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Christmas with kids in Casper
Casper's best-known Christmas light show began with just 11 trees and a generator, lit to bring hope to hospital patients in 1998. Today it glows with about 50,000 lights, and a parade and ice rink join the fun downtown.
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Downtown Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting
When: Sat, Dec 5 (time to be announced)
Where: David Street Station and the Old Yellowstone District, Casper
Cost: Not listed
The story of Christmas in Casper
How Casper celebrates
Casper's best-known Christmas tradition is the tree lighting at Conwell Park, now called Holiday Square. It began in 1998 with 11 trees, and with no electrical power in the park at first, a generator ran the lights. They were meant to send a message of hope, love and joy to patients and visitors at the hospital across the street. Over the years more lights were added, and the park now glows with about 50,000. Downtown, a tree lighting at David Street Station, standing in an ice rink, opens the Casper Christmas Parade.
Christmas last year in Casper
The Casper Christmas Parade rolled through downtown at 6 p.m. on December 6, 2025, with the theme "Unmask the Magic," celebrating heroes of all kinds. A tree lighting at David Street Station came first. The 2024 grand prize winner, Dance Evolutions, carried Mr. and Mrs. Claus. On November 20, the 37th annual Festival of Trees at Best Western Downtown Casper showed off decorated Christmas trees to support Special Olympics Wyoming. Conwell Park's roughly 50,000 lights and the David Street Station ice rink rounded out the season.
Fun facts about Christmas in Casper
The Conwell Park lights were first powered by a generator, and city workers now spend hundreds of hours turning the park into a light show. Casper's parade themes have included "Christmas at the Movies" in 2021 and "The Magic and Music of Christmas" in 2024. In 2022, light, wet snow fell during the David Street Station tree lighting. On 12th Street, a home display has featured 12-foot skeletons and a Krampus. And Hogadon, a ski area less than 30 minutes from downtown, offers night skiing in December.
Traditions today
- Conwell Park lights: The tree lighting that began in 1998 with 11 trees has grown into about 50,000 lights, with carols, cookies and cocoa.
- Casper Christmas Parade: A downtown parade with decorated floats, held the first weekend of December and led by a tree lighting at David Street Station.
- David Street Station ice rink: A tree stands in the middle of the ice rink, which is open for holiday skating with rentals on site.
- Festival of Trees: An annual evening of decorated trees, local desserts and a silent auction that supports Special Olympics Wyoming.
- Meet Santa and Mrs. Christmas: Families have lined up for hot chocolate and a visit with Santa Claus and Mrs. Christmas at the Holiday Square tree lighting.
- Neighborhood light displays: Homes on East 12th Street and South Poplar Street are known for inflatables, themed decorations and giant skeletons.
A fact for kids
Casper's best-known Christmas light show started in 1998 with just 11 trees, and a generator had to power them. Now about 50,000 lights glow in the park.
Questions about Christmas in Casper
What is the oldest Christmas tradition in Casper?
One of the oldest we could verify is the Conwell Park tree lighting, which began in 1998 with 11 trees. A generator ran the lights because the park had no power. The lights were meant to bring hope, love and joy to hospital patients and visitors, and the area later became known as Holiday Square.
Why does Casper light up Conwell Park for Christmas?
The first lights in 1998 were meant to send a message of hope, love and joy to the patients and visitors at the hospital across the street. More lights were added each year. Today the park has about 50,000 lights, and the tree lighting is called an unofficial prelude to the Christmas season.
What is the Festival of 50,000 Lights?
It is the annual tree lighting ceremony at Conwell Park, held the week before Thanksgiving in 2024. Hundreds of community members came for lights, carols, cookies and cocoa, which city councilors served. Displays included a nativity scene and Santa with his reindeer, and the lights stayed on through the season.
What was the Casper Christmas Parade theme in 2025?
The 2025 Casper Christmas Parade used the theme Unmask the Magic, celebrating heroes of all kinds, from first responders and families to Santa's elves and comic book legends. It started at 6 p.m. on December 6 downtown, after a tree lighting at David Street Station.
Where is the tree lighting before the Casper parade?
The ceremonial tree lighting takes place at David Street Station, where the tree stands in the middle of an ice rink. It comes before the parade, and the parade starts there. See our Casper Christmas events guide on this page for this season's times and the latest route.
What route does the Casper Christmas Parade take?
The parade moves through downtown Casper. For the 2026 parade, organizers describe a route stretching from the Old Yellowstone District through 2nd Street, and say details may be updated later. Spectators can buy hot cocoa from downtown coffee shops and watch along the route. Check our Casper Christmas events guide on this page.
Who won the Casper Christmas Parade in 2024?
