Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Hagerstown for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events, 1 of them free. They are Santa Arrival Celebration (November 14) and Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday (December 11). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Maryland Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Hagerstown
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Hagerstown
- 1 free event, including Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday
- Meet Santa: Santa Arrival Celebration (November 14)
- Season: November 14 (Santa Arrival Celebration) to December 11 (Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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- 1 Breakfast and treats
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Free Christmas events for kids in Hagerstown
Holiday eventFree
Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday
- When: Friday, December 11, 2026, 5 to 8 pm
- Where: Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Dr, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The museum borrows its holiday theme from Arthur the aardvark's hometown. The evening grows out of its exhibition Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur, The Art of Marc Brown, and pairs hot cocoa with special programming put together with the Washington County Free Library. The galleries stay open the whole time, so families can see Marc Brown's original artwork too.
Family Holiday Night is Friday, December 11, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at 401 Museum Drive. The museum lists it as a free event for all ages, with galleries open until 8:00 PM. No registration is mentioned on the event page.
Parent tip: If your kids know the Arthur books or show, reread one beforehand so the exhibition artwork feels familiar. The evening runs three hours on a Friday, so families with early bedtimes can come at 5:00 PM and still see the galleries.
- Host
- Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Dr, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hagerstown events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hagerstown daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hagerstown.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Hagerstown 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 Hagerstown.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Hagerstown 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
- 1 Santa
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Zoos and museums
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Hagerstown every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Hagerstown
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Santa visit
Santa Arrival Celebration
- When: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 11 am to 1 pm
- Where: Valley Mall, Belk Court, 17301 Valley Mall Rd, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No admission price listed; Santa photos are sold separately
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa does not just appear at Valley Mall, he rides in. Families gather in Belk Court to welcome him as he pulls up to his holiday home aboard the Valley Mall Train. While you wait there are balloons, face painting and holiday crafts, and once he has settled in, kids can visit him and families can buy a keepsake photo.
The celebration is on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in Belk Court at Valley Mall. The mall's page lists no admission charge or sign-up for the party. Photos with Santa are available for purchase after he arrives.
Parent tip: The train arrival is the part kids will remember, so be in Belk Court at 11:00 AM instead of drifting in later. Photos only begin after Santa arrives, so use the face painting and crafts to fill the wait.
- Host
- Valley Mall (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Valley Mall, Belk Court, 17301 Valley Mall Rd, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hagerstown events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hagerstown daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hagerstown.
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 Maryland Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Hagerstown Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Santa Arrival Celebration in Hagerstown on November 14; the last runs to December 11. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Santa Arrival CelebrationHagerstown · Nov 14
- Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City HolidayHagerstown · Dec 11
Looking further afield? Our Maryland Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Frederick, Mount Airy, Gaithersburg and Columbia, MD. 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. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Hagerstown
Hagerstown, a transit center where railroads and interstates meet, is nicknamed the Hub City, so it suits the place that Santa makes his entrance by train. He rides the Valley Mall Train to his holiday home on November 14, 2026, and a free family night at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts follows in December.
How Hagerstown celebrates
The Christmas season for Hagerstown families starts at Valley Mall, one of the two major shopping malls in the city's vicinity. On November 14, 2026, the mall's Santa Arrival Celebration brings Santa to his holiday home in Belk Court aboard the Valley Mall Train, with balloons, face painting and holiday crafts around his entrance. On December 11 the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts on Museum Drive holds Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday, a free evening of hot cocoa and special programming created with the Washington County Free Library and inspired by the museum's exhibition of Marc Brown's Arthur artwork.
Fun facts about Christmas in Hagerstown
Jonathan Hager, a German immigrant, bought 200 acres here in 1739 and called the land Hager's Fancy. In 1762 he founded the town as Elizabethtown, named for his wife, Elizabeth Kershner, and the name was changed to Hager's-Town in 1813. From 1896 to 1947 an interurban trolley system, the Hagerstown Railway, served the city. Hagerstown is the seat of Washington County, and the 2020 census counted 43,527 residents.
Traditions today
- Santa's train arrival: Santa rides the Valley Mall Train to his holiday home at the mall's Santa Arrival Celebration on November 14.
- Belk Court festivities: Valley Mall fills Belk Court with balloons, face painting and holiday crafts while families wait to welcome Santa.
- Photos with Santa: After his arrival Santa receives visitors at his holiday home in the mall, where keepsake photos are sold.
- Family Holiday Night at the museum: The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts opens its galleries until 8:00 PM on December 11 for a free family evening with hot cocoa.
- Museum and library together: The museum's holiday night programming is a collaboration with the Washington County Free Library.
