The Ames area has 5 Christmas events for kids we could confirm for the 2026 season, from Snow Magic Kick-Off in Ames on December 3 to Winter Wonderscape in Ames, which runs through December 6. 2 of them are free, and every listing links straight to the host. It is one stop on our guide to Christmas events for kids in Iowa, part of our guide for every state.
The short version
- 5 kids’ Christmas events confirmed in Ames for 2026, in Ames and Nevada
- First: Snow Magic Kick-Off, Ames, December 3. Runs latest: Winter Wonderscape, Ames, through December 6
- Free: Yuletide at Farm House Museum and TUBACHRISTMAS
- Checked on each host’s own page; each listing links straight to it
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Christmas events for kids in Ames
4 confirmed events for kids in Ames, soonest first.
Holiday lights
Snow Magic Kick-Off
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026
- Where: Downtown Ames, Ames
- Cost: See event page
- Ages: Families
Details, tips and host
Snow Magic Kick-Off opens the holiday season in downtown Ames on Thursday, Dec 3. The activities are spread across local businesses rather than held in one place.
The previous edition of this event included Santa visits, letters to Santa, a visit from Buddy the Elf, carolers and carriage rides, and the organizers describe it as a night for the whole family. Check the event page for this year's times and stops.
Parent tip: Plan to walk between downtown stops and dress for the cold. Confirm the schedule on the event page.
- Host
- Discover Ames (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown Ames, Main Street, Ames, IA 50010 (near Ames)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday lights
Winter Wonderscape
- When: Fri December 4, Sat December 5 and Sun December 6, 2026
- Where: Reiman Gardens, Ames
- Cost: See event page
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Winter Wonderscape is an outdoor walk-through light display at Reiman Gardens. The Discover Ames guide lists it on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec 4 to 6, and says it runs on weekends through December.
An earlier Discover Ames article described the display as covering 17 acres of gardens and advised buying tickets in advance. Ticket prices and entry times are on the event page.
Parent tip: Buy tickets ahead of time and bundle up, since the whole walk is outdoors.
- Host
- Discover Ames (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd, Ames, IA 50011 (near Ames)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday craftsFree
Yuletide at Farm House Museum
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026
- Where: Farm House Museum, Ames
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Yuletide at Farm House Museum takes place on Friday, Dec 4 at the historic Farm House on the Iowa State University campus. The Discover Ames holiday guide lists free Victorian-themed activities and crafts.
The guide does not give hours or an age range, so check the event page before you go. A museum visit like this suits curious school-age children who enjoy looking at old rooms and making a simple craft.
Parent tip: Check the event page for hours before you drive over.
- Host
- Discover Ames (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Farm House Museum, Iowa State University campus, Ames, IA 50011 (near Ames)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday showFree
TUBACHRISTMAS
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026
- Where: Stephens Auditorium, Ames
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
TUBACHRISTMAS is a free holiday concert at Stephens Auditorium on Saturday, Dec 5. The Discover Ames guide calls it free and fun for all ages.
Tubas and euphoniums play familiar Christmas carols, which gives children a chance to hear big brass instruments up close. The guide gives no start time, so check the event page for the schedule.
Parent tip: Check the event page for the start time.
- Host
- Discover Ames (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Stephens Auditorium, 1900 Center Dr, Ames, IA 50011 (near Ames)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Look inside the book
Story time with Santa in Ames? Bring Rally home.
Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor. It makes a cozy bedtime story after a big day with Santa. Turn a few pages here.
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Christmas events for kids in Nevada
1 confirmed event for kids in Nevada, soonest first.
Santa visit
A Hometown Christmas
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026 to Sunday, December 6, 2026
- Where: Downtown Nevada, Nevada
- Cost: See event page
- Ages: Families
Details, tips and host
A Hometown Christmas fills the weekend of Dec 4 to 6 in Nevada, Iowa, a short drive from Ames. The Discover Ames guide lists Santa visits and hayrides among the family activities.
The guide does not give times, prices or locations for each activity, so use the event page to plan your visit.
Parent tip: Look at the event page for the weekend schedule.
- Host
- Discover Ames (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown Nevada, Lincoln Highway, Nevada, IA 50201 (near Ames)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Every event above was confirmed on the host’s own page, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (sign-ups, ages, what is included). Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Iowa Christmas train rides page.
Ames Christmas events for kids at a glance
- Kids’ Christmas events
- 5 confirmed for 2026
- Cities
- Ames and Nevada
- Season
- December 3 to December 6, 2026
- Free events
- 2
- Kinds of events
- holiday lights, Santa visit, holiday crafts and holiday show
- Last checked
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Ames Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Snow Magic Kick-Off in Ames on December 3; the last runs to December 6. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Snow Magic Kick-OffAmes · Dec 3
- Yuletide at Farm House MuseumAmes · Dec 4
- A Hometown ChristmasNevada · Dec 4 to Dec 6
- Winter WonderscapeAmes · Dec 4 to Dec 6
- TUBACHRISTMASAmes · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our Iowa Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque, Sioux City, Iowa City and Waterloo. 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: unlock the list and we'll email you as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Ames
Christmas in Ames mixes campus tradition with small-town charm. Iowa State University has lit its holiday tree for families since 1940, and downtown shops, a historic museum and a garden of lights fill December with things to see.
