is shifting toward the same kind of scheduled, ticketed events that fill the rest of this season's calendar.
Thanksgiving week, day by day
Nov. 20 matters for another reason. It is opening day of Willamette Valley Wine Country Thanksgiving, which the Willamette Valley Wineries Association lists for Nov. 20 through 22 and again Nov. 26 through 29, with tastings, food pairings, live music and discounts. Here is the order of the next two weeks:
- Friday, Nov. 20: Grounded Table and The Pub serve their last day as restaurants. Wine Country Thanksgiving's first weekend begins.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: The McMinnville Public Library hosts an Indigenous & Native American Short Film Showcase.
- Monday, Nov. 23: The Merry McMinnville Holiday Coloring Contest opens. Pick up a coloring page through Dec. 31.
- Thursday, Nov. 26: Wine Country Thanksgiving's second stretch begins on Thanksgiving Day.
- Friday, Nov. 27, 10 a.m.: The Ground Holiday Market at Stillwater opens and runs daily through Sunday at 4 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 27, 4:30 to 6 p.m.: The Santa Parade and Tree Lighting comes down Third Street, with floats, marching bands and community groups, and ends with Santa's arrival and the lighting of the community tree.
If you want a warm cup before claiming a curb spot on parade night, Pioneer Joe Coffee Co. is now at 416 NE Third St. The News-Register reported that owners Jerome and Gitl Black opened it as their first shop outside the Lincoln City area.
December brings the storefront windows. The Holiday Storefront Display Contest runs Dec. 1 through Jan. 1, with downtown businesses decorating their windows along Third Street. Holiday Harmonies on Third, the strolling string-music evening, is on the calendar with dates still to come. Metal Arts at the Fairgrounds takes over the Yamhill County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Spruce Goose has a new name on the ticket
If your family's December routine includes lights under the Spruce Goose, the museum now has a different name. The former Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is now the North American Aerospace Museum. In Flying magazine's August coverage, museum CEO Scot Laney said the new identity better covers the museum's historical preservation and educational programs, with an emphasis on aerospace exploration, immersive exhibits and STEAM outreach. The address stays the same, 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way.
This year's holiday program there is called Illuminate: Where Holidays Take Flight. It runs Fridays through Sundays from Dec. 4 through Jan. 3, closed Christmas Day, and brings three separate experiences together on one campus, plus holiday movies and Santa Land.
| Experience | Presented by | Price | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goose Lights | North American Aerospace Museum | $12 adults, $7 children | Walk-through indoor lights among historic aircraft |
| Glide & Gather skating rink | McMinnville Chamber of Commerce | $10 | Fri.–Sun. for five weeks, with vendors |
| Starlight Lane | See Ya Later Foundation | $20 per car | Drive-through display, timed slots, mostly Fri.–Sun., 5 to 9 p.m. |
The museum's calendar lists opening night, Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. Combination tickets are sold through the museum's SimpleTix page. Starlight Lane is sold per vehicle in time slots, so check availability before you load the car.
January keeps the season going
The Merry McMinnville calendar continues after New Year's Day:
- Jan. 1: The storefront display contest wraps up.
- Jan. 3: Illuminate's final night at the North American Aerospace Museum.
- Jan. 4: The coloring contest winner is announced.
- Through Feb. 28: Scratch-off tickets keep coming with $25 purchases at participating businesses.
A bottle from Yamhill Valley Vineyards on Valentine's week or a stack of paperbacks from Third Street Books in mid-February still earns a ticket. Prizes are redeemed at the business printed on each ticket, so read your ticket before you head out.
The first ticket of the season is free at the MDA office at 105 NE Third St., starting Friday, Nov. 6.
Stacey loves McMinnville's holiday season. Questions about downtown, or about life around Third Street? Stacey McGhehey is glad to talk it over, maybe at the parade on Nov. 27. Let's Connect. Smile! Relax! Enjoy!
