The Chesapeake area has 2 Christmas events for kids we could confirm for the 2026 season, from Holiday Storytime with Santa in Chesapeake on December 10 to Deck the Hall & Fa La La Land in Chesapeake, which runs through December 19. 1 of them is free, and every listing links straight to the host. It is one stop on our guide to Christmas events for kids in Virginia, part of our guide for every state.
The short version
- 2 kids’ Christmas events confirmed in Chesapeake for 2026, in Chesapeake
- First: Holiday Storytime with Santa, Chesapeake, December 10. Runs latest: Deck the Hall & Fa La La Land, Chesapeake, through December 19
- Free: Deck the Hall & Fa La La Land
- Checked on each host’s own page; each listing links straight to it
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Christmas events for kids in Chesapeake
2 confirmed events for kids in Chesapeake, soonest first.
Story time with Santa
Holiday Storytime with Santa
- When: Thursday, December 10, 2026, 10:15 to 11:45 am
- Where: Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Outreach and Innovation Library, Chesapeake
- Cost: Check the host's page
Details, tips and host
Chesapeake Public Library's Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Outreach and Innovation Library hosts a holiday morning that starts with storytime. After the stories, children can meet Santa and share their holiday wishes, then make crafts. Families can also take photos with Santa in the library's Media Lab.
The program runs from 10:15 to 11:45 am on a Thursday, which suits preschoolers and younger children who are not yet in school all day. The library calendar does not list an age range, a cost or a registration requirement, so it is worth checking the event page or calling the library before you go. Because it is held indoors at a library branch, it is an easy outing in any weather.
Parent tip: Bring a camera or phone for photos with Santa in the Media Lab, and check the event page for any registration details before going.
- Host
- Chesapeake Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Outreach and Innovation Library, 2726 Border Road, Chesapeake, VA 23324
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday lightsFree
Deck the Hall & Fa La La Land
- When: Sat December 12 and Sat December 19, 2026, 5 to 9 pm
- Where: Chesapeake City Hall, Chesapeake
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Free family outdoor event
Details, tips and host
Fa La La Land turns the grounds of Chesapeake City Hall into an interactive outdoor wonderland on two Saturday evenings in December. Families can stroll among carolers, meet baby goats dressed in holiday sweaters, get faces painted and watch live ballerina performances on the stage. Roaming holiday characters, a glass man and a stilt walker add to the fun, and Santa is there for pictures.
The city calls it a free family outdoor event, and parking around the City Hall municipal center is free. Holiday food trucks are on site. On other nights, the same location hosts Deck the Hall, a drive-through light display you can enjoy from the car every evening from late November into the new year, so families who miss the walking nights can still see the lights.
Parent tip: Parking around City Hall is free and the city suggests bringing a camera for the Santa photos. Dress for the weather since the event is outdoors.
- Host
- City of Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Chesapeake City Hall, 306 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Look inside the book
Story time with Santa in Chesapeake? Bring Rally home.
Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor. It makes a cozy bedtime story after a big day with Santa. Turn a few pages here.
Rally Takes the Train
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Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $16.99 on Amazon.
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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Every event above was confirmed on the host’s own page, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (sign-ups, ages, what is included). Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Virginia Christmas train rides page.
Chesapeake Christmas events for kids at a glance
- Kids’ Christmas events
- 2 confirmed for 2026
- Cities
- Chesapeake
- Season
- December 10 to December 19, 2026
- Free events
- 1
- Kinds of events
- story time with Santa and holiday lights
- Last checked
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Chesapeake Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Holiday Storytime with Santa in Chesapeake on December 10; 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.
- Holiday Storytime with SantaChesapeake · Dec 10
- Deck the Hall & Fa La La LandChesapeake · Dec 12 to Dec 19
Looking further afield? Our Virginia Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Virginia Beach, Richmond, VA, Norfolk, VA, Roanoke, Occoquan, Manassas, Leesburg, Lynchburg, Dale City and Harrisonburg. 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: unlock the list and we'll email you as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Chesapeake
In Chesapeake, Christmas starts with a folding chair. Every year, neighbors in Great Bridge set chairs along the parade route around Halloween, and they stay put for weeks until the Christmas parade rolls by.
How Chesapeake celebrates
The heart of Christmas in Chesapeake is the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade in Great Bridge. It has run for about 40 years, and families return to it across generations. Over time the waiting game has grown. Chairs once appeared about 10 days ahead, and now they often show up around a month early, lining the road from a church and partway down Cedar Road. Residents say nobody moves them, which they see as a sign of community trust. Other traditions include a drive-thru light display with a live nativity at Triple R Ranch and a history night at the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum.
