Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Hooksett for 2026, and here is what he found: 4 family events. The magic runs from December 5 (Santa Party) through December 18, with Drop-in Christmas Crafts (from December 14), Polar Express Pajama Storytime (December 15) and Gingerbread House Decorating (December 16) along the way. 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 Hampshire Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Hooksett
- 4 Christmas events for kids in Hooksett
- Meet Santa: Santa Party (December 5)
- Also on the list: 1 story time and 4 craft workshops
- Season: December 5 (Santa Party) to December 18 (Drop-in Christmas Crafts)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 4 events
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Waiting inside
- 4 Crafts
- 1 Santa
- 1 Story time
- 1 Breakfast and treats
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Hooksett
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Santa visit
Santa Party
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 am to noon
- Where: Hooksett Public Library, Hebert Room, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; no registration required
- Ages: Children from birth to age 11
Expand to see the parent tip
The Hooksett Public Library turns its Hebert Room into a Santa party for a morning. Besides the visit with Santa, kids move between stations to make crafts, play games and mix a bag of reindeer food, and a photo booth is set up for pictures with him. The Friends of the Hooksett Library sponsor the program, which the library calls annual.
The party runs Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. No registration is required, and the page lists no charge. The listing is aimed at early childhood and elementary ages.
Parent tip: With no sign-up and only two hours on the clock, the photo booth is the part most likely to back up. Head to Santa first, then let the kids take their time at the craft, game and reindeer food stations.
- Host
- Hooksett Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hooksett Public Library, Hebert Room, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hooksett events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hooksett daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hooksett.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 3 more Hooksett 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 Hooksett.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Hooksett 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
- 4 Crafts
- 1 Santa
- 1 Story time
- 1 Breakfast and treats
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Hooksett every week.
Holiday crafts
Drop-in Christmas Crafts
- When: Mon December 14, Tue December 15, Thu December 17 and Fri December 18, 2026, 10 am to 5 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; no session is listed for Wednesday, December 16)
- Where: Hooksett Public Library, Discovery Room, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; no registration required
- Ages: Geared to ages 3 to 10
Expand to see the parent tip
The library's Discovery Room stays open as a Christmas craft table for most of the week before the holiday. Kids come in whenever it suits the family and work through a mix of Christmas crafts. The program is planned around children ages 3 to 10.
Sessions are listed for December 14, 15, 17 and 18, 2026, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day. There is no session on Wednesday the 16th. No registration is required, and the page lists no charge.
Parent tip: The seven-hour window means you can time a visit around naps or school pickup instead of a fixed start. Note the gap on Wednesday, December 16, when no craft session is listed.
- Host
- Hooksett Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hooksett Public Library, Discovery Room, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hooksett events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hooksett daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hooksett.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Holiday story time
Polar Express Pajama Storytime
- When: Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 10:30 to 11:30 am
- Where: Hooksett Public Library, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required
- Ages: Children from birth to age 11
Expand to see the parent tip
Children arrive in their holiday pajamas for a Polar Express themed story time at the library. Staff read a couple of Christmas classics, and the crafts that follow are based on those books. Every child goes home with a souvenir ticket and a bell.
The story time is Tuesday, December 15, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Registration is required through the library's online calendar; when the page was checked, all seats were taken and a waiting list was open. The description mentions the Discovery Room while the location line names the Hebert Room, so check at the desk on arrival.
Parent tip: Seats were already full when the listing was checked, so add your child to the waiting list right away instead of waiting for December. Dress kids in pajamas before you leave home, since the reading starts mid-morning.
- Host
- Hooksett Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hooksett Public Library, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hooksett events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hooksett daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hooksett.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Holiday crafts
Gingerbread House Decorating
- When: Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 4:30 to 5:15 pm
- Where: Hooksett Public Library, Discovery Room, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required
- Ages: Ages 6 to 14
Expand to see the parent tip
Miss Kristen hosts a gingerbread house decorating party in the library's Discovery Room. The houses come already built and the candy is supplied, so kids spend the whole session on the decorating. It is set up for ages 6 to 14.
