Christmas Events for Kids in Centreville (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 Centreville for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Blue Sky Puppet Theatre Presents: Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog (December 19) and Santa Claus Is Coming (Back) to the Centreville Regional Library (December 19). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Virginia Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Centreville

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Centreville
  • Meet Santa: Santa Claus Is Coming (Back) to the Centreville Regional Library (December 19)
  • Season: December 19
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Centreville

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

Holiday show

Blue Sky Puppet Theatre Presents: Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog

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Blue Sky Puppet Theatre stages its holiday show about Rufus, a lost and lonely dog who wanders into Santa's workshop. He is turned away at first because of his red nose, and the story builds to a lesson that everyone is different and everyone is special.

The show is Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to noon in Meeting Rooms 1 and 2 at the Centreville Regional Library. It is a family program with limited space. Tickets are given out 30 minutes before the show on a first come, first served basis, and the page lists no price.

Parent tip: Tickets start going out at 10:30 a.m. and cannot be reserved ahead, so be at the library before then with everyone who plans to watch. If your kids also want to see Santa, he is at the same library that afternoon with his own tickets at 2:00 p.m.

Host
Fairfax County Public Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Centreville Regional Library, Meeting Rooms 1 and 2, 14200 St Germain Dr, Centreville, VA 20121 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Fairfax County Public Library (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

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

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Santa visit

Santa Claus Is Coming (Back) to the Centreville Regional Library

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Santa makes a return visit to the Centreville Regional Library for a meet-and-greet in the conference room. Families can share Christmas wishes with him and take their own holiday photos.

Santa is in from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, 2026. The visit is for all ages and needs no registration, but a limited number of tickets are handed out starting at 2:00 p.m., and the library recommends arriving early. The page points to papahoho.com for more information and lists no price.

Parent tip: Tickets come out at 2:00 p.m., half an hour before Santa starts, and they are limited, so line up before then rather than at 2:30. Bring your own camera or phone, since the visit is set up for families to take festive photos.

Host
Fairfax County Public Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Centreville Regional Library, Conference Room, 14200 St Germain Dr, Centreville, VA 20121 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Fairfax County Public Library (opens in a new tab)

New Centreville events every week

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

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 Virginia Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Centreville Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Blue Sky Puppet Theatre Presents: Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog in Centreville on December 19; the last runs to December 19. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our Virginia Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Chantilly, Fairfax, Manassas and Dale City. 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 Centreville

Long before it was Centreville, this stop on the turnpike road was called Newgate after a popular tavern, and the small stream that passed nearby was named the River Thames. The Fairfax County community now gathers at its regional library in December, where a puppet show and Santa share a single Saturday.

How Centreville celebrates

Christmas for kids in Centreville centers on the Centreville Regional Library, a branch of the Fairfax County Public Library. On Saturday, December 19, 2026, Blue Sky Puppet Theatre performs Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog in the library's meeting rooms at 11:00 a.m., a holiday puppet show for families about a red-nosed dog at Santa's workshop. That afternoon Santa returns to the library's conference room for a meet-and-greet from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., with wishes and family photos. The library hands out limited tickets for both shortly before each one starts.

Fun facts about Christmas in Centreville

From the 1760s the area was known as Newgate, after the Newgate tavern. The Virginia General Assembly established the town in 1792, and it took its name from its central location among places such as Alexandria, Leesburg and Georgetown. During the Civil War it was the site of the Centreville Military Railroad, described as the first railroad ever built exclusively for military use. With 73,518 residents at the 2020 census, Centreville is the most populous community in Fairfax County.

Traditions today

  • Holiday puppet show: Blue Sky Puppet Theatre brings Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog to the Centreville Regional Library on December 19, 2026.
  • Santa at the library: The library bills Santa's meet-and-greet as a return visit, with families sharing wishes and taking photos.
  • Same-day tickets: Both library events hand out limited tickets shortly before they begin, so arriving early matters.
  • Centreville Regional Library: The Fairfax County Public Library branch in Centreville hosts both holiday programs in its meeting and conference rooms.

A fact for kids

Centreville used to be called Newgate, the same name as a prison in London. People even called the small stream near the old tavern the River Thames, like the big river in London.