Christmas last year in Chesapeake
In 2025 the 42nd annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade stepped off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, with the theme Golden Christmas: A Celebration of Light. The first chair appeared the Monday after Halloween, more than three weeks before the parade, and some neighbors even parked pickup trucks and trailers along the route to sit in. Buzz Hartmann, known around town as Chesapeake Santa, played Santa in the parade for his 13th year. One resident said the holiday mood in Great Bridge felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Fun facts about Christmas in Chesapeake
The parade's themes change every year. In 2023 it was Christmas Candy Land, and in 2025 it was a celebration of light. In 2024 the Grinch served as grand marshal, and the Marine Corps Reserve joined in to help collect toys for children through Toys for Tots. At Triple R Ranch, the Christmas in the Country drive-thru in 2023 had thousands of lights and a live nativity scene, and families could add a hayride. At the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum, kids traveled through three time periods to learn how people celebrated long ago.
Trains and Christmas near Chesapeake
Train fans near Chesapeake have a few Virginia stops to explore. The Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum sits in an 1885 Victorian depot with a walnut spiral staircase and a two-room model of the city in 1907. In Parksley, the Eastern Shore Railway Museum keeps a restored station, coal stoves and vintage rail cars, but it is seasonal, so check first. In Richmond, kids can climb into the cab of a 1924 steam engine and watch the city's largest HO layout.
- Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum: The nearest stop, an 1885 Victorian depot with railroad memorabilia and a model of Suffolk in 1907.
- Eastern Shore Railway Museum: A small museum in a restored station with coal stoves and vintage rail cars, open seasonally.
- Richmond Railroad Museum: Kids can climb into a 1924 steam engine cab and see Richmond's largest HO layout on weekends.
Traditions today
- Saving chairs along the parade route: Neighbors in Great Bridge set out folding chairs as early as the week after Halloween, and the chairs stay until the parade.
- Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade: A lighted evening parade in Great Bridge that held its 42nd edition on December 6, 2025, with a new theme each year.
- Chesapeake Santa: Buzz Hartmann has played Santa in the parade for 13 years and is known around town as Chesapeake Santa.
- Toys for Tots: The Marine Corps Reserve supports a toy campaign tied to the parade season to give toys to children in need.
- Christmas in the Country: Triple R Ranch offers a drive-thru display with thousands of lights and a live nativity scene in December.
- Christmas Past and Present: At the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum, kids travel through three time periods to learn about older holiday customs.
A fact for kids
In Chesapeake, people save their spots for the Christmas parade with folding chairs, and the chairs can sit on the sidewalk for weeks before the parade even starts.
Questions about Christmas in Chesapeake
What is the biggest Christmas tradition in Chesapeake?
The Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade in Great Bridge is the best known. It has run for about 40 years, and in 2025 it held its 42nd edition. Families return across generations, and the chairs that line the route weeks ahead have become a tradition of their own.
How old is the Chesapeake Christmas parade?
The 2025 parade was the 42nd annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade, which means it began in the 1980s. Local reports describe a history of more than 40 years, with different groups and organizations helping to run it over the decades as it grew.
Why do people leave chairs out for the Chesapeake parade?
Residents save their viewing spots along the Great Bridge route with folding chairs. The practice has crept earlier each year. In 2025 the first chair appeared the Monday after Halloween. People say the chairs are left alone, which they take as a sign of community trust.
How early do chairs go out for the Great Bridge parade?
Chairs begin to appear around late October or early November. The waiting period has stretched from about 10 days to roughly a month. In 2025 the first chair showed up more than three weeks before the December 6 parade, and the line reached from a church down Cedar Road.
What was the Chesapeake Christmas parade theme in 2025?
The 2025 theme was Golden Christmas: A Celebration of Light. The parade stepped off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, in Great Bridge. Themes change each year, and the 2023 parade, for example, was called Christmas Candy Land, so each year brings a fresh idea.
Who is Chesapeake Santa?
Chesapeake Santa is the nickname of Buzz Hartmann, who has played Santa in the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade for 13 years as of 2025. Local reports use that nickname for him, and children along the route can look for him in the parade.
Does the Chesapeake Christmas parade collect toys?
Yes, toy giving is tied to the parade season. In 2024 the parade featured the Grinch as grand marshal and supported a Toys for Tots campaign with a Marine Corps Reserve unit, which aims to give toys to children in need. The Marines said it handed out over 150,000 toys the year before.
Who marches in the Chesapeake Christmas parade?
The 2024 parade included floats, a motorcycle traffic unit, the Chesapeake Police Honor Guard, a Marine Corps Reserve unit, the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation and the Western Branch High School Marching Band. Kids who love bands and flashing lights will have plenty to watch from their chairs.
