Christmas Events for Kids in Barrie, Ontario (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

4 min read

For 2026, we confirmed 6 Christmas events for kids in Barrie, Ontario. The season opens on November 14 with Park Place Tree Lighting and runs until January 2 with Magic of Lights. Every listing links straight to the host. This page is part of our guide to Christmas events for kids in Canada.

The short version

  • Kids’ Christmas events confirmed for 2026 in Barrie, Egbert and Midhurst: 6
  • First: Park Place Tree Lighting, Barrie, November 14
  • Free events: None confirmed yet

Below is every event we could confirm, grouped by town, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (registration, ages, what is included).

At a glance: Christmas events for kids in Barrie, Ontario

Kids’ Christmas events
6 confirmed for 2026
Cities and towns
Barrie, Egbert and Midhurst
Season
November 14 to January 2
Free events
None confirmed yet
Last checked

Christmas events for kids in Barrie

Listed soonest first: 4 confirmed events in Barrie.

Tree lighting

Park Place Tree Lighting

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Tourism Barrie's holiday calendar lists the Park Place Tree Lighting for November 14, 2026, at Park Place Barrie, 100 Mapleview Drive East. It is one of the earliest tree lightings in the Barrie area, a week before the downtown celebration.

The calendar does not give a start time, a price or an age range. Families who want to go should check the Park Place event page for the evening's schedule before heading out.

Parent tip: Confirm the start time on the Park Place page, since the calendar entry does not list one.

Host
Park Place Barrie (opens in a new tab)
Where
Park Place Barrie, 100 Mapleview Drive East (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Park Place Barrie (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 5 more Barrie, Ontario 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 Barrie, Ontario.
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Coming up on this page

  • 3 Lights
  • 2 Santa
  • 1 Parades
  • 1 Shows

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Santa Claus parade

Barrie Santa Claus Parade

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The Barrie Chamber of Commerce runs the parade, and its 2026 page says it begins at 5pm sharp on Saturday, November 21. Tourism Barrie lists it as the 77th annual parade, on the waterfront and in the downtown. The chamber says the parade is meant for children's enjoyment, so expect floats built around a holiday theme. The parade is part of a bigger day. The City of Barrie lists the Santa Claus Parade and Noella Tree Lighting Celebration together on November 21, from 3 to 7pm, with the tree lighting at Meridian Place. The route and any admission details for 2026 have not been posted yet.

Parent tip: Last year's parade ran about an hour and a half, so plan for a cold evening outside. Check the chamber page for the 2026 route before choosing a viewing spot.

Host
Barrie Chamber of Commerce (opens in a new tab)
Where
Waterfront and Downtown Barrie, Lakeshore Drive and Dunlop Street, Barrie (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Barrie Chamber of Commerce (opens in a new tab)

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Visit with Santa

Noella Tree Lighting Celebration

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The Noella Tree Lighting Celebration is a downtown Barrie tradition held at Meridian Place, 30 Simcoe Street. The City of Barrie lists it with the Santa Claus Parade on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 3 to 7pm, and says more details are coming.

Tourism Barrie's 2026 calendar mentions free family art activities. At the 2025 edition, Meridian Place had ornament crafts, live singers, inflatables and a fireworks show over the waterfront after Santa lit the tree. The 2026 schedule has not been posted, so treat those as a guide to what the day may offer.

Parent tip: Families were asked in 2025 to bring non-perishable food for the Barrie Food Bank or a toy for the toy drive. Watch the Downtown Barrie page for the 2026 schedule.

Host
Downtown Barrie BIA (opens in a new tab)
Where
Meridian Place, 30 Simcoe Street, Barrie (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Downtown Barrie BIA (opens in a new tab)

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Christmas show

Pluto's Christmas

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Tourism Barrie lists Pluto's Christmas at the Georgian Theatre, 1 Georgian Drive, on December 4, 2026. Tickets are sold through Ticketpro.

The calendar entry does not give a start time, ticket price or age range, and it does not describe the show. Parents should open the ticket page to see the time and prices, and to decide whether the show suits their children.

