Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Carrboro for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events, 1 of them free. They are Lollipop Series for Young Children: Columbia Marionette Theatre in Santa's Christmas Party (December 2) and Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes (December 10). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our North Carolina Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Carrboro
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Carrboro
- 1 free event, including Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes
- Meet Santa: Lollipop Series for Young Children: Columbia Marionette Theatre in Santa's Christmas Party (December 2)
- Season: December 2 (Lollipop Series for Young Children: Columbia Marionette Theatre in Santa's Christmas Party) to December 10 (Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Free Christmas events for kids in Carrboro
Holiday eventFree
Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes
- When: Thursday, December 10, 2026, 11 am to 1 pm
- Where: Carrboro Century Center, Century Hall, 100 N Greensboro St, Carrboro, NC 27510 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Town of Carrboro puts on a holiday celebration for children of all ages. Families get cookies, hands-on crafts led by the Children's Museum, and an interactive children's show by Meadowlark Music.
It runs Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and is free. The listing's location field names Century Hall at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St., while its description names the Drakeford Library Complex at 203 S. Greensboro St. The page also links to the town's registration website.
Parent tip: The listing names two different buildings, so call 919-918-7364 or check the registration page before you leave home. It runs over the midday stretch on a Thursday, so plan lunch and naps around the two hours.
- Host
- Town of Carrboro (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Carrboro Century Center, Century Hall, 100 N Greensboro St, Carrboro, NC 27510 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Carrboro event 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 Carrboro.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Carrboro 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 Shows
- 1 Santa
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Free
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Carrboro
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Holiday show
Lollipop Series for Young Children: Columbia Marionette Theatre in Santa's Christmas Party
- When: Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 10:30 to 11:30 am
- Where: Drakeford Library Complex, 203 S Greensboro St, Carrboro, NC 27510 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $3; children 12 months and under free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Columbia Marionette Theatre brings its puppet show Santa's Christmas Party to the town's Lollipop Series for young children. In the story, Santa's head elf, Spangler, lines up a string of acts for a surprise holiday party, then learns that Santa is away on vacation and may not make it back in time.
The show is Wednesday, December 2, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Drakeford Library Complex, 203 S. Greensboro St. Admission is $3, and children 12 months and under get in free. The town's listing links to its registration website and gives 919-918-7364 for questions.
Parent tip: This is a weekday morning show, so it fits preschoolers and little ones not yet in school best. One line of the listing gives the street number as 302 instead of 203 S. Greensboro St., so navigate to the Drakeford Library Complex by name.
- Host
- Town of Carrboro (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Drakeford Library Complex, 203 S Greensboro St, Carrboro, NC 27510 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Carrboro events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Carrboro daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Carrboro.
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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 North Carolina Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Carrboro Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Lollipop Series for Young Children: Columbia Marionette Theatre in Santa's Christmas Party in Carrboro on December 2; the last runs to December 10. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Lollipop Series for Young Children: Columbia Marionette Theatre in Santa's Christmas PartyCarrboro · Dec 2
- Kids, Cookies & Candy CanesCarrboro · Dec 10
Looking further afield? Our North Carolina Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Durham, NC, Mebane, Cary and Graham. 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 Amazon2026 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 Carrboro
Carrboro grew up at the end of a railroad spur that state law kept at least a mile from the University of North Carolina campus, and the settlement was first known simply as West End. The old mill town now welcomes December with a marionette Santa show and a free cookies-and-crafts party put on by the town.
How Carrboro celebrates
The Town of Carrboro runs the two holiday events confirmed for kids in 2026. On Wednesday, December 2, its Lollipop Series for Young Children brings Columbia Marionette Theatre to the Drakeford Library Complex on South Greensboro Street for Santa's Christmas Party, a puppet show about an elf planning a surprise for Santa. On Thursday, December 10, Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes offers cookies, crafts with the Children's Museum and an interactive show by Meadowlark Music, listed for Century Hall at the Carrboro Century Center on North Greensboro Street. The second event is free.
Fun facts about Christmas in Carrboro
Carrboro was settled in 1882 near the end of the 10.2-mile State University Railroad spur and was first called West End. It briefly called itself Lloydville in 1900, was incorporated in 1911 as Venable, and was renamed Carrboro two years later after Julian S. Carr supplied electric power and expanded the local mill. The old Alberta Cotton Mill was saved from demolition by a community petition and restored as Carr Mill Mall. The 2020 census counted 21,295 residents.
Traditions today
- Lollipop Series for Young Children: The town's Lollipop Series brings Columbia Marionette Theatre to the Drakeford Library Complex for Santa's Christmas Party on December 2, 2026.
- Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes: The Town of Carrboro hosts a free holiday celebration for children of all ages on December 10, 2026.
- Crafts with the Children's Museum: Hands-on crafts led by the Children's Museum are part of Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes.
- Meadowlark Music show: An interactive children's show featuring Meadowlark Music rounds out the December 10 celebration.
A fact for kids
Carrboro has gone by four names: West End, Lloydville, Venable and Carrboro. In the 1920s and 1930s its railroad depot was a major hub for the wooden cross-ties that hold up train tracks.
Questions about Christmas in Carrboro
When was Carrboro founded?
The area was settled in 1882 near the end of the State University Railroad spur, just west of Chapel Hill. The community, then called West End, was incorporated in 1911 under the name Venable and took the name Carrboro two years later.
How did Carrboro get its name?
Carrboro is named for Julian S. Carr, a Durham industrialist who bought the local mill in 1909, expanded it and provided electric power to the community. In 2019 the town put up a truth plaque distancing itself from Carr's values and actions.
What other names has Carrboro had?
Located just west of Chapel Hill, it was first known as West End. In 1900 the town briefly called itself Lloydville after mill builder Thomas F. Lloyd. It was incorporated in 1911 as Venable, honoring university president Francis Preston Venable, before becoming Carrboro.
Why does Carrboro have a railroad history?
Carrboro began near the end of a 10.2-mile spur of the State University Railroad. State law required the line to stop at least a mile from the university campus. The depot served the university, the textile mills and the lumber trade, and passenger service ended in 1936.
What is Carr Mill Mall?
It is the restored Alberta Cotton Mill, which began as a steam-powered grist mill built by Thomas F. Lloyd in 1898. In 1975 the owner planned to demolish the empty mill, but a community petition and fundraising effort led to its restoration as Carr Mill Mall.
How many people live in Carrboro?
The 2020 census counted 21,295 people in Carrboro, a town in Orange County directly west of Chapel Hill. That was up from 19,582 in 2010. About 21 percent of residents in 2020 were under 18, and the median age was 32.9 years.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Carrboro?
The Town of Carrboro lists two events in December 2026. Columbia Marionette Theatre performs Santa's Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 2, and Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes brings cookies, crafts and a children's music show on Thursday, December 10. Both are listed for all ages.
Who organizes Carrboro's holiday events for kids?
Both events appear on the Town of Carrboro's recreation calendar, with a town phone number, 919-918-7364, and a link to the town's registration website. The Children's Museum leads the crafts at Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes, and Meadowlark Music provides the show.
What is free at Christmas in Carrboro?
Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes on Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., is listed as free. The Lollipop Series puppet show on December 2 costs $3, though children 12 months and under are admitted free.
Sources
- Carrboro, North Carolina, Wikipedia
- Lollipop Series for Young Children - Columbia Marionette Theatre in Santa's Christmas Party, Town of Carrboro
- Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes, Town of Carrboro
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 North Carolina city.
Carrboro Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Carrboro?
Two town-run events stand out. Columbia Marionette Theatre performs Santa's Christmas Party in the Lollipop Series on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes follows on Thursday, December 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with cookies, crafts and a children's music show.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Carrboro?
Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes on Thursday, December 10, 2026, is listed as free. It includes cookies, crafts with the Children's Museum and an interactive show by Meadowlark Music. The Lollipop Series puppet show on December 2 is not free, but children 12 months and under are admitted without charge.
Is there a Santa show for young children in Carrboro?
Yes. Santa's Christmas Party, a marionette show by Columbia Marionette Theatre, plays the Drakeford Library Complex on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The story follows Spangler, Santa's head elf, as he plans a surprise party while Santa is off on vacation.
How much do Carrboro's holiday events for kids cost?
The Town of Carrboro lists the Lollipop Series show on December 2, 2026, at $3, with children 12 months and under admitted free. Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes on December 10 is free. Both listings link to the town's registration website.
Where are Carrboro's Christmas events for kids held?
The December 2 puppet show is at the Drakeford Library Complex, 203 S. Greensboro St. For Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes on December 10, the listing names both Century Hall at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St., and the Drakeford Library Complex, so confirm the building at 919-918-7364.
Are Carrboro's holiday events good for toddlers?
Both are listed for all ages and both happen on weekday mornings, which suits children not yet in school. The Lollipop Series is designed for young children and runs one hour on December 2, 2026. Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes runs two hours on December 10, so plan snacks and nap time around it.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Carrboro?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s North Carolina Christmas train rides guide. This Carrboro 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.