The Dothan area has 4 Christmas events for kids we could confirm for the 2026 season, from Paws & Claus in Dothan on November 21 to Christmas at Westgate in Dothan, which runs through December 31. 3 of them are free, and every listing links straight to the host. It is one stop on our guide to Christmas events for kids in Alabama, part of our guide for every state.
The short version
- 4 kids’ Christmas events confirmed in Dothan for 2026, in Dothan
- First: Paws & Claus, Dothan, November 21. Runs latest: Christmas at Westgate, Dothan, through December 31
- Free: Paws & Claus, Christmas at Westgate and Story & Craft Time @ Main
- Checked on each host’s own page; each listing links straight to it
What are you looking for?
All 4 events
Nothing matches yet. Try another kind of event, or .
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 3 more Dothan 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 Dothan.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Dothan 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
- 2 Lights
- 1 Santa
- 1 Story time
- 1 Crafts
- 3 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 3 Christmas events in Dothan.
- New events in Dothan 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
Christmas events for kids in Dothan
4 confirmed events for kids in Dothan, soonest first.
Santa visitFree
Paws & Claus
- When: Saturday, November 21, 2026, 9 am to noon
- Where: Eastgate Park (dog park), Dothan
- Cost: Free pet photos with Santa; raffle tickets by donation
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Paws & Claus is a Saturday morning event at the Eastgate Park dog park in Dothan. Pets get free photos with Santa from 9 am to noon, according to the Visit Dothan calendar.
Raffle tickets are available for a donation to Joy's Pet Haven. It is a relaxed, outdoor way for kids to meet Santa alongside the family dog.
Parent tip: Keep dogs leashed and bring a towel in case of damp grass.
- Host
- Joy's Pet Haven (listed by Visit Dothan) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Eastgate Park (dog park), Eastgate Park, Dothan, AL 36301
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday lightsFree
Christmas at Westgate
- When: Friday, November 27, 2026 to Thursday, December 31, 2026 (nightly), 5 to 12 pm
- Where: Westgate, Dothan
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Christmas at Westgate is a drive-through holiday light display at the Westgate recreation complex on Recreation Road in Dothan. The Visit Dothan calendar lists it nightly from Nov 27 through New Year's Eve, with the show starting around 5 pm and running late into the evening.
Admission is listed as free, which makes it an easy low-cost outing for families. Kids can watch the lights from the car, so it works well for babies, toddlers and little ones in pajamas.
Parent tip: Go on a weeknight for shorter lines, and bring snacks and hot chocolate for the car.
- Host
- Westgate Park (listed by Visit Dothan) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Westgate, 501 Recreation Rd, Dothan, AL 36303
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday lights
Gardens Aglow
- When: Fri November 27, Sat November 28, Fri December 4, Sat December 5, Fri December 11, Sat December 12, Fri December 18, Sat December 19, Mon December 21, Tue December 22, Wed December 23 and Sat December 26, 2026, 5 to 8 pm
- Where: Dothan Area Botanical Gardens, Dothan
- Cost: $12 adults, $8 kids at the gate; ages 3 and under free
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Gardens Aglow is the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens' holiday light show, now in its 14th year. The Visit Dothan calendar lists 12 evenings between Nov 27 and Dec 26, each from 5 to 8 pm, with tickets on sale from Nov 1.
At the gate, tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for kids. Buying online in advance saves a little, at $10 and $6. Children ages 3 and under get in free.
Parent tip: Buy tickets online ahead to save $2 per person, and dress warmly for an outdoor walk.
- Host
- Dothan Area Botanical Gardens (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Dothan Area Botanical Gardens, 5130 Headland Ave, Dothan, AL 36303
- Sign-up
- Recommended
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday story timeFree
Story & Craft Time @ Main
- When: Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 1:30 to 2 pm
- Where: Dothan Houston County Library System Main Library, Dothan
- Cost: Free, registration required
- Ages: Ages 3 to 6
Details, tips and host
Story & Craft Time is a weekly program for preschool and kindergarten-age children at the Main Library on North Oates Street. The Visit Dothan calendar shows a session on Tuesday, Dec 1, from 1:30 to 2 pm.
