Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Amherstburg for 2026, and both are free. River Lights fills three riverfront parks with LED displays every night until January 3, and on Friday, December 11, Santa sits in a giant snow globe on Dalhousie Street for the Santa Shout Out. We check every date on Visit Amherstburg, the town’s tourism site, and link straight there. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Amherstburg
- 2 free Christmas events for kids in Amherstburg
- River Lights Winter Festival: nightly, November 14 to January 3
- Santa Shout Out: Friday, December 11, 6 pm to 8 pm
- Kid favourite: Toddy Jones Park displays and the Gingerbread Warming House
- 2026: the 20th season of River Lights
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Free Christmas events for kids in Amherstburg
Riverfront lightsFree
River Lights Winter Festival
- When: Nightly, November 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027; the Gingerbread Warming House is open on weekends
- Where: King’s Navy Yard Park, Toddy Jones Park and the Amherstburg Waterfront Festival Plaza, 242 Dalhousie St., Amherstburg, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
River Lights celebrates its 20th season in 2026, with hundreds of custom LED displays spread through downtown Amherstburg and three parks along the Detroit River. King’s Navy Yard Park has the traditional carolers, angels and soldiers, while Toddy Jones Park at 50 North St. is the playful one built with kids in mind.
New this year, the Amherstburg Waterfront Festival Plaza at 306 Dalhousie St. adds nautical-themed displays. On weekends the Gingerbread Warming House in Toddy Jones Park serves hot chocolate, runs crafts and hosts Sunday Storytime with Santa, and the gingerbread house contest entries stay on show there until December 20.
Parent tip: Start at Toddy Jones Park so the kids see the whimsical displays first, then walk the river path to King’s Navy Yard Park; aim for a Friday to Sunday evening if you want the Warming House open.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Amherstburg 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 Amherstburg.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Amherstburg 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.
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Santa in a snow globeFree
Santa Shout Out
- When: Friday, December 11, 2026, 6 pm to 8 pm
- Where: Next to the Gordon House, downtown Amherstburg, 266 Dalhousie Street, Amherstburg, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Kids and families
Expand to see the parent tip
For the Santa Shout Out, Santa settles into a giant snow globe beside the Gordon House on Dalhousie Street and chats with kids about what they are hoping for this Christmas.
Secret helpers in headlamp toques quietly gather details from parents beforehand, so Santa can surprise each child by revealing their wish. There is no registration, and holiday music plays while families stroll the River Lights displays nearby.
Parent tip: Find a helper in a headlamp toque as soon as you arrive so Santa has your child’s wish before your turn, then walk the lights afterwards.
- Host
- Visit Amherstburg (Town of Amherstburg Tourism) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Next to the Gordon House, downtown Amherstburg, 266 Dalhousie Street, Amherstburg, ON (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Amherstburg events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Amherstburg daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Amherstburg.
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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? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists Santa trains and holiday rides across the country.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Amherstburg Christmas event for kids happens
Pick Friday, December 11 for the Santa Shout Out on Dalhousie Street, then walk River Lights afterwards; if you visit on a weekend instead, the Gingerbread Warming House in Toddy Jones Park adds hot chocolate, crafts and Sunday Storytime with Santa.
- River Lights Winter FestivalAmherstburg · Nov 14 to Jan 3
- Santa Shout OutAmherstburg · Dec 11
Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Windsor, London, Norfolk County and Brantford. 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 AmazonThe story of Christmas in Amherstburg
Amherstburg's River Lights Winter Festival started as a way to coax people out of their homes on dark winter nights, and by 2018 it was drawing about 40,000 visitors, nearly double the town's population. In 2026 it celebrates 20 years of glowing displays, fireworks and a cannon shot along the Detroit River.
175 solar-sensored displays by 2014 and 40,000 visitors to River Lights by 2018
River Lights began, the town's special events coordinator Sarah Van Grisven told Enbridge in 2018, as a project to get people out of their homes during the winter holiday season. By 2014, its eighth year, the volunteer-run festival had 175 Christmas light displays in the historic downtown on the Detroit River, more than 90 percent of them lit by solar-sensored LEDs. About 25,000 people had come the year before, and Festivals and Events Ontario had named it one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario.
