Christmas Events for Kids in Elizabethtown (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 3 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Elizabethtown, Kentucky for 2026. Christmas in the Park lights up Freeman Lake Park every night from November 25, and on Friday, December 4, the Light-Up Etown parade rolls down Dixie Avenue to the square for the tree lighting with Santa. Both come straight from the City of Elizabethtown Events Department. For the rest of the state, see our Kentucky Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Elizabethtown

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Elizabethtown
  • Christmas in the Park: nightly November 25 to January 1, 6 pm to 11 pm, free
  • More than 100 drive-through displays at Freeman Lake Park
  • Light-Up Etown Parade and Tree Lighting: Friday, December 4, 7 pm
  • Every date checked on elizabethtownky.org on Nov 11

Free Christmas events for kids in Elizabethtown

Drive-through lightsFree

Christmas in the Park

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Now in its 36th year, the city’s Christmas in the Park turns Freeman Lake Park into a drive-through winter wonderland with more than 100 light displays.

An illuminated roadway guides cars past the displays every night from 6 pm to 11 pm, and it is free for everyone.

Parent tip: Pajamas and hot cocoa in the back seat make this an easy bedtime outing, and weeknights usually mean a shorter line of cars.

Host
City of Elizabethtown (opens in a new tab)
Address
Freeman Lake Park, entry via Blue Heron Way off West Dixie Avenue, 220 Blue Heron Way, Elizabethtown, KY 42701 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Elizabethtown (opens in a new tab)

New Elizabethtown events every week

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Elizabethtown event 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 Elizabethtown.
  • Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Elizabethtown 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 Lights
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Parades
  • 2 Free

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Parade and tree lightingFree

Light-Up Etown Parade and Tree Lighting

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The Light-Up Etown parade steps off at West Dixie Avenue and Saint John Road and heads south on Dixie to the Downtown Elizabethtown Square.

Stay for the tree lighting on the square, where Mayor Jeff Gregory reads Twas the Night Before Christmas, Santa leads Christmas caroling and everyone joins the Light Up countdown.

Parent tip: Watch near the end of the route by the square so you are already in place for the story, the caroling with Santa and the countdown.

Host
City of Elizabethtown (opens in a new tab)
Address
West Dixie Avenue to the Downtown Elizabethtown Square, Elizabethtown, KY 42701 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Elizabethtown (opens in a new tab)

New Elizabethtown events every week

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

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 Kentucky Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Elizabethtown Christmas event for kids happens

Drive through Christmas in the Park on any night of the season, and save Friday, December 4, for the parade and the tree lighting on the downtown square.

Looking further afield? Our Kentucky Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Louisville, Saint Matthews, Simpsonville and Crestwood. 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)

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 Kentucky city.

Elizabethtown Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Elizabethtown, Kentucky this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Elizabethtown for 2026: Christmas in the Park from November 25 to January 1 and the Light-Up Etown Parade and Tree Lighting on December 4.

When is Christmas in the Park in Elizabethtown for 2026?

November 25, 2026 through January 1, 2027, nightly from 6 pm to 11 pm at Freeman Lake Park. Enter on Blue Heron Way off West Dixie Avenue, or use 220 Blue Heron Way in your GPS. It is free.

When is the Elizabethtown Christmas parade in 2026?

The Light-Up Etown Parade is Friday, December 4, at 7 pm, starting at West Dixie Avenue and Saint John Road and ending at the Downtown Elizabethtown Square.

Is Santa at the Light-Up Etown tree lighting?

Yes. After the parade, Santa leads Christmas caroling on the square while the mayor reads Twas the Night Before Christmas before the countdown.

Who do I contact about Elizabethtown holiday events?

The City of Elizabethtown Events Department at events@elizabethtownky.gov or 270-234-8258.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Kentucky?

Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Kentucky 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 Elizabethtown 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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