Christmas Events for Kids in Arcadia (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Arcadia for 2026. The tree lights up at Arcadia Transit Plaza on Thursday, December 3, then Saturday, December 5 brings Breakfast with Santa and a free Snow Festival with more than 40 tons of snow, and Santa reads stories at the library on December 12. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Arcadia

  • 4 Christmas events for kids in Arcadia
  • Tree Lighting: Thursday, December 3, 6 pm, Arcadia Transit Plaza
  • Breakfast with Santa and Snow Festival: Saturday, December 5, Community Center
  • Storytime with Santa: Saturday, December 12, 2:30 pm, Public Library
  • Every date checked on the City of Arcadia’s calendar on Nov 11

Free 3Ticketed and paid 1

Free Christmas events for kids in Arcadia

Tree lightingFree

Tree Lighting Celebration

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Arcadia lights its holiday tree at the Transit Plaza by the Metro station on the first Thursday evening of December, a short and sweet celebration that fits a school night.

Kids can sit for photos with Santa, make a craft and grab a treat while the tree comes to life, and the whole program wraps up in about an hour and fifteen minutes.

Parent tip: Ride the Metro A Line and step straight off the train into the celebration, which skips the downtown parking hunt.

Host
City of Arcadia Recreation and Community Services (opens in a new tab)
Address
Arcadia Transit Plaza (Arcadia Transit Station), Arcadia, CA 91006 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Arcadia Recreation and Community Services (opens in a new tab)

New Arcadia events every week

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 3 more Arcadia events 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 Arcadia.
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  • 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.
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Coming up on this page

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Snow playFree

Snow Festival

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Arcadia trucks in more than 40 tons of snow for its free Snow Festival on the first Saturday of December, turning the Community Center grounds into a sledding hill and snow play zone.

Bounce houses, crafts and photo spots fill out the morning, making this the easiest way for San Gabriel Valley kids to see real snow without driving up the mountain.

Parent tip: Bring gloves and a dry change of clothes. Snow lines are shortest right at 9 am.

Host
City of Arcadia Recreation and Community Services (opens in a new tab)
Address
Arcadia Community Center, Arcadia, CA 91006 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Arcadia Recreation and Community Services (opens in a new tab)

New Arcadia events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Arcadia daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Arcadia.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Library storytimeFree

Storytime with Santa

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Santa stops by the Arcadia Public Library for an afternoon storytime in the Cay Mortenson Auditorium, with holiday stories read aloud, crafts and photos.

It is free and open to all ages, a calm indoor alternative for little ones who find the bigger festivals a bit much.

Parent tip: Bring your own camera for the photos, and check out a stack of holiday picture books on the way out.

Host
Arcadia Public Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Arcadia Public Library, Cay Mortenson Auditorium, 20 W Duarte Rd, Arcadia, CA 91006 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Arcadia Public Library (opens in a new tab)

New Arcadia events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Arcadia daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Arcadia.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Arcadia

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Event hosts: free events are listed first. The #1 spot puts your event at the top of this page.Inquire about the #1 spotAdd your event for free

Breakfast with Santa

Breakfast with Santa

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Santa joins Arcadia families for a sit-down breakfast at the Arcadia Community Center on the same morning as the Snow Festival, in two seatings at 8:30 am and 10:30 am.

Breakfast comes with activities, a hot cocoa bar and a photo opportunity with Santa. Tickets are presold only, so this one has to be booked ahead.

Parent tip: Book the 8:30 am seating and you will finish just as the Snow Festival opens next door at 9 am.

Host
City of Arcadia Recreation and Community Services (opens in a new tab)
Address
Arcadia Community Center, Arcadia, CA 91006 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Arcadia Recreation and Community Services (opens in a new tab)

New Arcadia events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Arcadia daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Arcadia.

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 California Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Arcadia Christmas event for kids happens

Make December 5 your big Arcadia day: an 8:30 am Breakfast with Santa, then straight outside for sledding when the Snow Festival opens at 9.

Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Baldwin Park, Pasadena, South Pasadena and West Covina. 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.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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 Amazon (opens in a new tab)

The story of Christmas in Arcadia

Arcadia's most famous landmark, Santa Anita Park, opened on Christmas Day 1934, and its big winter racing meet still opens the day after Christmas. Each December the city also trucks in real snow for kids to sled on, a few miles from the palm trees.

