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Christmas with kids in Gary
Christmas in Gary is a season of giving. For decades neighbors, pastors, nonprofit leaders and elected officials have filled convention halls and community centers with toys, hot meals and Santa visits so every child has something to open.
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The story of Christmas in Gary
How Gary celebrates
Gary's best known Christmas traditions are about sharing. State Rep. Vernon G. Smith started the Spirit of Christmas gift giveaway to honor his late mother, Reverend Julia E. Smith, and by 2024 it was in its 36th year, which puts its start in the late 1980s. Another long running tradition, Toys for Kids That Santa Forgot but God Remembered, was in its 13th year in 2014 and continued the work of the late mayor Rudy Clay. Both are free giveaways for children and families.
Christmas last year in Gary
On Sunday, December 21, 2025, two Gary nonprofit leaders, Aaliyah Stewart and Leah Lewis, both 25, hosted the 8th Annual Holiday Toy Drive at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy on West Fifth Avenue. About 2,000 toys were expected to go home with children, and families sat down to dinner with Santa Claus. Kids could also get free haircuts and hairstyles, a gift of its own before the holidays. The event ran from 3 to 7 pm and was open to everyone while supplies lasted.
Fun facts about Christmas in Gary
In 2014 the toy giveaway at the Genesis Convention Center drew more than 1,000 children, with Pastor Edward Sims of Victory Life Christian Center donating most of the toys. That same season the city held a Trot for Toys 5K at Marquette Park, where runners paid no entry fee but brought a new toy worth at least $10. A holiday bazaar in the Marquette Park Pavilion offered photos with Santa and a free gift bag for the first 25 shoppers.
Trains and Christmas near Gary
Gary families who love trains can look east into northern Indiana. Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson runs diesel train rides through Starke County farm country, and its Santa Trains in December sell out fast. Hesston Steam Museum near La Porte is a volunteer run steam park on 155 acres with three railroad routes. The South Shore Line Museum Project shares the history of the South Shore interurban online for now, with photos and stories from this region.
- Hesston Steam Museum: A steam park on 155 acres near La Porte with three railroad routes and a 1900 steam sawmill.
- South Shore Line Museum Project: An online museum of photos and stories about the South Shore interurban, a good way to learn local rail history before a trip.
- Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum: Diesel train rides, a depot and more than 50 pieces of rolling stock, with Santa Trains in December that sell out fast.
Traditions today
- Spirit of Christmas gift giveaway: A free gift event for all ages hosted by State Rep. Vernon G. Smith at the Calumet Township Multi-Purpose Center, a tradition that honors his mother.
- Holiday Toy Drive with Santa: A nonprofit toy giveaway with dinner with Santa and free kids' haircuts, held in Gary in December 2025.
- Toys for Kids That Santa Forgot but God Remembered: A post Christmas toy giveaway for children that has been run in Gary for more than a decade and was carried on by the family of the late Mayor Rudy Clay.
- Trot for Toys 5K: A holiday run at Marquette Park where entry is a new toy, with donations going to local children.
- Holiday bazaar and photos with Santa: A family day at the Marquette Park Pavilion with vendors, holiday music and photos with Santa.
- Library story hours: The Gary Public Library schedules children's story hours and crafts, including a New Year's Story Hour on January 3, 2026.
A fact for kids
In Gary, a toy can be the ticket to a run. At the Trot for Toys 5K, runners did not pay to enter, they just brought a new toy for a child.
Questions about Christmas in Gary
How does Gary, Indiana celebrate Christmas?
Gary celebrates Christmas mostly through community giving. Local leaders, pastors and nonprofits run toy drives and gift giveaways that hand out toys, meals and photos with Santa. Two long running examples are the Spirit of Christmas giveaway and the Toys for Kids That Santa Forgot but God Remembered event, which have helped children for decades.
What is the Spirit of Christmas event in Gary?
The Spirit of Christmas is a free gift giveaway and refreshment event hosted by State Rep. Vernon G. Smith with a local councilman. In 2024 it was the 36th annual one, held from noon to 3 pm at the Calumet Township Multi-Purpose Center on West 41st Avenue. Gifts were available for all ages.
Why did Vernon Smith start the Spirit of Christmas giveaway?
He started the tradition to honor his late mother, Reverend Julia E. Smith, who pastored Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. The event also remembers Patricia Tillotson, a former Gary educator. Because it was the 36th annual event in 2024, it began in the late 1980s, and volunteers are welcome to help each year.
How old is the Toys for Kids That Santa Forgot giveaway?
The Gary giveaway called Toys for Kids That Santa Forgot but God Remembered was in its 13th year in 2014, so it began in the early 2000s. It continued the tradition of the late Mayor Rudy Clay, carried on by his son Rudy Clay Jr., and was held the Saturday after Christmas at the Genesis Convention Center.
How many children has Gary's toy giveaway helped?
In 2014, more than 1,000 children received gifts at the Genesis Convention Center. Pastor Edward Sims of Victory Life Christian Center donated most of the toys and also coordinates Toys for Tots in Northwest Indiana with a coalition of pastors.
