Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Esquimalt for 2026, and the township runs every one of them. The Christmas Tree Village lights up the Esquimalt Recreation Centre from December 2, Santa poses for photos there on Saturday, December 12, he skates at the Archie Browning Sports Centre on December 19, and the Jolly Jingle Story Mingle brings a pyjama story time on December 22. We check every date on the Township of Esquimalt’s own calendar and link straight there. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Esquimalt
- 4 Christmas events for kids in Esquimalt, all run by the township
- Christmas Tree Village: December 2 to January 2, free
- Photos with Santa: Saturday, December 12, 12 to 4 pm
- Skate with Santa: Saturday, December 19, 2:30 to 4 pm
- Jolly Jingle Story Mingle: Tuesday, December 22, 6:30 pm
What are you looking for?
All 4 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 3 more Esquimalt 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 Esquimalt.
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- 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.
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The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 3 Christmas events in Esquimalt.
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Free Christmas events for kids in Esquimalt
Decorated tree walkFree
Christmas Tree Village 2026
- When: Wednesday, December 2, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027, 12:30 to 10 pm
- Where: Esquimalt Recreation Centre atrium and Archie Browning Sports Centre, 527 Fraser St, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
For its tenth year, Esquimalt fills the Recreation Centre atrium and the Archie Browning Sports Centre with a forest of Christmas trees decorated by local businesses, community groups and non-profits.
It stays up for a full month and costs nothing to wander through, which makes it an easy stop before a swim or a skate, or on a rainy afternoon when the kids need somewhere bright to go.
Parent tip: Let the kids pick a favourite tree on the first visit and come back later in December to see if it is still their top pick.
- Host
- Township of Esquimalt Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Esquimalt Recreation Centre atrium and Archie Browning Sports Centre, 527 Fraser St, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Esquimalt events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Esquimalt daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Esquimalt.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 3 more Esquimalt 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 Esquimalt.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Esquimalt 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
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Esquimalt every week.
Skate with SantaFree
Esquimalt Skate with Santa
- When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 2:30 to 4 pm
- Where: Archie Browning Sports Centre, 1151 Esquimalt Rd, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free admission; skate rental $3.50, first come first served
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa laces up at the Archie Browning Sports Centre the Saturday before Christmas for a free family skate with music on the ice.
Admission costs nothing, and rental skates are $3.50 on a first come, first served basis, so families with their own skates have the easiest time of it.
Parent tip: Bring your own skates and a helmet if you have them, since rentals can run out on a busy holiday skate.
- Host
- Township of Esquimalt Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Archie Browning Sports Centre, 1151 Esquimalt Rd, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Esquimalt events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Esquimalt daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Esquimalt.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Pyjama story timeFree
Jolly Jingle Story Mingle
- When: Tuesday, December 22, 2026, 6:30 to 7:30 pm
- Where: Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser St, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Families with young children
Expand to see the parent tip
Three days before Christmas, the Esquimalt Recreation Centre invites families to come in pyjamas, settle in by the fire and enjoy an hour of holiday stories and singing.
It is free and runs from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, a gentle wind-down for little ones who are getting very excited about Santa.
Parent tip: Come in PJs and bring a small blanket or pillow, then head straight home to bed afterward.
- Host
- Township of Esquimalt Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser St, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Esquimalt events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Esquimalt daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Esquimalt.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Esquimalt
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
Santa photos
Photos with Santa
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 12 to 4 pm
- Where: Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Cost: Not listed on the township page; bring your own camera or phone
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa drops into the Esquimalt Recreation Centre for a Saturday afternoon of photos, with a four-hour window so families can fit it around naps and hockey practice.
Bring your own camera or phone for the picture, or hand it to the friendly rec centre staff and let them take the shot for you.
Parent tip: Pair it with a walk through the Christmas Tree Village in the same building, which makes a ready-made festive backdrop.
- Host
- Township of Esquimalt Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street, Esquimalt, BC (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Esquimalt events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Esquimalt daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Esquimalt.
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? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists Santa trains and holiday rides across the country.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Esquimalt Christmas event for kids happens
Everything happens at two neighbouring buildings on Esquimalt Road and Fraser Street, so you can combine the Tree Village with Santa photos on December 12, then come back for Skate with Santa on the 19th and story time on the 22nd.
- Christmas Tree Village 2026Esquimalt · Dec 2 to Jan 2
- Photos with SantaEsquimalt · Dec 12
- Esquimalt Skate with SantaEsquimalt · Dec 19
- Jolly Jingle Story MingleEsquimalt · Dec 22
Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver and Abbotsford. 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 Canada city.
Esquimalt Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Esquimalt this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 4 Christmas events for kids in Esquimalt for 2026, all run by Township of Esquimalt Parks and Recreation: the Christmas Tree Village from December 2, Photos with Santa on December 12, Skate with Santa on December 19 and the Jolly Jingle Story Mingle on December 22.
When is the Esquimalt Christmas Tree Village in 2026?
From Wednesday, December 2, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027, 12:30 to 10 pm, in the Esquimalt Recreation Centre atrium and the Archie Browning Sports Centre. It is free.
When is Skate with Santa in Esquimalt?
Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 2:30 to 4 pm at the Archie Browning Sports Centre, 1151 Esquimalt Rd. Admission is free and skate rentals are $3.50.
Where can kids get photos with Santa in Esquimalt?
At the Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street, on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 12 to 4 pm. Bring a camera or phone, or ask staff to take the photo.
Who do I contact about Esquimalt holiday events?
Township of Esquimalt Parks and Recreation: events@esquimalt.ca or 250-412-8518.
Are there more Christmas events near Esquimalt?
Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event across Canada, and the national search sorts events by distance from your town.
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 Esquimalt on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, washrooms 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.