How Ames celebrates
The longest-running tradition in Ames is the Festival of Lights at Iowa State University, which the university's president said had been held since 1940. Families gather at the campus Christmas tree for choir music, a sing-along and free hot chocolate served by student volunteers, and the tree lights are switched on with the help of local children. Downtown Ames adds its own glow, with historic storefronts decorated in lights, and the Discover Ames visitor bureau gathers the season's family events into a yearly Merry and Bright guide.
Christmas last year in Ames
The 2025 season began downtown with the Snow Magic Kick-Off on Thursday, December 4, from 5 to 8 pm. Children could see Santa at Duck Worth Wearing, write letters to Santa at the Octagon Center for the Arts and meet Buddy the Elf at Dog-Eared Books. Carriage rides ran from 6 to 8 pm at The Depot and the Ames History Museum, and decorated shop windows hid QR codes for families to scan. Reiman Gardens also offered Winter Wonderscape, an outdoor walk-through light show, on December weekends.
Fun facts about Christmas in Ames
At the Iowa State Festival of Lights, horse-drawn carriages once carried visitors through Central Campus, and reindeer were on display. A 2002 newspaper report said about 700 people came to see the reindeer in their first year. Reiman Gardens describes its winter light show as spread across 17 acres of outdoor gardens. Just up the road in Story City, a Christmas tree has been lit on Broad Street since 1914, when the town was said to be one of the first to display a tree with electric lights.
Trains and Christmas near Ames
Ames has no railroad museum of its own, but train fans have a favorite holiday outing nearby. The Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad runs its Santa Express from the depot in Boone, a short drive west. Discover Ames calls the ride to a North Pole with a Santa visit a staple holiday tradition for many Midwest families. The railroad's 2026 weekend dates appear in the Merry and Bright guide, and children are offered chocolate milk and a cookie. Check the railroad's own page for tickets.
Traditions today
- Festival of Lights at Iowa State: Choir music, a sing-along and free hot chocolate at the campus Christmas tree, a tradition since 1940.
- Snow Magic Kick-Off: A downtown evening of Santa visits, letters to Santa, Buddy the Elf, carolers and carriage rides.
- Winter Wonderscape at Reiman Gardens: An outdoor walk-through light show on December weekends.
- Yuletide at Farm House Museum: Free Victorian-themed activities and crafts at the historic campus museum.
- TUBACHRISTMAS: A free concert of carols played by tubas and euphoniums at Stephens Auditorium.
- Santa Express in Boone: A nearby holiday train ride with a Santa visit, a staple for Midwest families.
A fact for kids
In Ames, a Christmas tree on the Iowa State campus has been lit with choir music and hot chocolate since 1940, and at one point reindeer came to visit it.
Questions about Christmas in Ames
What is the oldest Christmas tradition in Ames?
The Iowa State University Festival of Lights is the oldest tradition we found, held since 1940. Families gather at the campus Christmas tree for choir music, a sing-along and free hot chocolate. Children have helped switch on the tree lights, and past years added carriage rides and reindeer.
How does Ames celebrate Christmas today?
Ames celebrates with a mix of campus and downtown events. Families visit Santa downtown, walk through the Reiman Gardens light show, hear free concerts and make Victorian crafts at the Farm House Museum. Several of these sit close together, so one trip can cover more than one.
Where can kids see Christmas lights in Ames?
Reiman Gardens runs Winter Wonderscape, an outdoor walk-through light show spread across 17 acres, on December weekends. Downtown Ames also decorates its historic storefronts with Christmas lights, which makes an easy evening walk. Check the garden's page for tickets, and bring warm coats for little ones.
Does Ames have a Christmas parade?
We did not find a large Christmas parade in Ames itself. The closest tradition is the downtown Snow Magic Kick-Off, which uses carriage rides and shop visits rather than a parade route. Our Ames Christmas events guide on this page lists other nearby holiday options.
Can kids meet Santa in Ames?
Yes. During the 2025 Snow Magic Kick-Off, children saw Santa at Duck Worth Wearing downtown and wrote letters to him at the Octagon Center for the Arts. The Santa Express train in nearby Boone also includes a Santa visit. Current dates are listed in our Ames Christmas events guide on this page.
When does the Christmas season start in Ames?
The season usually begins around Thanksgiving weekend and runs through December. In Ames the first big family weekend is usually early December, with the downtown kick-off on Thursday, December 3 in 2026. Dates change every year, so confirm times with the host before you go. Families can find current listings in our Ames Christmas events guide on this page, which links straight to each organizer.
How can I explain a local Christmas tradition in Ames to a young child?
Tell children that the Festival of Lights is a very old campus tradition, started in 1940, where everyone gathers to turn on the big tree together. Let them help count the lights, sing one song and sip hot chocolate. Linking it to a family tradition of your own makes the story stick.
What is a good first Christmas outing for toddlers in Ames?