What happened at the Gary Holiday Toy Drive last year?
On December 21, 2025, the 8th Annual Holiday Toy Drive took place from 3 to 7 pm at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy. About 2,000 toys were expected to be given away, and families enjoyed dinner with Santa and free haircuts and hairstyles for children. It was open to the public while supplies lasted.
Who runs the Holiday Toy Drive at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy?
The 2025 event was hosted by Aaliyah Stewart and Leah Lewis, both 25, who lead separate Gary nonprofits and teamed up for the 8th year. The toy drive is in its 8th year in 2025, so it began around 2018, and it shows how newer neighborhood groups are adding their own giving traditions to Gary's Christmas season.
What is the Trot for Toys in Gary?
The Trot for Toys is a holiday 5K run and walk at Marquette Park. In 2014 it was in its second year, with a free entry as long as each participant brought a new toy worth $10 or more. The toys went to the Toys for Kids That Santa Forgot giveaway the Saturday after Christmas.
Where can kids see Santa in Gary?
Gary has had Santa at its holiday bazaar in the Marquette Park Pavilion, where families found photos with Santa, vendors and music, and at toy drives where Santa joins families for dinner. For this season's confirmed dates, see our Gary Christmas events guide on this page. Nearby cities also hold Santa photo days.
Where can I take Santa photos near Gary?
Nearby choices in past seasons included the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond, with photo appointments tied to its A Christmas Story exhibit, Cabela's in Hammond, and Southlake Mall in Merrillville. Dates and prices change every year, so check each site, and see our Gary Christmas events guide on this page for local listings.
Does Gary have a big Christmas tree lighting?
The sources we read for this page describe giveaways and toy drives rather than one big tree lighting, so we cannot name a main tree in Gary. Neighbors in Merrillville hold a tree lighting with Santa and Mrs. Claus at their community center, and our Gary Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's confirmed gatherings.
How can I explain the toy drives to young kids?
Tell them that in Gary, adults and neighbors work together so every child has a toy to open. Some people give a toy, some wrap them, and some serve dinner or help with haircuts. Children can join in by choosing a new toy to donate, just like the runners at the Trot for Toys.
What is the Genesis Convention Center?
The Genesis Convention Center in Gary hosted the Toys for Kids That Santa Forgot but God Remembered giveaway on the Saturday after Christmas in 2014, when more than 1,000 children received gifts. The giveaway there is one of the best documented parts of Gary's Christmas story.
Who was Rudy Clay and why is he part of Gary's Christmas story?
Rudy Clay was a late mayor of Gary whose tradition of giving toys to children lives on in an annual giveaway. His son, Rudy Clay Jr., carried the tradition on after his father's death. The event was held the Saturday after Christmas at the Genesis Convention Center and reached more than 1,000 children in 2014.
What does the Gary library do for kids around the holidays?
The Gary Public Library runs children's story hours and crafts through the winter. Its January and February 2026 calendar listed a New Year's Story Hour on January 3 from 1 to 2 pm and crafts at the Kennedy Branch. Check the library's current calendar for December programs or see our Gary Christmas events guide on this page.
Is there a free Christmas event in Gary for families?
Yes. The Spirit of Christmas gift giveaway has been free and open to everyone, and the Holiday Toy Drive offered toys, haircuts and dinner with Santa to the public while supplies lasted. For this season's confirmed dates, times and places, please see our Gary Christmas events guide at the top of this page.
Where can kids see trains near Gary at Christmas?
The closest Christmas train in our museum list is at Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, whose Santa Trains in December sell out fast. Hesston Steam Museum near La Porte offers three railroad routes on summer weekends and event days. Book early and check each museum's current schedule.
What is the South Shore Line Museum Project?
It is a Northern Indiana nonprofit that preserves the history of the South Shore Line interurban. For now it is an online museum of photos and stories, with a physical museum planned, so there is no building to visit yet. It is a good history stop for train fans.
Is there a steam train museum close to Gary?
Yes. Hesston Steam Museum near La Porte is a volunteer run steam park on 155 acres with three railroad routes, a 1900 steam sawmill and traction engines. Rides run on summer weekends and event days, so it is best for warmer months. Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson is another option.
Why is Christmas in Gary different from other cities?
Gary's Christmas story centers on neighbors giving to children. The giveaway named Spirit of Christmas began in honor of one family's mother, another toy giveaway carried on a mayor's tradition, and younger nonprofit leaders now run a toy drive with dinner and Santa. The spirit of giving is the heart of the season here.
Sources
- Smith to host 36th Annual Spirit of Christmas event, Chicago Crusader
- Two Gary Foundations to Host 8th Annual Holiday Toy Drive for Children Dec. 21, Chicago Crusader
- More than 1,000 kids in Gary receive gifts at annual event, CBS News Chicago
- City of Gary Announces Holiday Events, Northwest Indiana Business
- Where is Santa Claus coming to Gary, Patch
- Gary Public Library programs and events, January and February 2026, Gary Public Library
- Hesston Steam Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- South Shore Line Museum Project, Rally Takes the Train
- Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train