Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Jackson, NH for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour (from November 21) and Traditionally Yours Celebration: Santa's First Visit and Quintessential Tree Lighting (November 28). 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 Jackson
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Jackson
- Meet Santa: Traditionally Yours Celebration: Santa's First Visit and Quintessential Tree Lighting (November 28)
- Parades and tree lightings: Traditionally Yours Celebration: Santa's First Visit and Quintessential Tree Lighting (November 28)
- Season: November 21 (Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour) to December 20 (Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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- 2 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Zoos and museums
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Jackson
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday event
Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour
- When: Saturday, November 21, 2026 to Sunday, December 20, 2026 (Saturdays and Sundays for five weekends; sleighs leave 45 minutes apart from 11:30 AM, with the last tour at 3:15 PM), 11:30 am to 3:15 pm
- Where: The Snowflake Inn (check-in), 95 Main Street, Jackson, NH 03846 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $45 per person; children 2 and under on a lap are free
- Ages: All ages; children 2 and under ride free on a lap
Expand to see the parent tip
A horse-drawn Austrian sleigh carries riders through Jackson Village, pausing at stops where innkeepers and shop owners hand homemade chocolates up to the sleigh. Nobody climbs out along the way. Every ticket comes with a jingle bell and a festive bag for any chocolates that do not get eaten on the spot.
Sleighs go out on Saturdays and Sundays from November 21 to December 20, 2026, leaving every 45 minutes from 11:30 AM with the last at 3:15 PM. Tickets are $45 per person and are not refundable, though a child 2 or under who sits on a lap and skips the chocolates rides free. Check in at the Snowflake Inn, 95 Main Street, and park across the road at Jackson Grammar School; parties of fewer than 7 can book only when staying at a participating inn, while groups of 8 or more book through the chamber.
Parent tip: The sleighs are open to the weather and the only restroom is a portable toilet in the Snowflake Inn parking area, so dress children in full snow gear and make a bathroom stop before you arrive. The chocolates may have come in contact with nuts, so plan around that for a child with a nut allergy.
- Host
- Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- The Snowflake Inn (check-in), 95 Main Street, Jackson, NH 03846 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Jackson events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Jackson daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Jackson.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Jackson 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 Jackson.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Jackson 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 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Zoos and museums
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Jackson every week.
Tree lighting
Traditionally Yours Celebration: Santa's First Visit and Quintessential Tree Lighting
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 3:30 to 7:30 pm (Santa arrives at the Town Gazebo at 4:00 PM; the tree is lit at about 5:00 PM)
- Where: Jackson Town Gazebo, 18 Main St, Jackson, NH 03846 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa makes his first visit of the season to Jackson with the Chief of Police as his escort, sirens sounding as he pulls up to the Town Gazebo. He and his elves have a treat for every child who shares a Christmas wish. Carols and a few surprises lead up to the tree lighting, and afterward the Christmas Farm Inn & Spa opens its barn for hot chocolate and cookies, where Santa drops by again.
The celebration is Saturday, November 28, 2026. The chamber lists it from 3:30 to 7:30 PM, with families gathering at the gazebo at 4:00 PM and the tree lit at about 5:00 PM. The page gives no price and says only to check listings; cocktails and food at the barn are for purchase.
Parent tip: Santa arrives to police sirens, so warn children who dislike loud noise and stand back from the road. You will be outdoors in the White Mountains for an hour or more before the lights come on, so dress for the cold and use the barn afterward to warm up.
- Host
- Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Jackson Town Gazebo, 18 Main St, Jackson, NH 03846 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Jackson events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Jackson daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Jackson.
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 Jackson Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour in Jackson on November 21; the last runs to December 20. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Jingle Bell Chocolate TourJackson · Nov 21 to Dec 20
- Traditionally Yours Celebration: Santa's First Visit and Quintessential Tree LightingJackson · Nov 28
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 Conway, NH, Concord, Lee and Hooksett. 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 Jackson
Jackson is perhaps best known for its red covered bridge, the Honeymoon Bridge, built in 1876 and among the most photographed in New Hampshire. Come late November the village turns to Christmas, with Santa arriving at the Town Gazebo and horse-drawn sleighs back on Main Street.
How Jackson celebrates
The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce runs the season. On Saturday, November 28, 2026, its Traditionally Yours Celebration brings Santa to the Town Gazebo behind the police chief's sirens, followed by caroling and what the chamber calls a quintessential New England tree lighting at about 5:00 PM. The Christmas Farm Inn & Spa then opens its barn for hot chocolate and cookies. On Saturdays and Sundays from November 21 to December 20, the chamber's Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour sends horse-drawn Austrian sleighs through Jackson Village, where inns and shops hand chocolates up to riders. The chamber describes Main Street as the tour's traditional location.
Christmas last year in Jackson
The chamber's 2026 announcement says the 2025 Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour was a success, but that riders asked for it to come back to the Village, so this year the sleighs return to Main Street.
Fun facts about Christmas in Jackson
The area was first settled in 1778 by Benjamin Copp and his family, and the town went by New Madbury and then Adams before it was incorporated as Jackson in 1829, with only one vote cast against the new name. In 2021 residents voted to rededicate the name to geologist Charles Thomas Jackson. By the 1920s, 40 trains a day were bringing passengers to Jackson. The 2020 census counted 1,028 residents.
