Christmas on the Peninsula is a big family house, a pool and a long table. It is also the busiest stretch of the year, so a little planning goes a long way. This guide has the dates, what's on, what's open on the day, and how to book a home for the whole family.
The dates that matter
Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026 and Boxing Day is Saturday 26 December. Because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, Monday 28 December is an additional public holiday, which makes a four-day weekend from Friday 25 to Monday 28 December. New Year's Day is a Friday, and Australia Day is Tuesday 26 January 2027.
Victorian government school term 4 ends on Friday 18 December 2026, and students go back on Thursday 28 January 2027. The Sorrento to Queenscliff ferry lists Christmas Day to early January as a peak travel time, and the Shire says the drive to Portsea can take up to two hours in peak periods. Travel earlier or later in the day if you can.
What's on
There are more events in the weeks before Christmas than over New Year itself. Here is what we could confirm with a 2026 or 2027 date. Organisers change times and line-ups, so check each one before you plan around it.
- Mornington · Saturday 12 December
Christmas on Main
A free day on Main Street from 10am to 6pm, with live entertainment, Christmas music and kids' activities. Main Street closes to traffic for the day. It is run by the Mornington Business Collective with Shire support.
- Mornington Racecourse · Friday 4 and Wednesday 16 December
Mornington Christmas Series
Two ticketed race days, pitched more at office Christmas parties than at families.
- Red Hill and Mount Martha · Saturday 5 December and Saturday 2 January
Peninsula markets
The Hill & Ridge Community Market at Red Hill and the Mount Martha Briars Market both run on these two Saturdays. Markets depend on the weather and the organiser.
- Hastings Foreshore Reserve · Fridays 18 December and 22 January
Soul Night Market
An evening market from 5pm to 9pm on the foreshore.
Across the Peninsula · 2 to 10 January 2027Peninsula Summer Music Festival
Concerts at wineries, halls and churches. The program isn't out yet. At Peninsula Hot Springs, Bach and Bathe is on Friday 8 January at 7pm, free with your bathing.
- Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January
Swims at Portsea and Sorrento
The Portsea Swim Classic is run by the Portsea surf club on Saturday 16 January. The Sorrento Bay Swim is on Sunday 17 January at Sorrento Front Beach.
What's open on Christmas Day
Christmas Day is a restricted trading day in Victoria, so only exempt shops can open: chemists, petrol stations, restaurants, cafes, takeaway, and shops with 20 or fewer staff on the day. Woolworths says all its stores are closed on Friday 25 December, and most are open on Boxing Day. Buy the Christmas food before the 24th.
- Peninsula Hot Springs is open every day of the year, including Christmas Day. Check its opening time first.
- The Sorrento to Queenscliff ferry runs every day of the year, including Christmas Day and public holidays.
- Ten Minutes by Tractor is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Pt. Leo Estate is closed on Christmas Day.
- The Arthurs Seat Eagle is closed on Christmas Day, according to Visit Victoria.
- Christmas Day lunches sell out. Martha's Table in Safety Beach is already fully booked for Christmas Day 2026, for example.
Things to do between the feasts
A week in one house goes more smoothly with a few outings. Here are the ones our guests use most, with the facts we could check.
- Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm, Main Ridge
Strawberries and blueberries
Pick-your-own strawberries run from late October or early November to late April or early May, weather permitting. The farm was Sunny Ridge until recently, and it reopens on Friday 30 October 2026. Blueberries run roughly from late December to mid-February.
- Arthurs Seat
Enchanted Adventure
Tube slides, tree surfing, hedge mazes and gardens. Hours change with the season, so check first.
- Pearcedale
Moonlit Sanctuary
More than 70 species, with hand-feeding of kangaroos and wallabies, keeper talks and lantern-lit evening tours.
- Queenscliff
A day across the bay
The ferry from Sorrento takes about 40 to 45 minutes. Queenscliff has a harbour with a 42 metre observation tower, a main street of galleries and cafes, and Fort Queenscliff, which you can only visit on a guided tour.
MorningtonA rainy afternoon
Pond Bathhouse has mineral pools, an ice plunge and a sauna, and guests who book a Lively home direct can add Stay & Bathe with POND. X Golf Mornington has indoor golf simulators.
Christmas Eve is the easy day to eat out. Ten Minutes by Tractor's restaurant is open for lunch on Christmas Eve, before it closes for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Book early, because lunches fill.
Staying safe in a hot summer
The Country Fire Authority publishes Fire Danger Ratings up to four days ahead, from Moderate up to Catastrophic. On Extreme and Catastrophic days the advice is to leave bushfire-risk areas early. A Total Fire Ban is declared on days when fires would spread fast. On those days there are no campfires or open-air fires, only gas or electric barbecues are allowed, and wood-fired pizza ovens, smokers and spit roasts are banned. If your home has a fire pit or a pizza oven, check the day's rating before you light it.
Download the VicEmergency app and turn on notifications. The Shire recommends it too. At the beach, use Beachsafe, choose a patrolled beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. Volunteer lifesavers mainly patrol weekends and public holidays, and paid lifeguards cover some beaches on weekdays, according to Life Saving Victoria's 2024/25 season notice. The 2026/27 dates may differ.
Booking a home for a big family Christmas
Our Christmas bookings are typically groups of 8 to 12 staying a week or more, and the biggest homes go first. A few things from the team.
- Some homes set a longer minimum stay over Christmas and New Year. The minimum for your dates shows when you pick them on the home's page.
- If the week you want is taken, try the week after New Year or late January, which are often quieter.
- Sunday to Thursday nights are the quietest all summer on the Peninsula, so a midweek stay is the easier one to find.
- Check the bedding list on each home's page. It shows which beds are in each room, so you can work out who goes where.
- Our homes are for staying, not for parties or events. Each home's house rules say what is allowed.
These are the homes we would book first for a big family Christmas. Every one sleeps 14 or more.
