Rally is researching the season
Christmas with kids in Blue Mountains
Leura used to switch on its village Christmas tree on 1 December, a five-metre tree outside the newsagency. Today the mountain towns share banners, markets and a Christmas Day ballroom lunch with Santa.
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The story of Christmas in Blue Mountains
A five-metre tree outside the Leura newsagency
In 2017 Leura's Christmas season started on 1 December, when the lights on a five-metre tree outside the Leura Post Office Newsagency were switched on. That year the village was dressed as a German-style Yuletide village, with 100 handmade stars in the shopfronts and red ribbon on the cherry trees. The Leura Village Association ran it, with Mid Mountains Rotary and the Rural Fire Brigade, and lantern workshops cost $10 a person before a lantern parade along Leura Mall on 15 December.
Banners in five towns and an elf hunt at the rail museum
In 2025 the council unveiled festive banners on 1 December in Glenbrook, Blaxland, Springwood, Wentworth Falls and Katoomba. In mid December, Valley Heights Rail Museum held Santa visits and a hidden elf competition on 13 and 14 December, a Blaxland market at Outrim Park with Santa from 10am to noon, and Springwood late night shopping with a cookie trail and elf hunt. Sydney Ice Theatre played Frozen ice adventures at the Fairmont ice rink on 12 and 13 December.
A gift for every child at the Fairmont lunch
At the Fairmont in Leura, Santa brought a gift for each child aged 12 and under to the Christmas Day ballroom lunch in 2025. Check the Visit NSW page for 2026 details. A 2017 Weekend Notes guide also pointed families to Railway Parade in Leura and The Avenue in Springwood for street lights.
Traditions today
- Christmas Day ballroom lunch: The Fairmont in Leura holds a Christmas Day buffet lunch with live music and Santa, who brings a gift for every child.
- Festive street banners: Council hangs banners in Glenbrook, Blaxland, Springwood, Wentworth Falls and Katoomba each December.
- Santa and the hidden elf: Valley Heights Rail Museum ran a Santa visit and hidden elf competition on a December weekend in 2025.
- Town markets and late night shopping: Blaxland, Hazelbrook and Springwood have December markets or late shopping nights with Santa, food and performances.
- Street lights in the mountain towns: Families have driven to Glenbrook, Springwood and Leura to see Christmas lights on houses and in the village.
A fact for kids
Leura's village was decorated with 100 handmade stars one Christmas, and the cherry trees were wrapped in red ribbon.
Questions about Christmas in Blue Mountains
What is A Merry Family Feast at the Fairmont?
A Merry Family Feast is the Christmas Day lunch at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains, 1 Sublime Point Road, Leura. It has a buffet lunch, live music and a visit from Santa. The Visit NSW page does not show a start time or price, and we have not confirmed the 2026 details, so use its booking link to check.
Does Santa bring presents to the Fairmont Christmas Day lunch?
Yes. The event page says Santa brings a gift for every child, and the 2025 version said each child aged 12 and under got one. The lunch is held in a decorated ballroom with a buffet and live music. Tickets are sold through the booking link on the Visit NSW page.
Where can a family spend Christmas Day in the Blue Mountains with young children?
A Christmas Day option is A Merry Family Feast at the Fairmont in Leura. It includes a buffet, live music and Santa with a gift for each child. Check the Visit NSW page for the 2026 date and booking details.
Are Blue Mountains swimming pools open on Boxing Day?
In 2025 the council said all Blue Mountains Leisure and Aquatic Centres would open on Boxing Day, with free entry that day. The council has not confirmed the 2026 arrangement in the news item we read, so check its website before you pack the towels.
When did Blue Mountains council put up its Christmas banners in 2025?
The council unveiled festive street banners on 1 December 2025. They went up in Glenbrook, Blaxland, Springwood, Wentworth Falls and Katoomba.
What is the 12 days of waste-less Christmas campaign?
It is a council campaign that began on Saturday 13 December 2025, with a daily tip on cutting waste over the festive season. The tips were posted on the council's Facebook and Instagram pages. It is not an outing, but it is a nice talking point for older kids.
Is there a Christmas ice show in the Blue Mountains?
