Christmas Events for Kids in Glendale (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 Glendale for 2026. The season opens with the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and toy drive at City Hall on Wednesday, December 2, and three nights later the 48th Montrose Christmas Parade fills Honolulu Avenue. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Glendale

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Glendale
  • Tree Lighting and toy drive: Wednesday, December 2, 6 pm to 8 pm, City Hall
  • Montrose Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 5, 6:10 pm
  • Both free
  • Every date checked on the organizers’ sites on Nov 11

Free Christmas events for kids in Glendale

Tree lightingFree

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Cram-A-Classic Toy Drive

Expand to see the parent tip

Glendale lights the big tree at City Hall on the first Wednesday evening of December, with seasonal performances on stage, a countdown to the lighting and a visit from Santa.

The Community Services and Parks Department pairs the ceremony with its Cram-A-Classic Toy Drive, so families are invited to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate while they are there.

Parent tip: Pack a toy for the drive and arrive before 6 pm to see the stage performances that lead into the countdown.

Host
City of Glendale Community Services and Parks (opens in a new tab)
Address
Glendale City Hall, 613 E Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Glendale Community Services and Parks (opens in a new tab)

New Glendale events every week

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Glendale 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 Glendale.
  • Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Glendale 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.
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Coming up on this page

  • 2 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Parades
  • 1 Shows
  • 2 Free

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Christmas paradeFree

Montrose Christmas Parade

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The 48th Montrose Christmas Parade rolls down Honolulu Avenue from Rosemont Avenue east to Verdugo Road on the first Saturday night in December, with the heart of the action at Honolulu and Ocean View Boulevard.

The volunteer Montrose Christmas Parade Association runs it with City of Glendale sponsorship. Chairs and blankets can go out only on parade day, pop-up tents are not allowed, and street closures start at 3 pm.

Parent tip: Glendale Lots 1, 2 and 7 close at 3 pm, so park on an open side street, set chairs out that afternoon and grab dinner at a Montrose restaurant before the 6:10 pm start.

Host
Montrose Christmas Parade Association (opens in a new tab)
Address
Honolulu Avenue, Montrose, Glendale, CA 91208 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Montrose Christmas Parade Association (opens in a new tab)

New Glendale events every week

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

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 Glendale Christmas event for kids happens

Bring a toy to the City Hall tree lighting on December 2, then save Saturday, December 5 for an early dinner in Montrose and a curbside spot for the parade.

Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for South Pasadena, Los Angeles, Pasadena and Baldwin Park. 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 California city.

Glendale Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Glendale this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Glendale for 2026: the City of Glendale Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony with the Cram-A-Classic Toy Drive and the Montrose Christmas Parade.

When is the Glendale tree lighting in 2026?

Wednesday, December 2, 2026, from 6 pm to 8 pm, with performances, a countdown and a visit from Santa at City Hall.

When is the Montrose Christmas Parade in 2026?

Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 6:10 pm. It is the 48th parade and runs along Honolulu Avenue from Rosemont Avenue to Verdugo Road.

Where should I park for the Montrose Christmas Parade?

Glendale Lots 1, 2 and 7 close at 3 pm. Use open city lots, side streets and the surrounding neighborhoods, and arrive early.

Who do I contact about Glendale holiday events?

For the parade, the Montrose Christmas Parade Association at Info@MontroseChristmasParade.com or 818-528-6060. For the tree lighting toy drive, the City of Glendale Community Services and Parks contact GMirzakhanian@GlendaleCA.gov.

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 Glendale 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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