Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Hawthorne, NJ for 2026, and here is what he found: 3 family events. They are Christmas Tree Decorating (November 30), Christmas Card & Holiday Photo Booth (December 12) and Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus (December 18). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New Jersey Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Hawthorne
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Hawthorne
- Meet Santa: Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus (December 18)
- Also on the list: 1 story time and 1 craft workshop
- Season: November 30 (Christmas Tree Decorating) to December 18 (Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
What are you looking for?
All 3 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
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Waiting inside
- 1 Santa
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Story time
- 1 Zoos and museums
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Hawthorne
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday crafts
Christmas Tree Decorating
- When: Monday, November 30, 2026, 3:30 to 4:15 pm
- Where: Hawthorne Public Library, Storytime Room, 345 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Registration required; no price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Ages 6 to 12
Expand to see the parent tip
Children help Ms. Hestvik trim the Christmas tree that stands in the library's children's room. Each child also makes an ornament to carry home, so the session is part decorating party and part craft.
It is Monday, November 30, 2026, from 3:30 to 4:15 pm in the Storytime Room at Hawthorne Public Library, 345 Lafayette Avenue. Registration opens Monday, November 16 at 8:00 am and space is limited. No price is listed.
Parent tip: Seats are limited and the library asks registered families to make every effort to come, so book only if the 3:30 pm after-school start works. The title says ages 6 to 12 while the audience tags stop at age 10, so call 973-427-5745 before signing up an 11 or 12 year old.
- Host
- Hawthorne Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hawthorne Public Library, Storytime Room, 345 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hawthorne events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hawthorne daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hawthorne.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Hawthorne 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 Hawthorne.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Hawthorne 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 Story time
- 1 Zoos and museums
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Hawthorne every week.
Holiday event
Christmas Card & Holiday Photo Booth
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 10:30 am to 4:15 pm
- Where: Hawthorne Public Library, Lobby, 345 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Families
Expand to see the parent tip
The library lobby hosts a Christmas card and holiday photo booth that the calendar files as a family special event. The description on the listing is still marked to be announced, so how the cards and photos will work has not been posted yet.
It is scheduled for Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 10:30 am to 4:15 pm in the lobby of Hawthorne Public Library, 345 Lafayette Avenue. The page shows no registration and no price.
Parent tip: The booth is in the lobby for most of the day, so you can fold it into a normal library visit instead of planning around a start time. Check the listing or call 973-427-5745 nearer the date, since the details were still to be announced.
- Host
- Hawthorne Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hawthorne Public Library, Lobby, 345 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hawthorne events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hawthorne daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hawthorne.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Holiday story time
Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus
- When: Friday, December 18, 2026, 4 to 4:30 pm
- Where: Hawthorne Public Library, Room A, 345 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Registration required; no price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Ages 3 to 6
Expand to see the parent tip
Mrs. Claus stops by the library to read Christmas stories to young children. It is a sit-down story time in Room A, planned for ages 3 to 6.
It is Friday, December 18, 2026, from 4:00 to 4:30 pm at Hawthorne Public Library, 345 Lafayette Avenue. Registration opens Monday, December 7 at 8:00 am. No price is listed.
Parent tip: Half an hour is about right for preschoolers, and the 4:00 pm start lands after nap time and school pick-up. Registration opens only 11 days ahead, on December 7 at 8:00 am, so set a reminder.
- Host
- Hawthorne Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hawthorne Public Library, Room A, 345 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hawthorne events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hawthorne daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hawthorne.
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 New Jersey Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Hawthorne Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Christmas Tree Decorating in Hawthorne on November 30; the last runs to December 18. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Christmas Tree DecoratingHawthorne · Nov 30
- Christmas Card & Holiday Photo BoothHawthorne · Dec 12
- Winter Stories with Mrs. ClausHawthorne · Dec 18
Looking further afield? Our New Jersey Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Paramus, Maywood, Clifton and Wallington. 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 Hawthorne
Hawthorne carries a novelist's name: the Passaic County borough was named for Nathaniel Hawthorne when the New Jersey Legislature created it in 1898. Its Christmas calendar for children centers on the public library on Lafayette Avenue, where the season brings tree trimming, a holiday photo booth and stories with Mrs. Claus.
How Hawthorne celebrates
This season's organizer pages all come from Hawthorne Public Library at 345 Lafayette Avenue, which posts its programs on the BCCLS library calendar. On Monday, November 30, 2026, children ages 6 to 12 help Ms. Hestvik decorate the tree in the children's room and make an ornament to take home. A Christmas Card and Holiday Photo Booth sets up in the lobby on Saturday, December 12, and Mrs. Claus reads Christmas stories to ages 3 to 6 on Friday, December 18. None of the listings uses annual wording, and two of the three ask families to register ahead.
Fun facts about Christmas in Hawthorne
Hawthorne was established by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 24, 1898, from parts of the now-defunct Manchester Township, and it was named for the novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. The borough had 19,637 residents in the 2020 census and covers 3.35 square miles. NJ Transit trains stop at Hawthorne station on the Main Line to Secaucus Junction and Hoboken Terminal. The Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1946.
Traditions today
- Trimming the children's room tree: On November 30, 2026, kids ages 6 to 12 help decorate the Christmas tree in the children's room at Hawthorne Public Library and make an ornament to keep.