Is the Chesapeake parade run by the Rotary Club?
The parade carries the Chesapeake Rotary name, but reports say different groups and organizations have run it over its long history. It is best known as a community event for the whole city, with floats, marching bands and civic groups, such as the Chesapeake Police Honor Guard in 2024.
What is Christmas Past and Present in Chesapeake?
It is a history program at the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum. In 2023 visitors traveled through three time periods to learn about old holiday traditions, with children's craft stations and a photo with Santa. It was included with museum admission, so it is a gentle way to teach kids how Christmas changed over time.
What is Christmas in the Country at Triple R Ranch?
It is a December tradition at Triple R Ranch in Chesapeake. In 2023 it ran December 1 through 23, with a drive-thru display of thousands of lights and a live nativity scene. Families could also add a dine-in meal with a hayride for an extra fee.
Does Chesapeake have a free holiday concert?
Yes. In 2023 the Virginia Symphony Orchestra held a free Holiday Brass Concert at the Chesapeake Conference Center on December 14, with doors opening an hour early. It is a way for families to hear live music during the holiday season.
How can I explain the chair tradition to my kids?
Tell them that in Great Bridge, folding chairs are like place cards. Families put them out weeks early so they have a good spot for the Christmas parade, and neighbors leave them alone. Kids often like helping choose where the family chair goes and counting how many chairs line the road.
Why do people compare Great Bridge to a Hallmark movie?
One resident told a local station that the holiday atmosphere in Great Bridge feels like a Hallmark Christmas movie. The parade and the chairs along the route are a big part of that small-town feeling for many neighbors, and the comparison is a fun one to share with kids.
Where is the Christmas parade in Chesapeake?
The Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade is held in Great Bridge. Reports describe the chair line running from a church and partway down Cedar Road, so families can pick a spot and settle in. For this season's route and time, see our Chesapeake Christmas events guide on this page.
Is there a Christmas light display in Chesapeake?
Yes. Triple R Ranch has offered a drive-thru display with thousands of lights and a live nativity, and the 2025 parade theme was a celebration of light. For this season's confirmed dates and hours, see our Chesapeake Christmas events guide on this page.
Can kids meet Santa in Chesapeake?
Santa has long been part of Chesapeake's season. Chesapeake Santa rides in the Rotary parade, and the museum's Christmas Past and Present program in 2023 included a photo with Santa. For this year's Santa times, see our Chesapeake Christmas events guide on this page.
Where can kids see trains near Chesapeake?
The closest stop is the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, an 1885 Victorian depot with a two-room model of Suffolk in 1907. Farther north, kids can climb into a 1924 steam engine cab at the Richmond Railroad Museum, which is open weekends and has the city's largest HO layout.
Is there a train museum on the Eastern Shore of Virginia?
Yes. The Eastern Shore Railway Museum in Parksley has a restored station, coal stoves, vintage rail cars and Eastern Shore railroad memorabilia. It is listed as seasonal, March to October, so check its Facebook page before you drive from Chesapeake.
What makes Christmas in Chesapeake different?
Chesapeake's season is shaped by a neighborly ritual: chairs on the sidewalk weeks before the parade. Add a long-running Rotary parade with a new theme each year, a local Santa with a nickname, and a toy drive, and you have a Christmas built around community more than spectacle.
Sources
- The chairs are out: must mean Great Bridge Christmas parade is near, WAVY
- Chairs line the streets in Great Bridge, signaling annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade is around the corner, WTKR
- Tis the season for fun in Chesapeake, Visit Chesapeake
- Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade features Grinch as grand marshal and Toys for Tots campaign, Citizen Portal
- Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Eastern Shore Railway Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Richmond Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train
Chesapeake Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Chesapeake this year?
We confirmed 2 for the 2026 season, and 1 of them are free. Good places to start: Deck the Hall & Fa La La Land (Dec 12 to Dec 19) and Holiday Storytime with Santa (Dec 10). Every event on this page has the times, the cost and a link to the host.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Chesapeake?
Yes, 1 of the 2. Some free events still need a reservation, so check the listing before you go.
Where can kids meet Santa in Chesapeake?
2 events here include a visit with Santa. Bring your own camera; most visits allow photos.
Are there Christmas story times for kids in Chesapeake?
Yes. Library story times are usually free and walk-in; ones with a meal or a show are ticketed.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Chesapeake?
Yes, but they have their own guide. Santa trains and holiday train rides are listed in our Chesapeake Christmas train rides guide, so this page sticks to story times, Santa visits 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 4, 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.