Registration is required. The listing does not say the session is Christmas themed, so check with the library about the holiday theme before you go.
Parent tip: Register ahead and confirm the theme with the library.
- Host
- Dothan Houston County Library System (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Dothan Houston County Library System Main Library, 445 N Oates St, Dothan, AL 36303
- Sign-up
- Required ahead of time
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Look inside the book
Story time with Santa in Dothan? 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
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $16.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $16.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
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 Alabama Christmas train rides page.
Dothan Christmas events for kids at a glance
- Kids’ Christmas events
- 4 confirmed for 2026
- Cities
- Dothan
- Season
- November 21 to December 31, 2026
- Free events
- 3
- Kinds of events
- holiday lights, Santa visit and holiday story time
- Last checked
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Dothan Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Paws & Claus in Dothan on November 21; the last runs to December 31. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Paws & ClausDothan · Nov 21
- Gardens AglowDothan · Nov 27 to Dec 26
- Christmas at WestgateDothan · Nov 27 to Dec 31
- Story & Craft Time @ MainDothan · Dec 1
Looking further afield? Our Alabama Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Birmingham, AL, Huntsville, Mobile, AL, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa. 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 Dothan
In Dothan, Christmas starts with lights. A free drive-through display at Westgate runs every night from Black Friday to New Year's Eve, and downtown adds a tree lighting and a North Pole Stroll for families.
How Dothan celebrates
Dothan's Christmas season is built around a few city-run traditions. The City of Dothan calls its annual tree lighting a holiday staple, and it now takes place at the renovated Porter Park Events Plaza downtown, where Santa has been rumored to arrive on a fire truck. Downtown also hosts a family Christmas festival with Santa photos, crafts and food. Dothan Leisure Services runs Christmas at Westgate, a free drive-through light show that opens on Black Friday and runs nightly until New Year's Eve, and the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens adds its own evening light show.
Christmas last year in Dothan
In 2025 the city lit its tree on Tuesday, December 2, at 5:30 pm at Porter Park Events Plaza, with the Dothan High School Show Choir, Patti Rutland Jazz, fresh snow in the plaza and hot chocolate. The North Pole Stroll followed on Saturday, December 13, from 10 am to 2 pm, with Santa photos, letters to the North Pole, a crafts station, food trucks and a kids' zone with inflatables and a miniature train. Christmas at Westgate opened Friday, November 28 with new displays, a Santa's mailbox and lights timed to music on 88.1 FM.
Fun facts about Christmas in Dothan
Children can mail a letter to the North Pole in Dothan twice over: once in the mailbox at the Westgate Recreation Center and again at the letter-writing table at the North Pole Stroll. At Water World Dothan, Christmas lights are synchronized to music that drivers tune in on 88.1 FM. In 2023 the city put up a new tree at Wadlington Park, beside KBC, and lit it at 5:30 pm with Santa and Dothan High School carolers. Gardens Aglow, the botanical gardens' light show, is on its 14th year in 2026.
Trains and Christmas in Dothan
Trains have a small place in Dothan's downtown Christmas. At the 2021 downtown Christmas festival on Foster Street, families could line up for a train ride along with Santa photos, food vendors and arts and crafts. At the 2025 North Pole Stroll, the kids' zone included a miniature train alongside the inflatables. We found no railroad museum in Alabama on our list for this page, so for train time in town, look for the miniature train at the Stroll each December.
Traditions today
- Christmas Tree Lighting: The city lights its tree at Porter Park Events Plaza downtown with choirs, snow and hot chocolate.
- North Pole Stroll: A Saturday in December when downtown fills with Santa photos, crafts, food trucks and a kids' zone.
- Christmas at Westgate: A free drive-through light show open nightly from Black Friday to New Year's Eve.
