Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Jefferson City for 2026, and here is what he found: 3 family events, 2 of them free. They are A Christmas Carol (from November 19), Light the Way Tree Lighting (December 1) and 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting (December 3). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Missouri Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Jefferson City
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Jefferson City
- 2 free events, including Light the Way Tree Lighting and 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting
- Meet Santa: 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting (December 3)
- Parades and tree lightings: Light the Way Tree Lighting (December 1) and 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting (December 3)
- Also on the list: 1 Christmas show
- Season: November 19 (A Christmas Carol) to December 3 (21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting)
- 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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- 1 Santa
- 1 Shows
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 2 Free
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Free Christmas events for kids in Jefferson City
Tree lightingFree
Light the Way Tree Lighting
- When: Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 5:30 to 6:30 pm
- Where: River Market Pavilion, 160 N. Chestnut Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
JC Parks and United Way of Central Missouri are holding their first Light the Way event at the River Market Pavilion. United Way partner agencies and supporters each decorate a Christmas tree that shows off their mission and their work, so families get a whole set of themed trees to look over in one place.
The tree lighting is Tuesday, December 1, 2026, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at 160 N. Chestnut Street. It is free to attend. The registration link on the page is for organizations that want to host a tree, not for visitors.
Parent tip: The event lasts one hour on a school night, so it is easy to fit in before dinner or bedtime. Give each child a job, such as picking a favorite tree and guessing what its organization does, to turn the walk-through into a game.
- Host
- JC Parks (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- River Market Pavilion, 160 N. Chestnut Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Jefferson City events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Jefferson City daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Jefferson City.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Jefferson City 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 Lights
- 1 Santa
- 1 Shows
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Jefferson City every week.
Tree lightingFree
21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026, 5:30 to 7 pm
- Where: Rotary Centennial Park, 102 Bolivar St, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Mayor of Jefferson City switches on the Mayor's Christmas Tree at Rotary Centennial Park in the 21st year of this lighting. The evening opens with entertainment and refreshments, and Santa Claus comes by to see the kids. Guests are invited to bring non-perishable food or unwrapped toys for the Salvation Army.
The lighting is Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at 102 Bolivar St. Entertainment starts at 5:30 pm and the Mayor lights the tree at about 6:30 pm. Admission is free.
Parent tip: The tree is not lit until about 6:30 pm, a full hour after the entertainment begins, so families with little ones can arrive closer to 6:00 and still catch the big moment. Let your child carry the toy or canned food donation so they have a part in the giving.
- Host
- JC Parks (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Rotary Centennial Park, 102 Bolivar St, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Jefferson City events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Jefferson City daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Jefferson City.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Jefferson City
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday show
A Christmas Carol
- When: Thursday, November 19, 2026 to Saturday, November 21, 2026 (Three-day run, November 19 to 21; show times are not listed on the organizer's page)
- Where: Miller Performing Arts Center, 501 Madison St, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Tickets required; no price listed on the organizer's page
Expand to see the parent tip
Muse Theatre Company, the Jefferson City group behind Itsy Bitsy Broadway and its children's theatre classes, stages A Christmas Carol at the Miller Performing Arts Center. The company lists the production among its current 2026 season shows.
The run is listed for November 19 through 21, 2026, at the Miller Performing Arts Center. The company's page does not post curtain times or ticket prices, and it marks the show as coming soon. Tickets and reserved seats are sold in advance through the Buy Tickets link on the company's site.
Parent tip: Curtain times were not posted when the page was checked, so confirm the time for your date before promising a school-night outing. The company encourages buying and reserving seats ahead to skip the line, which matters with only three days of performances.
- Host
- Muse Theatre Company (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Miller Performing Arts Center, 501 Madison St, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Jefferson City events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Jefferson City daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Jefferson City.
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 Missouri Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Jefferson City Christmas event for kids happens
The first is A Christmas Carol in Jefferson City on November 19; the last runs to December 3. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- A Christmas CarolJefferson City · Nov 19 to Nov 21
- Light the Way Tree LightingJefferson City · Dec 1
- 21st Annual Christmas Tree LightingJefferson City · Dec 3
Looking further afield? Our Missouri Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Columbia, MO, Osage Beach, Climax Springs and St. Louis. 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 Jefferson City
Jefferson City was almost called Missouriopolis, a name lawmakers proposed before deciding to honor Thomas Jefferson instead. Today the Missouri capital opens the Christmas season with a stage production of A Christmas Carol in November and two free tree lightings run by JC Parks in the first week of December.
How Jefferson City celebrates
JC Parks, the city's parks department, anchors the season with two free tree lightings. Light the Way, described as a first-ever event held with United Way of Central Missouri, fills the River Market Pavilion with trees decorated by United Way partner agencies on December 1, 2026. Two days later the Mayor lights the Mayor's Christmas Tree at Rotary Centennial Park in what the department titles the 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, with Santa, entertainment and donations for the Salvation Army. JC Parks and KRCG also run a Guaranteed White Christmas drawing at the Washington Park Ice Arena, and Muse Theatre Company stages A Christmas Carol at the Miller Performing Arts Center from November 19 to 21.
Fun facts about Christmas in Jefferson City
Jefferson City was chosen as Missouri's capital in 1821 and formally incorporated in 1825, with the state legislature moving there a year later. The riverside village was first called Lohman's Landing, and Daniel Morgan Boone, son of the frontiersman Daniel Boone, laid out the city. Lewis and Clark passed its river bluff in 1804. The 2020 census counted 43,228 residents, making it the 9th least populous state capital in the country.
Traditions today
- Mayor's Christmas Tree lighting: JC Parks titles the 2026 lighting at Rotary Centennial Park the 21st annual, with the Mayor lighting the tree after entertainment, refreshments and a Santa visit.
