Christmas Events for Kids in Bedford, VA (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Bedford, VA for 2026, and here is what he found: 7 family events, 1 of them free. The magic runs from December 1 (Tinkering Tuesdays: Gingerbread Man Challenge) through December 12, with Christmas in Wartime (from December 4), Parade Day Holiday Family Photo Sessions (December 5) and Breakfast with Santa (December 12) along the way. 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 Bedford

  • 7 Christmas events for kids in Bedford
  • 1 free event, including Christmas in Wartime
  • Meet Santa: Christmas in Wartime (from December 4) and Breakfast with Santa (December 12)
  • Also on the list: 1 Christmas show, 1 Christmas light display, 1 story time and 5 craft workshops
  • Season: December 1 (Tinkering Tuesdays: Gingerbread Man Challenge) to December 12 (Breakfast with Santa)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in Bedford

Holiday eventFree

Christmas in Wartime

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The National D-Day Memorial steps back to Christmas 1944 for two evenings. Re-enactors and living history displays show how soldiers kept the holiday while serving on the front lines in World War II, and a wartime Santa known as G.I. Santa makes appearances. The program shares the grounds with Flames of Memory, the Memorial's yearly luminaria display.

Christmas in Wartime runs on Friday, December 4, and Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. each night at 3 Overlord Circle. Admission is free and the Memorial welcomes donations. The page does not mention tickets or advance registration.

Parent tip: Everything happens outdoors after dark in early December, so dress children in warm layers. Take a moment before you go to explain that the candle bags honor soldiers who died, so the quiet mood makes sense to younger kids.

Host
National D-Day Memorial (opens in a new tab)
Address
National D-Day Memorial, 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford, VA 24523 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom National D-Day Memorial (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 6 more Bedford events researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 5 Crafts
  • 4 Zoos and museums
  • 2 Santa
  • 2 Breakfast and treats
  • 1 Free

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Bedford

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Holiday crafts

Tinkering Tuesdays: Gingerbread Man Challenge

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December's session of the library's monthly STEAM program sets children an engineering problem with a Christmas twist. Each child designs and builds a small carrier that can send a gingerbread man down a zip line and over a pretend river to safety. The group also reads The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray, and the materials come from the library's Amazement Square STEAM cart.

It meets on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. in the Bedford Room at Bedford Central Library. The program is for ages 3 to 10. Registration is required and closes at 2:00 p.m. on the day of the program.

Parent tip: Sign-up stays open until an hour before the 3:00 p.m. start, so a last-minute decision still works if there is room. Activities are adjusted by age, which makes this a workable pick for siblings anywhere from 3 to 10.

Host
Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)
Address
Bedford Central Library (Bedford Room), 321 N Bridge St, Bedford, VA 24523 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)

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Holiday event

Parade Day Holiday Family Photo Sessions

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On Christmas parade day, Bedford Central Library puts up a holiday backdrop so families can take their own keepsake pictures. While you wait for a turn, children can work through a scavenger hunt and collect a make-and-take craft. The library cafe sells hot chocolate, coffee and snacks.

The backdrop is available on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Bedford Room. You take the photos yourself with your own phone or camera, pets are not allowed, and the cafe accepts cash only. The listing does not mention registration.

Parent tip: Nobody is on hand to take the picture, so bring a second adult or be ready to trade phones with the next family in line. Tuck a few dollars in your pocket, since the cafe does not take cards.

Host
Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)
Address
Bedford Central Library (Bedford Room), 321 N Bridge St, Bedford, VA 24523 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)

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Holiday crafts

Beads & Baubles: DIY Christmas Ornaments

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Teens and adults string beads into sparkling ornaments at this evening craft table. The finished pieces can hang on the Christmas tree or in a sunny window, where they catch the light like a suncatcher. The library provides every supply.

The session is on Wednesday, December 9, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Bedford Room at Bedford Central Library. No registration is needed, and you can arrive at any time while it is running.

Parent tip: The library lists this one for teens and adults, so save it for a parent and teen evening and pick a different program for younger children. Since it is drop-in, you can come after dinner and still finish an ornament before 7:00 p.m.

Host
Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)
Address
Bedford Central Library (Bedford Room), 321 N Bridge St, Bedford, VA 24523 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)

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Breakfast with Santa

Breakfast with Santa

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Santa comes to Bedford Central Library for a morning meal with local families. Children can eat, talk with him and get a photo before he heads back to the North Pole. The library system puts it on together with Bedford County Parks and Recreation, and craft stations are spread around the building for the rest of the day.

It takes place on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. No registration is required, and families may drop in whenever they like during those two hours, though food is served only while supplies last. The craft stations run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Parent tip: Breakfast is first come, first served, so get there close to 10:00 a.m. if eating with Santa matters to your kids. Stay on afterward for the Grinch costume contest at noon and the reptile visit at 1:00 p.m. in the same building.