- Letters to the North Pole: Kids drop letters in Santa's mailbox at the Westgate Recreation Center or write them at the Stroll.
- Gardens Aglow: An evening light show at the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens, now in its 14th year.
- Cookies with Santa: Dothan Leisure Services hosts a morning of crafts, cookies and milk, and story time with Santa.
A fact for kids
In Dothan you can write a letter to Santa and drop it in a mailbox at the Westgate Recreation Center, right next to a drive-through light show.
Questions about Christmas in Dothan
How does Dothan celebrate Christmas?
Dothan celebrates with city-run events that families can enjoy for free or at low cost. The season includes a tree lighting at Porter Park Events Plaza, the downtown North Pole Stroll, the Christmas at Westgate drive-through light show and a light show at the botanical gardens. Santa photos and crafts show up at several of them.
When is the Dothan Christmas tree lighting?
The 2025 lighting was Tuesday, December 2, at 5:30 pm, and the city has held the lighting each year as a holiday staple. For this year's date and time, see our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page. The lighting takes place in the early evening, so bring warm layers for little ones.
Where is the Dothan Christmas tree?
In 2025 the tree lighting was held at the newly renovated Porter Park Events Plaza in downtown Dothan. In 2023 the city had put up a new tree at Wadlington Park beside KBC. Locations can change, so check our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page for this season's venue.
What is the North Pole Stroll?
The North Pole Stroll is a downtown Dothan family day with Santa photos, letter writing to the North Pole, a crafts station, local artisans, food trucks and live performances. In 2025 it ran on Saturday, December 13, from 10 am to 2 pm at Porter Park Events Plaza and North St. Andrews Street.
Is there a kids' area at the North Pole Stroll?
Yes. The 2025 Stroll had a kids' zone with inflatables and a miniature train, plus a crafts station and letter writing for the North Pole. It is a good fit for toddlers through elementary-age children. See our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page for this year's date.
What is Christmas at Westgate?
Christmas at Westgate is a free drive-through light show run by Dothan Leisure Services. In 2025 it opened on Black Friday, November 28, and ran nightly from sundown until midnight through New Year's Eve, with new displays throughout Westgate Park. Kids can watch from the car, which suits babies and toddlers.
Where do I start the Christmas at Westgate drive?
In 2025 the route began at the Westgate Tennis Center entrance, 810 Recreation Road. The park is on Recreation Road in Dothan, and the show is free. Check our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page for current dates and any changes to the route this season.
Can kids send a letter to Santa in Dothan?
Yes. Children can mail letters to the North Pole by dropping them in the Santa's mailbox at the Westgate Recreation Center during Christmas at Westgate. The North Pole Stroll downtown also has a letter-writing activity, so kids can write a note and send it along while they visit.
What is Water World Dothan?
Water World Dothan is part of Christmas at Westgate, with Christmas lights synchronized to music. Drivers tune in to 88.1 FM to hear the soundtrack while the lights move in time. It is one of the new features the city highlighted for the 2025 season.
What is Gardens Aglow?
Gardens Aglow is the holiday light show at the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens, on Headland Avenue. The 2026 season is its 14th annual, with evening hours from 5 to 8 pm on select nights. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for kids at the gate, and ages 3 and under are free.
Does Dothan have a Christmas parade?
The Dothan sources we opened describe festivals, a tree lighting and light shows rather than a Dothan parade. If you are hoping for a parade, check our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page and your local calendars for anything open to families this season.
Can kids meet Santa in Dothan?
Yes, in several places. Santa has been part of the downtown Christmas festival and North Pole Stroll for photos, and he has been rumored to arrive on a fire truck at the tree lighting. Dothan Leisure Services has also held Cookies with Santa, with crafts and a story. Our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page lists current dates.
What is Cookies with Santa in Dothan?
