Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Lake Forest for 2026. The city lights its tree at the Civic Center Campus on Saturday, December 12, and four nights later Santa picks up the phone to call Lake Forest kids at home through North Pole Calling. 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 Lake Forest
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Lake Forest
- Tree Lighting: Saturday, December 12, 3 pm to 6 pm, Civic Center Campus
- North Pole Calling: Santa calls on Wednesday, December 16
- North Pole Calling forms due December 4, ages 3 to 8, residents only
- Every date checked on the City of Lake Forest’s site on Nov 11
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All 2 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Lake Forest event researched for you.
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Free Christmas events for kids in Lake Forest
Tree lightingFree
Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 3 pm to 6 pm
- Where: Lake Forest Civic Center Campus, 100 Civic Center Dr, Lake Forest, CA 92630 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Lake Forest gathers neighbors at the Civic Center Campus on a Saturday afternoon in mid-December for its annual Holiday Tree Lighting.
The celebration runs from 3 pm into early evening with seasonal fun for all ages, building up to the moment the city’s tree lights up as the sun goes down.
Parent tip: Come mid-afternoon for the activities and stay until dark, since the lighting lands near the 6 pm finish.
- Host
- City of Lake Forest Community Services (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Lake Forest Civic Center Campus, 100 Civic Center Dr, Lake Forest, CA 92630 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Lake Forest events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Lake Forest daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lake Forest.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Lake Forest 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
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Lake Forest every week.
Phone call from SantaFree
North Pole Calling
- When: Calls on Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm; apply by December 4
- Where: At home, by phone, Lake Forest, CA 92630 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, Lake Forest residents only
- Ages: Ages 3 to 8
Expand to see the parent tip
Lake Forest kids ages 3 to 8 can get a phone call at home from Santa Claus himself on the evening of Wednesday, December 16.
Parents fill out one application per child and email it to the Senior Recreation Supervisor between November 2 and December 4. Space is limited and the calls are for Lake Forest residents only.
Parent tip: Add a detail or two on the form, like a pet’s name or a recent win at school, so Santa can surprise your child.
- Host
- City of Lake Forest Community Services (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- At home, by phone, Lake Forest, CA 92630 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Lake Forest events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Lake Forest daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lake Forest.
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 Lake Forest Christmas event for kids happens
Send in the North Pole Calling form before December 4, then spend December 12 at the Civic Center tree lighting while you wait for Santa’s call.
- Annual Tree Lighting CeremonyLake Forest · Dec 12
- North Pole CallingLake Forest · Dec 16
Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Mission Viejo, Irvine, Ladera Ranch and Laguna Niguel. 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 California city.
Lake Forest Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Lake Forest this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Lake Forest for 2026, both from the City of Lake Forest: the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and North Pole Calling.
When is the Lake Forest tree lighting in 2026?
Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 3 pm to 6 pm at the Civic Center Campus, 100 Civic Center Drive.
How does North Pole Calling work?
Lake Forest residents with children ages 3 to 8 email one application per child to CWysocki@lakeforestca.gov between November 2 and December 4. Santa calls on December 16 between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm.
Is North Pole Calling free?
Yes. It is a free courtesy for Lake Forest residents, and space is limited.
Who do I contact about Lake Forest holiday events?
City of Lake Forest Community Services: lhunter@lakeforestca.gov for special events, or the Clubhouse at (949) 461-3408 for North Pole Calling questions.
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 Lake Forest 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.