Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Howell for 2026, and here is what he found: 5 family events, 3 of them free. The magic runs from November 23 (Gingerbread House Decorating Contest) through December 21, with Santa at the Library (December 5) and Family Puppet Show: The Christmas Goose Is Loose (December 19) 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 Michigan Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Howell
- 5 Christmas events for kids in Howell
- 3 free events, including Santa at the Library, Children's Christmas Concert and Family Christmas Crafts
- Meet Santa: Santa at the Library (December 5)
- Also on the list: 2 Christmas shows and 3 craft workshops
- Season: November 23 (Gingerbread House Decorating Contest) to December 21 (Family Christmas Crafts)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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- 3 Crafts
- 2 Shows
- 1 Santa
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 3 Free
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Free Christmas events for kids in Howell
Santa visitFree
Santa at the Library
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 9 to 11 am
- Where: Howell Carnegie District Library, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Children and families
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa spends a Saturday morning at the Howell Carnegie District Library, and families take their own photos with him. A do-it-yourself holiday photo station in the Meabon Room gives you a second backdrop for family pictures, and there are family crafts in the same room.
The visit is Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. It is free and drop-in, with no registration. The description puts the Santa photos in the West Wing, while the location line reads East Wing, Main Level, so follow the signs once inside.
Parent tip: There is no staff photographer mentioned, so charge your phone or bring a camera. Kids dressed for the Santa photo can go straight to the Meabon Room photo station afterward, which saves a second change of clothes.
- Host
- Howell Carnegie District Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Howell Carnegie District Library, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Howell events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Howell daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Howell.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 4 more Howell 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 Howell.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Howell 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
- 3 Crafts
- 2 Shows
- 1 Santa
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 3 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Howell every week.
Holiday showFree
Children's Christmas Concert
- When: Friday, December 18, 2026, 10 to 10:45 am
- Where: Howell Carnegie District Library, Meabon Room, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Ages 2 to 8 with a parent or caregiver; whole family welcome to watch
Expand to see the parent tip
The Hamburg Senior Center Pipers play Christmas music on galvanized pipes in a concert put together for young children. After 20 to 30 minutes of music, kids get a turn learning to play, and the morning ends with a few minutes of decorating and eating cookies.
The concert is Friday, December 18, 2026, from 10:00 to 10:45 am in the Meabon Room. It is free and drop-in, with no registration. It is planned for ages 2 to 8 with a parent or caregiver, and the rest of the family is welcome to watch.
Parent tip: The music itself lasts only 20 to 30 minutes, which suits toddlers who cannot sit long. Stay for the learn-to-play time, since that hands-on turn with the pipes is the part the youngest kids will remember.
- Host
- Howell Carnegie District Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Howell Carnegie District Library, Meabon Room, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Howell events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Howell daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Howell.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Holiday craftsFree
Family Christmas Crafts
- When: Monday, December 21, 2026, 11 am to 2 pm
- Where: Howell Carnegie District Library, Meabon Room, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Ages 3 to 10 with a parent or caregiver
Expand to see the parent tip
Children and the adults who bring them make Christmas-themed art projects side by side in the library's Meabon Room. The library provides every supply, so families only need to show up.
The craft session is Monday, December 21, 2026, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. It is free and drop-in, with no registration, and it is planned for ages 3 to 10 with a parent or caregiver. The library notes the date falls during the Howell Public Schools holiday break.
Parent tip: The three-hour drop-in window covers lunchtime, so you can come before or after eating and avoid a hungry crafter. This one is built for adults and kids to make things together, so plan to sit down and craft too.
- Host
- Howell Carnegie District Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Howell Carnegie District Library, Meabon Room, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Howell events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Howell daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Howell.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Howell
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday crafts
Gingerbread House Decorating Contest
- When: Monday, November 23, 2026 to Monday, December 7, 2026 (Kit pickup November 23 to December 4 during library hours; finished houses are due at the Information Desk by 7:00 pm on Monday, December 7)
- Where: Howell Carnegie District Library, Information Desk, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required
- Ages: All ages, entered as a team
Expand to see the parent tip
This is a take-home contest with a twist: the gingerbread houses are cardboard kits, and candy, frosting and gumdrops are off the table. Teams of any age decorate at home using only non-edible materials, then bring the finished house back to the library. Gift cards go to three winning teams in the Home Sweet Howell, Crafty as a Cookie and A Tale Reimagined categories.
Registration is required and opened Monday, November 2, online, by phone or at the Information Desk; it closes Friday, December 4, or when full, with one sign-up per team. Kits can be picked up from November 23 through December 4 during open hours, and entries are due by 7:00 pm on Monday, December 7, 2026. Winners are phoned on Friday, December 11, and every entry stays on display in the library until Sunday, January 3.