Pick something short, close to home and easy to leave. The downtown Snow Magic Kick-Off is walkable, with short stops for Santa, Buddy the Elf and shop windows, and carriage rides in the early evening. Bring layers, snacks and a stroller, and plan to head home before nap time gets close. Our Ames Christmas events guide on this page lists current options with times and prices.
Is Christmas in Ames different from other places in Iowa?
Ames feels different because a university sits at the center of town. Its oldest tradition, the Festival of Lights, belongs to Iowa State and dates to 1940, while downtown shops add small-town touches such as window scavenger hunts. Nearby Story City has lit a Broad Street tree since 1914, so the area has deep roots.
What weather should we expect at Christmas events in Ames?
Expect cold Iowa evenings in December, often below freezing, with snow possible. Winter Wonderscape and the campus tree lighting are outdoors, so plan on coats, hats, gloves and boots. Indoor options include the Farm House Museum and Stephens Auditorium concerts. Check the forecast on the day, and ask the organizer about weather changes.
Are Christmas events in Ames free?
Many holiday events here are free or low cost, though some, such as light displays, may sell tickets. Yuletide at Farm House Museum and TUBACHRISTMAS are listed as free for 2026, and the campus tree lighting has offered free hot chocolate. Always check the host's page for the current price. We list prices and free events in our Ames Christmas events guide on this page.
How do I find Christmas events in Ames this year?
Start with our Ames Christmas events guide on this page, which lists confirmed 2026 events with dates and links to the organizer. Discover Ames publishes a yearly Merry and Bright guide. Dates and times can change, so check the organizer's page the day before you go.
What Christmas foods or treats do families in Ames enjoy?
Hot chocolate is a clear favorite, served free by student volunteers at the Iowa State Festival of Lights. Brunch with Santa is offered at Center Grove Orchard, and a train ride in Boone includes chocolate milk and a cookie. Nearby Nevada's Bricktown Bakery shows a new donut or popcorn flavor for its twelve days of Christmas.
Does Ames have Christmas events at a library or museum?
Yes. Yuletide at Farm House Museum on Friday, December 4, 2026 offers free Victorian-themed activities and crafts. The Ames History Museum joined the 2025 Snow Magic Kick-Off with carriage rides. Check each host for current details. Our Ames Christmas events guide on this page lists confirmed dates.
Are Christmas events in Ames good for babies and toddlers?
Most events welcome little ones, but crowds and noise can be a lot for babies. Choose daytime or early evening events, arrive early, and ask the host about stroller access. Our Ames Christmas events guide on this page notes ages and registration when the host lists them.
Is there a Christmas train near Ames?
Yes. The Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad runs its Santa Express from the depot in Boone, a short drive west of Ames. Discover Ames lists it for December Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with a Santa visit, chocolate milk and a cookie for children. Check the railroad's page for tickets and times.
Does Ames have a railroad museum?
We did not find a railroad museum in Ames. The nearest rail outing is the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad depot in Boone, where the Santa Express holiday ride departs. Our Ames Christmas events guide on this page lists local family events, and the railroad's own page has train times and tickets.
What is a fun Christmas fact to tell kids about Ames?
Tell them that reindeer once visited the Iowa State Christmas tree. A 2002 report said about 700 people came to see them in their first year. Kids also like that Reiman Gardens covers 17 acres with lights, and that Story City lit a tree with electric bulbs in 1914.
How has Christmas in Ames changed over time?
The Iowa State Festival of Lights has kept the same core since 1940: a tree, music and hot chocolate. Over the years it added carriage rides and reindeer. Downtown now has a coordinated kick-off with shop trails and QR code windows, and gardens offer a light show, which are newer touches.
What should we know before visiting Ames for Christmas?
Many family stops sit on or near the Iowa State campus and downtown. Park early for evening events, expect cold weather, and confirm times with each host. Our Ames Christmas events guide on this page lists current dates, prices and which events are free.
Sources
- Merry and Bright, Discover Ames
- Snow Magic Kick-off, Discover Ames
- Ames: The perfect home for the holidays, Discover Ames
- 'Twas a Festival at Night, Iowa State Daily
- Yulefest Tree Lighting, Discover Ames
Ames Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Ames this year?
We confirmed 5 for the 2026 season, and 2 of them are free. Good places to start: Snow Magic Kick-Off (Dec 3), Yuletide at Farm House Museum (Dec 4) and TUBACHRISTMAS (Dec 5). Every event on this page has the times, the cost and a link to the host.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Ames?
Yes, 2 of the 5. Some free events still need a reservation, so check the listing before you go.
Where can kids meet Santa in Ames?
2 events here include a visit with Santa. Popular picks are A Hometown Christmas in Nevada (Dec 4 to Dec 6). Bring your own camera; most visits allow photos.
Do we need tickets or reservations?
For 3 of the 5 events, yes: they sell tickets or ask you to sign up ahead. Meals with Santa and ticketed shows fill up first. Most library and park events are walk-in, and each listing says which is which.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Ames?
Yes, but they have their own guide. Santa trains and holiday train rides are listed in our Ames Christmas train rides guide, so this page sticks to story times, Santa visits 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 4, 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.