In December 2025 Sydney Ice Theatre played Frozen ice adventures at the Blue Mountains Ice Rink at Fairmont Resort in Leura. There were three 1.5-hour shows, at 6pm on Friday 12 December and 4pm and 6.30pm on Saturday 13 December. No 2026 ice show dates were confirmed when we checked.
Can kids meet Santa at Valley Heights Rail Museum?
In 2025 the museum held Santa visits and a hidden elf competition with a prize on 13 and 14 December. It also opened new areas of the historic Roundhouse. We have not found 2026 dates yet, so check the museum before making the trip.
Is there a Christmas market in Blaxland?
In 2025 the Blaxland community Christmas market was on Saturday 13 December at Outrim Park, from 8am to 1pm. Santa was there from 10am to noon, with free children's yoga, face painting, giveaways, coffee and local stalls. The 2026 date has not been confirmed.
What happens at Springwood late night shopping before Christmas?
The 2025 night was held on Thursday 11 December from 4pm to 8pm in the IGA car park in Springwood. It had pop-up food, dance school performances, Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW displays, buskers, a cookie trail and an elf hunt.
Can the family dog join in the Christmas fun in Blackheath?
In 2025 Blackheath's Doggie Night Out on Thursday 11 December had a Christmas outfit contest for pets. Dates for 2026 have not been confirmed, so watch the Blackheath shops for this year's night out.
Is there a Christmas market in Hazelbrook?
The Hazelbrook Market ran on Saturday 13 December 2025, from 9am to 1pm at the Uniting Church Hall, with Devonshire teas after 10am. It was billed as the last market of the year. Check the market's own page for any 2026 date.
Where do Blue Mountains families go to see Christmas lights?
A 2017 Weekend Notes guide named Park Street and Lucasville Road in Glenbrook, The Avenue in Springwood and Railway Parade opposite Westgate Park in Leura. The decorated houses change from year to year, so treat those streets as a starting point.
How tall was the Leura Christmas tree in 2017?
The Leura tree was five metres tall and stood outside the Leura Post Office Newsagency. On 1 December 2017 its lights were switched on, which the Gazette said marked the start of Christmas in Leura. Shopfronts had 100 handmade stars and the cherry trees wore red ribbon.
What was the Leura Christmas Lantern Parade?
In 2017 the Leura Village Association held a Christmas Lantern Parade on 15 December along Leura Mall. Lantern workshops on 4 and 13 December cost $10 a person and needed bookings. Mid Mountains Rotary ran the sausage sizzle. We have not found a 2026 date for the parade.
Are there Christmas carols in Blackheath?
In 2017 Carols in the Park was held on Sunday 10 December from 6pm to 7.30pm in the garden of Blackheath Community Hall, with kids' activities from 3pm. It was free, and families were asked for hamper donations. We have not confirmed 2026 dates.
Where were carols held in Glenbrook and Lawson in 2017?
In 2017 Lawson carols were on Saturday 9 December in Queens Road, and Glenbrook's Celebrate Christmas Concert was on Saturday 16 December at Glenbrook Park, corner of Ross and Park Streets. These are old dates, so check this year's local noticeboards.
Does Blue Mountains council run community carols?
Council's December 2025 news item mentioned community carols and Christmas shopping nights, but did not give dates or venues. Local community groups, schools and churches have run most carols in the mountains. Check the council website and local noticeboards for the 2026 carols.
Which Blue Mountains towns got festive banners in 2025?
Banners were unveiled on 1 December 2025 in Glenbrook, Blaxland, Springwood, Wentworth Falls and Katoomba. Leura, Blackheath and other villages have their own decorations, such as the Leura village tree and shopfront lights described in a 2017 Gazette story.
Where can parents find confirmed 2026 Christmas dates for the Blue Mountains?
Start with Rally Takes the Train's Blue Mountains Christmas events guide, which lists the dates we have confirmed. We have no confirmed 2026 dates to list yet. Many local events were only announced in early December last year, so we will add more as they are published.
Sources
- Christmas season: council news, December 2025, Blue Mountains City Council
- Christmas festivities and events in the Blue Mountains, Blue Mountains Gazette
- A Merry Family Feast, Visit NSW
- Santa's Ballroom Bash, Christmas Day Family Celebration, Visit NSW
- Leura, let there be lights, Blue Mountains Gazette
- Christmas Lights and Carols in the Blue Mountains, Weekend Notes