Four years later, in its 12th season, River Lights drew about 40,000 visitors, nearly double the town's population. A memorial area let families request a light display, usually an angel, for a lost loved one, and that year organizers added a teddy bear area for children. "We really want to be that cozy classic town to visit during the holidays," Van Grisven said. In 2026 the River Lights Winter Festival runs nightly from November 14 to January 3, 2027.
Mayor Michael Prue's countdown and fireworks over the Detroit River on November 15, 2025
The 2025 season opened on Saturday, November 15, with the Super Santa Run at 5 pm, when runners and walkers in Santa suits took to downtown streets. The Walker Gingerbread Warming House opened in Toddy Jones Park at 5:30 pm, and at 6 pm Mayor Michael Prue helped count down to the tree lighting at the Clock Tower, calling it his favourite night of the year. Fireworks went up over the river at 6:20 pm, the Provincial Marine fired a cannon, and town crier Norm Ross, in his first Christmas in the role, announced the evening.
The Park House Museum served mulled cider on its historic hearth, and the lights ran until January 4, 2026. A week later, on November 22, the Windsor Parade Corporation's Santa Claus Parade wound down Sandwich Street, Richmond Street and Dalhousie Street to Toddy Jones Park. On Friday, December 12, Santa sat in a giant snow globe beside the Gordon House for the Santa Shout Out.
A life-size gingerbread house, Sunday stories with Santa and a contest since the early years
A life-size gingerbread house was already one of the festival's highlights in 2014, and today it is the Walker Gingerbread Warming House in Toddy Jones Park at 50 North Street. In 2025 it opened on weekend nights from 5:30 to 8:30 pm through December 21, with holiday elves running crafts and gingerbread house building, hot chocolate served by Bryerswood Youth Camp, and Sunday story times with Santa at 6 pm.
The house is also home to the annual Gingerbread House Contest. In 2026 entries are dropped off on November 12 between 3 and 6 pm, judged in categories from youth 5 and under up to adult and expert, and winners are named on November 20. Every edible house stays on display in the Warming House until December 20, so visitors can study the builds between stops on the light walk.
A 500-year-old Yuletide tale, a cannon and a new waterfront plaza for the 2026 opening night
Amherstburg's Christmas has a strong old-fort flavour. On opening night the Provincial Marine of Amherstburg, a living history group, gathers at The Commissariat in King's Navy Yard Park, and storyteller Seamus Gunn tells a Yuletide tale that the town says is more than 500 years old, at 6:45, 7:20 and 7:55 pm. The group fires a cannon over the river just before the fireworks.
For the 20th season, opening night moves to the new Amherstburg Waterfront Festival Plaza at 306 Dalhousie Street, which adds nautical-themed displays. On November 14, 2026, the Super Santa 5K starts on Richmond Street at 5 pm, opening ceremonies begin at 6 pm, the tree is lit at 6:10, the cannon fires at 6:15 and fireworks follow at 6:25. The Silver Ambassadors and the Windsor Essex Concert Band play, and Chartwell Amherstburg serves free hot chocolate and cookies.
Traditions today
- River Lights opening night: A Saturday in mid-November with the Super Santa 5K, a tree lighting, a cannon shot and fireworks over the Detroit River. In 2026 it is November 14.
- Walker Gingerbread Warming House: A gingerbread-themed warming hut in Toddy Jones Park with hot chocolate, crafts and Sunday story time with Santa on festival weekends.
- Gingerbread House Contest: Families, teens and experts build edible houses that go on display in the Warming House until December 20.
- Santa Claus Parade downtown: An evening parade of lit floats through downtown Amherstburg the week after River Lights opens. In 2026 it is Saturday, November 21, at 6 pm.
- Santa Shout Out: Santa sits in a giant snow globe beside the Gordon House and surprises children by revealing their Christmas wish. The 2026 Santa Shout Out is December 11.
- Memorial angels: Families can ask for a light display, usually an angel, in memory of a loved one in the River Lights memorial area.
A fact for kids
At Amherstburg's Santa Shout Out, Santa sits inside a giant snow globe, and secret helpers wearing headlamp toques quietly tell him each child's Christmas wish so he can guess it out loud.
Questions about Christmas in Amherstburg
When did the River Lights Winter Festival in Amherstburg start?
River Lights marks 20 years in 2026, and the town described 2014 as its eighth year and 2018 as its 12th. A 2025 River Town Times report said the opening tree lighting dates back nearly 20 years. It began as a project to get people out of their homes during the winter holiday season and is now one of the town's biggest traditions.
