Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Johnston, Iowa for 2026. Holidays at the Town Center brings free ice skating, Santa and the community tree lighting to City Hall on Saturday, December 5, and Coffee with a Cop and Santa follows at the Merle Hay Road Hy-Vee on Saturday, December 12. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Iowa Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Johnston
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Johnston
- Holidays at the Town Center: Saturday, December 5, 4 to 6 pm, free
- Free skating, Santa, crafts and the tree lighting
- Coffee with a Cop and Santa: Saturday, December 12, 8 to 10 am
- Every date checked on the City of Johnston calendar on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Johnston
Tree lighting and SantaFree
Holidays at the Town Center
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 4 to 6 pm
- Where: Johnston City Hall, 6221 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA 50131 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free ice skating and Santa visits
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Johnston calls this its annual family favorite, and the Town Center around City Hall on Merle Hay Road fills up for a late afternoon of holiday fun that ends with the community tree lighting.
Kids can skate for free, visit with Santa, sip hot cocoa and make crafts, while grown-ups browse local food and craft vendors and meet local businesses.
Parent tip: Bring mittens and warm socks if your kids plan to skate, and stay until dark for the tree lighting.
- Host
- City of Johnston Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Johnston City Hall, 6221 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA 50131 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Johnston events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Johnston daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Johnston.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Johnston 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 Johnston.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Johnston 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 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Johnston every week.
Breakfast with SantaFree
Coffee with a Cop and Santa
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 8 to 10 am
- Where: Johnston Hy-Vee, 5750 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA 50131 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Johnston Police Department sets up at the Hy-Vee on Merle Hay Road for a Saturday morning of breakfast, coffee and friendly conversation with local officers.
Santa stops by to visit with the kids, and there are activities and crafts to keep little ones busy between bites.
Parent tip: It runs only two hours in the morning, so come early if you want an unhurried chat with Santa.
- Host
- Johnston Police Department (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Johnston Hy-Vee, 5750 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA 50131 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Johnston events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Johnston daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Johnston.
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 Iowa Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Johnston Christmas event for kids happens
Skate and light the tree at the Town Center on December 5, then bring the kids back for breakfast and a second Santa visit with Johnston police on December 12.
- Holidays at the Town CenterJohnston · Dec 5
- Coffee with a Cop and SantaJohnston · Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our Iowa Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Des Moines, Altoona, Ames and Waterloo. 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 AmazonKeep 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 Iowa city.
Johnston Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Johnston this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Johnston for 2026: Holidays at the Town Center on December 5 and Coffee with a Cop and Santa on December 12.
When is the Johnston tree lighting in 2026?
The community tree lighting is part of Holidays at the Town Center on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4 to 6 pm at Johnston City Hall, 6221 Merle Hay Road.
Is ice skating free at Holidays at the Town Center?
Yes. The city lists free ice skating along with Santa visits, hot cocoa and kids crafts.
Where is Coffee with a Cop and Santa?
At the Johnston Hy-Vee, 5750 Merle Hay Road, on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 8 to 10 am.
Who do I contact about Johnston holiday events?
City of Johnston Parks and Recreation at mmoore@cityofjohnston.com for the Town Center event, and the Johnston Police Department at police@cityofjohnston.com for Coffee with a Cop and Santa.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Iowa?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Iowa Christmas train rides page.
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 Johnston on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.
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.