There’s nothing quite like Yosemite Valley in the winter. It’s far quieter and calmer than it is during the height of summer, especially when there’s a layer of fluffy snow on the ground.
Winter is also when you can experience one of the park’s longest-running traditions: the Bracebridge Dinner. Held each holiday season at The Ahwahnee Hotel, this festive tradition combines a grand Tudor-themed pageant with a delicious seven-course dinner.
Squire Bracebridge and his guests, flanked by Lord of Misrule Ansel Adams and his wife, Housekeeper Virginia Adams, greet guests in a stunning tableau, much of which is still a part of The Dinner’s setting for this past 97 years.(Courtesy of the National Parks Service)
Yosemite’s Bracebridge Dinner has been a tradition since 1927, the same year the Ahwahnee Hotel opened. Donald Tresidder, president of Yosemite Park and Curry Company, and his wife, Mary Curry Tresidder, played the first-ever Squire and Lady Bracebridge.
Now-famed photographer Ansel Adams was another cast member that first year; two years later, he took over as the director for the event and reimagined it. While there have been tweaks to the script and performance since then, it’s still largely based on Adams’ version—and some of the detailed stained-glass decorations he made for the event are still in use.
The event has been held nearly every year since it started—though it halted during World War II and from 2019 to 2023 for Covid and hotel refurbishments. The beloved event came back in full force in 2024, and tickets to the timeless tradition are still available for this year.
The magnificent Peacock Pie is carried down the aisle for the Squire’s approval. (Courtesy of Andera Fulton Productions)
What to Expect at The Bracebridge Dinner at Yosemite
Guests are ushered into the Ahwahnee dining room for dinner with the sound of trumpets—and even if you’ve been in this impressive room before, this time it will be like nothing you’ve seen before.
Guests will “be completely transported to another era,” explains Chelsie Layman, director of communications for Yosemite Hospitality. “The Ahwahnee’s grand dining room is transformed into a 17th-century English manor, where music, theater, and fine dining come together in an immersive holiday celebration inspired by Washington Irving’s Sketch Book.”
The plot centers around the elaborate banquet Squire Bracebridge holds for his guests (the audience) as various hijinks and drama from those in his household ensue. You’ll meet the squire as well as his hilarious housekeeper, jester, team of servers, and carolers. The performers are all dressed in period costumes, and there’s dancing, singing, and skits.
The next directors after Adams were Eugene and Anna-Marie Fulton, and their daughter, Andrea Fulton, made her debut in the Bracebridge Dinner in 1950 at the age of five. She’s now the event’s artistic director and executive producer, and you can expect to see her again in this year’s show.
The Village people enter to bid the Squire a happy Yuletide in this 1934 photograph.(Courtesy of the National Parks Service)
“Planning begins in April to ensure all artistic, technical, and logistical elements—from casting, scripting, and music selection to equipment rentals, travel, rehearsals, and venue coordination—are completed by December,” Fulton says.
And it’s not just the performance that has to go off without a hitch; the food plays as big a role in the event as any of the cast members. “From the hospitality side, we begin preparing for the dinner months in advance,” Fulton continues. “The Ahwahnee’s culinary team spends weeks planning the seven-course menu, while the hospitality team meticulously prepares for the overall guest experience and detailed presentation.”
As for what’s on the menu, expect dishes like cold-poached Norwegian salmon with caviar, butternut squash soup, herb-roasted beef tenderloin, and a flaming plum pudding.
The Squire (played by Jonathan Spencer) and his chorus present a Yuletide carol for his guests. (Courtesy of Andera Fulton Productions)
What You Need to Know About The Bracebridge Dinner at Yosemite
This year’s Bracebridge Dinners are December 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, and 23rd. Tickets, which used to be available only by lottery, are now first come, first served. You can buy a ticket just for the dinner, or you can get a combination dinner and two-night lodging package at The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Lodge, or Curry Village Lodge. Whatever you decide, book early. Dinner prices are $537.10 for adults and $368.05 for children—though they don’t recommend the event for kids under 10.
While you might typically think of packing flannel shirts and hiking boots for a visit to Yosemite, you’re going to want to bring the glamour for this event—nothing more casual than a cocktail dress or a dark suit. If you want to bust out a tuxedo or floor-length gown, this would be the time and the place, but leave the costumes to the performers.
No cell phones are allowed to help guests more fully immerse themselves in the experience. And it truly is an experience, lasting four full hours. With the incredible food, a historic and grand setting, and delightful entertainment, it’s definitely a night to remember.
// 1 Ahwahnee Dr. (Yosemite Valley), bracebridgedinners.com
The traditional Christmas Wassail Bowl is presented to Squire Bracebridge (played by Jonathan Spencer). (Courtesy of Andera Fulton Productions)
