Christmas Events for Kids in La Mesa (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 3 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in La Mesa for 2026. Holiday in the Village takes over La Mesa Boulevard on Saturday, December 12 with a kids-only shopping program and an elf hunt, and the free Holiday Light Stroll sets out from La Mesita Park on Wednesday, December 16. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in La Mesa

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in La Mesa
  • Holiday in the Village: Saturday, December 12, noon to 9 pm, La Mesa Blvd
  • Kids shopping and Elf Adventure Trail for ages 10 and under
  • Holiday Light Stroll: Wednesday, December 16, 5 pm, La Mesita Park
  • Every date checked on the City of La Mesa’s calendar on Nov 11

Free Christmas events for kids in La Mesa

Downtown holiday festivalFree

Holiday in the Village

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The La Mesa Village Association’s 11th annual Holiday in the Village fills La Mesa Boulevard downtown with more than 100 vendors selling art, handmade gifts, home decor and food from noon until 9 pm.

Kids 10 and under get their own shopping program, with 50-plus vendors offering gifts at $5 or less, and the Elf Adventure Trail sends them hunting for 12 hidden elves in storefront windows for a chance to win one.

Parent tip: Stop at the Information Booth first for the elf trail instructions and the vendor map, which marks the kid-priced booths with an asterisk.

Host
La Mesa Village Association (opens in a new tab)
Address
La Mesa Blvd, between Spring St and 4th St, La Mesa, CA 91942 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom La Mesa Village Association (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more La Mesa event researched for you.

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Lights walkFree

Holiday Light Stroll

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The City of La Mesa’s Holiday Light Stroll meets at La Mesita Park on a December evening for cider and cookies before setting off at 5:30 pm to take in the season’s lights on foot.

It is free, easygoing and family friendly, and well-behaved dogs are welcome on a leash, so the whole household can come along.

Parent tip: Bring a flashlight or headlamp for small walkers and arrive by 5 pm so you get cider before the group heads out.

Host
City of La Mesa (opens in a new tab)
Address
La Mesita Park, 8855 Dallas St, La Mesa, CA 91942 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of La Mesa (opens in a new tab)

New La Mesa events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in La Mesa daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in La Mesa.

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 California Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each La Mesa Christmas event for kids happens

Give the kids a few dollars for the December 12 kids shopping program downtown, then bundle up for the lights stroll from La Mesita Park the next Wednesday.

Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for San Diego, Chula Vista, Escondido and San Marcos. 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.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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 Amazon (opens in a new tab)

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 California city.

La Mesa Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in La Mesa this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in La Mesa for 2026: Holiday in the Village from the La Mesa Village Association and the City of La Mesa’s Holiday Light Stroll.

When is Holiday in the Village in La Mesa in 2026?

Saturday, December 12, 2026, from noon to 9 pm on La Mesa Boulevard between Spring Street and 4th Street. It is the 11th annual event.

What is the kids shopping program at Holiday in the Village?

Children 10 and under can shop at 50-plus participating vendors offering items for $5 or less. Those vendors are marked with an asterisk on the event map.

Can I bring my dog to the La Mesa Holiday Light Stroll?

Yes. Dogs are welcome but must stay leashed. Meet at La Mesita Park, 8855 Dallas Street, at 5 pm on December 16 for cider and cookies.

Who do I contact about La Mesa holiday events?

For Holiday in the Village, the La Mesa Village Association at info@lamesavillageassociation.org. For city events, La Mesa Recreation at recreation@cityoflamesa.gov or 619.667.1300.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids in California?

Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s California 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 La Mesa 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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