The Village

In the heart of Big Bear Lake you’ll find a charming district known as The Village that serves as the central hub for shopping, dining and entertainment. During the summer, the trees lining the streets are leafy and full, offering shade to visitors and the rock-walled planters are bursting with a variety of colorful flowers. In the fall, the leaves on the trees change to brilliant shades of scarlet, yellow and orange casting a warm autumn glow throughout The Village. The Annual Fall Scarecrow Festival encourages local merchants to create fun fall displays that visitors can enjoy throughout the season. During the winter, the first snowfall turns The Village into a winter wonderland. Holiday lights twinkle in the trees that now look like delicate ice sculptures. This time of year, you’ll want to take a break to warm yourself beside the softly glowing firepits as you browse in and out of the shops and restaurants.

Parking in The Village- The Village has free parking with over 600 parking spaces in five different city lots and several spaces right out in front of the shops. There are parking lots on Bartlett Rd., Knickerbocker Rd., Pennsylvania Ave., Alden Rd. and behind the Oakside Restaurant.

Women’s Clothing & Jewelry - Upscale fashion trends with a nod to mountain living can be found at shops like Le Muse, O Koo Ran, Charleze Unique Boutique, Rejoyce and The Leather Depot. Still trendy, but more affordable finds are available at Del Lago’s Boutique and Paisley Boutique. At most of these shops you’ll find a great selection of women’s clothing as well as one-of-a-kind accessories including hats, scarves, jewelry and handbags. Wings Jewelers has traditional fine jewelry with some unique, hand-crafted pieces.

Children’s Clothing - Makayla Children’s Boutique offers clothing from newborns to pre-teens. For newborn to size 6 clothing, books, toys, and other infant items, check out Crib.

Fine Arts & Crafts - Wild Coyote Gallery, United Wood Craftsmen, Artisans 2 and Artisans, Etc. showcase paintings, photography, sculpture, pottery and other beautiful local artwork.

DIY Crafts Workshops - Crafts To Treasure has everything you need to make your own souvenirs, from paint-it-yourself plates and mugs to canvases for creating your own painting. Ohnaturel and The Bath Workshop let you create your own bath salts, lotions and and other natural beauty supplies.

Fun Souvenir Shops - Brown Bear Gift Shop, Bear Skins, The Shirt Shanty, Art Garden and Bear Essentials have all the Big Bear Lake souvenirs that are great take-homes for your friends and family.

Toy Stores - The Toy Galley and Superhero Toys & More offer a fun selection of toys, games and collectibles for kids of all ages. Stupidiotic offers eclectic, fun and cheeky items for kids and adults.

Home Goods - The Copper Q carries beautiful kitchen goods from hand towels and teas to gorgeous serving dishes and espresso makers. Room To Room has an incredible selection of upscale interior home decor and a wide variety of candles and aromatics. Home Warehouse Design features furnishings and home decor with a focus on mountain living.

Eclectic Shopping - Earth’s Elements and Himalayan Handcraft Collection offer unique products from the far side of the world. Singing bowls, tapestries, prayer flags and handcrafted clothing. Big Bear Tattoo has world class tattoo artists, but you need to schedule an appointment well in advance.

Mountain Dining - Breakfast, lunch or dinner, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in The Village. From casual family-owned diners to elegant fine dining restaurants,Italian, Mexican, American, Thai, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, BBQ, a Brewery and traditional Steak Houses are all available in The Village. There are Delis, Pizza Parlors and Coffee Houses. Some places have patio dining with overhead heaters and firepits for cooler nights and some have seasonal pet-friendly dining areas on the patio.

Sweet Treats - Ice cream parlors, candy shops, a bakery and a gelato and tea house offer a variety of sweet concoctions.

Family Entertainment - The Bowling Barn and Big Bear Funplex are great places for indoor family fun. Mountain Room Escapes has a new Village location and is a favorite for small groups of people who love a good puzzle. The Village Theater has three screens featuring the latest released films and a snack bar. Riddle Routes and The Amazing Scavenger Hunt are smartphone adventure games for groups of 2-8 people.

Adult Nightlife - Live concerts at The Cave, karaoke at Murray’s Saloon, pool tables and music at Whiskey Dave’s and a nightclub atmosphere at The AV. Craft cocktails, draft beers, shots and lots of adult fun.

Transportation - Mountain Transit has several options including bus stops on each side of Bartlett Rd. near the Visitors Center, the Big Bear Weekend Trolley that runs from The Village to the ski resorts, grocery stores and the zoo, and a Dial-A-Ride that will pick you up at the location and time specified. Big Bear Cab is another option and of course, there’s always Uber.

Walk to the Lake - There are two marinas within walking distance to the lake. Pine Knot Marina and Big Bear Marina. Both marinas rent fishing boats, pontoon boats, kayaks, paddleboards and have fishing charter services. You can pick up your fishing license and any bait and tackle you may need for your day on the lake. Slip rentals are available if you need a place to dock your boat for a day, week, month or season. Two 90-minute lake tours are available through The Miss Liberty Paddlewheel at Pine Knot Marina or the Big Bear Queen at the Big Bear Marina.

Village Hotels & Lodging - Robinhood Resort, the Wishing Well Motel, Big Bear Village Lodge, Honey Bear Lodge, Pine Knot Guest Ranch, the Fireside Lodge and the Big Bear Hostel are all right in the heart of the Village. For a more upscale experience, try the Marina Resort which is right on the water, Knickerbocker Mansion Bed & Breakfast or The Lodge at Big Bear Lake, a full-service Holiday Inn resort.