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Christmas with kids in Lakeville
In Lakeville, Christmas starts on the first Saturday of December, when downtown fills with Santa photos, shop deals and a tree lighting at Pioneer Plaza. Kids even get their own secret store, where they shop for family gifts for as little as a dollar.
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Holiday on Main
When: Sat, Dec 5, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: Downtown Lakeville, Lakeville
Cost: Free events (check the host page for ticketed extras)
The story of Christmas in Lakeville
How Lakeville celebrates
The heart of Christmas in Lakeville is Holiday on Main, held every year on the first Saturday of December in historic downtown. Visitors find shop specials, photos with Santa at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, horse-drawn wagon rides or trolley rides along Holyoke Avenue, and a Cookies for Santa workshop. The day ends with a holiday tree lighting at Pioneer Plaza, and a downtown lighting ceremony there goes back at least to 2018. The sources do not say when Holiday on Main began, but it is held every year.
Christmas last year in Lakeville
In 2025, Holiday on Main took place on Saturday, Dec. 6, organized that year by the Lakeville Lions, with crafts, music, Santa visits and food, and a 5 p.m. tree lighting at Pioneer Plaza. Santa Land needed a $10 ticket. The same morning, Holidays at the Heritage Center ran from 9 a.m. to noon with Santa's Secret Store for ages 3 to 11 and a Holiday Bake Shop. At the Arts Center, Mini-Nutcracker played Nov. 25 and 26, An Enchanted Christmas on Dec. 12 and 13, and a Holiday Art Sale ran Dec. 3 to 6.
Fun facts about Christmas in Lakeville
Lakeville has a secret store for kids. At Santa's Secret Store, children shop with a parent's help for family and friends, and gifts cost from $1 to $15. The Heritage Center's bake shop treats are made by Lakeville Area Active Adults. Winter fun goes beyond Christmas: Ritter Farm Park covers 340 acres with 5.7 miles of trails groomed for cross-country skiing, and local guides call Lakeville a snowmobiler's paradise with 54 miles of trails. The Parks and Recreation department also runs a Youth Ice Fishing Contest for kids 13 and under.
Trains and Christmas near Lakeville
Lakeville sits south of the Twin Cities, so several rail museums are an easy winter drive. The Gopher State Railway Museum, north of New Prague, is all volunteer, with a caboose train pulled by vintage diesel switchers and James J. Hill's 1880 private car Manitoba. In St. Paul, the Minnesota Transportation Museum fills a real Great Northern roundhouse with more than 50 vintage rail cars, and the Twin City Model Railroad Museum shows off 11,000 square feet of model and toy train layouts.
- Gopher State Railway Museum: An all-volunteer museum near New Prague with a caboose train pulled by vintage diesel switchers and a private railroad car from 1880.
- Minnesota Transportation Museum: A real Great Northern roundhouse with more than 50 vintage rail cars and a working turntable.
- Twin City Model Railroad Museum: More than 11,000 square feet of model and toy train layouts, with plenty of push buttons for kids.
Traditions today
- Holiday on Main: Downtown shops, Santa photos, wagon or trolley rides and a Cookies for Santa workshop on the first Saturday of December.
- Tree lighting at Pioneer Plaza: A downtown lighting ceremony that closes Holiday on Main in the evening.
- Santa's Secret Store: Kids shop for family gifts priced from $1 to $15, with a parent or volunteer helping.
- Mini-Nutcracker at the Arts Center: A short holiday ballet at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, part of its November holiday shows.
- Holiday Bake Shop: Treats made by Lakeville Area Active Adults and sold at the Heritage Center.
A fact for kids
Lakeville has a secret store for kids. At Santa's Secret Store, children pick out gifts for their family and friends for between $1 and $15.
Questions about Christmas in Lakeville
How does Lakeville celebrate Christmas?
Lakeville celebrates mainly with Holiday on Main, a downtown festival on the first Saturday of December with Santa photos, shop specials, wagon or trolley rides and a tree lighting at Pioneer Plaza. The Arts Center adds holiday shows, and the Heritage Center hosts a kids' store. See our Lakeville Christmas events guide on this page for dates.
What is Holiday on Main?
Holiday on Main is Lakeville's downtown holiday festival, held on the first Saturday of December. It offers shop deals, free family events and entertainment, photos with Santa at the Lakeville Area Arts Center and rides along Holyoke Avenue. Guides do not say when it started, but it is an annual tradition for many local families.
Who organizes Holiday on Main?
In 2025, the Lakeville Lions organized Holiday on Main. A local news report said they oversaw the day, which included crafts, music, food and the evening tree lighting. Organizers can change from year to year, so check the Visit Lakeville page or the host listing in our events guide for the current year.
Where is the Lakeville tree lighting?
The downtown tree lighting is held at Pioneer Plaza, 20785 Holyoke Avenue, in the heart of downtown Lakeville. In 2025 it took place at 5 p.m. on the day of Holiday on Main. A city calendar shows a downtown holiday lighting ceremony there as far back as 2018, so the plaza has long been the spot.
What is Santa's Secret Store in Lakeville?