- Holiday photo booth in the lobby: The library lobby hosts a Christmas Card and Holiday Photo Booth for families on Saturday, December 12, 2026.
- Stories with Mrs. Claus: Mrs. Claus reads Christmas stories to children ages 3 to 6 in the library's Room A on Friday, December 18, 2026.
A fact for kids
Hawthorne's fire department is made up entirely of volunteers. It was established in 1916 and keeps five stations, with three engines, a tower truck and a heavy rescue truck.
Questions about Christmas in Hawthorne
When was Hawthorne, New Jersey founded?
Hawthorne was established as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 24, 1898. It was formed from parts of Manchester Township, a township that no longer exists and that also took in present-day Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park and Totowa.
How did Hawthorne get its name?
The borough was named for the novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. The name dates from 1898, when the New Jersey Legislature created the borough out of parts of Manchester Township in Passaic County. The Wikipedia article does not say who chose the name.
How many people live in Hawthorne?
The 2020 census counted 19,637 residents, which was 846 more than the 18,791 counted in 2010. The 2000 census recorded 18,218. The borough covers 3.35 square miles, so it is a compact town, and the 2020 census classed all of its residents as living in an urban area.
Does Hawthorne have a train station?
Yes. NJ Transit serves Hawthorne station on the Main Line, with trains to Secaucus Junction and Hoboken Terminal. NJ Transit also runs the 148 bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and local service on the 722 route.
Which towns border Hawthorne?
Hawthorne borders North Haledon, Prospect Park and Paterson in Passaic County, and Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Ridgewood and Wyckoff in Bergen County. Place names within the borough include Goffle, North Hawthorne and Van Winkle.
What is Hawthorne known for?
Hawthorne is home to the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps, founded in 1946, which competes as an all-age corps. The borough also has an all-volunteer fire department that dates to 1916 and a volunteer ambulance corps that has served the community since 1932.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Hawthorne?
Hawthorne Public Library has three programs in 2026: Christmas Tree Decorating for ages 6 to 12 on November 30, a Christmas Card and Holiday Photo Booth for families on December 12, and Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus for ages 3 to 6 on December 18.
Where are Hawthorne's Christmas events held?
The three events listed for 2026 are all inside Hawthorne Public Library at 345 Lafayette Avenue. Tree decorating uses the Storytime Room, the photo booth is in the lobby, and Mrs. Claus reads in Room A. Lafayette Avenue is also home to the police and fire headquarters.
Who organizes Christmas events for kids in Hawthorne?
Each of the three listings names Hawthorne Library as the event organizer and gives the library's programs email and phone number. One of the pages mentions a staff member, Ms. Hestvik, who leads the tree decorating session in the children's room on November 30.
Are Hawthorne's library Christmas events free?
The three library listings show no prices, though they do not state outright that the programs are free. Two of them, Christmas Tree Decorating and Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus, require registration, and the tree decorating page notes that space is limited.
Sources
- Hawthorne, New Jersey, Wikipedia
- Christmas Tree Decorating, Ages 6-12 yo, Hawthorne Public Library (BCCLS LibCal)
- Christmas Card & Holiday Photo Booth, Hawthorne Public Library (BCCLS LibCal)
- Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus, Hawthorne Public Library (BCCLS LibCal)
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 New Jersey city.
Hawthorne Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas event for kids to start with in Hawthorne?
For preschoolers, Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus on Friday, December 18, 2026, is the easiest pick: a half-hour story time at Hawthorne Public Library for ages 3 to 6. School-age kids can start earlier with Christmas Tree Decorating on Monday, November 30, where they trim the children's room tree and make an ornament.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Hawthorne?
None of the three Hawthorne Public Library listings shows a price. That covers Christmas Tree Decorating on November 30, the Christmas Card and Holiday Photo Booth on December 12 and Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus on December 18. The pages do not use the word free, so confirm with the library if cost matters.
Where can kids meet Santa in Hawthorne?
The listings gathered here do not include a Santa visit, but Mrs. Claus is coming. She reads Christmas stories at Hawthorne Public Library on Friday, December 18, 2026, from 4:00 to 4:30 pm, for children ages 3 to 6. Registration for that story time opens December 7 at 8:00 am.
Which Hawthorne Christmas events need sign-up?
Two of them do. Registration for Christmas Tree Decorating opens Monday, November 16 at 8:00 am, and registration for Winter Stories with Mrs. Claus opens Monday, December 7 at 8:00 am. The Christmas Card and Holiday Photo Booth on December 12 shows no registration on its listing.
Is there a Christmas activity for older kids in Hawthorne?
Yes. Christmas Tree Decorating on Monday, November 30, 2026, is aimed at ages 6 to 12. From 3:30 to 4:15 pm, children help Ms. Hestvik decorate the tree in the library's children's room and then make an ornament to take home. Space is limited, so register when sign-up opens on November 16.
Where are Christmas events for kids held in Hawthorne?
All three events listed for 2026 are at Hawthorne Public Library, 345 Lafayette Avenue. They use different rooms: the Storytime Room for tree decorating, the lobby for the holiday photo booth on Saturday, December 12, and Room A for stories with Mrs. Claus. The library's phone number is 973-427-5745.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Hawthorne?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New Jersey Christmas train rides guide. This Hawthorne 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.