The Gulfport area has 4 Christmas events for kids we could confirm for the 2026 season, from Orange Grove Open House in Gulfport on November 17 to Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival in Gulfport, which runs through January 2. Every listing links straight to the host. It is one stop on our guide to Christmas events for kids in Mississippi, part of our guide for every state.
The short version
- 4 kids’ Christmas events confirmed in Gulfport for 2026, in Gulfport
- First: Orange Grove Open House, Gulfport, November 17. Runs latest: Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival, Gulfport, through January 2
- Every event here charges admission or a ticket; check each host
- Checked on each host’s own page; each listing links straight to it
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Christmas events for kids in Gulfport
4 confirmed events for kids in Gulfport, soonest first.
Santa visit
Orange Grove Open House
- When: Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 4 pm
- Where: Orange Grove Library, Gulfport
- Cost: See host page
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
The Orange Grove Library in north Gulfport holds an open house on Tuesday, November 17, at 4 pm. The library calendar describes it as a Friends of the Library fundraising event featuring Santa.
The listing is short, so details such as activities, prices and whether photos with Santa are offered are not known. It falls early in the season, before the busy December weekends, which can make it a calmer chance to see Santa. Call the branch or check the Harrison County Library System calendar for the full plan.
Parent tip: Check the library calendar for details, since the listing does not describe activities.
- Host
- Harrison County Library System (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Orange Grove Library, 12135 Old Hwy 49, Gulfport, MS 39503
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday lights
Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival
- When: Friday, November 27, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027 (nightly through the holiday season)
- Where: Jones Park, Gulfport
- Cost: See host page
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Harbor Lights fills more than 40 acres of Jones Park on the Gulfport waterfront with holiday lights and is billed as the largest Christmas light show in Mississippi. The 2026 season is listed from November 27 to January 2, so it carries on well past Christmas Day.
Families can take in carnival rides, a holiday train and the Dancing Trees show, then visit Santa's Village. In the 2025 season the festival ran from 5:30 to 10:30 pm, had Santa on hand from 6 to 9 pm each night and offered professional photos, hot chocolate and a Santa's Workshop entrance. Ticket prices for 2026 are not shown in the release we read, so check the festival site before you go.
Parent tip: Dress warmly for the waterfront and confirm hours and ticket prices on the festival site. The 2025 season closed on Christmas Eve, so check for similar closures.
- Host
- City of Gulfport (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Jones Park, Jones Park Dr, Gulfport, MS 39507
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Tree lighting
Deck the Halls: A Community Christmas Celebration
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026
- Where: Gulfport City Hall, Gulfport
- Cost: See host page
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Deck the Halls is Gulfport's community Christmas celebration at City Hall on Thursday, December 3. The city lights its Christmas tree, and the listing mentions holiday music, refreshments and a visit from Santa.
The release we read did not give a start time, a price or details about activities for children, so families should check the City of Gulfport website or social pages for the schedule. A tree lighting on a weeknight is usually short, which suits younger kids, but confirm the evening timing before you leave.
Parent tip: No start time was listed, so confirm it with the City of Gulfport before heading out.
- Host
- City of Gulfport (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Gulfport City Hall, 2309 15th St, Gulfport, MS 39501
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Santa visit
Mistletoe & Main Street
- When: Fri December 18 and Sat December 19, 2026
- Where: Downtown Gulfport, Gulfport
- Cost: Free photos with Santa
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Mistletoe & Main Street is a two-day street fair in downtown Gulfport on Friday and Saturday, December 18 and 19. The release lists local arts and crafts vendors, live music and holiday shopping.
For kids, the draw is free photos with Santa. Hours and the exact street locations were not listed in the source we read, so families should check the downtown Gulfport event page for the schedule and any road closures. A street fair this close to Christmas is a relaxed way to pick up a few gifts and stroll with children.
Parent tip: Hours were not listed, so check the host page and plan for street parking downtown.
- Host
- Downtown Gulfport (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown Gulfport, Gulfport, MS 39501
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Look inside the book
Story time with Santa in Gulfport? Bring Rally home.
Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor. It makes a cozy bedtime story after a big day with Santa. Turn a few pages here.
