Camarillo's Christmas parade ends on Burnley Street, and Santa's Village and cookie decorating happen there too. Two of the city's December holiday races start across town, on Village at the Park Drive and Westpark Court, because of a strip of pavement next to Calleguas Creek.
Village at the Park has a sports complex with parking at one end of the city's car-free creek path, and a race needs both. This December that means two race mornings in the neighborhood, 15 days apart. One is small and run by the Camarillo Family YMCA to raise scholarship money. The other is a regional race with a marathon distance and a registration cap in the thousands.
| Date | Event | Where it starts | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 16 to Sat., Dec. 5 | Letters to Santa mailbox | Community Center, 1605 E. Burnley St. | During that window |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Run for Holiday Fun 5/10K | Camarillo Family YMCA, 3111 Village at the Park Dr. | 8 a.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Cookies with the Clauses | Community Center Auditorium, 1605 E. Burnley St. | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Camarillo Christmas Parade and Santa's Village | Temple Ave. and Las Posas Rd. | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | Holly Jolly Marathon, half, 10K and 5K | Pleasant Valley Fields Park, 150 Westpark Ct. | 7 a.m. first start |
Two Miles of Path With No Cars on It
The Conejo Valley Guide describes the Calleguas Creek bike path as a smooth, flat route of roughly 2 miles. It starts at Pleasant Valley Fields, off the Dawson exit of the 101, and runs north to the corner of Flynn and Upland roads. It passes under several bridges, including the 101 freeway, so nobody using it has to cross traffic. Pitts Ranch Park, at 1400 Flynn Road, sits a short block northwest of the north end.
For a race organizer, that layout solves the hard problems. Runners can park and gather at the fields, then head onto the path without ever stepping into a street. When The Camarillo Acorn covered an expansion of the trail in 2012, it described a shared public path already used by runners, cyclists and skateboarders. On most mornings, the neighborhood's own walkers and riders have it to themselves. December has two exceptions.
Saturday, Dec. 5: The Y's 17th Run, and a Short Drive to Burnley Street
The first race is local. The Channel Islands YMCA lists the 17th Annual Run for Holiday Fun 5/10K for Saturday, Dec. 5, at 8 a.m., with the event running until noon. The Y describes it as a fun run and brunch, and all proceeds go to the Y's Open Doors scholarship program. The YMCA's events calendar places it at the Camarillo Family YMCA, 3111 Village at the Park Drive.
Last year's race, the 16th, was held on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. That edition included a 1K Kids Fun Run on what the Conejo Valley Guide's listing called a "scenic walking path." The Y's 2026 page doesn't list a kids' race or a route, so families planning around one should check the YMCA's event page closer to the date.
The run finishes early enough to fit into a busier Saturday. Dec. 5 is also the last day of the Letters to Santa mailbox, and the same building hosts a cookie event that morning. Here is how the morning lines up:
- 8 a.m. The Run for Holiday Fun starts at the Camarillo Family YMCA, with brunch afterward.
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cookies with the Clauses runs in the Community Center Auditorium at 1605 E. Burnley St. The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District charges $10 per person, and adults get in free unless they decorate cookies.
- Same building, same day. The Letters to Santa mailbox at the Community Center takes letters from Nov. 16 through Dec. 5. Children need to include their name and mailing address to get a reply.
Saturday, Dec. 12: The Parade Uses Different Streets
The middle weekend belongs to the rest of the city. The Camarillo Christmas Parade and Santa's Village runs Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The parade starts at Temple Avenue and Las Posas Road, goes down Las Posas, turns onto Carmen Drive, and ends at 1605 E. Burnley St. Santa's Village is free.
None of that route touches Village at the Park. For anyone who lives near Pleasant Valley Fields, Dec. 12 is a drive across town to the parade. The parade puts its crowds on Las Posas and Carmen, and the neighborhood's two event mornings land on the weekends before and after it.
Sunday, Dec. 20: The Holly Jolly Marathon Fills the Fields
The second race is much bigger. Elite Sports CA puts on the Holly Jolly Marathon, with a marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K on Sunday, Dec. 20. That is the Sunday before Christmas, which falls on a Friday this year. Race-day parking, the start line and the finish all sit at Pleasant Valley Fields Park at the Village at the Park Sports Complex, 150 Westpark Ct. The event's registration listing shows a limit of 6,000 participants.
Elite Sports CA describes the course this way:
This course is over the mostly flat Camarillo bike path. No auto traffic to worry about on this course. Post race street tacos too!
The four distances start in waves 15 minutes apart.
| Distance | Start time |
|---|---|
| Marathon | 7:00 a.m. |
| Half marathon | 7:15 a.m. |
| 10K | 7:30 a.m. |
| 5K | 7:45 a.m. |
The rest of the official page explains why the morning runs long. The marathon has a 7-hour time limit, and the organizer calls the race walker-friendly with plenty of aid stations. Marathoners who need more time can ask for a 6 a.m. early start if they tell the organizer ahead of time. Water stations won't be fully set up until about 7 a.m., so early starters carry their own water for the first hour. Put a 7 a.m. start together with a 7-hour limit, and the last marathoners could still be finishing around 2 p.m.
The race is rain or shine. A 2026 MarathonGuide listing mentions prizes for the best holiday costumes and encourages Christmas outfits. The course is USATF certified, under certification number CA18033RS.
What Dec. 20 Means for the Park and the Path
The two races use the neighborhood very differently. The Y's run starts at a building on Village at the Park Drive and supports a scholarship fund for the branch next door. Holly Jolly uses the whole sports complex as its parking lot, start line, finish line and taco line for most of a Sunday. For anyone who lives within walking distance of Westpark Court, that changes some routines:
- The fields lot is official race-day parking from before dawn, since the early start goes off at 6 a.m.
- The creek path is the course. Anyone planning a regular Sunday walk, ride or skate there should plan for runners and walkers from early morning into the afternoon.
- The finish line is at the fields, so neighbors who want to watch the costumed runners come in can walk over from home.
- Registration details, including prices, which the official page lists from $72.48 to $189.55, are on hollyjollymarathon.com. That page is the place to check before planning to sign up.
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