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Christmas with kids in Bangor
In Bangor, Santa arrives on a wagon pulled by two draft horses and lights the tree himself. Downtown has strung Christmas lights since the 1910s, and a giant spruce still stands in West Market Square each year.
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Holiday Music with the Mainely Music Chorus and Quartet
When: Thu, Dec 17, 6:30 to 7:30 pm
Where: Bangor Public Library, Norman Minsky Lecture Hall, Bangor
Cost: Free
The story of Christmas in Bangor
How Bangor celebrates
Bangor has decorated downtown for Christmas since the 1910s, when most of downtown was electrified and white lights were strung over Main Street. After World War II the street was nicknamed the Fifth Avenue of Maine, and the Christmas parade was held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2000 the parade became the evening Festival of Lights, with floats covered in lights. A holiday tree has gone up in West Market Square each year, and local nursery owner Dan Sprague has donated a tree for about 30 years.
Christmas last year in Bangor
On Friday, November 28, 2025, a 40-foot blue spruce was lit in West Market Square as light flurries fell, and the crowd was reported as hundreds. A daily light and music show, added in 2024, began again that day. On Saturday, December 6, about 80 parade participants marched from State Street down Main and Water Streets in the Festival of Lights, with the theme Unite for Good. Temperatures hovered around 20 degrees and snow briefly fell. Santa ended the parade on a wagon pulled by two draft horses.
Fun facts about Christmas in Bangor
The 2025 tree was donated by a woman from Brewer in honor of her mother, Pam Martin, who volunteered for many local groups. Hidden speakers in the tree played Jingle Bells before the lighting. In December 1957 city electrical workers put up a 40-foot Christmas tree, and in the 1950s a store on Hammond Street was known for a gyrating Santa puppet. The 2025 parade also included gingerbread people, Grinches, inflatable cows and a giant snowman.
Trains and Christmas near Bangor
Bangor's trolleys once rolled under the Main Street Christmas lights, so trains and the holidays have long shared a street. Today the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor displays cabooses, though it is open daily only from May 1 to November 11. In Unity, the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad runs weekend trains with hot cocoa, cookies and Santa, and the Downeast Scenic Railroad in Hancock offers narrated rides on summer and fall weekends.
- Cole Land Transportation Museum: A Bangor museum of Maine land transportation, with cabooses, fire trucks and tractors; open daily May 1 to November 11.
- Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad: One-hour weekend train rides from Unity, with themed trains including hot cocoa and cookies and Santa.
- Downeast Scenic Railroad: A volunteer-run, 90-minute narrated ride from Hancock over the Union River Bridge, on weekends in summer and fall.
Traditions today
- West Market Square holiday tree: A giant tree, a 40-foot blue spruce in 2025, goes up downtown after a tree lifting and is lit with a countdown.
- Festival of Lights parade: An evening parade of floats covered in lights, which replaced the daytime Christmas parade in 2000.
- Santa's wagon: Santa arrives at the end of the parade on a wagon pulled by two draft horses and lights the tree.
- Daily light and music show: A light and music show at the tree, added in 2024, programmed by the Collins Center for the Arts.
- Plaid Friday: A relaxed local shopping event on the day of the tree lighting, with plaid-wearing shoppers getting discounts.
- Volunteer-strung parks lights: Volunteers string lights in Norumbega Parkway and Hannibal Hamlin Park.
A fact for kids
In Bangor, Santa rides in on a wagon pulled by two big draft horses, stops at the tree and lights it after the whole crowd counts down together.
Questions about Christmas in Bangor
When does Bangor light its Christmas tree?
Bangor lit its West Market Square tree on Friday, November 28, 2025, the day after Thanksgiving, which was also Plaid Friday. Santa lit it again after the Festival of Lights parade on December 6. Dates change yearly, so check our Bangor Christmas events guide on this page.
How tall is the Bangor Christmas tree?
The 2025 tree in West Market Square was a blue spruce about 40 feet tall, according to Dan Sprague of Sprague's Nursery and Garden Center, who sourced it. It was lifted into place on a Thursday morning about a week before the tree lighting.
Who donates the Bangor Christmas tree?
Dan Sprague of Sprague's Nursery and Garden Center has donated a tree to the city each year for about 30 years, he said. The 2025 tree was donated by a woman from Brewer in honor of her mother, Pam Martin, who volunteered with many local organizations.
What is the Festival of Lights parade in Bangor?
It is Bangor's evening Christmas parade with floats covered in lights. It replaced the earlier daytime Christmas parade in 2000. In 2025 about 80 participants marched from State Street down Main and Water Streets to West Market Square, and Santa came last.
