When does downtown Ripon keep its holiday shop lights on past dark on a weeknight?
Until now, the answer was a single night in December. Diedrich Jewelers lists the Candlelight Collective on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2026 as its "2nd annual," a quiet evening on Watson Street with participating shops open until 8 p.m. This year a November Thursday joins it. Watson Street After Dark debuts on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 8 p.m., and the same events page calls it a "1st annual."
Every other date on the downtown holiday calendar falls on a Friday or a Saturday, and those dates are connected. One evening's ticket sales help pay for the next weekend. The new Thursday lands in the open week between two of those busy weekends and gives November what the Candlelight Collective already gives December.
The season at a glance
Here is the run from the WineWalk through the Candlelight Collective, with the day of the week for each.
| Date | Day | Event | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 6 | Friday | Holiday WineWalk | 5:30–8:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 13 | Friday | Christmas in the Village, Santa's arrival | 6–8 p.m. |
| Nov. 14 | Saturday | Christmas in the Village | Most stores open until 5 p.m. |
| Nov. 19 | Thursday | Watson Street After Dark | 5–8 p.m. |
| Nov. 28 | Saturday | Shop Small Saturday | Store hours |
| Dec. 4–5 | Friday–Saturday | Dickens of a Christmas | Participating businesses open until 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 10 | Thursday | Candlelight Collective | Participating shops open until 8 p.m. |
The two Thursdays are the only weekdays in that table. One falls in mid-November and the other follows Dickens in December.
Nov. 6: The WineWalk pays for the next weekend
The season opens on Friday, Nov. 6, with the Downtown Ripon Holiday WineWalk. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., downtown businesses act as tasting rooms, pouring a selection of more than 40 wines that includes Vines & Rushes Winery.
The details matter if you're going:
- Tickets are $35 each and have been on sale through Eventbrite since Sept. 1.
- Each ticket comes with a souvenir wine glass and a lanyard with 16 tabs, each good for a one-ounce sample.
- Glasses and wristbands are available from 1 p.m. on event day at the Ripon Main Street office, 401 Watson Street.
- No wine is poured before 5:30 p.m., and glasses must be empty before you leave each stop.
The list of tasting locations was still pending on the Eventbrite page when it was last checked.
According to Ripon Main Street's event calendar, WineWalk proceeds benefit Christmas in the Village along with downtown beautification projects. So a ticket for Nov. 6 helps fund the Santa arrival, reindeer and carriage rides a week later. Many businesses also stay open late that night for shopping, which makes the WineWalk the first late-shopping evening of the season.
Nov. 13–14: The weekend the WineWalk helps fund
Christmas in the Village runs Friday evening and all day Saturday. On Main Street's posted 2026 schedule, every activity happens outdoors:
- Friday, Nov. 13, 6 to 8 p.m. Santa arrives at the Village Green. Most stores are open until 8 p.m. for evening shopping.
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Santa visits at the Village Green, and an ice sculpting demonstration takes place on The Square.
- Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Live reindeer at the Village Green.
- Saturday, 2 to 4 p.m. Carriage rides along Watson Street. Pickup and drop-off is at the corner of Watson and West Fond du Lac Street.
On Friday night, Santa makes his way down Watson Street to the Village Green and lights the decorations on the bandstand. Most stores close at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
This is the busiest weekend of November downtown, built around families and outdoor events. Shopping happens in the gaps between the reindeer and the carriage line.
Nov. 19: The November Thursday
Watson Street After Dark falls five days after Christmas in the Village and one week before Thanksgiving. No other downtown event is listed for that evening. The Diedrich Jewelers events page describes it as "a relaxed night of holiday shopping," with downtown shops open late from 5 to 8 p.m. It invites people to "skip the weekend rush and enjoy extended hours" and to "stroll Watson Street under the twinkle lights."
The listing doesn't name participating shops. The same page describes the Candlelight Collective in similar terms, calling it a "quiet and cozy shopping experience" where guests get a candle to carry from store to store. The December event is in its second year, and After Dark is billed as a first annual. Between them, downtown now has a calm weeknight on each side of the busy Thanksgiving and Dickens weekends.
The building at 221–225 Watson Street
Any downtown evening ends up on the 200 block of Watson Street, and one building there now does triple duty. The former Knuth Brewing location holds three businesses, which Ripon Main Street's directory lists next to each other.
| Address | Business | What it is | Regular posted hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 221 Watson St. | Crimson Still | Cocktail, mocktail and small-bites gathering spot | Check with the business |
| 223 Watson St. | Ripon Dough Co. | Bakery and coffee shop | Wed–Sat 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| 225 Watson St. | Knuth Book Cellar | New and used books, plus beer and wine | Wed–Sun 11 a.m.–6 p.m., closed Mon–Tue |
BizTimes Media's Northeast Wisconsin business coverage reported that co-owners Brittany Rehn and Beth Dardis opened Ripon Dough Co. in the former Knuth Brewing space, selling cookies, cinnamon rolls and coffee. The Ripon Commonwealth Press covered owner Marie Knuth's opening of the book cellar next door. The paper also reported that Erin O'Toole Turner and Kyle Turner set up Crimson Still as a gathering spot for cocktails, mocktails and small bites.
Line those hours up against the calendar. Both Thursdays are regular open days for Knuth Book Cellar. Ripon Dough Co. is open Thursdays until 5 p.m., the hour After Dark begins, so on Nov. 19 a coffee stop before five leads straight into the late shops on Watson Street. On Christmas in the Village Saturday, both businesses are open during the reindeer and carriage hours.
A few doors down, at 202 Watson St., The Watson is a newer storefront. The Ripon Commonwealth Press reported that owners Jessie Wegner and Ashlynne Amundson opened it as a small event venue for receptions, photo shoots, meetings and gatherings. It seats up to 35 and has a white-painted brick wall and the original wood floors. The paper also noted that the venue doesn't serve food or drink itself, but outside companies can bring meals in. For anyone planning a small holiday luncheon or a business owners' get-together this season, it is one of the few downtown rooms built for that size.
Nov. 28 through Dec. 10
Shop Small Saturday falls on Nov. 28, two days after Thanksgiving. The Diedrich Jewelers listing says many downtown businesses will offer in-store promotions and specials only on that day.
One week later, Dickens of a Christmas fills Dec. 4 and 5. Friday evening brings the lighted Dickens Holiday Parade through the historic district. Saturday starts with Breakfast with Santa and the Holiday Tour of Homes. Then comes Living Windows from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., when more than 20 storefronts are decorated with characters in old-time settings. The weekend also includes the Enchanted Forest and a Gingerbread House Contest, and participating businesses stay open until 8 p.m. on both evenings. For details, Main Street's calendar directs questions to the Ripon Chamber of Commerce at 920-748-6764.
The following Thursday, Dec. 10, the Candlelight Collective brings the quiet format back to Watson Street, with participating shops glowing with soft window light and open until 8 p.m.
If you spend some of these evenings walking Watson Street and start wondering about the historic buildings above the storefronts or the homes a few blocks off the square, our team is glad to share what we know about downtown Ripon. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Special Properties has an office right here in Ripon. Get the Special Advantage — talk with our team today.
