Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Kettering, Ohio for 2026. The Mayor’s Tree Lighting glows at Lincoln Park Civic Commons on December 4, kids hunt candy canes in the dark at the Recreation Complex on December 13, and Santa Palooza brings games, doughnuts and Santa on December 19. Every date comes from the city’s own PlayKettering activity guide. For the rest of the state, see our Ohio Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Kettering
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Kettering
- Mayor’s Tree Lighting: Friday, December 4, 6 pm to 8 pm, free
- Candy Cane Hunts: Sunday, December 13, 5 pm for ages 0 to 5, 6 pm for ages 6 and up
- Santa Palooza: Saturday, December 19, 10:30 am to 1 pm
- Every date checked in the PlayKettering guide on Nov 11
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Kettering events researched for you.
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Free Christmas events for kids in Kettering
Tree lightingFree
Mayor’s Tree Lighting
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, from 6 pm to 8 pm
- Where: Lincoln Park Civic Commons, 675 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering, OH 45429 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Mayor Suddith switches on the big Kettering Christmas tree at Lincoln Park Civic Commons, the lawn next to Fraze Pavilion, to open the holiday season.
Families get hot chocolate, cookies and cheerful live entertainment, and the evening is pitched as festive fun for every age.
Parent tip: Park near Fraze Pavilion and walk over, and bring mittens for the kids since the whole event is outdoors.
- Host
- City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Lincoln Park Civic Commons, 675 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering, OH 45429 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Kettering events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Kettering daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Kettering.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Kettering 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 Kettering.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Kettering 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
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Shows
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Kettering every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Kettering
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Event hosts: free events are listed first. The #1 spot puts your event at the top of this page.Inquire about the #1 spotAdd your event for free
Candy cane hunt
Candy Cane Hunts
- When: Sunday, December 13, 2026: Twilight hunt for ages 0 to 5 at 5 pm, Flashlight hunt for ages 6 and up at 6 pm
- Where: Kettering Recreation Complex, 2900 Glengarry Dr., Kettering, OH 45420 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $6 resident, $8 non-resident, registration required for everyone including adults
- Ages: Twilight 0 to 5, Flashlight 6 and up
Expand to see the parent tip
The story goes that naughty elves scattered candy canes across the fields at the Recreation Complex, and Kettering kids are recruited to clean up the mess.
Little ones under 6 hunt at dusk from 5 to 5:30 pm, older kids search in the dark from 6 to 6:30 pm with flashlights, and everyone makes a themed bag and gets hot chocolate and cookies.
Parent tip: Register under activity 01-20971 and pack a flashlight for each child, especially for the 6 pm session.
- Host
- City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Kettering Recreation Complex, 2900 Glengarry Dr., Kettering, OH 45420 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Kettering events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Kettering daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Kettering.
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Santa party
Santa Palooza
- When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 10:30 am to 1 pm
- Where: Lathrem Senior Center, 2900 Glengarry Dr., Kettering, OH 45420 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $8 resident, $10 non-resident, registration required
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa Palooza is a morning party with Santa at the Lathrem Senior Center, with reindeer games, crafts and fresh doughnuts.
There is no line to stand in, because each family gets a number on arrival and keeps playing until it is called for a moment with Santa.
Parent tip: Register under activity 01-20973 ahead of time, and arrive early for a lower number so the kids see Santa sooner.
- Host
- City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Lathrem Senior Center, 2900 Glengarry Dr., Kettering, OH 45420 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Kettering events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Kettering daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Kettering.
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 Ohio Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Kettering Christmas event for kids happens
Start with the free tree lighting on December 4, then register early for the candy cane hunts and Santa Palooza, since both need sign-ups for every attendee.
- Mayor’s Tree LightingKettering · Dec 4
- Candy Cane HuntsKettering · Dec 13
- Santa PaloozaKettering · Dec 19
Looking further afield? Our Ohio Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Dayton, Middletown, Lebanon and Hamilton. 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 Ohio city.
Kettering Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Kettering, Ohio this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Kettering for 2026: the Mayor’s Tree Lighting on December 4, the Candy Cane Hunts on December 13 and Santa Palooza on December 19.
When is the Kettering tree lighting in 2026?
Friday, December 4, 2026, from 6 pm to 8 pm at Lincoln Park Civic Commons, 675 Lincoln Park Blvd. It is free.
Where can kids see Santa in Kettering?
At Santa Palooza on Saturday, December 19, 10:30 am to 1 pm at the Lathrem Senior Center. Families get a number on arrival instead of waiting in line. It costs $8 for residents and $10 for non-residents.
How do the Kettering candy cane hunts work?
Kids collect candy canes on the Recreation Complex fields on December 13. The Twilight hunt at 5 pm is for ages 5 and under, and the Flashlight hunt at 6 pm is for ages 6 and up.
Who do I contact about Kettering holiday events?
Shenna Manoussakis, Youth and Family Program Supervisor, at Shenna.Manoussakis@ketteringoh.org or 937-296-3303.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Ohio?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Ohio 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 Kettering 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.