A fact for kids
One of Hagerstown's best known symbols is a weathervane called Little Heiskell. A tinsmith named Benjamin Heiskell made it in 1769 in the shape of a soldier.
Questions about Christmas in Hagerstown
When was Hagerstown founded?
Jonathan Hager officially founded the town in 1762. He had bought 200 acres in the Great Appalachian Valley in 1739 and named the land Hager's Fancy. He later helped make the town the county seat of the newly created Washington County.
How did Hagerstown get its name?
Founder Jonathan Hager first named the town Elizabethtown after his wife, Elizabeth Kershner. Because people commonly called it Hager's-Town, the city council changed the name in 1813, and the Maryland State Legislature endorsed the change the following year.
Why is Hagerstown called the Hub City?
Hagerstown is a center of transit and commerce. Interstates 81 and 70, the CSX, Norfolk Southern and Winchester and Western railroads, and Hagerstown Regional Airport form an extensive transportation network for the city, which is often referred to as the Hub City.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Hagerstown?
Valley Mall holds its Santa Arrival Celebration on November 14, 2026, with Santa arriving on the Valley Mall Train. On December 11 the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts hosts Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday, with hot cocoa and special programming.
Where does Santa arrive in Hagerstown?
Santa arrives in Belk Court at Valley Mall on Saturday, November 14, 2026, between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. He travels to his holiday home on the Valley Mall Train, and families can visit him and purchase a photo afterward.
What Christmas events in Hagerstown are free?
The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts lists Family Holiday Night on December 11, 2026, as a free event for all ages, running 5:00 to 8:00 PM. The mall's Santa Arrival Celebration on November 14 names no admission fee, but Santa photos cost extra.
Who organizes these Christmas events?
Valley Mall runs the Santa Arrival Celebration in its Belk Court. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts runs Family Holiday Night at 401 Museum Drive, working with the Washington County Free Library on the evening's special programming.
What is Little Heiskell?
Little Heiskell is a weathervane and one of the most recognizable symbols of Hagerstown. It is named after Benjamin Heiskell, a German tinsmith who crafted it in 1769 in the form of a Hessian soldier.
Did Hagerstown ever have trolleys?
Yes. From 1896 to 1947 the city was served by the Hagerstown Railway, later called the Hagerstown and Frederick Railway, an interurban trolley system. Railroads remain part of the city today, with CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Winchester and Western all serving Hagerstown.
How big is Hagerstown?
The 2020 census counted 43,527 people, making Hagerstown the sixth most populous incorporated city in Maryland and the largest in the Maryland Panhandle. It is the county seat of Washington County and anchors a metropolitan area that extends into West Virginia.
Sources
- Hagerstown, Maryland, Wikipedia
- Santa Arrival Celebration, Valley Mall
- Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
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 Maryland city.
Hagerstown Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Hagerstown to start with?
Begin with the Santa Arrival Celebration at Valley Mall on Saturday, November 14, 2026, where Santa rides in on the Valley Mall Train and kids can do crafts and face painting. Then save Friday, December 11, for Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Hagerstown?
Yes. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts lists Family Holiday Night: An Elwood City Holiday on December 11, 2026, as a free event for all ages, with hot cocoa and galleries open until 8:00 PM. Valley Mall's Santa Arrival Celebration on November 14 lists no admission charge, though photos with Santa are sold.
Where can kids meet Santa in Hagerstown?
Santa arrives at Valley Mall on Saturday, November 14, 2026, between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. He rides the Valley Mall Train to his holiday home in Belk Court, and after his arrival families can visit him there and buy a keepsake photo.
Is there a Christmas event with a train in Hagerstown?
The Santa Arrival Celebration at Valley Mall on November 14, 2026, has Santa making his entrance aboard the Valley Mall Train. It is a mall train, not a railroad excursion, but for a small child who loves trains it is the highlight of the two-hour party in Belk Court.
Do Hagerstown's Christmas events for kids need tickets or sign-up?
Neither of these two mentions tickets or registration. The Santa Arrival Celebration on November 14, 2026, is a come-along event in Belk Court at Valley Mall, and Family Holiday Night on December 11 is listed as free at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. Santa photos at the mall are a separate purchase.
What is An Elwood City Holiday at the museum?
It is the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts' Family Holiday Night on Friday, December 11, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. The theme comes from the museum's exhibition of Marc Brown's art for the Arthur books, and the programming is a collaboration with the Washington County Free Library, served with hot cocoa.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Hagerstown?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Maryland Christmas train rides guide. This Hagerstown guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows 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 10, 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.