The party is Wednesday, December 16, 2026, from 4:30 to 5:15 pm. Registration is required through the library's online calendar, and 16 seats were open when the page was checked. No price is listed.
Parent tip: Forty-five minutes goes quickly with candy and icing, so arrive a few minutes early to be seated at the start. The age range begins at 6, so plan the drop-in craft days for younger siblings instead.
- Host
- Hooksett Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Hooksett Public Library, Discovery Room, 31 Mount St Mary's Way, Hooksett, NH 03106 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Hooksett events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Hooksett daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Hooksett.
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 Hampshire Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Hooksett Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Santa Party in Hooksett on December 5; 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.
- Santa PartyHooksett · Dec 5
- Drop-in Christmas CraftsHooksett · Dec 14 to Dec 18
- Polar Express Pajama StorytimeHooksett · Dec 15
- Gingerbread House DecoratingHooksett · Dec 16
Looking further afield? Our New Hampshire Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Manchester, NH, Bedford, NH, Concord and Hudson. 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 Hooksett
The central village of Hooksett sits at a bridge crossing of the Merrimack River, and the town's name may come from a hook-shaped island in that river or from early fishermen who called the spot Hookline Falls. At Christmas, the Hooksett Public Library is where families with young children gather, with a Santa party, craft days, a pajama story time and gingerbread decorating on its December calendar.
How Hooksett celebrates
Christmas for kids in Hooksett centers on the Hooksett Public Library, whose December 2026 calendar carries four programs for children. The library calls its Santa Party annual. It is held in the Hebert Room on Saturday, December 5, with craft and game stations, reindeer food to mix and a photo booth, and the Friends of the Hooksett Library sponsor it. The Discovery Room then hosts Drop-in Christmas Crafts on four days in the week of December 14. A Polar Express Pajama Storytime is set for December 15, and a Gingerbread House Decorating party for ages 6 to 14 follows on December 16.
Fun facts about Christmas in Hooksett
Hooksett was incorporated in 1822, after going by the names Chester Woods and Rowe's Corner in its early days. Its first census, in 1830, counted 880 residents, and the 2020 census counted 14,871. The lottery-funded Hooksett Canal became part of the transportation system for the Amoskeag cotton mills in Manchester in 1794. Robie's Country Store, a National Historic Landmark in town, is a regular stop for presidential candidates during the New Hampshire primary.
Traditions today
- Santa Party at the library: The Hooksett Public Library describes its Santa Party as annual, with a Santa visit, a photo booth, crafts, games and reindeer food in the Hebert Room.
- Drop-in Christmas Crafts: The library's Discovery Room opens for drop-in Christmas craft making on four days in mid-December, planned for ages 3 to 10.
- Polar Express Pajama Storytime: Children wear holiday pajamas to hear Christmas classics at the library and leave with a souvenir ticket and a bell.
- Gingerbread House Decorating: Kids ages 6 to 14 decorate pre-built gingerbread houses with candy the library provides.
A fact for kids
Long ago, fishermen called this part of the Merrimack River Hookline Falls, and that may be where the name Hooksett comes from. The highest spot in town is Quimby Mountain, which rises 902 feet above sea level.
Questions about Christmas in Hooksett
When was Hooksett founded?
Hooksett was incorporated as a town in 1822. According to its Wikipedia article, the community had already gone by the name Hooksett for nearly 50 years before that, and the first census, taken in 1830, counted 880 residents.
How did Hooksett get its name?
The origin is not certain. The town's Wikipedia article says the name may come from a hook-shaped island in the Merrimack River, or from early fishermen who called the area Hookline Falls. Before that, the community was known as Chester Woods and Rowe's Corner.
Where is Hooksett?
Hooksett is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, on the Merrimack River. It lies between Manchester, the largest city in the state, and Concord, the state capital, and it had 14,871 residents at the 2020 census.