How many people visit River Lights in Amherstburg?
In 2018, its 12th season, River Lights drew about 40,000 visitors, nearly double Amherstburg's population. Back in 2014 the town said about 25,000 had come the previous year. Admission is free, which organizers say depends on sponsorships and donations, so every gift helps keep the lights on.
Are the River Lights displays solar powered?
Most of them run on solar-sensored LED lights. In 2014 the festival had 175 Christmas light displays, and more than 90 percent used solar-sensored LEDs. Enbridge, which built the nearby Amherstburg II Solar Project, has been a title sponsor since 2014 and has funded opening night. Today the festival has hundreds of custom LED displays.
Which parks have River Lights displays in 2026?
Three waterfront spots light up from November 14, 2026, to January 3, 2027. King's Navy Yard Park at 242 Dalhousie Street has traditional carolers, angels and soldiers along the Detroit River. Toddy Jones Park at 50 North Street has the playful displays kids love. New for 2026, the Amherstburg Waterfront Festival Plaza at 306 Dalhousie Street adds nautical-themed displays.
What time is the River Lights opening night in 2026?
Opening night is Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Amherstburg Waterfront Festival Plaza. The Super Santa 5K starts on Richmond Street at 5 pm, the Gingerbread Warming House opens at 5:30, opening ceremonies begin at 6, the tree is lit at 6:10, a cannon fires at 6:15 and fireworks go up over the river at 6:25.
Why is a cannon fired at Amherstburg's Christmas tree lighting?
The Provincial Marine of Amherstburg, a living history group based at The Commissariat in King's Navy Yard Park, fires a cannon as part of River Lights opening night. In 2025 the cannon shot was part of the evening along with carolling, storytelling and fireworks, and in 2026 the cannon firing is scheduled for 6:15 pm, just before the fireworks.
What story is told at The Commissariat on River Lights opening night?
Storyteller Seamus Gunn of the Provincial Marine of Amherstburg shares a Yuletide tale the town says is more than 500 years old. In 2026 he tells it at 6:45, 7:20 and 7:55 pm at The Commissariat, 224 Dalhousie Street, in King's Navy Yard Park. Seating is limited, and in good weather the group gathers by a fire on the river side.
Who lit the Amherstburg Christmas tree in 2025?
Mayor Michael Prue helped count down to the tree lighting at the Clock Tower at Richmond and Dalhousie streets on November 15, 2025, and called it his favourite night of the year. Town crier Norm Ross, in his first Christmas in the job, introduced the mayor and announced the activities. Hundreds of residents and visitors came on a night with perfect weather.
What is the Gingerbread Warming House in Amherstburg?
It is a gingerbread-themed warming house in Toddy Jones Park at 50 North Street, sponsored by Walker Aggregates. During River Lights it opens on weekend nights from 5:30 to 8:30 pm with crafts, gingerbread house building and hot chocolate, and on Sundays Santa reads holiday stories. A life-size gingerbread house was already a festival highlight back in 2014.
How do I enter the Amherstburg Christmas gingerbread house contest?
Bring your finished house to the Gingerbread Warming House at 50 North Street on November 12, 2026, between 3 and 6 pm and fill out the entry form there. It must sit on a board base and be made of edible materials. Categories run from youth 5 and under to adult and expert, winners are announced November 20, and entries stay on display until December 20.
When is the Amherstburg Santa Claus Parade in 2026?
The Amherstburg Santa Claus Parade is Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 6 pm in downtown Amherstburg, a week after River Lights opens. Expect bright Christmas floats, holiday music and entertainment. In 2025 the Windsor Parade Corporation presented the parade, which started on Sandwich Street North near William Street and ended at Toddy Jones Park.
What route did the Amherstburg Santa Claus Parade take in 2025?
On Saturday, November 22, 2025, the parade started at 6 pm on Sandwich Street North near William Street, headed south on Sandwich Street, then used Richmond Street and Dalhousie Street and finished at Toddy Jones Park, home of the Gingerbread Warming House. The Windsor Parade Corporation presented it, and families could stay on to walk the River Lights displays.
How does the Santa Shout Out in Amherstburg work?