Parent tip: Check the ticket page for the start time and pricing before you plan dinner or parking.

Host
Georgian Theatre (opens in a new tab)
Where
Georgian Theatre, 1 Georgian Drive, Barrie (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Georgian Theatre (opens in a new tab)

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Christmas events for kids in Egbert

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Egbert.

Family Christmas event

Drysdale's Christmas On The Farm (Egbert)

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Tourism Barrie's 2026 holiday calendar lists Drysdale's Christmas On The Farm on Saturdays and Sundays from November 21 to December 20, at Drysdale's Tree Farm, 6635 Simcoe County Road 56 in Egbert.

The farm also supplied the 30-foot Norway spruce that stood at Meridian Place in 2018. The calendar does not list admission prices, hours or ages, so check the farm's event page before you drive out.

Parent tip: Dress for the weather, since the event is held on a working farm. Check hours and any admission fee with the farm first.

Host
Drysdale's Tree Farm (opens in a new tab)
Where
Drysdale's Tree Farm, 6635 Simcoe County Road 56, Egbert (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Drysdale's Tree Farm (opens in a new tab)

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Christmas events for kids in Midhurst

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Midhurst.

Christmas lights

Magic of Lights (Midhurst)

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Tourism Barrie's holiday calendar lists Magic of Lights as a drive-through holiday lights display at Springwater Provincial Park, 1331 Route 26 in Midhurst. It runs from November 20 to January 2.

The calendar does not give nightly hours or ticket prices. Check the Magic of Lights website for both before you drive out.

Parent tip: Check the Magic of Lights website for hours and tickets first. Because it is a drive-through, young children can stay warm and buckled in the car.

Host
Magic of Lights (opens in a new tab)
Where
Springwater Provincial Park, 1331 Route 26, Midhurst (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Magic of Lights (opens in a new tab)

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More Christmas events for kids in Canada

A story for the trip home

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Christmas events for kids in Barrie, Ontario: questions parents ask

What are the 2026 Christmas events for kids in Barrie, Ontario?

For 2026, we confirmed 6 Christmas events for kids in Barrie, Ontario, each on its host’s own page: Barrie Santa Claus Parade (Barrie), Noella Tree Lighting Celebration (Barrie), Park Place Tree Lighting (Barrie) and 3 more. Each one is listed above with times, cost and a link to the host.

Where can kids see Santa this year in Barrie, Ontario?

Where to see Santa: Barrie Santa Claus Parade (Barrie) and Noella Tree Lighting Celebration (Barrie). Check the listings above for times and booking.

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, library or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 5, 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.

Christmas events for 2026 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 Barrie, Ontario

Barrie's Santa Claus Parade has run since 1949, and its tree lighting happens in a downtown square built with a Christmas tree in mind. That first tree came from a farm in Egbert.

A spruce from Egbert and a square built for it

The Barrie Santa Claus Parade belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and has run since 1949. The 2026 edition, on Saturday, November 21, is listed as the 77th. Its biggest newer tradition is the tree lighting at Meridian Place, a downtown square that opened in the summer of 2018.

The square was designed with a Christmas tree in mind, and power was put in for it. That first tree was a 30-foot Norway spruce from Drysdale's Tree Farm in Egbert, lit with about 18,000 LED lights. The same farm runs its own Christmas weekends in 2026.

Toyland floats and a fireworks finish on November 15

The 76th parade rolled on Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 5 to 6:30pm with a Magic of Toyland theme. It left Lakeshore Drive north of Tiffin Street, went to Toronto Street, then east on Dunlop Street to Poyntz Street.

After it ended, Santa lit the tree at Meridian Place and fireworks lit the waterfront. The afternoon had ornament crafts, singers and inflatables, and visitors brought food for the Barrie Food Bank and toys for a radio toy drive. For 2026, the City of Barrie lists the parade and tree lighting together from 3 to 7pm.

A lights drive and a farm tree with a Barrie link

Magic of Lights fills the trails at Springwater Provincial Park from November 20 to January 2, and Tourism Barrie's calendar lists it as a drive-through display. You stay in the car, which helps with little ones in cold weather.

