Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Chula Vista for 2026: a tree lighting with falling snow, a parade that only starts once the stars are out, and a quiet Sunday breakfast with Santa. Otay Ranch Town Center lights its 50-foot tree on Tuesday, November 17. The Starlight Parade and holiday festival take over Third Avenue on Saturday, December 5. Chula Vista Golf Course hosts Breakfast with Santa on Sunday, December 13. Every date was checked on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Chula Vista
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Chula Vista
- 2 are free: the Otay Ranch tree lighting (November 17) and the Starlight Parade (December 5)
- Meet Santa: at the Otay Ranch tree lighting and at a sit-down Breakfast with Santa on December 13
- Season: November 17 to December 13
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 11
What are you looking for?
All 3 events
Nothing matches yet. Try another kind of event, or .
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Chula Vista before they fill up.
- Start your magical Christmas season now Every event appears the moment you enter your email.
- 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.
Waiting inside
- 3 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 2 Free
Enter your email and all will appear instantly.
The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 2 Christmas events in Chula Vista.
- New events in Chula Vista every week
- Exclusive access to free events
- Your magical Christmas season starts now
- Christmas Eve Express and free advent calendar
- One-tap add to calendar
Free Christmas events for kids in Chula Vista
Tree lightingFree
20th Annual Tree Lighting at Otay Ranch Town Center
- When: Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 4 to 7 pm (Santa lights the tree at 7 pm)
- Where: Otay Ranch Town Center, Main Street, 2015 Birch Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91915 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Otay Ranch Town Center has lit its Main Street tree for twenty years, and the twentieth one lands on a Tuesday night when the weekly farmers market is already running. The tree stands close to 50 feet tall with more than 17,000 lights, a color-changing base and a glowing star on top.
From 4 pm there are free holiday giveaways for kids, free cookies and hot chocolate while they last, local music, and a life-size snow globe for photos. Magic snow falls all evening in the courtyard by Santa’s House. Santa arrives at 7 pm sharp to switch the tree on.
Parent tip: Come early if you want the snow globe photo before the crowd builds, and stay close to Main Street for the 7 pm countdown. Market stalls make it easy to turn it into dinner.
- Host
- Otay Ranch Town Center (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Otay Ranch Town Center, Main Street, 2015 Birch Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91915 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Chula Vista events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Chula Vista daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Chula Vista.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Chula Vista 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
- 3 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Chula Vista every week.
ParadeFree
Chula Vista Starlight Parade and Festival
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, festival from 3 pm, parade after dark (about 3 to 9 pm)
- Where: Third Avenue, Downtown Chula Vista, 364 Third Ave, Chula Vista, CA 91910 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to watch
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Starlight Parade is Chula Vista’s big night downtown, and it has been rolling down Third Avenue for more than sixty years. Marching bands, dance groups and lit floats come down the street once it gets dark, which is the whole point of the name.
Before the parade, the afternoon holiday festival on Third Avenue has entertainment, and in past years kids could pose for photos with Santa and hand over a letter. Families pick a spot along the curb early and make an evening of it with the street food nearby.
Parent tip: Bring a blanket or folding chairs and claim a curb spot on Third Avenue before the parade, then wander the festival while you wait.
- Host
- Downtown Chula Vista Association (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Third Avenue, Downtown Chula Vista, 364 Third Ave, Chula Vista, CA 91910 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Chula Vista events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Chula Vista daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Chula Vista.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Chula Vista
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Event hosts: free events are listed first. The #1 spot puts your event at the top of this page.Inquire about the #1 spotAdd your event for free
Breakfast with Santa
Breakfast with Santa at Chula Vista Golf Course
- When: Sunday, December 13, 2026, 10 am to 12:30 pm
- Where: Chula Vista Golf Course, 4475 Bonita Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91902 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Adults $39.99, kids $19.99, toddlers $4.99, plus a 21% service fee and 8.75% tax; reservations required
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Chula Vista Golf Course turns its clubhouse into Santa’s breakfast spot for one Sunday morning in December. It is a sit-down meal, so it suits families who want something calmer than a crowded mall line.
Kids get time to meet Santa, tell him their Christmas wishes and have festive photos taken, with holiday activities around the meal. Toddlers are only a few dollars, which makes it an easy first Santa visit for little ones.
Parent tip: Reservations are required, so email the golf course to book early. Bring your own camera or phone for the photos with Santa.
- Host
- Chula Vista Golf Course (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Chula Vista Golf Course, 4475 Bonita Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91902 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Chula Vista events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Chula Vista daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Chula Vista.
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 California Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Chula Vista Christmas event for kids happens
The Otay Ranch tree lighting is a weeknight, Tuesday, November 17, so it works after school. The Starlight Parade is the Saturday of the first December weekend, and Breakfast with Santa is the following Sunday morning, December 13. Each bar spans an event’s dates, so check the host’s page for exact times.
- 20th Annual Tree Lighting at Otay Ranch Town CenterChula Vista · Nov 17
- Chula Vista Starlight Parade and FestivalChula Vista · Dec 5
- Breakfast with Santa at Chula Vista Golf CourseChula Vista · Dec 13
Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for San Diego, Escondido, Oceanside and Temecula. 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 California city.
Chula Vista Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Chula Vista this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Chula Vista for 2026: the free 20th Annual Tree Lighting at Otay Ranch Town Center on November 17, the free Chula Vista Starlight Parade and Festival on Third Avenue on December 5, and Breakfast with Santa at Chula Vista Golf Course on December 13.
When is the Chula Vista Starlight Parade in 2026?
The Starlight Parade is Saturday, December 5, 2026, on Third Avenue in downtown Chula Vista. The holiday festival starts in the afternoon and the lit parade follows after dark. It is free to watch.
When is the Otay Ranch Town Center tree lighting?
Tuesday, November 17, 2026, from 4 to 7 pm on Main Street at Otay Ranch Town Center. Santa lights the tree at 7 pm, and there is magic snowfall, free cookies and hot chocolate, and free giveaways for kids.
Where can kids have breakfast with Santa in Chula Vista?
Chula Vista Golf Course hosts Breakfast with Santa on Sunday, December 13, 2026, from 10 am to 12:30 pm. Reservations are required. Adults are $39.99, kids $19.99 and toddlers $4.99, plus service fee and tax.
Is there snow at Christmas events in Chula Vista?
Yes, magic snowfall. Otay Ranch Town Center runs falling snow all evening by Santa’s House at its tree lighting on November 17.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in California?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s California 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 Chula Vista 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.