Parent tip: The library closes at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 25, and is shut on Thanksgiving, so collect your kit early in pickup week if you want to build over the long weekend. Kits and the extra craft supplies are limited, so register soon and raid your own craft drawer too.
- Host
- Howell Carnegie District Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Howell Carnegie District Library, Information Desk, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Howell events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Howell daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Howell.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Holiday show
Family Puppet Show: The Christmas Goose Is Loose
- When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 11 to 11:45 am
- Where: Howell Carnegie District Library, Meabon Room, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; drop-in, no registration
- Ages: Ages 3 to 9 with a parent or caregiver
Expand to see the parent tip
Two scatterbrained fairies named Pickles and PepperPot narrate this holiday puppet show about Georgie, a wise-cracking goose with golden feathers. The story borrows loosely from the Brothers Grimm tale The Golden Goose and Aesop's fable The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs. A question-and-answer session follows the performance.
The show is Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 11:00 to 11:45 am in the Meabon Room, with the performance itself running 35 to 40 minutes. It is drop-in with no registration, and the page lists no charge. The library notes it falls during the Howell Public Schools holiday break, and it is planned for ages 3 to 9 with a parent or caregiver.
Parent tip: With no sign-up and school out, seats are first come, so arrive a little before 11:00 to settle small children near the front. Have your child think of a question on the way in for the question-and-answer time at the end.
- Host
- Howell Carnegie District Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Howell Carnegie District Library, Meabon Room, 314 W Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Howell events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Howell daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Howell.
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 Michigan Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Howell Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Gingerbread House Decorating Contest in Howell on November 23; the last runs to December 21. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Gingerbread House Decorating ContestHowell · Nov 23 to Dec 7
- Santa at the LibraryHowell · Dec 5
- Children's Christmas ConcertHowell · Dec 18
- Family Puppet Show: The Christmas Goose Is LooseHowell · Dec 19
- Family Christmas CraftsHowell · Dec 21
Looking further afield? Our Michigan Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Hartland, MI, Byron, Village of Clarkston and Ann Arbor. 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 Howell
Howell started out under the name Livingston Center, and today it is the largest city in Livingston County and its county seat. At Christmas, the Howell Carnegie District Library on West Grand River Avenue fills December with a Santa visit, a children's concert, a puppet show, craft time and a gingerbread house contest.
How Howell celebrates
The children's Christmas calendar in Howell for 2026 comes from the Howell Carnegie District Library on West Grand River Avenue. It opens with a Gingerbread House Decorating Contest, in which teams decorate cardboard kits at home and one award, Home Sweet Howell, goes to the house that best captures the town. Santa visits on Saturday, December 5. The Hamburg Senior Center Pipers play a Children's Christmas Concert in the Meabon Room on December 18, followed by the puppet show The Christmas Goose Is Loose on December 19 and Family Christmas Crafts on December 21, the last two timed to the Howell Public Schools holiday break.
Fun facts about Christmas in Howell
Howell's first post office opened in January 1836 inside the Eagle Tavern, and a sawmill built that year was the town's first manufacturing business. The settlement, first called Livingston Center, was formed as a village on March 14, 1863. The Historic Howell Opera House downtown served as a station on the Underground Railroad. The city counted 10,068 residents at the 2020 census.
Traditions today
- Santa at the Library: Santa visits the Howell Carnegie District Library for a free drop-in morning of photos, with a do-it-yourself photo station and crafts in the Meabon Room.
- Gingerbread House Decorating Contest: Teams decorate cardboard gingerbread house kits with non-edible materials, and every entry is displayed in the library until January 3.
- Children's Christmas Concert: The Hamburg Senior Center Pipers play Christmas music on galvanized pipes for children ages 2 to 8, then let them try the instruments.
- Holiday puppet show: The Christmas Goose Is Loose brings a puppet goose with golden feathers to the Meabon Room during the school holiday break.
- Family Christmas Crafts: Children ages 3 to 10 and their parents or caregivers make Christmas art projects together with supplies the library provides.
A fact for kids
Howell hosts a hot air balloon festival called the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest. On the Friday evening, balloons are inflated in the field behind Howell High School, and the bursts of flame make them glow at dusk.
Questions about Christmas in Howell
When was Howell founded?
Howell's first post office opened in January 1836, the same year Livingston County was organized and a sawmill became the town's first manufacturing business. The settlement was formed as a village by an act of the legislature on March 14, 1863.
What was Howell called at first?
