Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Altoona for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events, 1 of them free. They are Gingerbread House Workshop (December 5) and Grin with the Grinch (December 5). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Iowa Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Altoona
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Altoona
- 1 free event, including Gingerbread House Workshop
- Season: December 5
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 2 events
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Free Christmas events for kids in Altoona
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Gingerbread House Workshop
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 to 11 am
- Where: Altoona Public Library, Meeting Room A&B, 700 8th Street SW, Altoona, IA 50009 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, registration required
- Ages: Children in grades K-6; ages 7 and under with an adult
Expand to see the parent tip
Children each decorate a mini gingerbread house in the library's full meeting room, with every supply handed out by library staff. One registration covers one house, so siblings who each want their own need separate sign-ups.
The workshop is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Registration is required and opens to Altoona and rural Polk County residents four weeks ahead, then to everyone three weeks ahead. The page currently shows the class at capacity, with new sign-ups placed on a waitlist, and children 7 and under must have an adult with them.
Parent tip: The class is already full, so join the waitlist now and answer the residency question accurately, because a non-resident marked as a resident gets moved back to pending. The library cannot promise the supplies are free of tree nuts, soy or other allergens.
- Host
- Altoona Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Altoona Public Library, Meeting Room A&B, 700 8th Street SW, Altoona, IA 50009 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Altoona events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Altoona daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Altoona.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Altoona event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Altoona.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Altoona before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Zoos and museums
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Altoona every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Altoona
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday event
Grin with the Grinch
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 am to 2:30 pm
- Where: Altoona Public Library, 700 8th Street SW, Altoona, IA 50009 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: All ages (listed as a community event)
Expand to see the parent tip
The Friends of the Altoona Library Foundation bring the Grinch to the library for holiday photos. Families choose their own style, whether a deliberately awkward family shot, a comedy pose or a portrait worth framing. Friends members are also there to talk about how the group supports the library and how to get involved.
It runs on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM at the Altoona Public Library, 700 8th Street SW. It is a drop-in event with no appointment or registration, and the page does not mention a price.
Parent tip: With a four and a half hour window there is no need to arrive at opening, and families at the 10:00 gingerbread workshop in the same building can walk over when it ends at 11:00. The page does not say whether a photographer is provided, so bring a phone or camera.
- Host
- Altoona Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Altoona Public Library, 700 8th Street SW, Altoona, IA 50009 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Altoona events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Altoona daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Altoona.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Iowa Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Altoona Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Gingerbread House Workshop in Altoona on December 5; the last runs to December 5. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Gingerbread House WorkshopAltoona · Dec 5
- Grin with the GrinchAltoona · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our Iowa Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Des Moines, Ames, Waterloo and Amana. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.
A story for the drive home
A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Altoona
Altoona takes its name from altus, the Latin word for high, because a surveyor found the site was the highest point on the Des Moines Valley Railroad between Des Moines and Keokuk. At Christmas, families in this Polk County city head to the public library for gingerbread houses and photos with the Grinch.
How Altoona celebrates
The holiday programs confirmed for Altoona are both at the Altoona Public Library, 700 8th Street SW, and both fall on Saturday, December 5, 2026. Library staff run a Gingerbread House Workshop that morning in the combined meeting room, supplying everything children need to decorate a mini house. On the same day, the Friends of the Altoona Library Foundation bring the Grinch in for drop-in holiday photos from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM and stay on hand to explain how the group supports the library. Neither page describes its event as annual, so this is best read as the 2026 lineup.
Fun facts about Christmas in Altoona
Anthony Yant settled the site in 1854, and the Rock Island Railroad was still calling the place Yant when it arrived in September 1868. The town plat was recorded on July 30, 1868, the post office opened the next day, and Altoona was incorporated as a city on March 11, 1876. The 2020 census counted 19,565 residents. The city is home to the Adventureland amusement park and the Prairie Meadows horse racing track and casino.
Traditions today
- Gingerbread House Workshop: Children decorate their own mini gingerbread houses at the Altoona Public Library on December 5, 2026, with supplies provided by the library.
- Grin with the Grinch: The Friends of the Altoona Library Foundation bring the Grinch to the library for drop-in holiday photos on December 5, 2026.
- The Altoona Public Library: The library, which opened at 700 8th Street SW in 1998, is the setting for both of the holiday programs confirmed for 2026.
A fact for kids
Altoona's name comes from a Latin word that means high. A surveyor chose it after he found the town sat at the highest point on the railroad between Des Moines and Keokuk.