Rally Takes the Train
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See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $16.99 on Amazon.
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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Every event above was confirmed on the host’s own page, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (sign-ups, ages, what is included). Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Mississippi Christmas train rides page.
Gulfport Christmas events for kids at a glance
- Kids’ Christmas events
- 4 confirmed for 2026
- Cities
- Gulfport
- Season
- November 17, 2026 to January 2, 2027
- Free events
- 0
- Kinds of events
- Santa visit, holiday lights and tree lighting
- Last checked
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Gulfport Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Orange Grove Open House in Gulfport on November 17; the last runs to January 2. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Orange Grove Open HouseGulfport · Nov 17
- Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter FestivalGulfport · Nov 27 to Jan 2
- Deck the Halls: A Community Christmas CelebrationGulfport · Dec 3
- Mistletoe & Main StreetGulfport · Dec 18 to Dec 19
Looking further afield? Our Mississippi Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Jackson, MS, Meridian and Oxford. 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 Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November: unlock the list and we'll email you as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Gulfport
In Gulfport, Christmas lights up the waterfront. Harbor Lights began at Jones Park in 2015 and now fills 40 acres, and each season opens when a Make-A-Wish child switches on the tree.
How Gulfport celebrates
Gulfport's Christmas centers on Harbor Lights, a lights festival at Jones Park on the waterfront. It started in 2015, when the city proposed the idea and Island View Casino & Resort agreed to sponsor it. What began as a lights display now covers 40 acres with animations, a Ferris wheel, a holiday train and a Santa's Village with elves, photos and hot cocoa. Gulfport is also part of the Mississippi Coast tradition of Christmas on the Bayou, a lighted boat parade. A Make-A-Wish tree lighting has kicked off the Harbor Lights season for ten years, and the city lists a Deck the Halls tree lighting at City Hall.
Christmas last year in Gulfport
In 2025 the tenth Harbor Lights season began with a test lighting on Wednesday, November 26, when Sebastian, a Make-A-Wish child, switched on the tree. The festival opened to the public on Friday, November 28, at 5:30 p.m. and ran through December 31 except Christmas Eve, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. Organizers described 40 acres and two million lights. A new Santa's Workshop entrance, built inside a giant present, led to photo spots and Christmas trees, and Santa was on hand from 6 to 9 p.m. every night. Kids could also ride carnival rides and the train and sip hot chocolate.
Fun facts about Christmas in Gulfport
The Lifetime movie Christmas in Mississippi was filmed at Harbor Lights. The festival is billed as the largest Christmas lights display in Mississippi, and its light count has grown: it was described as 1.5 million lights in one report and two million in 2025. In 2025 a new entrance was shaped like a giant present, and the 2026 season lists a Dancing Trees show. The Make-A-Wish partnership with the City of Gulfport has lasted ten years. Local groups also hold a Mistletoe & Main Street street fair downtown, with free photos with Santa, in 2026.
Trains and Christmas near Gulfport
Trains show up at Gulfport's Christmas lights. Harbor Lights has a holiday train, and the 2026 list from Coastal Mississippi adds TrainTastic Holiday Lights, an outdoor train ride past more than 2 million lights at a Gulfport museum. For rail history, the Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot is a restored 1910 station that still serves Amtrak riders and hosts community events. The McComb Railroad Depot Museum tells the Illinois Central story, and the Meridian Railroad Museum has wooden train sets for kids.
- Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot: A restored 1910 station where kids can see two retired engines and watch Amtrak riders come and go.
- McComb Railroad Depot Museum: A nonprofit museum telling McComb's Illinois Central story, open Thursdays and Fridays.
- Meridian Railroad Museum: A volunteer-built museum beside the Norfolk Southern mainline with wooden train sets for kids.
Traditions today
- Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival: A 40-acre lights festival at Jones Park that started in 2015 and now runs from late November into early January.
- Make-A-Wish tree lighting: A Make-A-Wish child switches on the Harbor Lights tree to open the season, a ceremony the city has shared with Make-A-Wish for ten years.
