How do you get to the square once it closes to traffic over Thanksgiving weekend? The festival's free shuttle has long run from First McKinney Baptist Church, near Highway 75 on the west side of downtown, and only on Friday and Saturday.
The 46th annual Home for the Holidays runs November 27 through 29. This year the city has added a second free shuttle that starts east of State Highway 5, at McKinney City Hall on East Virginia Street. It runs all three days, and on Sunday it is the only shuttle in service. That gives the weekend a starting point in the blocks around TUPPS Brewery and the McKinney Flour Mill.
Two Shuttles, Three Days, Different Hours
The official festival page lists both routes. Both are free, and both run about every 15 minutes in continuous round trips.
| Day | Festival hours | First McKinney Baptist shuttle | City Hall shuttle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 27 | 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 28 | 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 29 | Noon to 5 p.m. | Not running | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
The church lot is at 1615 W. Louisiana St., near Highway 75. The City Hall shuttle goes between 401 E. Virginia St. and Chestnut Street.
Look at the timing. On Friday and Saturday, both shuttles keep running an hour after the festival closes at 9 p.m. Dinner downtown after the vendors pack up still gets you back to your car without a long walk. Sunday is different. The festival is open noon to 5 p.m., the City Hall shuttle runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and for anyone not walking in or parking downtown, City Hall is the only shuttle option that day. An earlier Visit McKinney planning guide describes the church shuttle as Friday and Saturday only. That still holds, and the new City Hall route is what fills Sunday.
Why the New Shuttle Starts at City Hall
This is only the second holiday season for the building. McKinney's City Hall began walk-in service on January 7, 2025. It is a five-story, $110 million building of nearly 180,000 square feet, set east of SH 5 just past the historic district. The Dallas Morning News reported that it replaced city services spread across nine buildings, including the old City Hall on Tennessee Street, a converted 1950s bank.
The city built it with more than offices in mind. Assistant City Manager Barry Shelton told the Morning News:
"Our goal of this building was to be more than a city hall. We wanted to be a catalyst for growth on the east side."
The same report notes that building the complex meant rebuilding nearby streets, water and sewer lines, and railroad crossings. In 2023, the Morning News described the campus as a 7.8-acre site holding the building, a plaza, and surface parking lots. Plans for the plaza called for community gathering space. That campus is now the eastern end of the new shuttle route. Downtown's parking map also lists Blink EV charging at City Hall.
The Blocks Around the Eastern Stop
The Morning News placed City Hall near TUPPS Brewery and the city's flour mill. This season they share the neighborhood with a festival shuttle stop.
TUPPS Brewery, 402 E. Louisiana St. TUPPS opened its east-side home on March 9, 2024, according to Community Impact. The brewery calls the site a four-acre destination in the Downtown McKinney Mill District. It has a beer hall, restaurant, patio, outdoor stage, retail silos and a community garden. On the festival's opening day, Friday, November 27, the TUPPS calendar lists a Black Friday event with special releases, live music and football from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. That runs past the 9 p.m. festival close and past the last 10 p.m. shuttle. After the tree lighting, the City Hall shuttle brings you back east, to the same part of downtown as the brewery.
Café LaFaye, 407 E. Louisiana St. Community Impact reported that this café opened in summer 2026 inside the McKinney Flour Mill, serving coffee, tea and pastries including beignets. It opened after last year's festival, which makes it the newest stop near the shuttle's eastern end.
The McKinney Flour Mill itself works as a historic event venue.
A Sunday Built on the Eastern Route
Sunday is the shortest day, with five hours of festival and one shuttle. That makes it the day the new route matters most. Here is one way to plan it around the published times:
- Arrive at City Hall, 401 E. Virginia St., around 11 a.m. That is when the Sunday shuttle starts, an hour before the festival opens at noon.
- Walk to the Flour Mill. Café LaFaye at 407 E. Louisiana St. is the coffee and beignet stop on this side of SH 5.
- Ride to Chestnut Street and walk to the square. The official page puts the carousel and Ferris wheel over the square. Snow Hill, the train rides and the petting zoo make up the kids' zone. Admission is free, and only select rides and attractions cost extra.
- Catch a return shuttle before 6 p.m. The festival closes at 5 p.m., so you have an hour to finish shopping and get back to City Hall.
Chestnut Street also runs past Chestnut Square Historic Village at 315 S. Chestnut St., one of downtown's best-known landmarks. The festival says the downloadable map, with stages, activity zones and key locations, will be released closer to the event. Check it before Sunday morning to plan your walk from the drop-off.
If You Park Downtown Instead
The shuttles are one option among several. Streets inside the festival footprint close to traffic, but the downtown parking and trolley page lists free public parking all around them.
- Davis Street Garage, 260 Davis St., covered, with EV charging
- Chestnut Street Garage, 202 S. Chestnut St., covered
- 13 public lots around downtown, free all day
- On-street parking, free all day on evenings and weekends
The free Downtown Trolley connects parking areas to the rest of the district, though its hours may change for special events and holidays.
The Community Tree Lighting is Friday at 6:15 p.m. in the middle of downtown, and the festival suggests getting there early for a good spot. On Friday, both shuttles keep running until 10 p.m., well after the lights go on. Most vendors and downtown businesses take cards, and some vendors take cash. The festival asks visitors to leave coolers, outside alcohol, weapons, drones, skateboards and scooters at home.
If part of the family is flying out over the long weekend, our look at the new McKinney airport terminal's flight calendar covers which days actually have flights.
Two Weeks Later, the Parade Comes Downtown
The season's second big downtown night follows on Saturday, December 12. That is the date of the 27th annual McKinney Rotary Christmas Parade of Lights, themed "Passport to the Holidays." Entries line up at Finch Park, and the parade heads into Historic Downtown McKinney at 6 p.m. The Rotary's participant guide allows changes for weather, safety or road conditions, so check the schedule that week. The four-acre Mill District at TUPPS stays a short walk from the square through the whole season.
At Local Life, we pay attention to how a new civic building changes the way people reach the square, because that kind of change shapes everyday life in McKinney. If you'd like to talk about where the east side is heading, or what it is like to live within walking distance of the square, Schedule a Private Consultation with our team.