Santa sits in a giant snow globe next to the Gordon House at 266 Dalhousie Street. Before children reach him, secret helpers in headlamp toques quietly collect details from parents, so Santa can reveal each child's Christmas wish. There is no registration. In 2026 it runs Friday, December 11, from 6 to 8 pm, with holiday music nearby.
Can you remember a loved one at River Lights?
Yes. River Lights has a memorial area where families can request a light display in memory of someone they have lost, and those displays are usually angels. In 2018 organizers also added a teddy bear area for children. The festival is organized by the town's tourism office, which you can reach at tourism@amherstburg.ca.
What is the Super Santa Run in Amherstburg?
The Super Santa Run kicks off River Lights opening night. Runners, walkers and people using wheels put on Santa suits and head through downtown before the tree lighting. In 2025 it started at 5 pm on November 15, and in 2026 the Super Santa 5K Run/Walk/Wheel starts on Richmond Street at 5 pm on November 14.
What happens at Park House Museum during River Lights?
On opening night in 2025, the Park House Museum at 214 Dalhousie Street stayed open from 6 to 10 pm, serving mulled cider warmed on its historic hearth along with popcorn. Admission was by donation and the gift shop was open. It sits right along the River Lights walk between the Clock Tower and King's Navy Yard Park.
Who sponsors River Lights opening night?
Enbridge has been River Lights' title sponsor since 2014, starting with a commitment of $15,000 a year for three years, and it gave $15,000 in 2018 to fund opening night. Other local sponsors help too, such as Walker Aggregates for the Gingerbread Warming House and Chartwell Amherstburg, which serves free hot chocolate and cookies after the 2026 ceremonies.
Has River Lights ever been extended past New Year's?
In 2019 the festival opened on Saturday, November 16, with new lighting displays, and tourism manager Anne Rota said it was expected to be extended from early January into February. Most years it runs about six to seven weeks. The 2025 season ran to January 4, 2026, and the 2026 season runs to January 3, 2027.
Has River Lights won any awards?
Yes. Festivals and Events Ontario named the River Lights Winter Festival one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario, an honour mentioned in a 2014 Enbridge story, and a 2018 Enbridge story said the festival was named to that list in 2016. The volunteer-run festival has grown since then to hundreds of custom LED displays across three waterfront locations.
What can kids do at River Lights on a weekend?
Start at Toddy Jones Park, where the displays are built with kids in mind and the Gingerbread Warming House is open on weekend nights with crafts, gingerbread house building and hot chocolate. On Sundays Santa reads stories there. Then walk to King's Navy Yard Park for the carolers, angels and soldiers along the river.
Sources
- River Lights Winter Festival, Visit Amherstburg
- River Lights Opening Night, Visit Amherstburg
- River Lights Winter Festival: November 15 to January 4, Town of Amherstburg
- River Lights underway, River Town Times
- Adding holiday energy to Amherstburg's River Lights Winter Festival, Enbridge
- Merry and bright: Braving the cold and lighting up the holiday nights, Enbridge
- Brighter River Lights Winter Festival in Amherstburg, AM800 CKLW
- Santa Claus Parade, Visit Amherstburg
- Gingerbread House Contest, Visit Amherstburg
- Santa Shout Out, Visit Amherstburg
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 Canada city.
Amherstburg Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Amherstburg this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 free Christmas events for kids in Amherstburg for 2026: the River Lights Winter Festival, nightly to January 3, 2027, and the Santa Shout Out on December 11.
When is River Lights in Amherstburg in 2026?
Every night from November 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027, in King’s Navy Yard Park, Toddy Jones Park and the Amherstburg Waterfront Festival Plaza. It is free, and 2026 is its 20th season.
What is the Gingerbread Warming House?
A cozy stop in Toddy Jones Park, 50 North St., open on River Lights weekends with hot chocolate, crafts and Sunday Storytime with Santa. The gingerbread house contest entries are displayed there until December 20.
Where can kids meet Santa in Amherstburg?
At the Santa Shout Out on Friday, December 11, 2026, from 6 pm to 8 pm next to the Gordon House at 266 Dalhousie Street. Santa sits in a snow globe, no registration is needed, and it is free.
Who do I contact about Amherstburg holiday events?
The Town of Amherstburg tourism team, which runs Visit Amherstburg: tourism@amherstburg.ca.
Are there more Christmas events near Amherstburg?
Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists confirmed events across Canada, and the national search sorts events by distance from your town.
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 Amherstburg on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.
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.