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Christmas with kids in Beaumont
In Beaumont, Texas, the Christmas tree stands beside a lake in the middle of downtown, and the city has been lighting it with countdowns, music and food trucks for nine years in a row.
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City of Beaumont Christmas Tree Lighting 2026
When: Wed, Dec 2, 5 to 7:30 pm
Where: Downtown Event Centre (the Lake at the Event Centre), Beaumont
Cost: Admission not listed on the event page
The story of Christmas in Beaumont
How Beaumont celebrates
Beaumont's biggest Christmas moment is the City of Beaumont Christmas Tree Lighting at the Downtown Event Centre, 700 Crockett Street, beside the lake. The 2026 lighting is the ninth annual, so the tradition began in the late 2010s. Through December the downtown tree also hosts smaller events, such as Friday craft and letters-to-Santa evenings, fire truck photos and a nightly light show. Beyond downtown, the Beaumont Civic Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Julie Rogers Theatre, and the Junior League runs a big Main Street Market with more than 100 vendors.
Christmas last year in Beaumont
We could not find a published account of Beaumont's 2025 tree lighting. By the numbers, the 2026 event is the ninth annual, which makes 2025 the eighth. The most recent detailed report we found is from the fifth annual lighting, held on a Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Downtown Event Centre lake. Mayor Robin Mouton led the countdown, and the night included fireworks, live music, food trucks, fire and police vehicles, and an outdoor screening of two holiday films.
Fun facts about Christmas in Beaumont
In a past holiday season the Beaumont Police Department handed out blue candy canes at the downtown tree all month. On Fridays, kids could write letters to Santa, and a department store donated a dollar to Make-A-Wish for each one, up to a million dollars. The Beaumont Civic Ballet's Nutcracker was in its 49th annual run in 2020. The 2026 tree lighting adds a drone show to the lights, a new kind of sparkle for a tree beside the lake.
Trains and Christmas in Beaumont
Beaumont has no train museum on our list, but it once hosted a rolling Christmas display. On Saturday, November 28, 2015, the Kansas City Southern Holiday Express stopped at the KCS Yard in Beaumont from 4 to 9 p.m., free for families. The six-car train had three cars of displays, including a gingerbread boxcar, a flatcar with Santa's sleigh, reindeer and a miniature village, and a smiling tank car named Rudy. Santa and his elves greeted visitors.
Traditions today
- City of Beaumont Christmas Tree Lighting: A countdown at the Downtown Event Centre lake with live music and food trucks, and in 2026 a drone show beside the city's Christmas tree.
- Beaumont Civic Ballet's Nutcracker: A holiday ballet at the Julie Rogers Theatre that reached its 49th annual run in 2020.
- Main Street Market: A three-day Junior League market in early December with more than 100 vendors.
- Letters to Santa at the tree: Friday evening crafts and letters to Santa at the downtown tree, with a donation to Make-A-Wish for each letter.
- Christmas in Boomtown: A holiday morning at Spindletop-Gladys City in 2015, free with three canned goods.
- Christmas at the Station: A free morning at the Fire Museum of Texas in 2015.
A fact for kids
In Beaumont, kids once wrote letters to Santa at the downtown Christmas tree, and a store gave a dollar to Make-A-Wish for every letter, up to a million dollars.
Questions about Christmas in Beaumont
How does Beaumont celebrate Christmas?
Beaumont celebrates with a city tree lighting at the Downtown Event Centre lake, a Nutcracker ballet at the Julie Rogers Theatre and a Main Street Market with more than 100 vendors. In past years the downtown tree also hosted craft evenings, Santa letters and fire truck photos throughout December.
When did the Beaumont tree lighting begin?
The 2026 tree lighting is billed as the ninth annual, which points to a start in the late 2010s. A report on the fifth annual lighting held at the same Downtown Event Centre lake matches that count. We could not find an exact founding year. It appears to be a fairly recent tradition.
Where is the Beaumont Christmas tree?
The tree stands at the Downtown Event Centre, 700 Crockett Street, beside the lake in downtown Beaumont. The 2026 lighting is listed for Wednesday, December 2, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. For this season's full list of family events, see our Beaumont Christmas events guide on this page.
What is new at the 2026 Beaumont tree lighting?
The 2026 page promises a drone show that lights up the night alongside the city's Christmas tree, plus live music, food trucks and family activities. It does not mention Santa or list an admission price, so check the city's page before you go. Our Beaumont Christmas events guide on this page has the details we confirmed.
What happened at the fifth annual Beaumont tree lighting?
It was held on a Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Downtown Event Centre lake, free and open to the whole community. Mayor Robin Mouton led the countdown, and the evening had fireworks, live music, food trucks, fire and police vehicles and an outdoor showing of two holiday films.