- Santa's Village and Santa's Workshop: Elves, photos with Santa and hot cocoa wait inside the festival, and in 2025 a giant-present entrance led to photo spots.
- Deck the Halls tree lighting: The city lights its Christmas tree at City Hall with music, refreshments and a visit from Santa, listed for December 3, 2026.
- Mistletoe & Main Street: A two-day downtown street fair with vendors, music and free photos with Santa, listed for December 18 and 19, 2026.
- Christmas on the Bayou: A lighted boat parade is one of the Mississippi Coast's best known holiday traditions.
A fact for kids
The movie Christmas in Mississippi was filmed at Gulfport's Harbor Lights, where one report counted two million lights in 2025.
Questions about Christmas in Gulfport
What is the main Christmas tradition in Gulfport?
Harbor Lights Winter Festival at Jones Park is Gulfport's main Christmas tradition. It began in 2015 and now covers 40 acres with millions of lights, carnival rides, a holiday train and Santa's Village. It runs nightly from late November into early January, so families can visit any evening that suits them.
How did Harbor Lights start?
The City of Gulfport proposed the idea in 2015, and Island View Casino & Resort agreed to sponsor it. It began as a lights display and has grown into a large festival with animations, a Ferris wheel, a holiday train and a Santa's Village. The 2025 season was the tenth anniversary of the festival.
How big is Harbor Lights?
Harbor Lights covers 40 acres at Jones Park. Reports have counted 1.5 million lights in one season and two million lights in 2025, so the display has grown over time. It is billed as the largest Christmas lights display in Mississippi, and it includes animations and a Dancing Trees show.
When does Harbor Lights open?
In 2025 Harbor Lights opened Friday, November 28, at 5:30 p.m. and ran nightly through December 31 except Christmas Eve, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. The 2026 season is listed from November 27 to January 2. Check the festival's own page for hours and for any closure dates before you go.
How long does the Harbor Lights season last?
About five weeks. In 2025 the festival ran from November 28 through December 31, except Christmas Eve, and the 2026 season is listed from November 27 to January 2. That gives families many evenings to choose from, including nights after Christmas when crowds may be lighter. Confirm closures on the festival site.
What is the Make-A-Wish tree lighting?
It is the ceremony that opens the Harbor Lights season. In 2025 a Make-A-Wish child named Sebastian switched on the tree on Wednesday, November 26, in the tenth annual ceremony. Make-A-Wish South Mississippi has worked with the City of Gulfport for ten years, so the lighting has become a local tradition.
Is Santa at Harbor Lights?
Yes. In 2025 Santa was available every night from 6 to 9 p.m., and professional photography was offered along with the chance to take your own photos. The festival also has a Santa's Village with elves and hot cocoa, and a Santa's Workshop entrance built inside a giant present was new in 2025.
What can kids do at Harbor Lights?
Kids can ride carnival rides and a train, visit Santa, walk through photo spots, and drink hot chocolate. The festival also has a Ferris wheel and animated light displays, and the 2026 list mentions the Dancing Trees show. Dress warmly, since the waterfront can feel cooler after dark.
What does Harbor Lights cost?
Prices change, so check the festival's website. A past report listed general admission at $20, children ages 4 to 12 at $5, and children 3 and under free, but the 2025 and 2026 pages we read did not list ticket prices. Treat the older numbers as a rough guide only.
Was a movie filmed at Harbor Lights?
Yes. The Lifetime movie Christmas in Mississippi was filmed at Harbor Lights, according to a Sun Herald story on Mississippi Coast traditions. It is a fun fact for kids who like to spot real places in movies, and the festival's lights and Santa's Village make a good backdrop.
What is Christmas on the Bayou?
Christmas on the Bayou is a lighted boat parade on the Mississippi Coast, listed among the region's best known Christmas traditions. The article we read did not say when it began or where Gulfport families should watch. Check local news and our Gulfport Christmas events guide on this page for current details.
When does Gulfport light its city Christmas tree?
The 2026 holiday list from Coastal Mississippi shows Deck the Halls, a community celebration at Gulfport City Hall on December 3. The city lights its Christmas tree with holiday music, refreshments and a visit from Santa. No start time was listed, so confirm it with the City of Gulfport.