A racetrack that opened on Christmas Day 1934 and still races on December 26

Santa Anita Park, the Art Deco racetrack under the San Gabriel Mountains, opened on Christmas Day, 1934. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, and it still ties its calendar to Christmas: the Classic Meet opens on December 26. In 2026, Opening Day is Saturday, December 26, with gates at 9 am, first post at 11 am, free parking at Gate 3 and early bird admission of $15 through December 10.

The track has also become a place for Christmas lights. On opening weekend of its first Winterfest in November 2018, Arcadia Mayor Sho Tay lit a huge Christmas tree in the infield, surrounded by a real-ice rink, Santa on his throne, a giant walk-in snow globe, horse-drawn carriage rides and pony rides, with $5 entry and first responders admitted free. In 2025, Enchant Christmas came to Southern California for the first time, filling more than 10 acres at Santa Anita from November 21 to December 28 with what it calls the world's largest Christmas light maze, a skating trail and Santa's Landing with storytime from Mrs. Claus. Enchant says it returns in winter 2026.

Hundreds of lights at the Transit Plaza on December 4 and sledding on December 6, 2025

The 2025 season opened with the annual Tree Lighting Celebration at the Arcadia Transit Plaza on Thursday, December 4, at 6 pm, where hundreds of lights came on with photos with Santa, crafts and carolers. Two days later, on Saturday, December 6, the Arcadia Community Center became a winter wonderland for the free Snow Festival from 9 am to 2 pm, with snow play, sledding, face painting and a photo booth. The same morning, the Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage helped kids craft their own snow globes.

The Downtown Arcadia Holiday Fair followed on December 13 with Santa visits and kids' activities, and Chabad of Arcadia held a Chanukah menorah lighting and gelt drop at the Transit Plaza on December 15. The police paused overnight parking enforcement from December 22, 2025, to January 5, 2026, so visiting relatives could park on the street. In 2026 the tree lighting is Thursday, December 3, and the Breakfast with Santa and Snow Festival are both Saturday, December 5.

Ugly sweaters in the snow, a Santa Squad for decorated homes and a library snow globe challenge

Arcadia's December traditions are proudly homemade. The city has called its Snow Festival an annual event for years; in 2023 it was held December 2 at the Community Center on Campus Drive with a snow play area, sledding, train rides, crafts and an ugly sweater contest at 10:30, noon and 1:30, while families parked at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center and rode a shuttle. That year the tree lighting at the Transit Plaza, at First Avenue and Santa Clara Street, served hot cocoa and face painting, and in 2024 guests took home commemorative mugs.

The city also runs Holiday Decoration Awards. In 2024, residents nominated a neighbor's home or business, or their own, by December 2, with lights on until 10 pm, and a Santa Squad visited every winner. Over winter break the Arcadia Public Library ran a reading challenge in which every five hours read by the community added a snow globe to its collection, and the Friends of the Library hosted a Winter Concert with the Baldy View Brass Quintet. In 2026, Santa comes to the library for Storytime with Santa on December 12.

Riding the Metro A Line to the tree and a Holiday Lights Train in Griffith Park

Arcadia's tree lighting happens right at the Arcadia Transit Plaza, beside the Metro A Line station, so families can ride the train and step straight off into the celebration instead of hunting for parking downtown. In 2023, the city's Snow Festival even included train rides for kids.

For a full Christmas train outing, the Griffith Park and Southern Railroad in Los Angeles, which has carried families through Griffith Park since 1948, runs a 10-minute Holiday Lights Train around its decorated mile-long track every night from the day after Thanksgiving into January. Also in Griffith Park, Travel Town Museum, dedicated in 1952, is a free outdoor collection of real locomotives, and RailGiants in Pomona opens free on second weekends.

  • Griffith Park & Southern Railroad: Scale-model trains on about a mile of track through an 80-foot tunnel, with a nightly Holiday Lights Train Ride in December.
  • Travel Town: A free outdoor railroad museum in Griffith Park, dedicated in 1952, where kids can see real steam locomotives and ride a miniature train.
  • RailGiants Train Museum: Some of the largest locomotives that ever ran in Southern California, free on the second weekend of each month at the Pomona fairgrounds.

