Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Ashland, VA for 2026, and here is what he found: 3 family events, 1 of them free. They are Gingerbread Houses: Make Your Own (December 10), Christmas Market (from December 11) and Santa Visits the Library (December 12). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Virginia Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Ashland
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Ashland
- 1 free event, including Christmas Market
- Meet Santa: Santa Visits the Library (December 12)
- Also on the list: 1 Christmas market and 1 craft workshop
- Season: December 10 (Gingerbread Houses: Make Your Own) to December 12 (Christmas Market)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 3 events
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- 1 Santa
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Markets
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Free
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Free Christmas events for kids in Ashland
Holiday marketFree
Christmas Market
- When: Fri December 11 (6 to 9 pm) and Sat December 12 (11 am to 5 pm), 2026 (Friday evening and Saturday daytime)
- Where: Hanover Arts and Activities Center, 500 S Center St, Ashland, VA 23005 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
Expand to see the parent tip
The Hanover Arts and Activities Center hosts a Christmas Market spread over a Friday evening and a Saturday. The center has put out a call for vendors to take part, and visitors get in without paying.
Hours are Friday, December 11, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm and Saturday, December 12, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, at 500 S Center Street. Admission is free and the page mentions no tickets.
Parent tip: With young kids, the Saturday daytime hours are the easier pick, and you can pair the market with Santa's 11:00 am visit to the Ashland library that same morning. The Friday session runs until 9:00 pm, which suits older children better.
- Host
- Hanover Arts and Activities Center (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hanover Arts and Activities Center, 500 S Center St, Ashland, VA 23005 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Ashland events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Ashland daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Ashland.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Ashland 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 Ashland.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Ashland 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 Santa
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Markets
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Ashland every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Ashland
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday crafts
Gingerbread Houses: Make Your Own
- When: Thursday, December 10, 2026, 4:30 to 5:30 pm
- Where: Pamunkey Regional Library, Ashland Branch (Meeting Room A), 201 S Railroad Ave, Ashland, VA 23005 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required
- Ages: Ages 6 to 12
Expand to see the parent tip
Kids ages 6 to 12 put together an edible gingerbread house at a party run by the Ashland Branch of Pamunkey Regional Library. The library supplies all the materials, and each finished house goes home with its builder.
The party is on Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm, and the listing names Ashland Meeting Room A (kitchenette side). Registration is required through the library's event page, which showed 14 seats available. No price is listed, and questions go to the branch at 804-798-4072.
Parent tip: With only 14 seats shown, register early. The listing also carries a note calling this an online event, which does not match the take-home supplies and the named meeting room, so confirm with the branch where to show up when you sign up.
- Host
- Pamunkey Regional Library, Ashland Branch (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Pamunkey Regional Library, Ashland Branch (Meeting Room A), 201 S Railroad Ave, Ashland, VA 23005 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Ashland events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Ashland daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Ashland.
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Santa visit
Santa Visits the Library
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 11 am to noon
- Where: Pamunkey Regional Library, Ashland Branch, 201 S Railroad Ave, Ashland, VA 23005 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; no registration needed
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa comes to the Ashland library in person to pick up the letters that local children have written and left there. Families can visit with him and take pictures in the children's section.
The visit is on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 11:00 am to noon at the Ashland Branch. It is open to all ages and registration is not required, though you can register to get a reminder. No price is listed, and the library asks anyone with a special physical or communication need to get in touch ahead of time.
Parent tip: Have your child write a letter to Santa and drop it at the library before December 12 so it is waiting for him to collect. The visit lasts only an hour, so come near the start if you want a photo.
- Host
- Pamunkey Regional Library, Ashland Branch (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Pamunkey Regional Library, Ashland Branch, 201 S Railroad Ave, Ashland, VA 23005 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Ashland events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Ashland daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Ashland.
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 Virginia Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Ashland Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Gingerbread Houses: Make Your Own in Ashland on December 10; the last runs to December 12. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Gingerbread Houses: Make Your OwnAshland · Dec 10
- Christmas MarketAshland · Dec 11 to Dec 12
- Santa Visits the LibraryAshland · Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our Virginia Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Richmond, VA, Powhatan, Spotsylvania Courthouse and Stafford. 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 Ashland
Trains run straight through the downtown business district of Ashland, a town the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad developed in the 1840s as a mineral springs resort. At Christmas, families head to the library on South Railroad Avenue for a visit from Santa and to the Hanover Arts and Activities Center for a Christmas Market.
How Ashland celebrates
According to the town's Wikipedia article, the Kiwanis Club of Ashland has organized the Ashland Olde Time Holiday Parade on the Sunday before Thanksgiving every year since the late 1960s. In December, the Ashland Branch of Pamunkey Regional Library hosts a gingerbread house party for ages 6 to 12 on December 10 and a visit from Santa on December 12, when he collects letters children have left at the library. The Hanover Arts and Activities Center, housed in the former Ashland Baptist Church built in 1860, holds a free Christmas Market on December 11 and 12. Its calendar also lists Ho Ho Ho Bingo on December 3.
Fun facts about Christmas in Ashland
Ashland was officially incorporated on February 19, 1858, and is the only incorporated town in Hanover County. It was named after the Kentucky estate of statesman Henry Clay, a Hanover County native, and the area was earlier known as The Slashes. Randolph-Macon College moved to town in 1868. Ashland had 7,565 residents at the 2020 census, and Amtrak Northeast Regional trains stop at its railroad station, which also houses the tourist information center.
Traditions today
- Ashland Olde Time Holiday Parade: The Kiwanis Club of Ashland has organized this parade on the Sunday before Thanksgiving every year since the late 1960s, according to the town's Wikipedia article.