What is Mistletoe and Main Street?
It is a two-day street fair in downtown Gulfport, listed for December 18 and 19, 2026. Local arts and crafts vendors, live music and holiday shopping are planned, along with free photos with Santa. It is a good stop for families who want shopping, music and a Santa photo in one downtown outing.
How do I explain the Make-A-Wish tree lighting to kids?
Tell them that a child who works with Make-A-Wish gets to switch on the big tree, so the whole festival begins with a kind moment. In 2025 that child was Sebastian. Kids often like knowing that a whole town gathered to cheer someone on.
Is Gulfport Christmas outdoors?
Mostly, yes. Harbor Lights, the downtown street fair and the City Hall tree lighting are outdoor events, and the waterfront can be breezy at night. Bring jackets, even though Gulf Coast winters are mild. Library events, such as the Santa open house at Orange Grove Library on November 17, 2026, are likely to be indoors.
Does the library have Christmas events in Gulfport?
Sometimes. The Harrison County Library System calendar listed an Orange Grove Open House at 4 p.m. on November 17, 2026, described as a Friends of the Library fundraiser featuring Santa. Other branches post storytimes, so check the calendar. Our Gulfport Christmas events guide on this page lists the confirmed events.
What is the best age to visit Harbor Lights?
Harbor Lights suits all ages. Toddlers like the lights and train, school-age kids enjoy the rides and Santa, and teens can take photos at the Santa's Workshop entrance. The festival runs until 10:30 p.m. in 2025, so you can go earlier with small children and avoid late bedtimes.
Can we ride a train at Gulfport at Christmas?
Yes. Harbor Lights has a holiday train, and the 2026 Coastal Mississippi list also shows TrainTastic Holiday Lights on Fridays and Saturdays starting December 4, an outdoor train ride past more than 2 million lights at a Gulfport museum. Check ticket details first, and see our Gulfport Christmas events guide on this page.
Which train museums are near Gulfport?
The closest listed in our guide is the Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot, a restored 1910 station that still serves Amtrak riders. The McComb Railroad Depot Museum is another drive, and the Meridian Railroad Museum has wooden train sets for kids. Check visiting hours first, since some museums keep short or seasonal schedules.
How should families plan a Gulfport Christmas visit?
Start with our Gulfport Christmas events guide on this page for confirmed dates. Pick one big outing, such as Harbor Lights, and add a smaller one like the downtown street fair or tree lighting. Arrive early for parking, dress for the waterfront breeze, and check tickets and hours on the festival or city website.
Sources
- These 7 unique traditions celebrate Christmas on the MS Coast. Here are their stories, Sun Herald via Yahoo
- Holiday magic begins as Make-A-Wish child illuminates Gulfport Harbor Lights, WLOX
- Harbor Lights Winter Festival: Gulfport lights up the season, Gulf Coast Weekend
- Coastal Mississippi lights up this holiday season with dazzling parades and cherished traditions, Coastal Mississippi release via Webull
- Harrison County Library System calendar, Harrison County Library System
- Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot, Rally Takes the Train museum guide
Gulfport Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Gulfport this year?
We confirmed 4 for the 2026 season. Good places to start: Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival (Nov 27 to Jan 2), Deck the Halls (Dec 3) and Mistletoe & Main Street (Dec 18 to Dec 19). Every event on this page has the times, the cost and a link to the host.
Where can kids meet Santa in Gulfport?
4 events here include a visit with Santa. Popular picks are Orange Grove Open House (Nov 17). Bring your own camera; most visits allow photos.
Is anything on for kids in Gulfport on Christmas Eve or after Christmas?
Yes. Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival runs through Jan 2.
Do we need tickets or reservations?
For 4 of the 4 events, yes: they sell tickets or ask you to sign up ahead. Meals with Santa and ticketed shows fill up first. Most library and park events are walk-in, and each listing says which is which.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Gulfport?
Yes, but they have their own guide. Santa trains and holiday train rides are listed in our Gulfport Christmas train rides guide, so this page sticks to story times, Santa visits and other events off the rails.
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 every listing on November 4, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
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.