Santa's Secret Store is a Lakeville Parks and Recreation program where children shop for family and friends with a parent's help, using a shopping list. Gifts are priced from $1 to $15, and in 2025 it was held for ages 3 to 11 at the Heritage Center.
What is the Cookies for Santa workshop?
It is a Holiday on Main activity in which kids decorate cookies and take four home. Local visitor guides describe it alongside Santa photos, wagon rides and Santa's Secret Store. Dates and prices can change each year, so confirm the details on the Visit Lakeville page before you plan your day.
Are there horse-drawn wagon rides in Lakeville?
A Visit Lakeville guide lists horse-drawn wagon rides as part of Holiday on Main. The event page for Holiday on Main also mentions a popular trolley ride along Holyoke Avenue, weather permitting. Which ride is offered can change from year to year, so check before you go and dress warmly.
What holiday shows does the Lakeville Area Arts Center host?
The Arts Center hosts holiday shows every November and into December, including musicals, ballets, comedies and theater. In 2025 these included Mini-Nutcracker on Nov. 25 and 26, An Enchanted Christmas on Dec. 12 and 13, and A Christmas Carol Radio Play on Dec. 13 and 14.
What is the Holiday Art Sale?
The Holiday Art Sale is a gift shopping event at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. In 2025 it ran Dec. 3 to 6, and local reports list it among Lakeville's holiday traditions along with the Empty Bowls fundraiser. Older kids may enjoy browsing the handmade items.
What is the Holiday Bake Shop?
The Holiday Bake Shop is part of Holidays at the Heritage Center, which in 2025 ran from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 6. The treats are made by Lakeville Area Active Adults. It is a nice stop for families before or after Santa's Secret Store.
Is there a cookie decorating class for kids in Lakeville?
Lakeville Parks and Recreation offered a Cookie Decorating program on Dec. 22 in 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for $40. Programs and prices change each year. Check the Parks and Recreation holiday listings for the current season, and register early to hold a spot.
What is the Illumination Walk at Ritter Farm Park?
The Illumination Walk is a Lakeville Parks and Recreation event in which families walk trails at Ritter Farm Park lit by luminaries. It is suitable for all ages, and pre-registration is required. The city lists it among its winter special events, so check the Parks and Recreation page for the date.
What winter fun does Lakeville offer besides Christmas events?
Lakeville has Ritter Farm Park, with 340 acres and 5.7 miles of trails groomed for cross-country skiing. Snowshoes can be rented at City Hall for $3 a pair per day. The city also runs a Youth Ice Fishing Contest and Ritter Fest, which has snowmobile rides, snowshoeing and roasted marshmallows.
Does Lakeville have a lot of snowmobile trails?
Yes. One visitor guide calls Lakeville a snowmobiler's paradise, with 54 miles of local trails that link to 22,000 miles statewide. Kids may not ride, but it is a fun winter fact to share on the drive to a holiday outing.
How do I explain a tree lighting to a young child?
Tell your child that the whole town gathers to turn on the lights together. Someone counts down, the tree glows, and everyone cheers. Little ones often like to count down aloud. Bring a hat and mittens, since Minnesota evenings in December are cold, and plan a warm drink afterward.
Are there train museums near Lakeville?
Yes. The Gopher State Railway Museum near New Prague runs a caboose train pulled by vintage diesel switchers, and the Minnesota Transportation Museum in St. Paul has a Great Northern roundhouse with more than 50 vintage rail cars. The Twin City Model Railroad Museum shows toy train layouts in St. Paul.
What is at the Twin City Model Railroad Museum?
The Twin City Model Railroad Museum in St. Paul has more than 11,000 square feet of model and toy train layouts, led by a 30 by 50 foot O-scale model of the Twin Cities. Kids will find lots of push buttons to try. It is a good rainy-day or cold-day option for train fans.
What is the Gopher State Railway Museum?
It is an all-volunteer museum north of New Prague with a caboose train pulled by vintage diesel switchers and James J. Hill's 1880 private railroad car, the Manitoba. It is the closest rail museum to Lakeville in our list, but check its hours and seasons before you drive out.
Where can I read about Lakeville's winter traditions?
Visit Lakeville, the city's tourism office, has a guide to winter holiday magic that covers Holiday on Main, Arts Center shows, skating, skiing and snowmobile trails. The City of Lakeville Parks and Recreation pages list special events like Santa's Secret Store and the Illumination Walk. Both are good starting points before you plan an outing.
Where can I find this year's Lakeville Christmas events?
Our Lakeville Christmas events guide on this page lists confirmed 2026 dates and times when they are available. The Visit Lakeville events page and the Dakota County Library calendar are good official sources for community and library programs, and the city Parks and Recreation page posts its seasonal programs.
Sources
- Holiday Magic: Many events slated throughout Dakota County, Sun This Week
- Experience Winter Holiday Magic in Lakeville MN, Visit Lakeville
- Holiday On Main, Visit Lakeville
- Lakeville lights up the night, Sun This Week
- Downtown Lakeville Holiday Lighting Ceremony, City of Lakeville
- Special Events, City of Lakeville Parks and Recreation
- Gopher State Railway Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Minnesota Transportation Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Twin City Model Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Special Events (winter programs), City of Lakeville