Christmas Events for Kids in Bronx (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 Bronx for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 5) and Junior Holiday Tea in the Conservatory (December 15). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New York Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Bronx

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Bronx
  • Meet Santa: Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 5)
  • Parades and tree lightings: Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 5)
  • Season: December 5 (Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony) to December 15 (Junior Holiday Tea in the Conservatory)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Bronx

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

Tree lighting

Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

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The Belmont Business Improvement District lights its tree in Ciccarone Park at its annual ceremony, where families can meet Santa and sing Christmas carols. Neighborhood bakeries and pastry shops supply Italian cookies and hot chocolate, and a toy giveaway is run in partnership with the Children's Cancer Society of America.

The ceremony is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at Ciccarone Park, 2426 Hughes Ave. Everyone is welcome, and the page mentions no tickets or price. For the toy giveaway, the child has to be there in person and toys are given out first come, first served.

Parent tip: Toys go out first come, first served and only to children who are present, so arrive close to the 4:00 start if the giveaway matters to your kids. The ceremony is two hours in a park in early December, so dress warmly even with hot chocolate on offer.

Host
Belmont Business Improvement District (Bronx Little Italy) (opens in a new tab)
Address
Ciccarone Park, 2426 Hughes Ave, Bronx, NY 10458 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Belmont Business Improvement District (Bronx Little Italy) (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Bronx event researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 2 Breakfast and treats
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Zoos and museums

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Holiday event

Junior Holiday Tea in the Conservatory

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Bartow-Pell's first Junior Holiday Tea introduces tweens to the customs of a nineteenth-century afternoon tea in the mansion's Conservatory. Along with tea and sweet treats, there is trivia and hands-on coaching in Victorian fan and table etiquette, and guests are invited to dress up and bring friends.

The tea is on Tuesday, December 15, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. It costs $35 per person, and tickets are sold through the museum's event page.

Parent tip: This one is designed for tweens, and at 90 minutes of seated tea and etiquette it suits a child who enjoys dressing up more than a restless younger sibling. The price is per person, so count an adult's ticket too if you plan to sit in.

Host
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (opens in a new tab)
Address
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, Conservatory, 895 Shore Road, Bronx, NY 10464 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (opens in a new tab)

New Bronx events every week

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

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

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 New York Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Bronx Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Bronx on December 5; the last runs to December 15. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our New York Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Yonkers, New York City, Tappan and Orangeburg. 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.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

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 Bronx

The Bronx takes its name from Jonas Bronck, who set up the first European settlement in the area in 1639, and it is the only New York City borough located primarily on the U.S. mainland. Christmas here ranges from a tree lighting with Italian cookies in Belmont's Little Italy to a holiday tea in a mansion in Pelham Bay Park.

How Bronx celebrates

In Belmont, the Belmont Business Improvement District opens the season with its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Ciccarone Park on Saturday, December 5, 2026, with Santa, carols, a toy giveaway, and cookies and hot chocolate from neighborhood bakeries. The BID's page also suggests pairing a visit with the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and the New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show. Across the borough in Pelham Bay Park, the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum holds its first Junior Holiday Tea for tweens in its Conservatory on December 15. The zoo, the garden and Pelham Bay Park all belong to the open space that makes up about a quarter of the Bronx.

Fun facts about Christmas in Bronx

Jonas Bronck arrived in New Netherland in 1639 and built a farm called Emmaus near what is now the corner of Willis Avenue and 132nd Street. The western Bronx was annexed to New York City in 1874 and the area east of the Bronx River in 1895, and Bronx County was created in 1914 as the 62nd and last county in the state. In the late 19th century the borough grew into a railroad suburb, and the subway linked it to Manhattan in 1904. The 2020 census counted 1,472,654 residents.

Traditions today

  • Tree lighting in Ciccarone Park: The Belmont BID holds its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Ciccarone Park, with Santa and carols, on December 5, 2026.
  • Cookies and hot chocolate from Belmont bakeries: Local bakeries and pastry shops provide Italian cookies and hot chocolate at the tree lighting.
  • Toy giveaway: The Children's Cancer Society of America partners on a first come, first served toy giveaway at the tree lighting for children who are present.
  • Junior Holiday Tea at Bartow-Pell: The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum in Pelham Bay Park hosts its first Junior Holiday Tea for tweens on December 15, 2026.
  • Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and the Holiday Train Show: The Belmont BID points visitors to the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and the New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show as seasonal outings to pair with the neighborhood.