Traditions today

  • Tree Lighting Celebration: Hundreds of lights glow on the city's tree at the Arcadia Transit Plaza, with Santa photos and carolers. In 2026 it is Thursday, December 3, at 6 pm.
  • Snow Festival: Real snow, sledding and holiday crafts at the Arcadia Community Center, free for everyone. In 2026 it is Saturday, December 5.
  • Opening Day at Santa Anita: The racetrack that opened on Christmas Day 1934 starts its winter Classic Meet every December 26.
  • Holiday Decoration Awards: Neighbors nominate the city's most festive homes and businesses, and a Santa Squad visits each winner.
  • Enchant at Santa Anita: A giant Christmas light maze, ice skating trail and Santa's Landing at the racetrack, which first came in 2025 and returns in winter 2026.
  • Snow globes at the Gilb Museum: Kids craft their own snow globes at the Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage on Snow Festival morning.

A fact for kids

Arcadia's famous racetrack, Santa Anita Park, opened on Christmas Day in 1934, and the horses still start their big winter races on December 26, the day after Christmas.

Questions about Christmas in Arcadia

Did Santa Anita Park open on Christmas Day?

Yes. Santa Anita Park in Arcadia opened on Christmas Day, 1934. The Art Deco racetrack, famous for its views of the San Gabriel Mountains, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Its winter Classic Meet still opens right after Christmas, on December 26.

When is Opening Day at Santa Anita in 2026?

Opening Day of the Classic Meet is Saturday, December 26, 2026. Gates open at 9 am and first post is at 11 am, with free parking at Gate 3 off Huntington Drive. Early bird general admission is $15 through December 10, walk-up admission is $25, and 1/ST Rewards members pay $5.

What is Enchant Christmas at Santa Anita Park?

Enchant Christmas is a large holiday light experience that came to Southern California for the first time in 2025, running November 21 to December 28 at Santa Anita Park. It featured what Enchant calls the world's largest Christmas light maze, a real-ice skating trail, a 10-lane ice slide and Santa's Landing across more than 10 acres.

Is Enchant coming back to Santa Anita in 2026?

Yes. Santa Anita Park says Enchant Christmas is returning to Los Angeles in winter 2026, with the Christmas light maze, ice skating, an ice slide, Santa's Landing, a village marketplace and live entertainment. Check santaanita.com for exact dates and tickets, since features are subject to change.

What was Winterfest at Santa Anita?

Winterfest was a holiday festival in the Santa Anita infield that began in November 2018 and ran through December 23 that year. It had a real-ice rink, Santa on his throne, a giant walk-in snow globe, horse-drawn carriage rides and pony rides. Entry was $5 with free parking, and first responders' families got in free on opening weekend.

Who lit the Christmas tree at Santa Anita Winterfest?

Arcadia Mayor Sho Tay formally opened the first Winterfest in November 2018 by lighting the huge Christmas tree in the center of the infield activities. The celebration also thanked first responders, who came in free with their families and received free ice skating and photos with Santa.

Where is the Arcadia Christmas tree lighting?

The city's annual Tree Lighting Celebration is held at the Arcadia Transit Plaza at First Avenue and Santa Clara Street, beside the Metro A Line station. Hundreds of lights come on at about 6 pm, with photos with Santa, crafts and carolers. In 2026 it is Thursday, December 3.

What happened at Arcadia's 2025 tree lighting?

The 2025 Tree Lighting Celebration was Thursday, December 4, at 6 pm at the Arcadia Transit Plaza. The city invited families to count down to the start of the holiday season as hundreds of lights lit the tree, with photos with Santa, crafts and carolers. In 2024, guests also took home commemorative mugs.

Does Arcadia really have snow at Christmas?

Yes, for one day. The city brings real snow to the Arcadia Community Center for its free annual Snow Festival, with snow play and sledding. In 2025 it was Saturday, December 6, from 9 am to 2 pm. In 2026, the Snow Festival is Saturday, December 5.

Was there an ugly sweater contest at the Arcadia Snow Festival?

Yes. At the 2023 Snow Festival on December 2, the city held ugly sweater contests at 10:30 am, noon and 1:30 pm, along with snow play, sledding, train rides, crafts and face painting. Families parked at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center at 188 Campus Drive and rode a shuttle.

Where do I park for the Arcadia holiday Snow Festival?

In past years the city has offered parking at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center, 188 Campus Drive, with a free shuttle to the Community Center at 365 Campus Drive. In 2024 the shuttle began at 7:45 am and ran every 5 to 7 minutes. Check the city's events page for this year's plan.

