Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Carbondale for 2026. The Hometown Holiday Light Show glows at Hickory Lodge from December 1, Santa joins the city tree lighting in Turley Park on Thursday, December 3, and the 35th Lights Fantastic Parade lights up downtown on Saturday, December 5, with Letters to Santa and cookie decorating beforehand. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Carbondale
- 3 free Christmas events for kids in Carbondale
- Hometown Holiday Light Show: nightly from December 1, Hickory Lodge
- Tree Lighting Ceremony: Thursday, December 3, 5:30 pm, Turley Park
- Lights Fantastic Parade: Saturday, December 5, 6 pm, downtown
- Every date checked on the City of Carbondale calendar and lightsfantasticparade.com on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Carbondale
Free community light displayFree
Hometown Holiday Light Show
- When: Nightly from December 1, 2026, into early January, beginning at dusk
- Where: Hickory Lodge, 1115 W. Sycamore St., Carbondale, IL 62902 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Carbondale Park District sets up a free community light display at Hickory Lodge that glows every night from December 1 into early January.
On Saturday, December 12, from 6 to 8 pm, Holiday Lights and Fireside Bites adds seasonal activities and refreshments at the lodge for families walking the lights.
Parent tip: Come any evening after dusk, or plan for Saturday, December 12, when the fireside evening adds treats and activities.
- Host
- Carbondale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hickory Lodge, 1115 W. Sycamore St., Carbondale, IL 62902 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Carbondale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Carbondale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Carbondale.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Carbondale 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 Carbondale.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Carbondale before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 2 Santa
- 2 Lights
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Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Carbondale every week.
Tree lighting with SantaFree
City of Carbondale Tree Lighting Ceremony
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026, 5:30 to 7 pm
- Where: Turley Park, Carbondale, IL 62901 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The City of Carbondale lights its Christmas tree in Turley Park on the first Thursday evening of December.
Families get cookies, hot cocoa and holiday crafts, and Santa Claus stops by for a special visit.
Parent tip: Arrive at 5:30 so kids can finish a craft before the lighting. Bring mittens; it is an outdoor evening event.
- Host
- City of Carbondale (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Turley Park, Carbondale, IL 62901 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Carbondale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Carbondale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Carbondale.
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Lighted night paradeFree
35th Annual Lights Fantastic Parade
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026; parade at 6 pm, with free Letters to Santa and cookie decorating 3 to 6 pm
- Where: Downtown Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Since 1990 Carbondale has filled downtown with lighted floats on the first Saturday in December, and the 35th Lights Fantastic Parade steps off at 6 pm.
Before it starts, kids can write Letters to Santa and decorate a free cookie at the Carbondale Civic Center from 3 to 6 pm, and a winter market and cookie walk run downtown the same day.
Parent tip: Do the Letters to Santa and cookie decorating at the Civic Center first, then claim a curb spot before 6 pm. Streets close at 5 pm, so check the detour and parking maps.
- Host
- Lights Fantastic Parade Committee (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Carbondale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Carbondale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Carbondale.
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 Illinois Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Carbondale Christmas event for kids happens
See Santa at the Turley Park tree lighting on December 3, then spend Saturday, December 5, downtown: Letters to Santa and cookies from 3 pm, parade at 6. Visit the Hickory Lodge lights any night, or on December 12 for the fireside evening.
- Hometown Holiday Light ShowCarbondale · Dec 1 to Dec 31
- City of Carbondale Tree Lighting CeremonyCarbondale · Dec 3
- 35th Annual Lights Fantastic ParadeCarbondale · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Alton, Springfield, Decatur and Champaign. 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.
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 AmazonKeep 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 Illinois city.
Carbondale Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Carbondale this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 free Christmas events for kids in Carbondale for 2026: the Hometown Holiday Light Show, the City of Carbondale Tree Lighting Ceremony and the 35th Lights Fantastic Parade.
When is the Lights Fantastic Parade in 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 6 pm in downtown Carbondale. Letters to Santa and free cookie decorating run 3 to 6 pm at the Carbondale Civic Center.
When is the Carbondale tree lighting?
Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 5:30 to 7 pm at Turley Park, with cookies, cocoa, crafts and Santa.
Where is the Carbondale holiday light show?
At Hickory Lodge, 1115 W. Sycamore Street, nightly from dusk starting December 1, 2026, into early January. It is free.
Who do I contact about Carbondale holiday events?
The parade committee at lightsfantasticparade@gmail.com, the City of Carbondale special events coordinator at dhaun@carbondaleil.gov, and the Carbondale Park District at (618) 549-4222.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Illinois?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Illinois Christmas train rides page.
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 Carbondale on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.
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.