When is the Bangor Festival of Lights parade?
In 2025 it was Saturday, December 6, with a 4:30 p.m. start and the theme Unite for Good. It has been held on an early December Saturday in recent years. Please see our Bangor Christmas events guide on this page for this year's date and time.
How does Santa arrive at the Bangor tree lighting?
At the end of the 2025 parade, Santa rode a wagon pulled by two draft horses. He stopped at West Market Square and lit the holiday tree after the crowd joined in a countdown. It is a nice moment for kids who like horses as much as Santa.
How many people go to the Bangor parade and tree lighting?
Local news reported hundreds of people at the 2025 parade and for the tree lighting, though one article counted about 200 at the tree lighting. Crowds depend on the weather, which was around 20 degrees on parade night, so dress kids warmly.
What is the daily light and music show in Bangor?
It is a light and music show at the West Market Square tree, first added in 2024 and programmed by Scott Stitham of the Collins Center for the Arts at the University of Maine. Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway sponsors it. It returned with the 2025 tree lighting.
How long has Bangor decorated downtown for Christmas?
Since the 1910s, when most of downtown was electrified and simple white lights were strung over Main Street. A 1912 postcard shows downtown lit for the holidays. Few Maine towns had Christmas light displays then, according to the Bangor Daily News history.
Why was Main Street called the Fifth Avenue of Maine?
After World War II Bangor grew thanks to Dow Air Force Base and postwar prosperity, and its holiday lights rivaled those of other New England cities. Main Street was dubbed the Fifth Avenue of Maine. The Christmas parade was held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
What was Freese's in Bangor?
Freese's was a 140,000 square foot department store downtown, known for lights and trees inside and out, and for Christmas music played onto the street. Other stores also drew families: W.T. Grant had a gyrating Santa puppet, and Sears-Roebuck let kids meet Santa.
What happened to Bangor's downtown Christmas?
Downtown shopping faded after urban renewal in the late 1960s and early 1970s and the opening of the Bangor Mall in 1978. By the 1980s downtown Christmas activity had largely stopped, though the city still put up a tree in West Market Square each year.
Where are the Christmas lights in Bangor?
Downtown Bangor has lights around West Market Square and the daily tree light show. Volunteers also string lights in Norumbega Parkway and Hannibal Hamlin Park. Check our Bangor Christmas events guide on this page for this year's display and viewing tips for families.
What is Plaid Friday in Bangor?
Plaid Friday is a local shopping event meant as a laid-back alternative to Black Friday, held on the day of the tree lighting. Shoppers wearing plaid could get discounts at some stores in 2025, and a shop co-owner said it was busy right from the start.
How can I explain the tree lighting to my kids?
Tell them the whole town gathers to count down together and switch on the big tree, like turning on a giant night light. In Bangor the tree plays Jingle Bells from hidden speakers, and in 2025 light flurries fell just before the lighting, which kids may enjoy spotting.
What can kids see in the Bangor parade?
In 2025 kids saw floats covered in lights, gingerbread people, Grinches, a few inflatable cows and a giant snowman, plus dancers, gymnasts and marching bands. A fire truck decked out in lights and a snowmobile club trail groomer joined in, and Santa came last.
Is the Bangor parade good for toddlers?
It can be, since it is an hour-long evening parade with lights, bands and Santa at the end. It was around 20 degrees in 2025, so bring warm layers. Our Bangor Christmas events guide on this page lists this year's route and start time.
Are there train museums near Bangor, Maine?
The Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor displays cabooses alongside fire trucks and tractors, and is open daily from May 1 to November 11. Visitors under 19 get in free. In December, check our Bangor Christmas events guide on this page for train outings instead.
Can kids ride a train with Santa near Bangor?
The Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad runs one-hour round-trip rides from Unity station on weekends, with themed trains for hot cocoa and cookies and Santa. Fares start at $18 for adults and $5 for kids. Book ahead, and check our Bangor Christmas events guide on this page.
What is the Bangor tree lifting?
It is the morning when crews lift the holiday tree into place in West Market Square, about a week before the lighting. In 2025 the blue spruce went up around 9 a.m. on a Thursday. Watching a 40-foot tree swing into place is something curious kids may enjoy seeing downtown.
Sources
- Bangor's holiday light displays history, Bangor Daily News
- Downtown Bangor tree lighting, Bangor Daily News
- Festival of Lights Bangor, Bangor Daily News
- Bangor has put up its holiday tree, Bangor Daily News
- Cole Land Transportation Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, Rally Takes the Train
- Downeast Scenic Railroad, Rally Takes the Train