The Rotary Club of Barrie also lights Meridian Place and Centennial Park for the winter. And the Meridian Place tree has a short commute story: it came from a farm in Egbert, the same place that now hosts Saturday and Sunday Christmas events from November 21 to December 20.

Traditions today

  • Barrie Santa Claus Parade: The Chamber of Commerce parade starts at 5pm on Saturday, November 21, 2026, and is listed as the 77th annual.
  • Noella Tree Lighting at Meridian Place: The downtown celebration is listed for November 21, 2026, from 3 to 7pm, at 30 Simcoe Street.
  • Food and toy drives: In 2025, visitors were asked to bring food for the Barrie Food Bank and toys for the Rock 95 and Kool FM Toy Drive.
  • Magic of Lights: A drive-through lights display runs at Springwater Provincial Park from November 20 to January 2.
  • Park Place tree lighting: The shopping centre on Mapleview Drive East lights its tree on November 14, 2026.
  • Drysdale's Christmas weekends: The Egbert tree farm hosts Christmas On The Farm on Saturdays and Sundays, November 21 to December 20, 2026.

A fact for kids

Barrie's Meridian Place was designed with a spot and power for a Christmas tree, and the first one was a 30-foot spruce lit with about 18,000 tiny lights.

Questions about Christmas in Barrie, Ontario

When is the Barrie Santa Claus Parade in 2026?

The Barrie Santa Claus Parade is on Saturday, November 21, 2026. The Barrie Chamber of Commerce says it starts at 5pm sharp. Tourism Barrie calls it the 77th annual parade. The City of Barrie lists the parade with the Noella Tree Lighting Celebration, from 3 to 7pm that day.

What route did Barrie's Santa parade follow last year?

In 2025 the parade left Lakeshore Drive north of Tiffin Street, went north to Toronto Street, then east along Dunlop Street to Poyntz Street. It ran from 5 to 6:30pm on November 15, with a Magic of Toyland theme. The 2026 route had not been posted when this was researched.

How long did last year's Barrie Santa Claus Parade last?

The 2025 parade ran from 5 to 6:30pm on Saturday, November 15, so about an hour and a half. The tree lighting followed once it ended, between 6:30 and 7pm. For little ones, that means a cold evening outdoors, so plan warm layers and a snack.

When did Barrie's Santa Claus Parade start?

The Barrie Chamber of Commerce parade has run since 1949. The 2025 parade was the 76th annual one, and the 2026 parade on November 21 is listed as the 77th. It has always been aimed at children, and the chamber says it exists for their enjoyment.

When does Santa light the tree at Meridian Place?

In 2025, Santa lit Barrie's holiday tree at Meridian Place after the parade ended, between 6:30 and 7pm, and fireworks followed over the waterfront. For 2026 the City of Barrie lists the celebration on November 21 from 3 to 7pm, and the exact lighting time had not been posted yet.

Are there fireworks at the Barrie tree lighting?

Yes, in 2025 a fireworks display followed the tree lighting over the Barrie waterfront. It was best seen from Meridian Place and was visible from other waterfront parks. A 2026 fireworks show had not been announced when this was researched, so check the Downtown Barrie page for November 21.

How big is the Christmas tree at Meridian Place in Barrie?

The tree installed in November 2018 was a 30-foot Norway spruce from Drysdale's Tree Farm in Egbert. It was lit with about 18,000 low-draw LED lights. Meridian Place had opened that summer, and its design included a spot and electrical service for a Christmas tree.

What did kids do at Barrie's Noella celebration in 2025?

In 2025 Meridian Place had ornament craft stations run by The Paint Bar and Art by Alexandra, live singers, local craft vendors and seasonal inflatables, starting at 3pm. Santa helped light the tree later in the evening. Families should check the 2026 schedule before going.

What can we bring to the Barrie tree lighting to give back?

Visitors in 2025 were asked to bring non-perishable food for the Barrie Food Bank and toys for the Rock 95 and Kool FM Toy Drive. Hot chocolate was free with a food or toy donation. Check the Downtown Barrie page to see if the same drives return in 2026.