What is Hooksett known for?
A well-known landmark is Robie's Country Store, a National Historic Landmark that presidential candidates often visit during the New Hampshire primary. Southern New Hampshire University also lies partly in Hooksett and partly in neighboring Manchester.
What was the Hooksett Canal?
The Hooksett Canal was paid for by a lottery, and in 1794 it became part of the transportation system serving the Amoskeag cotton mills in Manchester. The falls on the Merrimack River also powered lumber mills and a brick-making business in town.
What happens at Christmas in Hooksett for kids?
The Hooksett Public Library runs a December lineup for children in 2026: a Santa Party on December 5, Drop-in Christmas Crafts on December 14, 15, 17 and 18, a Polar Express Pajama Storytime on December 15 and Gingerbread House Decorating on December 16.
Where are Hooksett's Christmas events for kids held?
All four programs take place inside the Hooksett Public Library. The library's listings place the Santa Party in the Hebert Room, and the drop-in craft sessions and the gingerbread decorating party in the Discovery Room.
Who organizes the Christmas programs in Hooksett?
The Hooksett Public Library organizes the programs listed here. Its page says the Santa Party is sponsored by the Friends of the Hooksett Library, and the gingerbread house decorating party is hosted by a leader the listing calls Miss Kristen.
Is the Hooksett Santa Party held every year?
The library describes it as its annual Santa Party. The 2026 party is on Saturday, December 5, from 10:00 am to noon, with a visit from Santa, a photo booth, craft and game stations and a make-your-own reindeer food table.
Do the library's Christmas programs cost anything?
The library's event pages do not list a price for any of the four December programs. Two of them, the Santa Party and Drop-in Christmas Crafts, need no registration, while the Polar Express Pajama Storytime and Gingerbread House Decorating require sign-up.
Sources
- Hooksett, New Hampshire, Wikipedia
- Santa Party, Hooksett Public Library
- Drop-in Christmas Crafts, Hooksett Public Library
- Polar Express Pajama Storytime, Hooksett Public Library
- Gingerbread House Decorating (Ages 6-14), Hooksett Public Library
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 Hampshire city.
Hooksett Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas event for kids in Hooksett to start with?
The Santa Party at the Hooksett Public Library on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 am to noon is the easiest first stop. Kids visit Santa, pose at a photo booth, make crafts, play games and mix reindeer food, and the library's page says no registration is required.
Are there Christmas events in Hooksett that do not need sign-up?
Yes. The Santa Party on December 5 and the Drop-in Christmas Crafts on December 14, 15, 17 and 18 are both open without registration. The library's event pages do not list a charge for any of its December children's programs, though they do not use the word free either.
Where can kids meet Santa in Hooksett?
Santa visits the Hooksett Public Library at 31 Mount St Mary's Way during the Santa Party on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10:00 am to noon. The party is held in the Hebert Room, and a photo booth is set up for pictures with him.
Which Hooksett Christmas events need registration?
Two library programs require sign-up through the library's online calendar: the Polar Express Pajama Storytime on Tuesday, December 15, and Gingerbread House Decorating for ages 6 to 14 on Wednesday, December 16. When the storytime page was checked its seats were full, with a waiting list open, so register early.
Is there a Christmas story time in Hooksett?
Yes. The Polar Express Pajama Storytime runs Tuesday, December 15, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:30 am at the Hooksett Public Library. Children come in holiday pajamas, hear a couple of Christmas classics, make crafts tied to the books and take home a souvenir ticket and a bell. Registration is required.
What is there for older kids at Christmas in Hooksett?
Gingerbread House Decorating on Wednesday, December 16, from 4:30 to 5:15 pm is meant for ages 6 to 14, and the library supplies pre-built houses and candy. The Drop-in Christmas Crafts sessions in the Discovery Room are geared to ages 3 to 10, so they also suit early elementary kids.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Hooksett?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New Hampshire Christmas train rides guide. This Hooksett 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.