Traditions today
- Santa's First Visit: Santa pulls up to the Town Gazebo with the Chief of Police as escort and sirens announcing his arrival.
- Tree lighting with carols: Caroling and surprises lead into the village tree lighting at about 5:00 PM on November 28, 2026.
- Hot chocolate at the Christmas Farm Inn barn: After the lighting, the Christmas Farm Inn & Spa invites everyone to its barn for hot chocolate and cookies, and Santa stops in.
- Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour: Horse-drawn Austrian sleighs carry riders through Jackson Village on weekends while proprietors deliver chocolates to the sleigh.
- A jingle bell for every rider: Each tour ticket includes a jingle bell and a festive bag for chocolates saved for later.
A fact for kids
When the town chose the name Jackson in 1829, only one person voted against it. About a hundred years later, 40 trains a day were bringing visitors to these mountains.
Questions about Christmas in Jackson
When was Jackson, New Hampshire settled?
The area was first settled in 1778 by Benjamin Copp and his family, six years after a road was built through Pinkham Notch. The town was incorporated in 1829. Its land had earlier been part of several large grants made by colonial Governor John Wentworth.
How did Jackson get its name?
It was first New Madbury, after the seacoast town of Madbury, then Adams from 1800 in honor of President John Adams. In 1829 it became Jackson, for Andrew Jackson, with one vote against. In 2021 residents voted to rededicate the name to geologist Charles Thomas Jackson.
Did trains serve Jackson?
The Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad began service to Glen station in nearby Bartlett in the early 1870s, and hotels went up to house the tourists who followed. By the 1920s, 40 trains a day were bringing passengers to Jackson, before cars reduced train travel.
What is the Honeymoon Bridge?
It is Jackson's red covered bridge, built in 1876 and one of the most photographed in New Hampshire. The town is also known for Jackson Falls and for Jackson X-C, a cross-country ski trail system of 100 kilometers.
What happens at Christmas in Jackson?
Santa makes his first visit at the Town Gazebo on Saturday, November 28, 2026, followed by caroling and a tree lighting at about 5:00 PM. The Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour runs horse-drawn sleigh rides through the village on weekends from November 21 to December 20.
Who organizes Christmas events in Jackson?
The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce organizes both the Traditionally Yours Celebration and the Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour. The Christmas Farm Inn & Spa hosts the gathering after the tree lighting, and village proprietors supply the chocolates handed to sleigh riders.
Where does the sleigh tour start?
Riders check in at the Snowflake Inn, 95 Main Street, and park across the road at the Jackson Grammar School. The inn is an adults-only quiet property, so the chamber asks tour guests to use the side lobby and go straight back to their cars after the ride.
How much does the Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour cost?
Tickets are $45 per person and include a jingle bell, a festive bag, the sleigh ride and chocolates at each stop. Children 2 or under who sit on a lap and do not take chocolates ride free. Tickets are not refundable.
Is the tree lighting in Jackson free?
The chamber's page for the November 28, 2026 celebration does not name a price and tells visitors to check listings. Hot chocolate and cookies are offered at the Christmas Farm Inn barn afterward, while cocktails and food there are for purchase.
How many people live in Jackson?
The 2020 census counted 1,028 residents. Jackson is a resort town in the White Mountains of Carroll County, with parts of the White Mountain National Forest on its west, north and east sides.
Sources
- Jackson, New Hampshire, Wikipedia
- Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour, Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce
- Traditionally Yours Celebration: Santa's First Visit & Quintessential Tree Lighting, Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce
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.
Jackson Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Jackson, New Hampshire?
Begin with the Traditionally Yours Celebration on Saturday, November 28, 2026, when Santa arrives at the Town Gazebo with a police escort and the village tree is lit at about 5:00 PM. For a bigger outing, the Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour runs horse-drawn sleigh rides on weekends from November 21 to December 20.
Where can kids meet Santa in Jackson?
Santa makes his first visit to Jackson at the Town Gazebo at 4:00 PM on Saturday, November 28, 2026. He and his elves have a treat for each child who shares a Christmas wish. After the tree lighting he stops by the barn at the Christmas Farm Inn & Spa.
Is there a tree lighting in Jackson?
Yes. The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce holds its tree lighting at about 5:00 PM on Saturday, November 28, 2026, with caroling and surprises beforehand. Afterward the Christmas Farm Inn & Spa invites everyone to its barn for hot chocolate and cookies.
What is the Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour?
It is a horse-drawn Austrian sleigh ride through Jackson Village with stops where proprietors bring homemade chocolates to the sleigh. It runs Saturdays and Sundays from November 21 to December 20, 2026. Tickets are $45 per person, and children 2 or under on a lap are free.
Which Jackson Christmas events need tickets?
The Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour needs tickets booked ahead, and they are not refundable. Parties of fewer than 7 can book only when staying at one of the participating inns, while groups of 8 or more book directly with the chamber. The page for the November 28 celebration names no ticket price.
What happens if the weather is bad for the sleigh rides?
The chamber says horses cannot pull the sleighs in icy conditions or while snow plows are working. When that happens, rides are cancelled and moved to another open 2026 date or carried over to the following year. There are no refunds, and the sleighs are open to the weather.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Jackson?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New Hampshire Christmas train rides guide. This Jackson 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.