- Letters for Santa at the library: Children leave letters to Santa at the Ashland library, and he comes in person on December 12 to collect them and pose for pictures in the children's section.
- Christmas Market at Hanover Arts: The Hanover Arts and Activities Center on South Center Street holds a free Christmas Market on December 11 and 12.
- Gingerbread house making: The Ashland Branch supplies everything kids ages 6 to 12 need to build a gingerbread house to take home on December 10.
- The railroad station: Ashland's railroad station, where Amtrak Northeast Regional trains stop, is also home to the town's tourist information center.
A fact for kids
Real trains roll right through the middle of downtown Ashland, and the town even has a park called Kiwanis Pufferbelly Park.
Questions about Christmas in Ashland
When was Ashland, Virginia founded?
The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad developed the town in the 1840s as a mineral springs resort with a racetrack. Ashland was officially incorporated on February 19, 1858. It covered one square mile at first and has since grown through annexations to 7.16 square miles.
How did Ashland get its name?
Ashland is named after the Lexington, Kentucky estate of statesman Henry Clay, who was born in Hanover County. Before that, the area was known as The Slashes, a name sometimes translated as swamp that also reflected the small ravines that formed in the sandy clay soil after hard rains.
Do trains still run through Ashland?
Yes. Amtrak Northeast Regional trains serve Ashland's railroad station, and other Amtrak long-distance trains, including the Auto Train and Silver Meteor, pass through without stopping. The tracks, CSX's RF&P Subdivision, cut through the downtown business district, and the station houses the tourist information center.
What college is in Ashland?
Randolph-Macon College, founded in 1830, moved to Ashland in 1868. It began by using the buildings of a hotel and then added structures of its own. The college is still situated near the center of town and is credited with changing the course of Ashland's fortunes.
How many people live in Ashland?
Ashland had 7,565 residents at the 2020 census, up from 7,225 in 2010. The town is in Hanover County, 16 miles north of Richmond along Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1, and it is the only incorporated town in the county.
What is the history of the Hanover Arts and Activities Center building?
The Hanover Arts and Activities Center occupies the former Ashland Baptist Church, built in 1860. During the Civil War the church served as a hospital for wounded soldiers. Today the center on South Center Street hosts community events, including a Christmas Market on December 11 and 12, 2026.
What happens at Christmas in Ashland?
The Ashland Branch library hosts a gingerbread house party on December 10, 2026, and a visit from Santa on December 12. The Hanover Arts and Activities Center holds a Christmas Market on December 11 and 12. The town's Wikipedia article also describes a Kiwanis holiday parade held each year before Thanksgiving.
Does Ashland have a holiday parade?
The town's Wikipedia article describes the Ashland Olde Time Holiday Parade, organized by the Kiwanis Club of Ashland and held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving every year since the late 1960s. Check with the club for this year's details, since no organizer page for the parade was reviewed here.
Where can kids see Santa in Ashland?
Santa visits the Ashland Branch of Pamunkey Regional Library on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 11:00 am to noon. He collects the letters children have left at the library, and families can take pictures with him in the children's section. No registration is required.
Which Christmas events in Ashland are free?
Admission to the Christmas Market at the Hanover Arts and Activities Center on December 11 and 12, 2026, is free. The library's pages for the December 10 gingerbread house party and the December 12 Santa visit show no price, and the gingerbread party requires registration.
Who organizes Christmas events in Ashland?
The events listed here come from two organizers. The Ashland Branch of Pamunkey Regional Library runs the gingerbread house party and Santa's visit, and the Hanover Arts and Activities Center runs the Christmas Market. The Kiwanis Club of Ashland organizes the holiday parade described in the town's Wikipedia article.
Sources
- Ashland, Virginia, Wikipedia
- Gingerbread houses: Make Your Own, Pamunkey Regional Library
- Santa Visits the Library, Pamunkey Regional Library
- Christmas Market, Hanover Arts and Activities Center
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 Virginia city.
Ashland Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Ashland to start with?
Santa Visits the Library on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 11:00 am to noon at the Ashland Branch is the easiest first stop, since it is open to all ages and needs no registration. The Christmas Market at the Hanover Arts and Activities Center is open that same day from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Ashland?
Yes. The Christmas Market at the Hanover Arts and Activities Center on December 11 and 12, 2026, has free admission. The two Ashland Branch library programs, the gingerbread house party on December 10 and Santa's visit on December 12, show no price on the library's event pages.
Where can kids meet Santa in Ashland?
Santa visits the Ashland Branch of Pamunkey Regional Library on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 11:00 am to noon. He comes to collect the letters children have left at the library, and families can take pictures with him in the children's section. Registration is not required.
Is there a Christmas market in Ashland?
The Hanover Arts and Activities Center at 500 S Center Street holds a Christmas Market on Friday, December 11, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm and Saturday, December 12, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is free, and the center has invited vendors to take part.
Which Ashland Christmas events need tickets or sign-up?
Gingerbread Houses: Make Your Own on Thursday, December 10, 2026, requires registration through the library's event page, which showed 14 seats available for kids ages 6 to 12. Santa Visits the Library on December 12 needs no registration, and the Christmas Market on December 11 and 12 mentions no tickets.
Can kids give Santa a letter in Ashland?
Yes. Children can write a letter to Santa and leave it at the Ashland library. On Saturday, December 12, 2026, Santa comes to the branch in person from 11:00 am to noon to collect those letters, and kids can see him and have a picture taken while he is there.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Ashland?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Virginia Christmas train rides guide. This Ashland 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.