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Christmas with kids in Hanford
In Hanford, Christmas has lived in a shop window. For decades a building that began as a hotel around 1893 has shown polar bears and Santa's Workshop, and the downtown parade keeps the season going.
2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
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Hanford Christmas Parade
When: Fri, Nov 27, 6 pm
Where: Downtown Hanford, Hanford
Cost: Free
The story of Christmas in Hanford
How Hanford celebrates
Hanford's season begins with the downtown Christmas parade, which the city holds every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving at 6 pm. Families line the streets with camping chairs to watch floats and entries, with food trucks and vendors nearby. The other beloved tradition is the Christmas windows at the Hanford Furniture building. Gordon and Pat Blue started them after the couple bought the building around 1968, inspired by department store windows in San Francisco. The windows were traditionally unveiled the night before Thanksgiving and are still a free community moment.
Christmas last year in Hanford
The 2025 Hanford Christmas Parade took place on Friday, November 28, starting at 6 pm and drawing thousands of people to downtown. Organizers lengthened the route by about 2,000 feet so more families could set up camping chairs, and it ran from 7th and Harris to Douty and 10th. Food and beverage vendors lined the route. Winter Wonderland, a seasonal holiday attraction, ran through the start of January, with weekday sessions from 4 to 9 pm and weekend sessions from 2 to 9:15 pm.
Fun facts about Christmas in Hanford
The Christmas windows sit in a building constructed around 1893 as the Avorn Hotel, later renamed the Hanford Hotel. The first window showed white animated polar bears, shiny Mylar walls and thousands of twinkle lights. Later scenes included Santa's Workshop, with a list of children's names that grew every year. Building a display took about six weeks and taking it down took about three. The 2026 parade also adds a Spanish-speaking announcer and a Holiday Movie Magic theme.
Trains and Christmas near Hanford
Hanford does not have a railroad museum of its own in our guide, but train fans have options within a day trip. The Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum sits in the Tehachapi Mountains, a region famous for railroading. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown preserves a historic Sierra Railway shop and rolling stock. The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp is a heritage line near the national park. Check each museum's page for winter opening days, since schedules vary.
- Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum: A depot museum in a famous railroading area, a good outing for kids who love trains.
- Railtown 1897 State Historic Park: A state park with historic railroad shops and equipment in Jamestown.
- Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad: A heritage railroad near Yosemite, worth checking for seasonal operating days.
Traditions today
- Hanford Christmas Parade: A downtown parade on the Friday after Thanksgiving at 6 pm, with food trucks, vendors and a Spanish-speaking announcer in 2026.
- Christmas windows at Hanford Furniture: Animated holiday window scenes, started by Gordon and Pat Blue, that families come downtown to see.
- Window unveiling: A free evening when the windows are revealed, traditionally the night before Thanksgiving.
- Winter Wonderland: A seasonal holiday attraction that runs through early January with evening sessions on weekdays and weekends.
- Camping chairs on the curb: Families bring chairs to save a spot along the parade route, which was lengthened by 2,000 feet in 2025.
A fact for kids
In Hanford, polar bears once moved in a shop window. The first Christmas window had white animated bears and thousands of twinkle lights.
Questions about Christmas in Hanford
What is the biggest Christmas tradition in Hanford?
The downtown Christmas parade is Hanford's biggest tradition. The city holds it every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving at 6 pm, and thousands of people attend. Many families also stop to see the Christmas windows at the Hanford Furniture building, which have been a local favorite for decades.
When is the Hanford Christmas Parade?
The city holds the parade every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is November 27 in 2026, starting at 6 pm. In 2025 it took place on Friday, November 28. Our Hanford Christmas events guide on this page has the details we have confirmed for this season.
Where does the Hanford parade go?
In 2025 the parade started at 7th and Harris and ended at Douty and 10th in downtown Hanford. Organizers lengthened the route by about 2,000 feet to leave room for more camping chairs. The city posts each year's route map and street closures on its parade page closer to parade night.
What was the parade theme last year?
We did not confirm the 2025 parade theme. The 2026 theme is Holiday Movie Magic, according to the city, and floats and entries will travel through downtown under it. Kids may enjoy guessing which movie characters will roll past.
Is there a Spanish-speaking announcer at the parade?
