Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Elk Grove for 2026, and there is one big Saturday at each end of the season. The Dickens Street Faire fills Old Town on November 28 and ends with Santa lighting the tree on Walnut Street, and the Holiday Parade of Lights rolls through District56 during the city’s Illumination Festival on December 5. We check every date on the host’s own website or the city calendar and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Elk Grove
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Elk Grove, both free
- Dickens Street Faire: Saturday, November 28, 10 am, tree lighting with Santa at 6 pm
- Holiday Parade of Lights: Saturday, December 5, 6 pm, at the Illumination Festival
- Santa shows up at both
- Every date checked on the host sites and the City of Elk Grove calendar on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Elk Grove
Street faireFree
Dickens Street Faire and Christmas Tree Lighting
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 10 am to 5 pm, tree lighting at 6 pm
- Where: Old Town Elk Grove and Old Town Plaza, 9615 Railroad St, Elk Grove, CA 95624 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to attend
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Dickens Street Faire is Elk Grove’s traditional start to the season, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. More than 145 craft and community booths line Elk Grove Boulevard from 2nd Avenue to School Street, with free entertainment and food trucks in Old Town Plaza.
Kids get to watch the fire department stage a dramatic rescue of Santa. After the vendors close at 5 pm, stay for carols and story time with Santa, then Santa flips the switch on the town Christmas tree on Walnut Street at 6 pm.
Parent tip: Elk Grove Boulevard is closed for the day, so park on a side street and walk in. Save energy for the evening: the tree lighting is the best part for little ones.
- Host
- Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce (Old Town Elk Grove) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Old Town Elk Grove and Old Town Plaza, 9615 Railroad St, Elk Grove, CA 95624 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Elk Grove events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Elk Grove daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Elk Grove.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Elk Grove 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 Elk Grove.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Elk Grove 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
- 2 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 1 Crafts
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Elk Grove every week.
Light paradeFree
Holiday Parade of Lights at the Illumination Festival
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, festival 3 to 8 pm, parade at 6 pm
- Where: District56, 8230 Civic Center Dr, Elk Grove, CA 95757 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free admission
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The City of Elk Grove’s Illumination Festival fills District56 on Saturday afternoon, and at 6 pm the Elk Grove Lions’ Holiday Parade of Lights rolls along Civic Center Drive with lighted floats, bands, scouts and community groups.
In past years the festival has had a small ice rink, bounce houses, winter carnival games, a giant snow globe for photos and a visit from Santa, and the evening ends with the lighting of the city’s Ribbon Tree.
Parent tip: Arrive in the afternoon for the games and the snow globe photo while lines are short, then claim a curb spot on Civic Center Drive before 6 pm.
- Host
- City of Elk Grove with the Elk Grove Lions (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- District56, 8230 Civic Center Dr, Elk Grove, CA 95757 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Elk Grove events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Elk Grove daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Elk Grove.
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 Elk Grove Christmas event for kids happens
Do Old Town first on November 28: shop the faire, catch the Santa rescue, and stay for the 6 pm tree lighting. A week later, head to District56 on December 5 for the festival in the afternoon and the parade at 6 pm.
- Dickens Street Faire and Christmas Tree LightingElk Grove · Nov 28
- Holiday Parade of Lights at the Illumination FestivalElk Grove · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Sacramento, El Dorado Hills, Stockton and Vacaville. 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.
Elk Grove Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Elk Grove this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Elk Grove for 2026: the Dickens Street Faire and Christmas Tree Lighting on Saturday, November 28, and the Holiday Parade of Lights at the Illumination Festival on Saturday, December 5. Both are free.
When is the Elk Grove tree lighting in 2026?
The Old Town Christmas tree is lit at 6 pm on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the end of the Dickens Street Faire. Santa flips the switch on Walnut Street.
When is the Elk Grove Parade of Lights in 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, starting at 6 pm on Civic Center Drive at District56, as part of the City of Elk Grove Illumination Festival, which runs 3 to 8 pm.
Where can kids see Santa in Elk Grove?
At the Dickens Street Faire on November 28, where Santa is rescued by the fire department, reads a story and lights the tree, and at the Illumination Festival on December 5.
Who do I contact about Elk Grove holiday events?
For the Dickens Street Faire, dickens@elkgroveca.com. For the Holiday Parade of Lights, the parade director at skyking.eg@gmail.com.
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 Elk Grove 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.