- Light the Way: New in 2026, this River Market Pavilion event has United Way of Central Missouri partner agencies decorating Christmas trees that reflect their missions.
- Giving at the tree lighting: Guests at the Christmas Tree Lighting are asked to bring non-perishable food or unwrapped toys for the Salvation Army.
- Guaranteed White Christmas: JC Parks and KRCG draw one Mid-Missouri family to receive a yard full of snow and a free rental of the Washington Park Ice Arena.
- A Christmas Carol on stage: Muse Theatre Company brings A Christmas Carol to the Miller Performing Arts Center for three days in November.
A fact for kids
Jefferson City was almost named Missouriopolis. The explorers Lewis and Clark also traveled past the bluff where the State Capitol now stands, back in 1804, before there was any town there.
Questions about Christmas in Jefferson City
When was Jefferson City founded?
Jefferson City was chosen as the new state capital in 1821, after Missouri joined the Union as the 24th state. The settlement was formally incorporated in 1825, and the state legislature moved there a year later.
How did Jefferson City get its name?
The city is named for Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. The village was first called Lohman's Landing, and when the legislature decided to move there it proposed the name Missouriopolis before settling on Jefferson.
Who laid out Jefferson City?
According to the city's Wikipedia article, Daniel Morgan Boone, the son of the frontiersman Daniel Boone, laid out and platted Jefferson City in the early 19th century. For years the village was little more than a trading post in the wilderness.
Where is Jefferson City?
Jefferson City sits on the southern side of the Missouri River in Mid-Missouri, roughly midway between Kansas City and St. Louis. It is the county seat of Cole County, and it had 43,228 residents at the 2020 census.
What is the best-known landmark in Jefferson City?
The domed Missouri State Capitol dominates the city, rising from a bluff above the Missouri River. Visitors also come for the Missouri State Penitentiary, which opened in 1836, the Missouri Governor's Mansion and the Missouri State Museum.
What happens at Christmas in Jefferson City for kids?
In 2026 the season includes A Christmas Carol at the Miller Performing Arts Center from November 19 to 21, the Light the Way Tree Lighting on December 1 and the 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, with a visit from Santa Claus, on December 3.
Where are the Jefferson City tree lightings held?
Light the Way takes place at the River Market Pavilion, 160 N. Chestnut Street, on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. The Mayor's Christmas Tree is lit at Rotary Centennial Park, 102 Bolivar St, on Thursday, December 3.
Who organizes Christmas events in Jefferson City?
JC Parks, the city parks department, organizes both tree lightings and runs Light the Way together with United Way of Central Missouri. Muse Theatre Company produces A Christmas Carol, and JC Parks partners with KRCG on the Guaranteed White Christmas drawing.
Which Christmas events in Jefferson City are free?
JC Parks lists the Light the Way Tree Lighting on December 1 and the Christmas Tree Lighting on December 3 as free. Its Guaranteed White Christmas drawing is also listed as free to enter. A Christmas Carol is a ticketed show.
How long has Jefferson City held its Christmas tree lighting?
JC Parks titles the 2026 event the 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting. The Mayor lights the Mayor's Christmas Tree at about 6:30 pm, after entertainment that starts at 5:30 pm. Light the Way, by contrast, is described as a first-ever event.
What is the Guaranteed White Christmas drawing?
JC Parks and KRCG promise a white Christmas to one Mid-Missouri family, who win a yard full of snow and a free rental of the Washington Park Ice Arena. Families enter by filling out a form at the arena, 711 Kansas Street, before noon on December 21, 2026.
Sources
- Jefferson City, Missouri, Wikipedia
- 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, JC Parks
- Light the Way Tree Lighting, JC Parks
- Guaranteed White Christmas, JC Parks
- Itsy Bitsy Broadway, Muse Theatre Company
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 Missouri city.
Jefferson City Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas event for kids in Jefferson City to start with?
The 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 3, 2026, at Rotary Centennial Park packs the most into one evening. Entertainment begins at 5:30 pm, Santa Claus visits, refreshments are served and the Mayor lights the Mayor's Christmas Tree at about 6:30 pm. JC Parks lists it as free.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Jefferson City?
Yes. JC Parks lists both of its tree lightings as free: Light the Way at the River Market Pavilion on Tuesday, December 1, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, and the Christmas Tree Lighting at Rotary Centennial Park on Thursday, December 3, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.
Where can kids meet Santa in Jefferson City?
Santa Claus is part of the 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Rotary Centennial Park, 102 Bolivar St, on Thursday, December 3, 2026. The evening runs from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, with the tree lit by the Mayor at about 6:30 pm.
Is there a Christmas show for families in Jefferson City?
Muse Theatre Company, which runs Itsy Bitsy Broadway, presents A Christmas Carol at the Miller Performing Arts Center from November 19 to 21, 2026. The company's page had not posted show times or ticket prices when it was checked, so look at its ticket link for the schedule.
Which Jefferson City Christmas events need tickets or sign-up?
A Christmas Carol, November 19 to 21 at the Miller Performing Arts Center, is the only one that needs tickets, sold through Muse Theatre Company's site. The two JC Parks tree lightings on December 1 and December 3 are free to attend, and the Light the Way sign-up is only for groups hosting a tree.
Should we bring anything to the Jefferson City tree lighting?
For the Christmas Tree Lighting on December 3 at Rotary Centennial Park, JC Parks asks guests to support neighbors in need by bringing non-perishable food items or unwrapped toys, which go to the Salvation Army. The event is free and includes refreshments, entertainment and a Santa visit.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Jefferson City?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Missouri Christmas train rides guide. This Jefferson City 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.