Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Inverness for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Crafty Kids Corner: Paper Bag Gingerbread Houses (December 1) and Party With the Grinch (December 16). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Florida Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Inverness
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Inverness
- Season: December 1 (Crafty Kids Corner: Paper Bag Gingerbread Houses) to December 16 (Party With the Grinch)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 2 events
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Inverness
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Holiday crafts
Crafty Kids Corner: Paper Bag Gingerbread Houses
- When: Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 5 to 6 pm (select dates, see the organizer for the schedule)
- Where: Coastal Region Library, Community Room (Crystal River), 8619 West Crystal Street, Inverness, FL 34428 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Kids
Expand to see the parent tip
At this Crafty Kids Corner session, children turn plain paper bags into gingerbread houses of their own design. The work is coloring, cutting and gluing, and the library supplies every material.
It meets Tuesday, December 1, 2026, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM in the Community Room of the Coastal Region Library, 8619 West Crystal Street in Crystal River. The program is listed for kids, and the page shows no fee and no registration step.
Parent tip: The craft uses scissors and glue, so sit beside younger children for the cutting. The library is in Crystal River, about 17 miles west of Inverness, so leave enough time to make the 5:00 PM start.
- Host
- Citrus County Library System (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Coastal Region Library, Community Room (Crystal River), 8619 West Crystal Street, Inverness, FL 34428 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Inverness events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Inverness daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Inverness.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Inverness 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 Inverness.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Inverness 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
- 2 Crafts
- 1 Story time
- 1 Breakfast and treats
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Inverness every week.
Holiday event
Party With the Grinch
- When: Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 4:30 to 6 pm
- Where: Coastal Region Library (Crystal River), 8619 West Crystal Street, Inverness, FL 34428 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Kids, tweens and families
Expand to see the parent tip
The Grinch himself turns up for this library party, which takes over the Community Room, Meeting Room, Library Commons and Youth Room. Staff read How the Grinch Stole Christmas aloud, and children move on to a batch of Grinch-themed crafts and party games. The Friends of the Coastal Region Library supply light refreshments.
The party is Wednesday, December 16, 2026, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM at the Coastal Region Library, 8619 West Crystal Street in Crystal River. It is listed for kids, tweens and families, and the page shows no fee and no registration requirement.
Parent tip: The party is spread over four rooms for 90 minutes, so start with the story reading or the crafts depending on how long your child can sit. The snacks are light and the party ends at 6:00 PM, so plan on dinner afterward.
- Host
- Citrus County Library System (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Coastal Region Library (Crystal River), 8619 West Crystal Street, Inverness, FL 34428 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Inverness events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Inverness daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Inverness.
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 Florida Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Inverness Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Crafty Kids Corner: Paper Bag Gingerbread Houses in Inverness on December 1; the last runs to December 16. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Crafty Kids Corner: Paper Bag Gingerbread HousesInverness · Dec 1
- Party With the GrinchInverness · Dec 16
Looking further afield? Our Florida Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Brooksville, Lady Lake, Ocala and Fruitland Park. 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 Inverness
Inverness began as Tompkinsville and was renamed, the story goes, by a homesick Scotsman who thought the blue water of Tsala Apopka Lake looked like the lochs back home. At Christmas, families here can look to the Citrus County Library System, whose holiday programs for children this season are at its Crystal River branch.
How Inverness celebrates
The Christmas programs confirmed for this guide come from the Citrus County Library System. Inverness has its own branch, the Lakes Region Library, but the two holiday events with 2026 dates are at the Coastal Region Library in Crystal River, about 17 miles west on State Road 44. Children decorate paper bag gingerbread houses there on December 1, and on December 16 the library hosts Party With the Grinch, with a reading of the classic book, crafts, games and refreshments provided by the Friends of the Coastal Region Library.
Fun facts about Christmas in Inverness
A white settlement here dates to 1868, when a man named Tompkins, later called Uncle Alf, started the community that was first laid out as Tompkinsville. After the town was sold to a Jacksonville firm it was renamed for Inverness, Scotland, and it was incorporated on March 6, 1919. In 1961 the historic downtown courthouse was used to film the courtroom scene of Follow That Dream, featuring Elvis Presley. The 2020 census counted 7,543 residents.
Traditions today
- Paper bag gingerbread houses: Crafty Kids Corner at the Coastal Region Library has children color, cut and glue their own gingerbread house designs on December 1, 2026.
- Party With the Grinch: The library's December 16 party pairs a reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Grinch crafts and party games.
