Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Austin, MN for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House (December 5) and A Musical Christmas Carol (December 13). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Minnesota Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Austin
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Austin
- Season: December 5 (Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House) to December 13 (A Musical Christmas Carol)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Austin
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday crafts
Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10:30 am to noon (Check in by 10:25 am)
- Where: Austin ArtWorks Center, Clay Cavern, 300 N Main St, Austin, MN 55912 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Ticket required; no price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Ages 5 and up, geared toward ages 5 to 10
Expand to see the parent tip
Instructor Tressie Kinney walks young students through shaping a miniature gingerbread house out of polymer clay, one step at a time. Along the way they pick up beginner sculpting, shaping and texturing skills in the Clay Cavern at the Austin ArtWorks Center.
The class is Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:30 am to noon at 300 N Main St, with check-in by 10:25 am. It is geared toward ages 5 to 10, and the minimum age is 5. Seats are booked through the Austin Area Arts ticket page, and the page text did not show a price.
Parent tip: The ticket asks for check-in by 10:25 am, five minutes before the start, so plan to be at the door a little early. Ninety minutes of careful handwork is a long stretch for a 5-year-old, so a snack beforehand helps.
- Host
- Austin Area Arts (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Austin ArtWorks Center, Clay Cavern, 300 N Main St, Austin, MN 55912 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Austin 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 Austin.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Austin 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.
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Holiday show
A Musical Christmas Carol
- When: Sunday, December 13, 2026, 2 pm
- Where: 401 3rd Ave NW, Austin, MN 55912 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door; children under 18 and college students with ID free
- Ages: All ages; under 18 free
Expand to see the parent tip
The Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota presents A Musical Christmas Carol as the December program in its concert season, the one holiday title among four single concerts that continue through May. Children under 18 are admitted free, which keeps the cost down for a family trying out an orchestra concert.
The concert is Sunday, December 13, 2026, at 2:00 pm. Advance tickets are $25 from Coffee House on Main or Hy-Vee in Austin, tickets at the door on the day are $30, and children under 18 and college students with a valid ID attend free. Tickets can also be ordered on the symphony's website.
Parent tip: Buy adult tickets ahead at Coffee House on Main or Hy-Vee to save $5 each over the door price, and remember that kids under 18 get in free. The ticket page does not give the running time or name the hall, so confirm both with the symphony before promising a restless child a short afternoon.
- Host
- Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- 401 3rd Ave NW, Austin, MN 55912 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Austin events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Austin daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Austin.
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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? Those are on our Minnesota Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Austin Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House in Austin on December 5; the last runs to December 13. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread HouseAustin · Dec 5
- A Musical Christmas CarolAustin · Dec 13
Looking further afield? Our Minnesota Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Rochester, MN, Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Delano, MN. 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 Austin
Austin is sometimes called SPAM Town USA, home to Hormel Foods, the Spam Museum and a factory that makes most of North America's SPAM. In December the town offers gentler fare for families, with a children's clay gingerbread class at the Austin ArtWorks Center on Main Street and a Christmas concert by the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
How Austin celebrates
Two arts groups supply the confirmed 2026 listings. Austin Area Arts sells seats for Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House, a class geared toward ages 5 to 10 and taught by Tressie Kinney in the Clay Cavern at the Austin ArtWorks Center, 300 N Main St, on Saturday, December 5. Eight days later, on Sunday, December 13 at 2:00 pm, the Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota performs A Musical Christmas Carol, the December entry among four single concerts in its season. Advance tickets are sold at Coffee House on Main and Hy-Vee, and children under 18 attend free.
Fun facts about Christmas in Austin
Austin is named for Austin R. Nichols, a trapper who built the first log cabin there in 1853, and the settlement adopted the name in 1856. The Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad arrived in the late 1860s and sped up the town's growth. George A. Hormel opened a small butcher shop in 1891 that grew into Hormel Foods, and the Spam Museum moved to Main Street in 2016. The 2020 census counted 26,174 residents.
Traditions today
- Kids Studio at the Austin ArtWorks Center: On December 5, children shape mini gingerbread houses from polymer clay in the Clay Cavern, following an instructor step by step.
- A Musical Christmas Carol: The Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota gives its Christmas concert on Sunday, December 13 at 2:00 pm, with children under 18 admitted free.
- Advance tickets on Main: Symphony tickets are sold ahead of time at Coffee House on Main and at Hy-Vee for less than the door price.
