Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Cumberland for 2026. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad runs The Polar Express from Canal Place through Christmas Eve, Santa and Mrs. Claus hold free Saturday visits at The Rosenbaum downtown, and the Jaycees light up the fairgrounds on December weekends. We check every date on the host’s own website or the official Allegany County tourism calendar and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Maryland Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Cumberland
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Cumberland
- The Polar Express: Nov 21 to Dec 24 from 13 Canal Street, from $40
- Santa at The Rosenbaum: Saturdays Nov 28 to Dec 19, 1 to 3 pm, free
- Lights by the Mountainside: weekends Dec 4 to 27, $5 per car
- Dates checked on WMSR and Allegany County tourism pages on Nov 11
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Rally’s Christmas research
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Free Christmas events for kids in Cumberland
Saturday Santa photos downtownFree
Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at The Rosenbaum
- When: Saturdays, November 28, December 5, 12 and 19, 2026, 1 pm to 3 pm
- Where: The Rosenbaum, Cumberland Historic City Center, Cumberland, MD 21502 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa and Mrs. Claus settle in at The Rosenbaum in Cumberland’s historic City Center every Saturday afternoon from Thanksgiving weekend until the week before Christmas.
Families can snap their own photos and chat with the couple for free, then walk the decorated downtown streets afterward.
Parent tip: Pair a Saturday Santa visit with an afternoon Polar Express departure from Canal Place, a short walk away.
- Host
- Cumberland Downtown Development Commission (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- The Rosenbaum, Cumberland Historic City Center, Cumberland, MD 21502 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Cumberland events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Cumberland daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Cumberland.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Cumberland 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 Cumberland.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Cumberland 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 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Shows
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Cumberland every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Cumberland
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
Steam-era Polar Express ride
The Polar Express Train Ride at Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
- When: Select dates from November 21 through December 24, 2026 (Christmas Eve); about one hour per ride, book a departure time online
- Where: Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Cumberland Depot, 13 Canal Street, Cumberland, MD 21502 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Coach $40, First Class $90, Table Class from $153 for two; plus a $5 heritage fee per ticket
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad runs The Polar Express Train Ride out of its Cumberland depot at Canal Place, a one-hour trip where the story is read aloud, hot chocolate and a cookie are served, and Santa climbs aboard at the North Pole.
Kids are encouraged to ride in pajamas, and every passenger goes home with a silver sleigh bell, while First Class adds a souvenir mug and ornament.
Parent tip: Popular weekend departures sell out, so book early, and ask the ticket office ahead if anyone needs a wheelchair space, since only Standard Coach at the Cumberland depot can take one.
- Host
- Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Cumberland Depot, 13 Canal Street, Cumberland, MD 21502 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Cumberland events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Cumberland daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Cumberland.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Drive-through light show
Lights by the Mountainside
- When: Weekends (Friday to Sunday) from December 4 through December 27, 2026, 6 pm to 9 pm
- Where: Allegany County Fairgrounds, 11470 Moss Ave Ext., Cumberland, MD 21502 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $5 per vehicle
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Western Maryland Jaycees turn the Allegany County Fairgrounds into a drive-through holiday light display on December weekends, with local nonprofits and businesses sponsoring scenes along the route.
Vendors set up along the way, so it feels a little more interactive than a plain drive-by, and the flat $5 per car keeps it an easy family night.
Parent tip: Go on a Friday or Sunday for a shorter line than Saturday, and bring cash for the gate and vendors.
- Host
- Western Maryland Jaycees (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Allegany County Fairgrounds, 11470 Moss Ave Ext., Cumberland, MD 21502 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Cumberland events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Cumberland daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Cumberland.
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 Maryland Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Cumberland Christmas event for kids happens
Book a Polar Express ride for a Saturday, visit Santa at The Rosenbaum from 1 to 3 pm the same day, and save a Friday or Sunday night for the drive-through lights at the fairgrounds.
- The Polar Express Train Ride at Western Maryland Scenic RailroadCumberland · Nov 21 to Dec 24
- Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at The RosenbaumCumberland · Nov 28 to Dec 19
- Lights by the MountainsideCumberland · Dec 4 to Dec 27
Looking further afield? Our Maryland Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Hagerstown, Frederick, Mount Airy and Gaithersburg. 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 Maryland city.
Cumberland Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Cumberland this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Cumberland for 2026: The Polar Express Train Ride, Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at The Rosenbaum and Lights by the Mountainside.
When does The Polar Express run in Cumberland in 2026?
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad runs The Polar Express Train Ride on select dates from November 21 through December 24, 2026, from its depot at 13 Canal Street. Rides last about an hour.
How much are Polar Express tickets at WMSR?
Coach Class is $40, First Class $90, and Table Class starts at $153 for a two-top, plus a $5 heritage fee per ticket.
When can kids see Santa in downtown Cumberland?
Santa and Mrs. Claus visit The Rosenbaum every Saturday from November 28 to December 19, 2026, from 1 to 3 pm. It is free.
When is Lights by the Mountainside open?
Weekends from December 4 through December 27, 2026, 6 to 9 pm, at the Allegany County Fairgrounds, 11470 Moss Ave Ext. It costs $5 per vehicle.
Are there other Christmas train rides for kids in Maryland?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Maryland 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 Cumberland 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.