Did Beaumont have a Christmas tree lighting in 2025?
The 2026 event is the ninth annual, so by that count the city held an eighth lighting in 2025. We could not find a published account of the 2025 evening, so we cannot describe what happened. For this year, our Beaumont Christmas events guide on this page lists the confirmed date.
Is the Beaumont Nutcracker a long tradition?
Yes. The Beaumont Civic Ballet's Nutcracker was listed as its 49th annual production in 2020, with shows at the Julie Rogers Theatre on a December weekend. That is a long run for a local holiday show. Check the theatre or ballet for this year's dates, since we have not confirmed them.
What is the Main Street Market in Beaumont?
The Main Street Market is a three-day holiday shopping event run by the Junior League of Beaumont, held in early December with more than 100 vendors. It appears in more than one holiday guide. Tickets and hours change annually, so check the Junior League's page for the current schedule.
What is Christmas in Boomtown?
Christmas in Boomtown was a holiday morning at Spindletop-Gladys City, the boomtown museum, listed on December 5, 2015, from 10 a.m. to noon and free with three canned goods. We did not confirm it for this year. Check the museum's page or our Beaumont Christmas events guide on this page for anything current.
Can kids write letters to Santa in Beaumont?
In a past holiday season, children could write letters to Santa at the downtown tree on Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m., and a department store donated a dollar to Make-A-Wish for each letter, up to a million dollars. Check the current season's schedule, as programs change from year to year.
What did police hand out at the Beaumont tree?
The Beaumont Police Department handed out blue candy canes at the downtown tree all month in a past season. Programs vary each year, so ask at the tree or check the city's page to see whether it is part of this season.
Is the Beaumont tree lighting outdoors?
Yes. The lighting takes place outdoors at the Downtown Event Centre lake, and past reports mention fireworks, food trucks and an outdoor screening of two holiday films. The 2026 event adds a drone show. Dress for the evening weather, bring a blanket for little ones, and check the city's page for the current schedule.
How can I explain a drone show to a young child?
Tell them that small flying machines, called drones, will dance in the sky with tiny lights, a bit like a lit-up cloud of fireflies that can draw shapes. The 2026 Beaumont tree lighting promises a drone show beside the Christmas tree. Younger kids may like ear protection if fireworks are added.
Are Beaumont Christmas events good for toddlers?
Many are, especially the lakeside tree lighting, which has family activities and food trucks, and daytime events such as the 2015 Christmas at the Station. Evenings can run late, so bring a stroller and a snack. For this season's confirmed events, see our Beaumont Christmas events guide on this page.
Where can kids see Christmas lights in Beaumont?
The Downtown Event Centre lake is the main spot, with the city tree and, in a past season, holiday lights and music nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. The Beaumont CVB also publishes a holiday lights guide. Our Beaumont Christmas events guide on this page lists this year's confirmed dates.
What was the KCS Holiday Express in Beaumont?
It was a six-car Kansas City Southern train that stopped at the KCS Yard in Beaumont on Saturday, November 28, 2015, from 4 to 9 p.m. Admission was free. Three cars had displays, including a gingerbread boxcar, Santa's sleigh and reindeer on a flatcar, and a tank car named Rudy.
Is there a train museum in Beaumont?
Our museum list for Texas has no Beaumont entry, so we cannot point you to a train museum there. The best-documented rail Christmas moment in the city is the 2015 KCS Holiday Express stop, a free display train. For other family outings, see our Beaumont Christmas events guide on this page.
What did Beaumont families do for fun in December 2015?
The Beaumont CVB listed a free holiday party and tree lighting at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas on December 3, classic movie nights at the Jefferson Theatre, Christmas at the Station at the Fire Museum of Texas on December 12, and The Nutcracker at the Julie Rogers Theatre.
Are Beaumont's Christmas traditions free?
Several are. The tree lighting has been described as free and open to the whole community, and past events such as Christmas at the Station and the Holiday Express were free. Others, like the Main Street Market and The Nutcracker, sell tickets. Always check the current host page before heading out.
What makes Christmas in Beaumont different from other cities?
Beaumont's tree stands beside a downtown lake, and the 2026 lighting adds a drone show above the water. The city also blends local history and holidays with events at museums such as Spindletop-Gladys City and the Fire Museum of Texas, giving families a mix of lights and local history.
Sources
- Southeast Texas holiday events guide (2015), Beaumont CVB
- December events bring holiday cheer to Southeast Texas, 12News Now
- Beaumont's largest Christmas tree lighting, The Examiner
- City of Beaumont Christmas Tree Lighting 2026, Downtown Beaumont
- All aboard the KCS Holiday Express, Beaumont CVB