6 Things That Happen at Minnesota’s Mall of America Before the Holiday Rush
Last holiday season, ornaments weighing 200 to 300 pounds hung from the ceiling at Mall of America.
Minnesotans who visit before the big shopping weekend get to see the season come together.
Here’s what happens at Minnesota’s Mall of America before the holiday rush.
1. 500 Decorated Trees
Mall of America’s Nov. 6, 2025 holiday announcement says more than 100 team members decorated 500 trees to mark the official start of the holiday season.
That left more than three weeks until Black Friday on Nov. 28, 2025.
The mall listed 500 decorative trees in 2024 too.
In 2019, CBS Minnesota reported that holiday setup starts as soon as the calendar flips to November.
In 2025, two 44-foot silver trees stood in the Huntington Bank Rotunda, each with 385 branches and 32,000 LED lights.
If you wanted a holiday photo in 2025, those trees were pitched as a backdrop for holiday celebrations.
2. Ornaments Weighing 200 to 300 Pounds
Mall of America’s Nov. 6, 2025 release says ornaments weighing 200 to 300 pounds hang from the ceilings in every court.
Each one took an hour to install.
Twin Cities station KARE 11 described the same weight range and install time on Nov. 13, 2024, 16 days before Black Friday.
Nearly 5,000 strands of lights ran along the walkways, with seven 11-foot nutcrackers at the north entrance.
If you want photos, oversized toy installations include a View Finder, a Rocket Ship, a Robot and a Toy Car.
3. Snowflake Light Shows
Mall of America’s holiday light shows ran Nov. 7 through Jan. 5 in 2025, starting three weeks before Black Friday.
That year, 12 handcrafted snowflakes hung in the North Atrium, in sizes from five to 11 feet and weights from 70 to 110 pounds.
They lit up every 30 minutes in a show set to contemporary holiday music.
CBS Minnesota reported a snowflake light show on a half-hour cycle back in 2019.
In 2025, that 30-minute cycle meant you were never more than half an hour from the next show.
4. Nickelodeon Universe’s Winter Break
Nickelodeon Universe, the theme park inside Mall of America, began its Winter Break on Nov. 5 in 2025 and ran it through Jan. 11.
That gave you more than three weeks of Winter Break before Black Friday on Nov. 28.
In 2024, KARE 11 reported the break running from Nov. 4 to Jan. 31.
The park’s Log Chute ride turns into the Yule Log Chute for the holidays, and the mall’s 2025 release says 14 dedicated elves work on it.
The park also had more than 20 themed trees and giant ornaments that year.
There was also a surprise from SpongeBob’s pet, Gary the Snail, dressed for the holidays.
The ride was renamed the Yule Log Chute for the holidays back in 2019 too.
5. Santa Experience Reservations
The Santa Experience is an appointment-based Santa visit inside Mall of America, and the mall’s 2025 release points you to its website to book.
In October 2026, the Santa Experience’s booking site listed Nov. 3 at 9 a.m. Central as the day 2026 booking would open.
In 2025, the visits themselves ran Nov. 15 through Dec. 24, starting 13 days before Black Friday.
That season introduced three new Santas, including a bilingual Hispanic Santa.
As of October 2026, seven Santas were listed by name.
You sign up for a visit time that fits your schedule.
6. Festival of Trees
Mall of America listed its Festival of Trees as running from Nov. 19 through Jan. 5 in 2025, which gave you nine days to see the trees before Black Friday.
KARE 11 described the 2022 version as 80 trees, each designed by a different business.
It sat on Level 3, on North Central Parkway, that year.
That year’s proceeds would benefit Special Olympics Minnesota.
Santa’s Arrival Dates
Santa’s Arrival Ceremony at Mall of America was set for Nov. 7 in 2019.
KARE 11 listed Nov. 26 as the scheduled date for the 2024 ceremony.
The 2025 ceremony was set for Nov. 25, three days before Black Friday.
That put the 2025 date 18 days after the one set for 2019.
Psst! How much do you know about Minnesota’s malls? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Minnesota Mall Trivia
Answer these questions on Minnesota’s malls and their history. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Mall of America sits on the grounds of which former Bloomington sports venue?
Crayola Holidays and Double Point Tuesdays
Mall of America's 2025 schedule had Crayola Experience Handmade Holidays starting Nov. 1, nearly four weeks before Black Friday.
Its Holiday Rewards program began Double Point Tuesdays on Nov. 11, 17 days before Black Friday, and ran them through Dec. 16.
The release says you earn points by uploading receipts in the Mall of America app, with double points on up to five purchases each Tuesday.
You can redeem points for attraction passes, VIP Tour tickets, dining perks and VIP experiences.
November Hours
Mall of America's November hours in 2025 ran 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
You couldn't shop there on Thanksgiving Day in 2025 because the mall was closed.
KARE 11 reported the same November hours and Thanksgiving closure for 2024.
On Black Friday, Nov. 28 in 2025, the doors were set to open at 7 a.m., three hours before the usual 10 a.m. opening.
The federal holiday schedule from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management puts Thanksgiving on Nov. 26 in 2026, so Black Friday lands on Nov. 27, one day earlier than it did in 2025.
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