Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Guelph for 2026, all part of the free Spirit of the Season festival downtown. The Mayor and Council’s Tree Lighting is in Market Square on Friday, December 4, the Guelph Community Santa Parade rolls at 5:30 pm on Saturday, December 5, and Sunday, December 13 is a princess and superhero Children’s Day with free visits with Santa. We check every date on the organizer’s own website and link straight there. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Guelph
- 3 free Christmas events for kids in Guelph
- Tree Lighting: Friday, December 4, Market Square, from 6 pm
- Santa Parade: Saturday, December 5, 5:30 pm
- Children’s Day with Santa: Sunday, December 13, 11 am to 5 pm
- Christmas markets: Carden Street and Old Quebec Street both weekends
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Free Christmas events for kids in Guelph
Tree lightingFree
Mayor and Council’s Tree Lighting
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, entertainment from 6 pm; markets open 4 to 9 pm
- Where: Market Square, Downtown Guelph, Guelph, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Spirit of the Season opens on a Friday night with the Mayor and Council’s Tree Lighting in Market Square, with entertainment starting at 6 pm.
The outdoor Christmas Marketplace of 30 lit wooden huts on Carden Street and the indoor market at Old Quebec Street Shoppes are both open from 4 to 9 pm, so families can browse and grab a treat before the tree comes on.
Parent tip: Come downtown around 5 pm to walk the Carden Street huts first, then settle into Market Square before the 6 pm entertainment.
- Host
- Spirit of the Season (Downtown Guelph Business Association and City of Guelph) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Market Square, Downtown Guelph, Guelph, ON (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Guelph events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Guelph daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Guelph.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Guelph 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 Guelph.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Guelph 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
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- 1 Parades
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Guelph every week.
Evening paradeFree
Guelph Community Santa Parade
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 5:30 pm (Santa Run at 5 pm)
- Where: Downtown Guelph, Guelph, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to watch
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Guelph Community Santa Parade winds through Downtown Guelph at 5:30 pm on the first Saturday of Spirit of the Season, right after the 5 pm Santa Run clears the route.
Earlier that afternoon the Guelph Arts Council stages Isn’t That The Dickens at Old Quebec Street Shoppes at 1 and 3 pm, and live music follows the parade in Market Square at 7 pm.
Parent tip: Grab a curbside spot by 5 pm to watch the Santa Run go by first, and check the parade shuttle timetable on the festival site.
- Host
- Spirit of the Season (Downtown Guelph Business Association and City of Guelph) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown Guelph, Guelph, ON (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Guelph events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Guelph daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Guelph.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Kids dayFree
Princess and Superhero Children’s Day with Santa
- When: Sunday, December 13, 2026, 11 am to 5 pm; Santa visits 11 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4 pm
- Where: Old Quebec Street Shoppes and Guelph City Hall, Guelph, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Kids and families
Expand to see the parent tip
The last day of Spirit of the Season is a princess and superhero themed Children’s Day, with kids invited to come dressed as their favourite character.
Santa meets families free inside Old Quebec Street Shoppes from 11 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4 pm, the Grinch greets visitors outside, and there is free face painting, character visits and a Mini Makers Market at City Hall selling things made by little hands.
Parent tip: Aim for the 11 am Santa window, then let the kids spend their pocket money at the Mini Makers Market at City Hall.
- Host
- Spirit of the Season (Downtown Guelph Business Association and City of Guelph) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Old Quebec Street Shoppes and Guelph City Hall, Guelph, ON (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Guelph events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Guelph daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Guelph.
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 Guelph Christmas event for kids happens
Do the tree lighting and Santa Parade on the first weekend, then come back on December 13 in costume for Children’s Day and a free visit with Santa.
- Mayor and Council’s Tree LightingGuelph · Dec 4
- Guelph Community Santa ParadeGuelph · Dec 5
- Princess and Superhero Children’s Day with SantaGuelph · Dec 13
Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Kitchener-Waterloo, Brantford, Hamilton and Mississauga. 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.
Guelph Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Guelph this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 free Christmas events for kids in Guelph for 2026, all part of Spirit of the Season downtown: the Mayor and Council’s Tree Lighting on December 4, the Guelph Community Santa Parade on December 5 and the Princess and Superhero Children’s Day with Santa on December 13.
When is the Guelph Santa Parade in 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 5:30 pm in Downtown Guelph, right after the 5 pm Santa Run. It is free to watch.
When is the Guelph tree lighting?
Friday, December 4, 2026, in Market Square, with entertainment starting at 6 pm. The Christmas markets are open from 4 to 9 pm that evening.
Where can kids meet Santa in Guelph for free?
Inside Old Quebec Street Shoppes on Sunday, December 13, 2026, from 11 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4 pm, during the Spirit of the Season Children’s Day.
Who do I contact about Spirit of the Season?
The Downtown Guelph Business Association at info@downtownguelph.com or 519-836-6144.
Are there more Christmas events near Guelph?
Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists confirmed events across the country, 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 municipal or tourism calendar. We last checked Guelph 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.