Questions about Christmas in Altoona
When was Altoona, Iowa founded?
Settlers Anthony Yant and Gilbert T. Taylor arrived in 1854. The town plat was recorded on July 30, 1868, and the post office opened the following day. Altoona was incorporated as a city on March 11, 1876.
How did Altoona get its name?
Surveyor Julian B. Bausman, hired by the Davis family to lay out the town, is credited with the name. He took it from altus, the Latin word for high, after finding the site was the highest point on the Des Moines Valley Railroad between Des Moines and Keokuk.
What was Altoona's original name?
The original name was Yant, after early settler Anthony Yant, who arrived in 1854. When the Rock Island Railroad reached town in September 1868, the railroad still referred to the place as Yant even though the plat had been recorded as Altoona that July.
Which railroads are part of Altoona's history?
Two are named in the town's story. The Des Moines Valley Railroad gave Altoona its name, since the town was the line's highest point between Des Moines and Keokuk, and the Rock Island Railroad came to Altoona in September 1868.
What is Altoona known for?
Altoona is home to the Adventureland amusement park and the Prairie Meadows horse racing track and casino. It is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area in Polk County, and the Outlets of Des Moines opened there in October 2017.
How many people live in Altoona?
The 2020 census counted 19,565 people in Altoona, up from 14,541 in 2010 and 10,345 in 2000. About 34 percent of households in 2020 had children under 18 living in them.
Does Altoona have a history museum?
Yes. The Altoona Area Historical Society was recognized by the city council in 2003 as the official keeper of the city's artifacts and records. In 2011 it began a major interior renovation of Altoona's oldest building, which is now a museum.
What happens at Christmas in Altoona for kids?
On Saturday, December 5, 2026, the Altoona Public Library holds a Gingerbread House Workshop from 10:00 to 11:00 AM and a drop-in photo event called Grin with the Grinch from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM. Both take place at the library.
Where are Altoona's Christmas events held?
Both confirmed 2026 events are at the Altoona Public Library, 700 8th Street SW. The library has been at that address since 1998. The gingerbread workshop uses the full meeting room, rooms A and B together.
Who organizes the Christmas events in Altoona?
The Altoona Public Library runs the Gingerbread House Workshop and lists a staff contact on its page. The Friends of the Altoona Library Foundation are the group bringing the Grinch for photos, and their members attend to answer questions about supporting the library.
What is free at Christmas in Altoona?
The Gingerbread House Workshop on December 5, 2026 is listed at no charge, and the library provides the supplies, but registration is required and the class is full with a waitlist. The Grin with the Grinch page does not state a price.
Sources
- Altoona, Iowa, Wikipedia
- Gingerbread House Workshop, Altoona Public Library
- Grin with The Grinch, Altoona Public Library
Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Iowa city.
Altoona Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas event for kids in Altoona to start with?
Grin with the Grinch at the Altoona Public Library on Saturday, December 5, 2026 is the easiest place to begin. It is a drop-in photo event running from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM, with no appointment or registration, so it works around naps and other plans.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Altoona?
The Gingerbread House Workshop at the Altoona Public Library on December 5, 2026 is listed at no charge, with supplies provided, though it requires registration and is currently full with a waitlist. The page for Grin with the Grinch the same day does not mention a price.
Where can kids meet Santa in Altoona?
The Altoona listings we confirmed for 2026 do not include a Santa visit. The character on offer is the Grinch, who poses for holiday photos at the Altoona Public Library on Saturday, December 5, from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM, courtesy of the Friends of the Altoona Library Foundation.
Can we do both Altoona library events on the same day?
Yes. Both are on Saturday, December 5, 2026 at the Altoona Public Library, 700 8th Street SW. The Gingerbread House Workshop runs from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, and Grin with the Grinch continues until 2:30 PM, so you can head to the photos once the houses are decorated.
Which Altoona Christmas events need registration?
The Gingerbread House Workshop on December 5, 2026 requires registration, one per house. Sign-up opens to Altoona and rural Polk County residents four weeks before the event and to everyone else three weeks before. The page shows it at capacity, with new registrants waitlisted. Grin with the Grinch needs no registration.
What ages are the Altoona Christmas events for?
The Gingerbread House Workshop is listed for children in grades K-3 and 4-6, and anyone 7 or under must come with an adult. Grin with the Grinch is listed as a community event, and its page suggests family photos as one of the poses, so all ages can take part.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Altoona?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Iowa Christmas train rides guide. This Altoona guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.
How do you confirm these events?
We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.