If you walk into the Civic & Cultural Center for Brea's tree lighting on December 3, why would the gallery upstairs be showing the Salem Witch Trials?
The Brea Gallery opened What Fearful Shadows on October 10, 2026. It runs through December 13, 2026, and the gallery calls it its last exhibition of 2026. The show takes three pieces of early American horror, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Salem Witch Trials, and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and has artists rework them through modern culture. Its themes are paranoia, identity, and societal fear.
That puts the show on the walls through the first two weeks of December, the same stretch when the city's main December events at 1 Civic Center Circle take place. Two of them include free entry to the exhibit after dark. The gallery's regular hours end at 5 p.m., so those few evenings are the main chance to see the show after work.
The Daytime Hours Rule Out Most Weeknights
According to the gallery's Plan a Visit page, it's open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. It's closed Mondays, Tuesdays, major holidays, and between exhibits.
For anyone who works standard hours, that leaves weekend afternoons. It also means there's a firm end date. What Fearful Shadows is the last show of the year and the gallery closes between exhibits, so after the closing reception on Sunday, December 13, the space goes dark until the next show is installed.
Cost won't stop anyone. General admission is $3, and seniors, military, and students with valid ID pay $2. Brea residents and children under 12 get in free. For residents, the only real constraint is time.
Five Events Left on the Calendar
From publish day, Thursday, November 12, five dated events remain before the exhibit closes. Four are at the gallery. The other is the city's craft fair across town, which falls on a Saturday when the gallery is open regular hours.
| Date | Event | Where | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 19 | Fail Better Story Time | Brea Gallery | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Ticketed; free RSVP for members |
| Fri, Nov 20 and Sat, Nov 21 | Nutcracker Craft Boutique | Brea Community Center, 695 E. Madison Way | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fri; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat | Not listed |
| Thu, Dec 3 | Brea Tree Lighting Ceremony | Brea Gallery, Civic & Cultural Center | 6:30 to 9 p.m. | Free; Santa photos for a fee |
| Fri, Dec 11 | Movies Under the Stars: A Christmas Carol | Civic & Cultural Center | Gallery 5 to 7 p.m.; film at 7 p.m. | Free |
| Sun, Dec 13 | What Fearful Shadows Closing Reception | Brea Gallery | 4 to 6 p.m. | Free |
All four gallery events run past the usual 5 p.m. close. Three of them run well into the evening, and the closing reception starts at 4 p.m. and goes an hour past closing time.
November 19 Comes Closest to the Exhibit's Subject
Fail Better Story Time is the event most directly tied to the show. The gallery is co-hosting it with Christopher Moncayo-Torres, a Moth StorySLAM winner, through his program Fail Better Story Time. Emerging storytellers will share new or revisited true stories built around the exhibit's themes: paranoia, identity, societal fear, and horror.
The format is loose on purpose. The gallery's event listing describes cold readings, unpolished performances, and feedback, with audience members invited to give supportive notes. One open mic slot is available that night. Every story has to be a real personal story from the person telling it.
Unlike the other evenings, this one is ticketed. A ticket covers the event, entry to What Fearful Shadows, refreshments, a complimentary glass of wine, and a gift shop discount. Gallery members can RSVP for free, and memberships include two complimentary event tickets. All ticket sales are final.
The following day, the city's Nutcracker Craft Boutique opens at the Brea Community Center, 695 East Madison Way. It runs Friday, November 20, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The boutique closes at 4 p.m. on Saturday, and the gallery stays open until 5 p.m., so you could do both in one Saturday afternoon.
December 3: The Tree Lighting Runs Late Upstairs
The gallery lists Brea's annual tree lighting for Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Its listing calls this "extended hours." The program includes live music and entertainment, the lighting of the holiday tree, and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Cookies and hot chocolate are served, and photos with Santa cost a fee. Admission is free.
Entry to What Fearful Shadows is also free that night. Residents already get in free any day, but this is one of the few times the exhibit is open on a weeknight after dark. That matters if weekend afternoons are already taken by errands and kids' sports.
The tree lighting is also the night the two seasons meet in one building. The gallery listing places the tree lighting at the gallery itself, so Sleepy Hollow and Poe sit at the same address as the hot chocolate and Santa photos.
December 11: The Holiday Movie Is a Ghost Story
The pairing on Friday, December 11, works better than it sounds. For the December edition of Movies Under the Stars, City of Brea Special Events is showing Disney's 2009 A Christmas Carol at the Brea Civic and Cultural Center. The gallery is open free from 5 to 7 p.m., and the film starts at 7 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
Dickens's story is built on visits from the dead. A gallery about how ghost stories and witch trials shaped American fear makes a fitting stop before it. The listing suggests arriving early to set up chairs and have light refreshments, and the two-hour gallery window before the film is meant for that early arrival.
Picture a family of four at both nights. At standard rates, two adults would pay $3 each, and kids under 12 are always free. As Brea residents, they pay nothing on any visit. Event nights don't save residents money. What they add is the evening hours.
December 13: The Last Two Hours
The closing reception on Sunday, December 13, runs from 4 to 6 p.m. The gallery lists free admission, free parking, light refreshments, live entertainment, and 10% off in the gift shop.
The gallery says it presents four major exhibitions a year. Each one also gets a Fresh(AIR) weekend, when an artist works in the gallery for two days, answers questions, and leads small activities. This show's residency was November 7 and 8. With the residency over, the closing reception is the show's last scheduled public event. After it, the gallery goes dark until the next exhibit is installed.
Getting There and Parking
The gallery is on the plaza level of the Brea Civic and Cultural Center, at the corner of Birch and Randolph, behind Brea Mall and just off the Imperial Highway exit on the 57. Free all-day parking is available in the structure under the Civic Center, with more free parking under the Embassy Suites next door. If you want a staff-guided tour, call at least a week ahead to schedule one.
If you're planning more of the season around downtown, our earlier guide to a Brea weekend this fall covers the 2026 openings at Brea Mall and downtown. The Brea neighborhood page has more on the city itself.
IMPACT Realty Group follows the dates that shape a Brea December, and these ones fall close together between November 19 and December 13. If you'd like to know what your Brea home would be worth in the spring, start with a free home valuation now and plan it around your holiday calendar.