What free things did downtown Barrie offer families in 2025?

The Downtown Barrie page for the 2025 celebration lists a free shuttle, free kids' inflatables, free December street parking, and free hot chocolate with a food or toy donation. These were 2025 offers, and 2026 details had not been posted yet.

When does Magic of Lights run near Barrie in 2026?

Tourism Barrie's holiday calendar lists Magic of Lights at Springwater Provincial Park from November 20 to January 2. It is a drive-through holiday lights display in Midhurst. The calendar gives no nightly hours, so check the Magic of Lights website for opening times, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, before you plan the drive.

What should parents check before booking Magic of Lights tickets?

The Tourism Barrie calendar gives the dates, November 20 to January 2, and the Springwater Provincial Park address, but no ticket prices or hours. Check the Magic of Lights website for current prices, nightly times and how tickets are sold. Because it is a drive-through, children can stay warm and buckled in the car.

Where is the drive-through light show near Barrie?

Magic of Lights is at Springwater Provincial Park, 1331 Route 26, in Midhurst, just outside Barrie. Tourism Barrie lists it as a drive-through holiday lights display. Because you stay in your vehicle, it can suit families with babies or toddlers, though the calendar does not list hours or prices.

When is the Park Place tree lighting in Barrie in 2026?

Tourism Barrie lists the Park Place Tree Lighting for November 14, 2026, at Park Place Barrie, 100 Mapleview Drive East. That is a week before the downtown parade and tree lighting. Tourism Barrie gives no time, so check the Park Place event page.

Can kids visit Drysdale's Tree Farm at Christmas?

Drysdale's Christmas On The Farm runs on Saturdays and Sundays from November 21 to December 20, 2026, at 6635 Simcoe County Road 56 in Egbert. The calendar does not list prices or hours, so check the farm's page. The farm also supplied the 2018 Meridian Place tree.

Where can kids see a Christmas show in Barrie in 2026?

Pluto's Christmas plays the Georgian Theatre, 1 Georgian Drive, on December 4, 2026. Tickets are sold through Ticketpro. The calendar gives no start time, price or age range, so open the ticket page to see those details before booking.

Where can kids meet Santa near Barrie in 2026?

Santa rides in the Barrie parade on November 21 and takes part in the tree lighting at Meridian Place. Tourism Barrie's calendar also mentions a visit with Santa at the Park Place tree lighting on November 14 and at Drysdale's Christmas On The Farm in Egbert on weekends from November 21 to December 20.

Beyond November 21, which Christmas outings can Barrie-area kids fit in?

After the November 21 parade and tree lighting, families can drive through Magic of Lights at Springwater Provincial Park, visit Drysdale's Tree Farm on weekends until December 20, or catch Pluto's Christmas at the Georgian Theatre on December 4. Rally Takes the Train's Barrie Christmas events guide lists the 2026 dates.

Where can we see Christmas lights with kids in the Barrie area?

The biggest display is Magic of Lights at Springwater Provincial Park, from November 20 to January 2. In the city, the Rotary Club of Barrie lights Meridian Place and Centennial Park for the winter season, as listed for 2025. Park Place also holds a tree lighting on November 14, 2026.

Where can we spend Christmas Day in Barrie with kids?

Few events are listed on December 25 itself. Magic of Lights runs until January 2, and December 25, 2026 is a Friday, but the calendar gives no hours, so check the Magic of Lights website for Christmas Day times. Drysdale's weekend events end on December 20.

Sources

  1. Santa Claus Parade & Noella Tree Lighting Celebration, City of Barrie
  2. Holiday Events, Tourism Barrie
  3. 2026 Barrie Santa Claus Parade, Barrie Chamber of Commerce
  4. The magic of the season returns: Barrie's Noella Tree Lighting Celebration and Santa Claus Parade, Tourism Barrie
  5. Christmas tree arrives at Meridian Place in Barrie, Global News
  6. Noella Festival, Downtown Barrie BIA
Kelsey Cecil
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