Host
Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)
Address
Bedford Central Library (Bedford Room), 321 N Bridge St, Bedford, VA 24523 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)

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Holiday event

Grinch Costume Contest

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Whoville takes over the library's story time area for an hour. Kids and grown-ups show off outfits inspired by the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, Max the dog or any other Who they like. Prizes go to winners in several age categories, and the contest is one piece of the library's Welcome to Whoville Christmas Celebration.

The contest is on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at Bedford Central Library. It is open to all ages, and the listing does not ask for registration.

Parent tip: Because prizes are split by age group, even a toddler in a simple Cindy Lou hairdo has a fair shot. It begins right as Breakfast with Santa ends, so wear the costume to breakfast and you will not need to change.

Host
Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)
Address
Bedford Central Library (Story Time Area), 321 N Bridge St, Bedford, VA 24523 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)

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Holiday event

WHO's Ready for Reptiles?: A Christmas Petting Zoo

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The Larsen Family brings live reptiles to the main area of the library for a meet-and-greet tied to the library's Grinch theme. Families get a close look at the animals and hear what sets each one apart. A holiday craft and coloring pages are set out as well.

The reptile visit is on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Bedford Central Library, as part of the Welcome to Whoville celebration. It is listed for families of all ages, and the page does not mention registration.

Parent tip: If your child is unsure about snakes and lizards, start at the craft and coloring table and let them watch from a distance first. It is the last of three back-to-back programs that day, so pack a snack for kids who have been there since breakfast.

Host
Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)
Address
Bedford Central Library (Main Library Area), 321 N Bridge St, Bedford, VA 24523 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Bedford Public Library System (opens in a new tab)

New Bedford events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Bedford daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bedford.

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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 Virginia Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Bedford Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Tinkering Tuesdays: Gingerbread Man Challenge in Bedford on December 1; 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.

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 Forest, Vinton, Lynchburg and Roanoke. 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.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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.

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2026 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 Bedford

Bedford's best-known Christmas lights go up on the grounds of the former Elks National Home, a display that a 2025 news report says began 72 years earlier with an idea from a circus performer billed as the most tattooed man on Earth. Across town, the National D-Day Memorial marks the season in a quieter way, with thousands of candle bags glowing for the men lost on June 6, 1944.

How Bedford celebrates

Christmas in Bedford centers on one busy Saturday in early December. A morning parade brings floats, antique cars, clowns, horses, marching bands and Santa through downtown, and that afternoon the town lights its Centertown tree with music, vendors and children's activities. The season's longest-running sight is the drive-through light display at Spring Oak, the former Elks National Home, which local television has described as more than 70 years old. The National D-Day Memorial adds Flames of Memory, an annual luminaria display with free admission, and the Bedford Area Welcome Center fills up with decorated trees for its Festival of Trees.

Christmas last year in Bedford

In 2025 the Bedford Christmas Parade was held on Saturday, December 6, from 11:00 a.m. to noon, with the theme Small Town Parade of Trees. The Town of Bedford Tree Lighting followed downtown from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., with Santa, the Grinch, hot chocolate and cider, ice sculpting and live music. The same day brought the 46th annual Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic 5K and the 17th annual Festival of Trees, which had 40 decorated trees at the Welcome Center. At Spring Oak, the lighting ceremony was set for December 5 and the lights stayed on through December 31, part of what the Elks Club's director called a five-year project to restore the display.

Fun facts about Christmas in Bedford

WSLS reported in 2020 that the Flames of Memory display used 4,415 luminarias, each a bag holding a battery-operated candle, laid out from Burks Hill Road across the memorial grounds. Donations from visitors pay the electric bill for the Spring Oak light display. In 2025 the Bedford Museum set up a Christmas train display featuring Bedford landmarks on its third floor. During the 2020 season the town swapped its street parade for a drive-thru parade at Liberty Lake Park.

Traditions today

  • Bedford Christmas Parade: Floats, antique cars, clowns, horses, marching bands and Santa travel through downtown Bedford on a Saturday morning in early December.
  • Centertown tree lighting: The town lights its Christmas tree downtown on the afternoon of parade day, with live music, vendors and activities for children.
  • Spring Oak light display: Families drive through a display of lights and animated figures on the grounds of the former Elks National Home, a custom that goes back more than 70 years.
  • Flames of Memory: The National D-Day Memorial lines its grounds with thousands of luminarias in memory of the men killed on D-Day.
  • Christmas in Wartime: Re-enactors at the D-Day Memorial recreate a soldier's Christmas of 1944, complete with a G.I. Santa.
  • Festival of Trees: The Bedford Area Welcome Center displays dozens of decorated Christmas trees, a show that reached its 17th year in 2025.

A fact for kids

The Christmas lights at the old Elks Home in Bedford were the idea of a circus performer who was known as the most tattooed man on Earth. People have been driving through to see them for more than 70 years.

Questions about Christmas in Bedford

How old is the Christmas light display at the Elks Home in Bedford?

WSLS reported in December 2025 that the tradition began 72 years earlier, and a second report that season called it well over 70 years old. The property is now named Spring Oak, but many people in Bedford still call it the Elks Home.

Who came up with the idea for the Elks Home lights?