Questions about Christmas in Centreville

When was Centreville, Virginia founded?

The Virginia General Assembly established the town in 1792, responding to petitions from local landowners. It was first spelled Centerville and shortly afterward Centreville. The area had been known as Newgate since the 1760s.

How did Centreville get its name?

The town was named for its central location. Petitioners argued that a town on the turnpike road, centrally placed among Alexandria, Colchester, Dumfries, Middleburg, Georgetown, Warrenton and Leesburg, would be convenient.

Why was Centreville once called Newgate?

Beginning in the 1760s the area took its name from the popular Newgate tavern, run by William Carr Lane. The tavern shared its name with a London prison, and the area was also described as a new gate to the western territories.

What county is Centreville in?

Centreville is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, about 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. When the town was created in 1792 it lay within Loudoun County, and it became part of Fairfax County in 1798 when the county boundary shifted.

What railroad history does Centreville have?

During the winter of 1861 and early 1862, the Confederacy heavily fortified the town. Centreville was the site of the Centreville Military Railroad, described as the first railroad ever built exclusively for military use, and the town served as a supply depot for both sides at different points.

How many people live in Centreville?

The 2020 census counted 73,518 residents, making Centreville the most populous community in Fairfax County. About 23 percent of residents were under 18, and 37.5 percent of households had children under 18 living in them.

What happens at Christmas for kids in Centreville?

On Saturday, December 19, 2026, the Centreville Regional Library hosts two holiday programs. Blue Sky Puppet Theatre performs Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog at 11:00 a.m., and Santa holds a meet-and-greet from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Both use limited tickets handed out that day.

Who organizes the Centreville library's holiday events?

The Fairfax County Public Library operates the Centreville Regional Library and lists both events on its calendar. Blue Sky Puppet Theatre presents the puppet show, and the Santa listing directs families to papahoho.com for more information about the visit.

Do Centreville's library Christmas events require registration?

No advance registration is listed for either one. The puppet show gives out tickets 30 minutes before the 11:00 a.m. show, first come, first served. The Santa visit states that no registration is required, with limited tickets available starting at 2:00 p.m.

Sources

  1. Centreville, Virginia, Wikipedia
  2. Blue Sky Puppet Theatre Presents: Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog, Fairfax County Public Library
  3. Santa Claus Is Coming (back) to the Centreville Regional Library, Fairfax County Public Library

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 Virginia city.

Centreville Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Centreville, Virginia?

Saturday, December 19, 2026, is the day to plan around. The Centreville Regional Library hosts Blue Sky Puppet Theatre's Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog from 11:00 a.m. to noon, then a Santa meet-and-greet from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Both use tickets handed out at the library shortly before they begin.

Where can kids meet Santa in Centreville?

Santa visits the conference room at the Centreville Regional Library on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Families can share wishes and take photos. No registration is required, but limited tickets are available starting at 2:00 p.m., and early arrival is recommended.

Is there a holiday puppet show in Centreville?

Yes. Blue Sky Puppet Theatre presents Rufus the Red-Nosed Raindog at the Centreville Regional Library on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to noon. The story follows a red-nosed dog who turns up at Santa's workshop and carries a message of acceptance and inclusion.

Do I need tickets for the Centreville library's Christmas events?

Both events use same-day tickets rather than advance sign-up. For the puppet show on December 19, 2026, tickets are given out 30 minutes before the 11:00 a.m. start, first come, first served. For Santa, limited tickets are available from 2:00 p.m. Neither page lists a price.

Can we do the puppet show and Santa on the same day in Centreville?

Yes, both are at the Centreville Regional Library on Saturday, December 19, 2026. The puppet show ends at noon and Santa tickets come out at 2:00 p.m., which leaves about two hours for lunch in between. Each event has its own tickets, so you will need to line up twice.

What ages are Centreville's library holiday events for?

The Santa meet-and-greet on December 19, 2026, is listed for all ages. The puppet show that morning is described as a program for families, with an audience list that runs from babies and toddlers through school-age children, teens and adults.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Centreville?

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