- Refreshments from the Friends: The Friends of the Coastal Region Library provide the light refreshments at the Grinch party.
- The historic downtown: More than twelve buildings in downtown Inverness have been recognized with historic plaques, and the historic courthouse stands downtown.
- Liberty and Wallace Brooks parks: These adjoining parks on Lake Henderson are where the city has held family festivals with music, games and crafts.
A fact for kids
A paved trail in Inverness follows the path of an old railroad line. Where trains once crossed trestles between the lakes, walkers and bike riders now cross small bridges.
Questions about Christmas in Inverness
When was Inverness, Florida founded?
A white settlement in the area dates to 1868, when a man named Tompkins, later known as Uncle Alf, started the community. He set up a mail service and helped build the first sawmill in the county to draw newcomers. Inverness was incorporated on March 6, 1919.
How did Inverness get its name?
The town was first called Tompkinsville. After it was sold to a Jacksonville firm, it was renamed for Inverness, Scotland. The story says a Scotsman far from home looked out at Tsala Apopka Lake and was reminded of the lochs and headlands around the Scottish city.
What does the name Inverness mean?
Inver is a Gaelic word for the mouth of a river, so the Scottish Inverness means the mouth of the River Ness, which flows from Loch Ness. The Florida city sits at the foot of a chain of lakes, which made the name seem a good fit.
Was a movie filmed in Inverness?
Yes. In 1961 the historic courthouse in downtown Inverness was used to film the courtroom scene of Follow That Dream, a movie featuring Elvis Presley. More than twelve downtown buildings have been recognized by the city's historic plaque program.
Did a railroad run through Inverness?
An Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line once ran through the area. Its route is now the Withlacoochee State Trail, 46 miles of paved path described as the longest paved recreation trail in Florida, with small bridges where railroad trestles used to cross between the lakes.
What Christmas events are there for kids near Inverness?
The Citrus County Library System lists two for 2026, both at the Coastal Region Library in Crystal River: a paper bag gingerbread house craft on December 1 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, and Party With the Grinch on December 16 from 4:30 to 6:00 PM.
Who organizes these holiday programs?
Both are run by the Citrus County Library System, the same system that operates the Lakes Region Library in Inverness. The Friends of the Coastal Region Library provide the refreshments for the Grinch party on December 16, 2026.
Are the library's Christmas programs free?
The library's event pages do not list a price for either one. The gingerbread craft page says all supplies are provided, and the Grinch party page says light refreshments are provided. Neither page shows a registration requirement.
How many people live in Inverness?
The 2020 census counted 7,543 residents, up from 7,210 in 2010. Inverness is the county seat of Citrus County and sits on the western shore of the connected Tsala Apopka and Henderson lakes.
Sources
- Inverness, Florida, Wikipedia
- Crafty Kids Corner: Paper Bag Gingerbread Houses, Citrus County Library System
- Party With the Grinch, Citrus County Library System
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 Florida city.
Inverness Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids near Inverness, Florida?
The Citrus County Library System has two holiday programs for children at its Coastal Region Library in Crystal River, about 17 miles west of Inverness. Kids build paper bag gingerbread houses on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, and the library throws a Party With the Grinch on Wednesday, December 16.
Are there free Christmas events for kids near Inverness?
The library's pages list no price for either program. The gingerbread craft on December 1, 2026 says all supplies are provided, and the Grinch party on December 16 includes light refreshments from the Friends of the Coastal Region Library. Neither page asks families to pay or register.
Where can kids meet Santa near Inverness?
The two programs confirmed here do not include a Santa visit. The nearest thing to a character meeting is Party With the Grinch on December 16, 2026 at the Coastal Region Library, where the Grinch himself joins the story reading, crafts and games.
Are there holiday crafts for kids?
Yes. Crafty Kids Corner on December 1, 2026, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, has children color, cut and glue paper bags into gingerbread houses. The Grinch party on December 16, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM, adds several Grinch-themed crafts alongside games and a read-aloud.
Do I need to sign up for the library's holiday programs?
Neither event page shows a registration button or a sign-up requirement, unlike some other programs on the same library calendar. If you want to be sure of a place, call the Coastal Region Library at the phone number on its event pages before making the drive.
How far is the Coastal Region Library from Inverness?
The library is at 8619 West Crystal Street in Crystal River. State Road 44 runs west from Inverness to Crystal River, a trip of about 17 miles. Both holiday programs start in the late afternoon, at 5:00 PM on December 1 and 4:30 PM on December 16, 2026.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Inverness?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Florida Christmas train rides guide. This Inverness 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.