Can kids make snow globes in Arcadia at Christmas?

Yes. The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage has hosted a free make-your-own snow globe craft on Snow Festival morning, from 9 to 11 am, on December 7, 2024, and December 6, 2025. Snow globes go first come, first served, and no registration is needed.

What are the Arcadia Holiday Decoration Awards?

The City of Arcadia honors festive homes and businesses each December. In 2024, residents could nominate a neighbor's property or their own by emailing the City Manager's office by December 2, with decorations up and lights on until 10 pm, and a Santa Squad visited all the winners.

Is there a Hanukkah menorah lighting in Arcadia?

Yes. Chabad of Arcadia hosts a Chanukah menorah lighting and gelt drop at the Arcadia Transit Plaza. In 2025 it was December 15 from 5 to 6:30 pm, and in 2024 it was December 26. It is a family event in the same plaza where the city's tree is lit.

When is the Downtown Arcadia Holiday Fair?

The Downtown Arcadia Holiday Fair offers entertainment, kids' activities, Santa visits, shopping and food. It was held December 14, 2024, and December 13, 2025, from 11 am to 4 pm. Watch the city's December newsletter for the 2026 date.

What was the Arcadia library snow globe reading challenge?

Over winter break 2024, from December 16 to January 4, 2025, the Arcadia Public Library asked the whole city to read and log hours. For every five hours read, the library added a snow globe to its collection, with a grand prize at the end. It made reading a shared holiday goal.

How can we take the train to Arcadia's Christmas tree lighting?

Ride the Metro A Line to the Arcadia station. The tree lighting is held at the Arcadia Transit Plaza right beside it, so families can step off the train and into the celebration without searching for parking downtown. It is a fun first train ride for little ones.

Is there a Christmas lights train near Arcadia?

Yes. The Griffith Park and Southern Railroad in Los Angeles runs a 10-minute Holiday Lights Train around its decorated mile-long track every night from the day after Thanksgiving into January. Last season it cost $8 general and $14 priority. The railroad has carried families through Griffith Park since 1948.

Does Arcadia recycle Christmas trees?

Yes. Waste Management offers free Christmas tree recycling during regular pickup for the three weeks after Christmas. Trees in the green bin are collected Wednesdays and larger curbside trees on Thursdays. Remove all decorations and cut trees taller than six feet in half; flocked trees are taken but not recycled.

Who reads with Santa at the Arcadia Public Library in 2026?

Santa himself. The library's Storytime with Santa is Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 2:30 to 4 pm. Bring your own camera for photos and check out a stack of holiday picture books on the way out.

Sources

  1. Santa Anita Park: Thoroughbred Horse Racing in Arcadia, CA, Santa Anita Park
  2. Opening Day at Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park
  3. Enchant at Santa Anita Park, Santa Anita Park
  4. Santa Anita Opens Inaugural Winterfest, Hey SoCal
  5. Enchant Christmas Holiday Experience at Santa Anita Park, Colorado Boulevard
  6. Community News, December 2025, City of Arcadia
  7. December 2024 Hot Sheet, City of Arcadia
  8. Upcoming Holiday Festivities in Arcadia: Snow Festival and Tree Lighting Ceremony (2023), City of Arcadia via Arcadia Chamber of Commerce
  9. Christmas Train Rides in California (2026), Rally Takes the Train

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 California city.

Arcadia Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Arcadia this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 4 Christmas events for kids in Arcadia for 2026, all from the City of Arcadia: the Tree Lighting Celebration, Breakfast with Santa, the Snow Festival and Storytime with Santa at the library.

When is the Arcadia Snow Festival in 2026?

Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 9 am to 2 pm at the Arcadia Community Center. It is free, with more than 40 tons of snow for play and sledding.

When is the Arcadia tree lighting?

Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 6 pm to 7:15 pm at Arcadia Transit Plaza, with photos with Santa, crafts and treats.

Do I need tickets for Breakfast with Santa in Arcadia?

Yes. It is a presold, ticketed event with seatings at 8:30 am and 10:30 am on December 5. Contact Arcadia Recreation for tickets.

Who do I contact about Arcadia holiday events?

Arcadia Recreation and Community Services at Recreation@ArcadiaCA.gov or (626) 574-5113, and the Arcadia Public Library at PublicLibrary@ArcadiaCA.gov for Storytime with Santa.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids in California?

Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s California Christmas train rides page.

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 Arcadia 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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