Cookies with Santa is a morning program hosted by Dothan Leisure Services at the Andrew Belle Community Center. It has holiday crafts, cookies and milk, story time with Santa and a photo chance, and it was free for children 12 and under. Toys were handed out first come, first served.
How old is the downtown Dothan Christmas festival?
The sources we opened do not give a start year. They show it as an annual event: in 2021 it filled Foster Street with Santa photos, a train ride, food vendors and crafts, and a visitor called it huge for Dothan. By 2025 it appeared as the North Pole Stroll.
How do I explain the North Pole mailbox to a toddler?
Tell them that letters to the North Pole are meant for Santa, and that Dothan has a special mailbox at the Westgate Recreation Center just for that. Let your child draw a picture or scribble a note, then help them drop it in. Seeing the lights afterward makes the trip feel like part of the story.
What is the best way to see Dothan's Christmas lights with little kids?
Drive through Christmas at Westgate. It is free, runs from sundown to midnight, and kids can stay buckled in their seats or in pajamas. For a walk, Gardens Aglow runs 5 to 8 pm on select nights. Our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page lists the dates.
Are Dothan's Christmas events free?
Many are. Christmas at Westgate is free, and Cookies with Santa was free for children 12 and under. The North Pole Stroll has free activities, though food trucks and vendors charge. Gardens Aglow sells tickets, with ages 3 and under free. See our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page for current prices.
Are there trains at Dothan's Christmas events?
Yes, small ones. The 2025 North Pole Stroll had a miniature train in the kids' zone, and the 2021 downtown festival offered a train ride on Foster Street. Dothan has no railroad museum on our list, so these festival trains are the best chance for little train fans.
Is there a railroad museum near Dothan?
We did not find an Alabama railroad museum on our museum list that we can point to for this page. For now, the best train moments in Dothan are the festival rides, such as the miniature train in the kids' zone at the North Pole Stroll. Check our Dothan Christmas events guide on this page for current train-related events.
What makes Christmas in Dothan special?
Dothan's Christmas is easy and family-sized. Most signature events are run by the city's Leisure Services department, so lights, snow, Santa and crafts are close together in downtown and at Westgate Park. Free options like the drive-through light show mean families can enjoy the season on any budget.
Sources
- Dothan North Pole Stroll, Alabama Tourism
- City of Dothan announces annual Christmas Tree Lighting, WTVY
- North Pole Stroll Set to Bring Holiday Magic to Downtown Dothan, Wiregrass Daily News
- Christmas at Westgate Returns With New Holiday Features, Wiregrass Daily News
- Downtown Dothan hosts annual Christmas Festival, WTVY
- The city of Dothan put up a new Christmas Tree in Wadlington Park, WTVY
- Celebrate the Holidays in Dothan, Visit Dothan
- Events calendar, Visit Dothan
- Cookies with Santa Next Week at Andrew Belle, Wiregrass Daily News
Dothan Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Dothan this year?
We confirmed 4 for the 2026 season, and 3 of them are free. Good places to start: Christmas at Westgate (Nov 27 to Dec 31), Story & Craft Time @ Main (Dec 1) and Paws & Claus (Nov 21). Every event on this page has the times, the cost and a link to the host.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Dothan?
Yes, 3 of the 4. Some free events still need a reservation, so check the listing before you go.
Where can kids meet Santa in Dothan?
Bring your own camera; most visits allow photos.
Are there Christmas story times for kids in Dothan?
Yes. Library story times are usually free and walk-in; ones with a meal or a show are ticketed.
Is anything on for kids in Dothan on Christmas Eve or after Christmas?
Yes, two events run on Christmas Eve or later. Christmas at Westgate runs through Dec 31 and Gardens Aglow runs through Dec 26.
Do we need tickets or reservations?
For 2 of the 4 events, yes: they sell tickets or ask you to sign up ahead. Meals with Santa and ticketed shows fill up first. Most library and park events are walk-in, and each listing says which is which.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Dothan?
Yes, but they have their own guide. Santa trains and holiday train rides are listed in our Dothan 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.