- Main Street: The ArtWorks Center's address is on North Main Street, and Main Street is also where the Spam Museum relocated in 2016 as part of making downtown more of a destination.
A fact for kids
Austin's nickname is SPAM Town USA. A factory here makes most of North America's SPAM, and the town even has a Spam Museum.
Questions about Christmas in Austin
When was Austin, Minnesota founded?
Austin Nichols, a trapper, built the first log cabin in 1853. More settlers arrived by wagon train in 1855, and in 1856 the settlement adopted the name Austin. That same year Mower County was organized, the first hotel opened and the first physician moved to town.
How did Austin get its name?
The city is named for Austin R. Nichols, the area's first European settler. He was a trapper drawn by the rich gameland, and he built the first log cabin in 1853. The settlement took the name Austin in his honor in 1856.
Why is Austin called SPAM Town USA?
Hormel Foods is Austin's largest employer and has its corporate headquarters there. The city is home to a factory that makes most of North America's SPAM tinned meat and to the Spam Museum, which relocated to Main Street in 2016.
When did the railroad reach Austin?
The Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad arrived in the late 1860s. Growth had been slow for the town's first two decades, when mills powered by the Cedar River were the main industry, and the railroad's arrival hastened economic development.
What river runs through Austin?
The Cedar River, a tributary of the Iowa River, flows south through the east side of the city, joined by Turtle Creek and Dobbins Creek. After a long history of flooding, a permanent flood wall protecting downtown was completed in 2014.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Austin?
Two events are confirmed for 2026: a polymer clay mini gingerbread house class for children at the Austin ArtWorks Center on Saturday, December 5, and the Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota's A Musical Christmas Carol on Sunday, December 13 at 2:00 pm.
Who organizes Austin's Christmas events for kids?
The clay class is ticketed through Austin Area Arts and held at the Austin ArtWorks Center, with Tressie Kinney as instructor. The concert is presented by the Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota, which sells season tickets and single concert tickets on its website.
Is anything free at Christmas in Austin?
Children under 18 and college students with a valid ID attend the Austin Symphony Orchestra's A Musical Christmas Carol free of charge on December 13. Adults pay $25 in advance from Coffee House on Main or Hy-Vee, or $30 at the door on the day.
Is there a nature center in Austin?
Yes. The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is a 500 acre nature preserve that also includes the 60 acre Hormel Arboretum. The land was purchased from Geordie Hormel with a state grant in 1971, and the center has a visitors center.
Sources
- Austin, Minnesota, Wikipedia
- Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House, Austin Area Arts
- Tickets, Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota
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 Minnesota city.
Austin Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What Christmas events for kids are in Austin, MN in 2026?
Two are confirmed. Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House is a hands-on class at the Austin ArtWorks Center on Saturday, December 5 from 10:30 am to noon. The Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota performs A Musical Christmas Carol on Sunday, December 13 at 2:00 pm.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Austin?
Children under 18 attend the Austin Symphony Orchestra's A Musical Christmas Carol on December 13 free of charge, as do college students with a valid ID. Accompanying adults pay $25 in advance or $30 at the door. The clay gingerbread class on December 5 is ticketed, and its page did not show a price.
Is there a Christmas show for families in Austin?
Yes. A Musical Christmas Carol is performed by the Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota on Sunday, December 13, 2026, at 2:00 pm. It is the holiday concert in a season of four single concerts, and anyone under 18 gets in free, so the whole family can come on a couple of adult tickets.
Where can kids make a Christmas craft in Austin?
The Austin ArtWorks Center at 300 N Main St hosts Kids Studio: Polymer Clay Mini Gingerbread House on Saturday, December 5. Instructor Tressie Kinney teaches basic sculpting, shaping and texturing in the Clay Cavern while each child builds a mini gingerbread house. It is geared toward ages 5 to 10.
Which Austin Christmas events need tickets?
Both do. Seats for the December 5 clay class are booked through the Austin Area Arts ticket page, with check-in by 10:25 am. Adult tickets for A Musical Christmas Carol on December 13 are sold in advance at Coffee House on Main and Hy-Vee, on the symphony's website, or at the door.
What ages are these Austin events best for?
The polymer clay class on December 5 has a minimum age of 5 and is geared toward ages 5 to 10. A Musical Christmas Carol on December 13 has no age limit on its ticket page, and children under 18 attend free, so it can work for school-age kids and teens together.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Austin?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Minnesota Christmas train rides guide. This Austin 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.