This fall, somewhere behind the stone face of the Washington County Courthouse, crews on the exterior restoration found a large box tucked behind one of the stones. County Judge John Durrenberger told the State of the Community luncheon that the county thinks it may be a time capsule, KWHI reported on Sept. 30. The courthouse went up in 1939. Nobody yet knows whether the box has been there that long, and the county has said it is planning a community opening.
That building usually anchors a downtown Brenham December. This year it is still a job site, and Main Street Brenham has built the season around it. The celebration now runs across two weekends instead of one. Its outdoor gatherings sit a block off the square, and the second weekend is made of events you join rather than watch.
A Restoration That Began One Year Ago Today
Phase II of the courthouse exterior restoration started on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. That makes today, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, the project's first anniversary. The first estimate was roughly 250 days, with completion on July 27, 2026. Since then the finish line has moved twice:
- November 2025: Work begins, with a completion target of July 27, 2026.
- June 2026: The county expects to finish by the end of November. Crews are working on masonry and stonework on the south and east sides, and the north and west sides are due to start within two months.
- September 2026: Judge Durrenberger says the goal is to have the renovations done by the end of the year.
The work is the slow, careful kind. It covers masonry cleaning and repair, removing and resetting or replacing stone, repainting, and restoring the ornamental features, the clock assemblies and the outdoor security lighting. In June, the county said it had received the approved pointing mortar and was reviewing glass samples on site as the team neared approval from the Texas Historical Commission. The contractor is Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, which also did Phase I. When the commissioners approved the exterior project, KWHI reported that the Texas Historical Commission would cover 70 percent of the cost and the county the other 30 percent.
So the parade arrives on Dec. 5 with the courthouse aiming for a finish in the same month.
Why the Season Moved to the Commerce Street Lot
The new layout dates back to winter. In February, the city's Mayor's Minute reported that the Main Street Board had moved the First Friday Farmer and Artisan Market and the Hot Nights and Cool Tunes concerts to the Commerce Street Parking Lot because of the courthouse renovations. The city hoped the market could go back to the courthouse once repairs were done. It also said Hot Nights may stay at Commerce Street for safety and logistical reasons.
That second point is the one to watch. The winter concert, "Cold Nights, Holiday Tunes," is also in the Commerce Street lot this year. If the summer series stays there after the scaffolding comes down, the lot could become downtown's regular outdoor music spot, with the square going back to its older role.
The 2026 holiday map sits on these spots:
- Commerce Street Lot E for the First Friday market and the Friday concert
- Ant Street Inn for the Jingle Bell Market
- The Barnhill Center at the Historic Simon Theater for Breakfast with Santa
- Alamo Alley for Sit with Santa after the parade
Weekend One Keeps the Familiar Shape
The first weekend looks a lot like last year's. In 2025, the parade weekend opened with the First Friday market, the Jingle Bell Market and the concert all on Friday. On Saturday, carolers and local Girl Scouts sang on the steps of the Brenham Heritage Museum before the 6 p.m. parade, which had more than 100 entries. This year the concert has moved to the second weekend. Everything else holds its place.
Day | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
Fri., Dec. 4 | Jingle Bell Market | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Ant Street Inn |
Fri., Dec. 4 | First Friday Farmer & Artisan Market | 3–6 p.m. | Commerce Street Lot E |
Sat., Dec. 5 | Breakfast with Santa, $15, reservations required | 8:30 and 10 a.m. | The Barnhill Center |
Sat., Dec. 5 | Jingle Bell Market | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Ant Street Inn |
Sat., Dec. 5 | Lighted Christmas Parade, "An American Christmas" | 6 p.m. | Downtown |
Sat., Dec. 5 | Sit with Santa | After the parade | Alamo Alley |
Fri., Dec. 11 | "Cold Nights, Holiday Tunes" with The Spicolis, free | Evening | Commerce Street Lot E |
Sat., Dec. 12 | "Dashing Thru Downtown" 1K | 9 a.m. | Downtown |
Sat., Dec. 12 | "Paws & Claus" pet contest | 11 a.m. | Downtown |
Sat., Dec. 12 | Holiday shopping and dining | Until 6 p.m. | Downtown |
Last year's parade theme was "A Very Vintage Christmas." This year's is "An American Christmas." Entering a float is free, and registration closes today, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, through the city's Christmas event page. Breakfast with Santa is sponsored by McDonald's and includes pancakes, face painting and pictures with Santa. Tickets went on sale Nov. 1.
Weekend Two Is Built Around Taking Part
The second weekend goes by "Home for the Holidays," and it is where the program actually grew. In 2025, the city listed the concert and the parade on the same weekend, Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6. Splitting them gives the concert its own Friday night. The city's event page lists a 7 p.m. start for The Spicolis, and says to bring chairs. Emerson Measurement Solutions and Frost Bank are sponsoring the show, according to KWHI.
Saturday, Dec. 12, brings the two new events. The "Dashing Thru Downtown" 1K starts at 9 a.m. and is being run for the first time. The "Paws & Claus" pet contest follows at 11 a.m. Shops and restaurants stay open with holiday hours until 6 p.m. Parade weekend gives you a curb seat. The second Saturday asks you to show up in running shoes or with a dog on a leash. Questions about either event go to Main Street Manager Leigh Linden at [email protected] or 979-337-7239.
Alamo Street, Between Events
Sit with Santa happens in Alamo Alley, and Alamo Street is where a lot of downtown's recent change shows up. 979 Smoothies & Wellness, a shop selling smoothies along with household and body products, had its Chamber ribbon cutting at 212 East Alamo Street on Oct. 6.
In March, the city announced the first awards from its Downtown Brenham Life Safety Grant Program, and both went to Alamo Street buildings. At 114 E. Alamo, the money goes toward new code-compliant galvanized steel stairs to provide exits from all three floors. At 216 W. Alamo, a building that was vacant at the time, the owner plans to open the Rally Room, a sports bar and grill. The program reimburses up to half of approved safety upgrades, to a maximum of $60,000. Its goal is to bring vacant or underused space back into use, upper floors especially.
For a meal between the parade and Sit with Santa, or after the Friday concert, the city's 2026 tourism awards make a good local short list. Volare Restaurant won the Silver Star Award, Floyd's Lounge won for social media, and the Simon Theater, home of The Barnhill Center, received the Legacy Award.
Getting Downtown in December
The drive in has its own construction. TxDOT's Phase 2 Pedestrian Improvement Project runs from South Day Street to Alamo Street. It starts near the H-E-B, heads north to Tom Green Street, then follows South Austin Street to the downtown intersection at Alamo. The city expects it to finish at the end of 2026 and warned that traffic disruptions are likely on two of Brenham's busiest corridors. Coming in another way on parade night may save you some time.
The city's Christmas event page has maps of the free public parking lots and the Saturday street closures. Check it before Dec. 5, because this year's layout leans on the Commerce Street lot for more than parking.
At Southern District Sotheby's International Realty, we follow Brenham's historic downtown buildings as closely as the land around them, from the courthouse stonework to the upper floors along Alamo Street that are coming back into use. If you own one of these properties or are thinking about buying one, connect with a local ranch and lifestyle specialist, and we'll be glad to talk it through with you over a cup of something warm this December.