A fact for kids

The forest at the New York Botanical Garden is thousands of years old, and it is the biggest piece left of the woods that once covered New York City. In 1919 the Bronx also had 63 piano factories.

Questions about Christmas in Bronx

How did the Bronx get its name?

The name comes from Jonas Bronck, a settler who arrived in New Netherland in 1639. His land lay between the Harlem River and the river that became known as Bronck's River, now the Bronx River, and Dutch and English settlers called the area Bronck's Land.

When was the Bronx first settled by Europeans?

European colonization began in 1639, when Jonas Bronck established the first European settlement in the area as part of the New Netherland colony. The land was originally Lenape territory, and the river that divides the borough, today's Bronx River, was once called the Aquahung.

When did the Bronx become part of New York City?

It happened in two stages. The area west of the Bronx River was annexed to New York City in 1874 and the area east of it in 1895. The Bronx became one of the five boroughs on January 1, 1898, and Bronx County followed in 1914.

Why do people say the Bronx with the word the?

According to the Wikipedia article, the definite article comes from the Bronx River and first appeared in the Annexed District of The Bronx, created in 1874. It is attributed to the usual style of referring to rivers. The Postal Service still uses plain Bronx, NY for mail.

How did railroads shape the Bronx?

The Bronx was mostly rural for generations, with small farms supplying city markets. In the late 19th century it grew into a railroad suburb, and faster travel by elevated railways and then the subway, which linked to Manhattan in 1904, brought rapid population growth.

What happens at Christmas for kids in the Bronx?

Two events are confirmed for 2026. The Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is on Saturday, December 5, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in Ciccarone Park, and the Junior Holiday Tea at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is on Tuesday, December 15, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm.

Who organizes the Bronx Little Italy tree lighting?

The Belmont Business Improvement District runs the annual ceremony. Its page thanks a list of supporters that includes neighborhood bakeries, pastry shops and a coffee shop, plus the Children's Cancer Society of America, which partners on the toy giveaway.

Where is the Junior Holiday Tea held?

It is held in the Conservatory of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum at 895 Shore Road, in Pelham Bay Park. The park is one of the large open spaces the Wikipedia article lists in the Bronx, along with Van Cortlandt Park, the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo.

What is free at Christmas in the Bronx?

The tree lighting page says all are welcome and lists no price or tickets, and its toy giveaway is first come, first served for children who are present. The Junior Holiday Tea at Bartow-Pell is a paid event at $35 per person.

How big is the Bronx?

The Bronx has a land area of 42 square miles and had 1,472,654 residents at the 2020 census. It is the northernmost of New York City's five boroughs, and about a quarter of its area is open space.

Sources

  1. The Bronx, Wikipedia
  2. Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 2026, Bronx Little Italy (Belmont Business Improvement District)
  3. Junior Holiday Tea in the Conservatory, Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum

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 New York city.

Bronx Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in the Bronx to start with?

For younger children, begin with the Bronx Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Ciccarone Park on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, with Santa, carols and a toy giveaway. For tweens, the Junior Holiday Tea at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is on Tuesday, December 15, at 4:00 pm.

Where can kids meet Santa in the Bronx?

Santa is at the Belmont BID's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Ciccarone Park, 2426 Hughes Ave, on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Families can also sing carols there and enjoy Italian cookies and hot chocolate from local small businesses.

Are there Christmas events in the Bronx without tickets?

The Bronx Little Italy tree lighting on December 5, 2026 says all are welcome and lists no tickets or price. Its toy giveaway is first come, first served, and the child must be present. The Junior Holiday Tea at Bartow-Pell on December 15 is the ticketed one, at $35 per person.

Is there a holiday lights or tree lighting event in the Bronx?

Yes. The Belmont BID's annual tree lighting is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, in Ciccarone Park. The organizer also suggests pairing a neighborhood visit with the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and the New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show, though its page gives no dates or prices for those two.

What is there for tweens at Christmas in the Bronx?

The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum holds its first Junior Holiday Tea in the Conservatory on Tuesday, December 15, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. Tweens get tea, sweet treats, trivia and tips on Victorian fan and table etiquette. Tickets are $35 per person, and dressing up is encouraged.

What makes Christmas in Bronx Little Italy different?

The tree lighting on December 5, 2026 is supplied by the neighborhood itself. The cookies and hot chocolate come from Belmont bakeries, pastry shops and a coffee shop, and the Children's Cancer Society of America partners on a toy giveaway. It all happens in Ciccarone Park on Hughes Avenue.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Bronx?

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