On Saturday, December 5, the first pancakes go on the griddle at Bell Tower Regional Community Center, 22232 El Paseo, at 8 a.m. That's the start of the RSM Cares Breakfast with Santa, which runs two seatings before noon. At 5 p.m. the same day, the lights go up on the tree at the Lago Santa Margarita Lakeshore for SAMLARC's Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, which runs until 7.
The two events have different hosts, different venues, different ticketing and different rules about who can attend. That split runs through the whole season in Rancho Santa Margarita. SAMLARC, the master association, runs one holiday calendar around the lake. The City and the nonprofit RSM Cares run the other one out of Bell Tower. December 5 is just the day both calendars are busiest.
Two Hosts, One Season
This table puts every dated holiday-season item on both calendars in order. The "Host" column matters as much as the date, because the host decides who can come and how you sign up.
| Date | Event | Host | Where | Sign-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Family Holiday Craft Workshop, 10 to 11:30 a.m. | SAMLARC | Lago Santa Margarita Beach Club | Login and a ticket for each participant |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | E-Waste Disposal & Document Shredding, 8 a.m. to noon | City | Listed on City calendar | Not stated |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Veterans Day Recognition, 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. program | City | Bell Tower, then City Hall Council Chambers | Not stated |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Holiday Door Swag Workshop, adults only, 10 to 11:30 a.m. | SAMLARC | Lago Santa Margarita Beach Club | Login required |
| Nov. 22 to Dec. 12 | Holiday Home Decorating Contest | SAMLARC | Members' homes | Open to SAMLARC members |
| Tue., Dec. 1 and Wed., Dec. 2 | North Pole Hotline, 6 to 7 p.m. | SAMLARC | Phone calls | Not stated |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | RSM Cares Breakfast with Santa, 8 to 9:30 or 10 to 11:30 a.m. | RSM Cares | Bell Tower | $15 per child, $20 per adult |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, 5 to 7 p.m. | SAMLARC | Lago Santa Margarita Lakeshore | No registration |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Carols 'Round the Lake, 5 to 7 p.m. | SAMLARC | Lakeshore and Beach Club | No registration |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | Celebrating Family and Friends New Year's Eve, 5 to 9 p.m. | City | Bell Tower | Free, no registration |
The lake side has more dates. The Bell Tower side has fewer events, but they bookend the season, from Veterans Day in November to New Year's Eve, and two of them are open to anyone who walks in.
Who the Lake Calendar Is Written For
The lakeside events take place on SAMLARC property, and SAMLARC's own rules set who can use it. The association's general facility guidelines limit its recreational facilities to "Registered Residents and their guests." A few details apply directly to the holiday events:
- The Lake and Lakeshore guidelines classify the lake as a Recreational Facility.
- The Beach Club rules say the club is "for use by residents with a valid SAMLARC I.D. card and a total of five (5) guests per household."
- Access cards are issued after an owner signs the access card application, and card privileges can pass to a tenant through a tenant authorization form.
The event pages use the same wording. The Christmas Tree Lighting page invites "Members and guests" and ends with "No Registration Required! See you at the Lake!" The Bell Tower events don't have an association layer. The City's listing for the New Year's Eve event calls it free and open to the public with no registration.
There's one scheduling detail to check before November. SAMLARC's Beach Club amenity page at 21472 Avenida de los Fundadores lists the club as "Closed until May 2027." Both November workshops still list the Beach Club as their venue. Your registration confirmation is the place to check where to show up.
These are SAMLARC's published rules, summarized as general information and not legal advice. For questions about your own household's access or guest privileges, contact SAMLARC directly.
November Is for Signing Up
Most of what happens in November sets up December. The Family Holiday Craft Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 7, is two days after this post goes up. Children make a pine-cone bird feeder and a snowman craft, adults make a candle hurricane, families make a photo-frame ornament together, and Fluffy Delights serves a mini-pancake breakfast. Registration requires a SAMLARC login and a ticket for each person taking part.
The same morning, the City calendar has its E-Waste Disposal & Document Shredding event from 8 a.m. to noon and a Zero Trash Initiative from 9:45 a.m. to noon. That's handy if your pre-holiday cleanup includes a box of old electronics.
Veterans Day this year splits across two days. City buildings close Wednesday, Nov. 11, and the City's Veterans Day Recognition is the next evening, Thursday, Nov. 12. A 6 p.m. reception at Bell Tower comes first, followed by the 7 p.m. recognition in City Hall Council Chambers.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, SAMLARC's adults-only Holiday Door Swag workshop is the last hands-on session before decorating starts in earnest. It also requires a login to register. The Holiday Home Decorating Contest opens Nov. 22. Displays must be family-friendly, entries can go into more than one category, and winners are featured in SAMLARC media. The category with the longest setup is "Merriest Neighborhood," which needs at least five homes to enter together. If your street wants to try for it, you'll need five households on board before the contest opens, and the week before Thanksgiving is when that gets organized.
City Hall then closes Nov. 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving. The next morning, Saturday, Nov. 28, the City's community calendar lists the RSM Certified Farmer's Market from 8 to 11 a.m. in the north side parking lot near the amphitheater at Rancho Santa Margarita Lake.
Saturday, Dec. 5, Hour by Hour
December 5 is the one day both calendars are busy, and they don't overlap on the clock:
- 8 to 9:30 a.m., or 10 to 11:30 a.m. RSM Cares Breakfast with Santa at Bell Tower Regional Community Center, 22232 El Paseo. Tickets are $15 per child and $20 per adult, and registration runs through RSM Cares' events page. The City lists it, but RSM Cares hosts it.
- Midday. Nothing is scheduled on either calendar.
- 5 to 7 p.m. Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Lago Santa Margarita Lakeshore, with holiday music, seasonal treats and a sing-along. No registration is required. Hoag Urgent Care, Cityside Fiber and Andre Landscape are this year's Diamond Event Sponsors.
The breakfast is ticketed and seats two sessions, and the tree lighting is a walk-up event. If you want both, the breakfast is the one to book ahead.
The Lake Side Closes the Contest, Then Hands Off the Year
The days around the tree lighting belong to SAMLARC's calendar. The North Pole Hotline runs Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 7 p.m., with Santa calling SAMLARC children. Then Carols 'Round the Lake on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 7 p.m., brings holiday sights and sounds to the Lakeshore and Beach Club, again with no registration.
Dec. 12 is also the last day of the Holiday Home Decorating Contest. The association's season starts with craft tables at the Beach Club in early November and ends with caroling at the lake on the same Saturday the contest closes.
After Dec. 12, the season moves back to El Paseo. The City's New Year's Eve event, Celebrating Family and Friends, runs Thursday, Dec. 31, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bell Tower, with music and games, free admission and no registration.
If you're getting ready for the Merriest Neighborhood category, or wondering how a decorated house will show if you plan to list in the new year, The McGuire Team is glad to walk through presentation and timing with you before the season gets busy. Contact Us.