Dance Evolutions won the 2024 grand prize with a giant inflatable snowman and a light display. Moser Energy Systems took best decorated float with a Nutcracker theme, ARS Flood & Fire won best collector club, Opera Wyoming won People's Choice, and two ROTC groups shared best walking group.
What were earlier Casper parade themes?
The 2021 theme was Christmas at the Movies, and coordinator Gena Jensen called the evening perfect. The 2024 theme was The Magic and Music of Christmas, and the 2025 theme was Unmask the Magic. In 2022, light, wet snow fell during the tree lighting, which the article called a Winter Wonderland.
Who rides in the Casper parade as Santa?
Each year the grand prize winner carries Mr. and Mrs. Claus in the next parade. Dance Evolutions won in 2024, so it carried them in the 2025 parade. Santa and Mrs. Christmas also met families at the Holiday Square tree lighting in 2022, where kids lined up with hot chocolate.
What is the Festival of Trees in Casper?
The Festival of Trees is a yearly evening where guests stroll past decorated Christmas trees, enjoy hors d'oeuvres and desserts from local restaurants, and bid in a silent auction. The 37th annual festival was held November 20, 2025, at Best Western Downtown Casper and supports Special Olympics Wyoming.
Where can kids see Christmas lights in Casper?
Conwell Park has about 50,000 lights, and homes on East 12th Street and South Poplar Street have light displays, inflatable characters and themed decorations. Casper Speedway has also hosted drive-through light displays. See our Casper Christmas events guide on this page for this season's details.
Why are there giant skeletons on 12th Street in Casper?
A 12th Street home has shown 12-foot skeletons at Christmas, along with a Krampus. The skeletons first went on sale at Home Depot in 2020 and became a viral decorating trend. A local news story said the playful display draws laughter and curiosity from neighbors, and it is a fun conversation starter.
What is Krampus and how do I explain him to kids?
Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon figure who punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime, as a counterpoint to Saint Nicholas. For young kids, you can call him a silly, spooky costume character and remind them that Santa's elves are the friendly helpers. A Casper home displayed one on 12th Street.
How can I explain the Conwell Park lights to a toddler?
Tell your toddler that long ago a few trees were lit with a loud generator to cheer up people in the hospital, and now thousands of lights twinkle in the park. Bring warm clothes and hot cocoa, and count the colors together. Little ones enjoy the nativity scene and Santa with his reindeer.
Can kids ice skate at Christmas in Casper?
Yes. The David Street Station rink is open for holiday skating, with skate rentals on site, and the community Christmas tree stands inside the rink. The tree lighting and parade begin there. See our Casper Christmas events guide on this page for this season's rink hours and opening date.
When did Wyoming first celebrate Christmas officially?
Wyoming has officially observed Christmas since statehood in 1890, according to one history. Back then, Christmas and Independence Day were the only official holidays. Alabama was the first state to declare December 25 a holiday in 1836, and Christmas became a federal holiday in 1870.
What were Christmas trees like in early Wyoming?
Christmas trees became popular in Wyoming in the late 1800s. Most families cut their own, and they were often small because evergreens were scarce and hard to transport. Store-bought ornaments were rare, so many households decorated with strings of nuts and dried fruit, which kids can still make today.
How did trains bring Christmas to early Wyoming?
How close you lived to the railroad shaped Wyoming Christmases. Wealthy families in Cheyenne bought rail-shipped gifts and decorations, and some had trees shipped from Denver by rail. Ranchers and homesteaders made their own, usually smaller, gifts for household needs. This history is about the state, not Casper itself.
Does it snow in Casper at Christmas?
Snow can come and go in Casper at Christmas. Light, wet snow fell on the 2022 tree lighting at David Street Station, while a December 2025 article noted that Casper had not yet had much snow. Hogadon, less than a 30-minute drive away, usually opens in the first weekend of December depending on snowfall.
What makes Christmas in Casper special?
Casper's Christmas grew from a small act of kindness: 11 trees lit for hospital patients in 1998. That park now glows with about 50,000 lights, while downtown has a parade, an ice rink and a Festival of Trees. Our Casper Christmas events guide on this page has this season's plans.
Sources
- Casper Christmas Parade 2025, K2 Radio
- 6 Ways to Revel in the Holidays in Casper, Wyoming, Visit Casper
- PHOTOS: 2022 Holiday Square Tree Lighting Ceremony Kicks Off Christmas Season, K2 Radio
- PHOTOS: Christmas Season Commences at Festival of 50,000 Lights, Wake Up Wyo
- 37th Annual Festival of Trees, Casper Area Chamber of Commerce
- Downtown Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting, Visit Casper
- Christmas Decorations on 12th Street, K2 Radio
- The History of Christmas in Wyoming, King FM