Hopland's Holiday Season Runs Through One Barn and One Hall
November 12, 2026
November 12, 2026
On Friday, November 13, Campovida opens its 1890 barn doors at 5 p.m. The country line dancing starts at 6, with a local instructor the winery calls Mo leading beginners through a grapevine step among the Campovida vines. The ticket costs $10 at the door, and the money goes to the Christmas Effort.
On Friday, December 11, the same barn holds the same dance at the same price, and this time the money goes to the Mendocino Ballet. Hopland's holiday season mostly takes place in two rooms. One is that barn on Old River Road. The other is Rod Shippey Hall up University Road at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center. Most of the dated evenings on the calendar from now through New Year's Eve also raise money for something local.
The November beneficiary, the Christmas Effort, is a volunteer-run nonprofit founded in 1945. It provides Christmas dinner and gifts for children and families in need. Its service area includes Hopland along with Ukiah, Redwood Valley and Potter Valley, so the November dance money stays close to home. The Christmas Effort's website has the online application for families and lists (707) 272-9627 for questions. The site also describes holiday donation barrels at local businesses, with gifts accepted before December 23. It also takes donations through PayPal and has a sign-up for volunteers.
A few house rules apply to both dances:
The Thatcher Hotel's calendar suggests dinner at Stock Farm and a holiday cocktail at the Thatcher after the dancing. Those two businesses, along with Campovida, fill out most of the rest of the season.
Rod Shippey Hall, at 4070 University Road on the research station grounds, carries the season's two biggest daytime and dinner gatherings that are not at the barn. Both are tied to local land and food.
Tuesday, December 1, 6 to 9 p.m. The Good Farm Fund holds its 2026 Winter Feast in the hall. The Good Farm Fund's event page describes a menu cooked by local chefs from regional farms, along with live music, a family-friendly setting, and live and silent auctions. The fund says it has given $980,000 in grants since 2015 to local farms, MarketMatch, farmworkers and Native food projects. This year's dinner is meant to help it pass $1 million. That leaves $20,000 to go.
Tickets are sliding scale from $40 to $60, all general admission. Online sales close 24 hours before the event, and tickets will be sold at the door if seats remain. Tickets are not refundable, but the organizers ask that a ticket you can't use be passed on to a friend. The fund says no one will be turned away for lack of money, and anyone priced out of the tiers can email [email protected].
Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m. to noon. The research station runs its Seasonal Greetings Wreaths workshop in the same hall. The greenery comes from the station's own land, including madrone with its red berries and clumps of mistletoe. The workshop is led by Gabriele O'Neill, a Master Gardener, and Beth Keiffer. The listing also notes that the first lambs of the season may have arrived by then. The $40 fee covers the wreath base, the foliage and decorations, plus warm apple cider and snacks. You're welcome to bring your own trimmings. Pre-registration is required through the research station's event page.
Put the two together and the hall covers a farm-funding dinner on a Tuesday night and a hands-on morning with material cut from the station's own hills 11 days later.
The barn dances aren't Campovida's only December events. The winery runs two more events around them, and the Thatcher Hotel and Stock Farm fill in the evenings.
The Thriftmas Holiday Barn Sale is listed from November 27 through December 20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 13601 Old River Road. Campovida describes furniture, fixtures, books and cellar finds, plus wine promotions. The listing gives Campovida's Stewards a first look on November 27 and says the sale is open to the public on Saturdays. Check Campovida's Thriftmas listing for the public days before you drive over.
The Holiday Open House is Saturday, December 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. Campovida's listing invites guests who aren't Stewards and mentions mulled wine and holiday promotions on wine and gifts. The open house falls inside the barn sale's run, so one trip can cover both.
Bar Thatcher's winter happy hour starts Monday, November 16, and runs Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. until March 31, 2027. The listing names local wine, house-made sangria, handcrafted beer and a seasonal cocktail.
If family is coming for Thanksgiving, the Thatcher's November offer takes 25 percent off stays booked directly with the hotel for nights in November, using the code November25. The hotel has 18 rooms.
New Year's Eve Countdown, Thursday, December 31, 7 to 9 p.m., at Stock Farm. The listing describes cocktails, wine and nibbles, and the gathering is free. RSVP through the Thatcher Hotel's calendar.
Here is everything above in calendar order.
Across the season, ticket money from the barn and the hall goes to three named causes: the Christmas Effort, the Mendocino Ballet and the Good Farm Fund.
The Thatcher, at 13401 South Highway 101, and Stock Farm, at 13441, sit on the stretch of downtown Highway 101 where Caltrans has been rebuilding sidewalks, curb ramps and driveways since July 12. The Mendocino Voice reported on October 28 that the sidewalk and fiber work had blocked customers and parking for downtown businesses. The same report gives the work-zone hours. The zone runs from 8 p.m. Sunday to 7 p.m. Friday, and 101 through downtown narrows to one lane from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday nights.
Caltrans' project page targets completion in November 2026 and says businesses stay open during construction, though parking and access can be temporarily affected. The two Friday barn dances start at 5 p.m., before the Friday work-zone window closes at 7, so allow a few extra minutes to park if the work zone is still active.
The calendar thins out after New Year's. On Saturday, January 9, 2027, the Dream Big vision board retreat runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is a facilitated workshop that includes breakfast nibbles, a glass of wine and lunch, and RSVPs go through Campovida.
On Saturday, January 30, from 1 to 4 p.m., Destination Hopland holds its fifth annual Sparkling Wine & Oyster Celebration. This one is outside Hopland, in the event barn and barrel room at McNab Ridge Winery, 2350 McNab Ranch Road in Ukiah. Details are on Destination Hopland's events page.
Erik Terreri serves on the Cloverdale Arts Alliance board and is a member of the local Chamber and Rotary, and he works with owners of homes and acreage from Healdsburg up through Hopland. If you're weighing how a Hopland property fits into your plans after the holidays, Erik Terreri can put together a tailored market strategy and property consultation.
Whether buying or selling, trusted guidance ensures a seamless journey. Every detail is handled with care, turning real estate goals into achievements while providing clarity, confidence, and peace of mind throughout the process.