A few days in downtown Eureka Springs can make Christmas shopping feel less like a task and more like a getaway. Browse the shops along Spring Street, stop for lunch, take in the holiday lights, and leave time for a massage or drinks together back at the hotel.
This Christmas, make the Basin Park Hotel your home base for a weekday escape or a weekend filled with holiday events.
Make a Weekday of It
You don’t have to plan your visit around a parade or a packed Saturday schedule. Come during the week and give yourself time to enjoy downtown at your own pace.
Spend an afternoon finding gifts in locally owned shops and galleries. Drop your bags at the hotel, head back out for something you spotted earlier, or settle in for a long lunch. With the Basin in the center of downtown, shopping, dining, and time back at your room can all be part of the same easy afternoon.
As evening arrives, take a walk through the Christmas lights before returning to the hotel for dinner or drinks. There’s no need to fill every hour—a few days away can be as simple as finishing your shopping and enjoying some time together.
Christmas Shopping, Without the Rush
Trade the shopping mall for downtown storefronts, galleries, and a few gifts you weren’t expecting to find. Explore Spring and Main streets for art, handmade pieces, clothing, and something for the person who’s hard to shop for.
Staying downtown means you can take your time rather than fit everything into one visit. Browse a little, stop for coffee, and come back to your favorites before heading home.
Bring a friend, make it a couples getaway, or use a few weekdays to take care of your Christmas list while enjoying Eureka Springs.
Leave Room for Dinner, Drinks, and the Spa
A holiday getaway should include something for you, too. Book a treatment at Spa1905, make time for a meal at the Balcony Restaurant, or end the evening with drinks and games at Jack Rabbett’s Whisky Bar & Game Room. You don’t have to leave the hotel to make those plans part of your stay.
Plan your shopping around a spa appointment, meet back up for dinner, or spend an evening catching up over a drink. It’s a chance to enjoy the season before the holiday calendar gets full.
See Downtown in Its Christmas Lights
After an afternoon of shopping, head out for an evening walk through the decorated streets and Basin Spring Park.
On select evenings, you can also leave the driving to someone else. The Holly Route offers hop-on, hop-off trolley service through Eureka Springs’ holiday displays on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, December 3–19, from 5–8 p.m. The Christmas Lights Tram Tour offers a continuous ride featuring festive springs, local landmarks, holiday lights, and a little Eureka Springs history.
A New Christmas Night Out at the Basin
Visiting the first weekend of December? Add Merry & Bright: The Basin Ball to your plans. The Basin Park Hotel’s new Christmas party takes place Saturday, December 5, from 7–10 p.m., with entertainment throughout the hotel and a live big-band finale in the sixth-floor ballroom.
Holiday Dates to Build a Visit Around
If you want to include a favorite Christmas tradition in your stay, keep these dates in mind:
- Thanksgiving weekend: Shop Small Saturday and the community Christmas tree lighting at Basin Spring Park help kick off the season.
- December 3–6: The Silver Tea at the Crescent Hotel takes place Thursday, followed by Friday’s downtown Christmas Parade and Saturday’s Christmas Tour of Homes, Santa in Basin Spring Park, and Merry & Bright: The Basin Ball.
- December 11–13: Enjoy Friday’s Hot Cocoa & Cookie Crawl, Saturday’s Living Windows, and holiday performances at the Historic Auditorium.
- December 18–20: The final weekend before Christmas includes candlelight services at Thorncrown Chapel, Saturday caroling at Basin Spring Park, and the Jinglin’ Jeep Parade.
For families, the Eureka Express offers Christmas train rides on Saturdays, December 5, 12, and 19, with storytime excursions at 3 and 4 p.m. and an illuminated ride at 5 p.m.
Stay a Little Longer This Christmas
Arrive before the weekend festivities or stay after them to enjoy a few days with fewer plans. Finish your shopping, book that spa appointment, and spend an evening enjoying downtown without watching the clock.
Make the Basin Park Hotel your place to come back to this Christmas—for a weekday break, a holiday night out, or a little of both.