Yes. The city says a Spanish-speaking announcer will be part of the 2026 Hanford Christmas Parade, so Spanish-speaking families can follow along with the entries. Food trucks and vendors will also be on site, and portable restrooms will be placed along the route.
How do I get a good spot for the parade?
Arriving early helps you save a spot along the route. Many families bring camping chairs, and in 2025 organizers lengthened the route by about 2,000 feet to make room for them. Bring warm layers, since the parade begins in the evening, and let little ones sit near the front.
What are the Hanford Furniture Christmas windows?
They are animated holiday window displays at the Hanford Furniture building downtown. Gordon and Pat Blue started them after seeing big-city department store windows in San Francisco. The first scene had white animated polar bears and thousands of twinkle lights, and later windows included Santa's Workshop.
Who started the Christmas windows?
Gordon Blue, a past president of the Hanford Improvement Association, and his wife Pat, a Hanford native, started them. The couple bought the building around 1968 and drew their ideas from department store windows in San Francisco. Today the Griswold LaSalle Community Foundation looks after the building and the tradition.
What building holds the Christmas windows?
The building was constructed around 1893 as the Avorn Hotel and was later renamed the Hanford Hotel. A fire in 1976 burned the upper floors, which were then renovated and joined to the furniture store. Upstairs windows now use projections, so the tradition keeps changing with technology.
What was in the very first window display?
The first window was a polar bear scene with white animated bears, shiny Mylar walls, spray-painted white manzanita branches and thousands of twinkle lights. It was designed to feel like a big-city store window.
What is Santa's Workshop in the windows?
Santa's Workshop was a later window scene in which a list of children's names grew longer over the years. It shows how the windows became a community tradition that families came back to year after year.
How long does it take to set up the windows?
Setting up the Christmas windows took about six weeks, and taking them down took about three weeks. That is a lot of work, so it is a nice way to talk with kids about how many people help make a display like this.
When are the Christmas windows unveiled?
They were traditionally unveiled the night before Thanksgiving. In the source we read, the unveiling is held on December 5 at 6:30 pm, free to attend, alongside the Main Street Hanford Wine and Chocolate event. Dates can change, so check our Hanford Christmas events guide on this page.
What is Hanford's Winter Wonderland?
Winter Wonderland is a seasonal holiday attraction in Hanford that runs through early January. Weekday sessions run from 4 to 9 pm, and weekend sessions run from 2 to 9:15 pm, according to a Hanford Insider report. Hours and ticketing change each year, so check the city's site before planning a visit.
Does it snow in Hanford at Christmas?
Real snow is rare in Hanford, a Central Valley city with mild winters. Instead, kids get winter scenes in other ways: polar bears in the Christmas windows, and Winter Wonderland, which runs through early January. Pack a jacket for evening events anyway, since nights can feel chilly.
How can I explain the Christmas windows to my toddler?
Tell your child the windows are like a story book you can look into. Each year the people of Hanford build a scene, such as polar bears or Santa's Workshop, and light it up with twinkle lights. Point out animals, lights and anything that moves, and let your child pick a favorite.
Is the Hanford parade good for small children?
It can be. The parade begins at 6 pm, so it can run into bedtime, and a Spanish-speaking announcer, food trucks and restrooms along the route help families. Arrive early, bring chairs and blankets, and consider ear protection if your child is sensitive to loud noise.
Where can kids see trains near Hanford?
Hanford has no railroad museum of its own in our guide, but several are a drive away. Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum is in the Tehachapi Mountains, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is in Jamestown, and the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad is in Fish Camp. Check opening days before you go.
Is there a railroad museum close to Yosemite?
Yes. The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp is listed in our museum guide as a heritage railroad near the park. Check its page for seasonal operating days, since many heritage railroads run limited schedules in winter, and call ahead before driving from Hanford.
Where can I find Hanford Christmas events this year?
Our Hanford Christmas events guide on this page lists the events we have confirmed for kids this season, starting with the downtown Christmas parade on November 27, 2026. The city of Hanford also posts parade updates on its website, and Winter Wonderland details are announced separately each year.
Sources
- Hanford Christmas Parade, City of Hanford
- How a beloved storefront became a city tradition, Hanford Insider
- Hanford kicks off holiday season with downtown Christmas parade Friday night, ABC30
- Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Rally Takes the Train
- Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, Rally Takes the Train