According to the city's Wikipedia article, the town was originally called Livingston Center. It sits in Livingston County, where it is the largest city and the county seat, and it is mostly surrounded by Howell Township, which is run separately.
Has Howell always been the county seat?
Not quite. Howell was slated to be the seat of Livingston County when the county was organized in 1836, but nearby Brighton, newly established at the time, claimed the seat for the next 12 years. Howell is the county seat today.
Was Howell part of the Underground Railroad?
Yes. Before and during the Civil War, Howell was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Historic Howell Opera House downtown served as a station, giving temporary shelter and help to freedom seekers on their way to Canada.
How many people live in Howell?
Howell had 10,068 residents at the 2020 census, up from 9,232 in 2000, a rise of more than 9 percent. It is the largest city in Livingston County and part of the wider Metro Detroit area.
What festivals is Howell known for?
The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest began in 1985 as a state hot air ballooning championship and added its Balloon Glow in 1993. The city's Wikipedia article also names the Howell Melon Festival and yearly downtown Halloween events among its best-known celebrations.
What happens at Christmas in Howell for kids?
In 2026 the Howell Carnegie District Library hosts Santa on December 5, a Children's Christmas Concert on December 18, a holiday puppet show on December 19 and Family Christmas Crafts on December 21. A take-home Gingerbread House Decorating Contest runs from November 23 to December 7.
Where are Howell's Christmas events for kids held?
They take place at the Howell Carnegie District Library. The concert, puppet show and craft session are all listed for the Meabon Room, which also holds the holiday photo station during the Santa visit. Gingerbread contest kits are picked up and returned at the Information Desk.
Who organizes the Christmas programs in Howell?
The Howell Carnegie District Library runs all five programs listed here. The Children's Christmas Concert is performed by the Hamburg Senior Center Pipers, who play galvanized pipes and stay afterward so children can learn to play.
Which Christmas events in Howell are free?
The library's pages describe Santa at the Library, the Children's Christmas Concert and Family Christmas Crafts as free, and all three are drop-in. The puppet show is drop-in too, and the gingerbread contest requires registration; neither page states a price.
How does the Howell gingerbread contest work?
Registered teams collect a cardboard house kit from the library, decorate it at home using only non-edible materials and return it by 7:00 pm on Monday, December 7, 2026. Three teams win gift cards, with winners phoned on December 11.
Sources
- Howell, Michigan, Wikipedia
- Gingerbread House Decorating Contest, Howell Carnegie District Library
- Santa at the Library, Howell Carnegie District Library
- Children's Christmas Concert (ages 2-8 with parents/caregivers), Howell Carnegie District Library
- Family Puppet Show: The Christmas Goose Is Loose (ages 3-9 with parents/caregivers), Howell Carnegie District Library
- Family Christmas Crafts (ages 3-10 with parents/caregivers), Howell Carnegie District 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 Michigan city.
Howell Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas event for kids in Howell to start with?
Santa at the Library on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 am is a simple first outing. It is free and drop-in at the Howell Carnegie District Library, with photos you take yourself, a do-it-yourself holiday photo station and family crafts in the Meabon Room.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Howell?
Yes. The library's pages state that three programs are free: Santa at the Library on December 5, the Children's Christmas Concert on December 18 and Family Christmas Crafts on December 21. All three are drop-in with no registration. The puppet show on December 19 is also drop-in, though its page does not mention cost.
Where can kids meet Santa in Howell?
Santa visits the Howell Carnegie District Library, 314 W Grand River Ave, on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Bring your own phone or camera for photos. The page mentions both the West Wing and the East Wing main level, so follow the signs inside.
Are there Christmas shows for young children in Howell?
Two back-to-back mornings at the library fit the bill. The Hamburg Senior Center Pipers give a Children's Christmas Concert on Friday, December 18, at 10:00 am for ages 2 to 8, and the puppet show The Christmas Goose Is Loose plays Saturday, December 19, at 11:00 am for ages 3 to 9.
Which Howell Christmas events need sign-up?
Only the Gingerbread House Decorating Contest requires registration. Sign-up opened November 2 and closes Friday, December 4, or when full, with one registration per team. Kits are picked up from November 23 through December 4, and finished houses are due by 7:00 pm on Monday, December 7. The other library programs are drop-in.
What can kids do in Howell once school is out for the holidays?
The library scheduled two programs during the Howell Public Schools holiday break: the puppet show The Christmas Goose Is Loose on Saturday, December 19, and Family Christmas Crafts on Monday, December 21, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Gingerbread contest entries also stay on display in the library until Sunday, January 3.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Howell?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Michigan Christmas train rides guide. This Howell 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.