According to WSLS, the display grew from an idea by a circus performer who was described as the most tattooed man on Earth. The station's report does not give his name. The lights have drawn families and friends to the grounds every Christmas since.

How is the Spring Oak light display paid for?

The display runs on donations. WSLS reported in December 2025 that the money organizers receive from visitors goes toward the electric bill and the other costs of keeping the lights up and running each season at Spring Oak.

Is the Spring Oak display being restored?

Yes. In November 2025 the Elks Club's executive director, Skye Grant, described a five-year project to bring the festival back to the standing it once had. Volunteers and staff spent the year assembling and preparing display pieces before the December 5 lighting ceremony.

What is Flames of Memory at the National D-Day Memorial?

It is an annual December evening event where thousands of luminarias are placed across the Memorial's grounds to honor the men killed on D-Day. Admission is free and donations are welcome. In 2026 it is listed for December 4 and 5, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

How many luminarias are lit at the D-Day Memorial?

A 2020 WSLS report counted 4,415 luminarias, one for each man killed on D-Day, each made from a bag with a battery-operated candle inside. A Memorial staff member said that seeing the bags spread over the grounds helps visitors picture a number that large.

What is in the Bedford Christmas Parade?

The Destination Bedford tourism calendar describes floats, antique cars, clowns, horses, marching bands and Santa moving through downtown Bedford. The 2025 parade ran from 11:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, December 6, and its theme was Small Town Parade of Trees.

Where and when does Bedford light its Christmas tree?

The tree stands in Centertown, Bedford's downtown. In 2025 the Town of Bedford Tree Lighting ran from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on parade day, December 6, with Santa, the Grinch, hot chocolate and cider, ice sculpting, vendors, children's activities and live music.

What happened to Bedford's Christmas events in 2020?

The Centertown tree was still lit on a Saturday evening in early December 2020, and WSLS counted more than 100 people watching. Many of them then drove to Liberty Lake Park, where the Christmas parade was held as a drive-thru that year.

What is the Festival of Trees in Bedford?

It is a display of decorated Christmas trees at the Bedford Area Welcome Center on Burks Hill Road. The 2025 edition was the 17th annual and featured 40 trees under the title Small Town Christmas. It is promoted as a family-friendly stop during the holiday season.

Is there a Christmas train display in Bedford?

In December 2025 the Bedford Museum on East Main Street hosted a Christmas train exhibit on its third floor, a display that includes Bedford landmarks. The county tourism calendar listed admission at $5, with children admitted free.

Sources

  1. Elks Home holiday tradition continues to attract visitors in Bedford, WSLS 10
  2. Bedford prepares for Christmas lights display at Spring Oak, WSLS 10
  3. Bedford transforms for the holiday season with Christmas tree lighting, WSLS 10
  4. National D-Day Memorial hosts annual event to honor the 4,415 men killed in war, WSLS 10
  5. Bedford Christmas Parade (December 6, 2025), Destination Bedford VA
  6. Events for December 6, 2025, Destination Bedford VA
  7. Flames of Memory, National D-Day Memorial
  8. Christmas in Wartime 2026, National D-Day Memorial
  9. Experience the Magic of the Holidays in Bedford, an Enchanting Virginia Christmas Town, Only In Your State

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.

Bedford Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What is the best Christmas event to start with for kids in Bedford?

Try Saturday, December 12, 2026 at Bedford Central Library. Breakfast with Santa runs from 10:00 a.m. to noon, the Grinch Costume Contest follows at noon, and a reptile meet-and-greet starts at 1:00 p.m. All three are part of the library's Welcome to Whoville celebration, and craft stations stay open until 3:30 p.m.

Are there free Christmas events for families in Bedford?

Yes. Christmas in Wartime at the National D-Day Memorial on December 4 and 5, 2026 has free admission, with donations welcome. The Bedford Central Library programs in December do not show a price on their listings, and most of them are drop-in with no registration.

Where can kids meet Santa in Bedford?

Santa is at Bedford Central Library for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, where children can eat, chat and take a photo with him. A wartime version called G.I. Santa also appears at Christmas in Wartime at the National D-Day Memorial on December 4 and 5.

Is there a Christmas lights event for kids in Bedford?

The National D-Day Memorial holds its Flames of Memory luminaria display on the first Friday and Saturday of December, the same nights as Christmas in Wartime. In 2026 that means December 4 and 5, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Families walk the grounds among the lights and visit World War II living history displays.

Which Bedford Christmas events need registration?

Only one on this list. Tinkering Tuesdays: Gingerbread Man Challenge on December 1, 2026 requires registration, which closes at 2:00 p.m. that day. Breakfast with Santa on December 12 and the Beads & Baubles ornament night on December 9 are both drop-in, and Christmas in Wartime on December 4 and 5 has free admission.

What can families do at the library on Bedford's Christmas parade day?

On Saturday, December 5, 2026, Bedford Central Library sets up a holiday backdrop from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for parade day family photos. You bring your own phone or camera. Kids can do a scavenger hunt and pick up a make-and-take craft, and the cafe sells hot chocolate for cash.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Bedford?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Virginia Christmas train rides guide. This Bedford 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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