Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Lancaster, OH for 2026, and here is what he found: 3 family events, 1 of them free. They are Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook (from November 28), WinterFest & Tree Lighting (December 5) and Photos with Santa at Brick House Studio (December 12). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Ohio Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Lancaster
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Lancaster
- 1 free event, including Photos with Santa at Brick House Studio
- Meet Santa: WinterFest & Tree Lighting (December 5) and Photos with Santa at Brick House Studio (December 12)
- Parades and tree lightings: WinterFest & Tree Lighting (December 5)
- Also on the list: 1 Christmas market, 1 story time and 1 craft workshop
- Season: November 28 (Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook) to December 30 (Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Free Christmas events for kids in Lancaster
Santa visitFree
Photos with Santa at Brick House Studio
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, noon to 2 pm
- Where: Brick House Studio & Events, 632 N Broad St, Lancaster, OH 43130 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Children and families
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa Claus settles in at Brick House Studio & Events on North Broad Street for two hours of pictures with children. The visit is free, and the studio encourages families to come dressed in their Christmas outfits.
Santa is available on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at 632 North Broad Street. The visit is free and the listing mentions no booking. For anything further, it sends families to the studio's Facebook page.
Parent tip: Santa is there for two hours only and no reservations are mentioned, so arrive near noon in case a line forms. Dress the kids in their Christmas outfits before you leave home so they are photo-ready when their turn comes.
- Host
- Brick House Studio & Events (listed by Visit Fairfield County) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Brick House Studio & Events, 632 N Broad St, Lancaster, OH 43130 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Lancaster events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Lancaster daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lancaster.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Lancaster 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 Lancaster.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Lancaster 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
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Markets
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Lancaster every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Lancaster
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday market
Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026 to Wednesday, December 30, 2026 (Open November 28 through December 30, 2026. The listing shows 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. but does not say which days of the week the shop is open or when the craft nights are held.), 10 am to 6 pm
- Where: The Big Book Nook, 624 E 5th Ave, Lancaster, OH 43130 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No admission price listed; books, music and movies are for sale
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Big Book Nook sets aside a Holly Jolly Room stocked with bargain-priced books, music and movies for holiday gift shopping. The season also brings special craft nights, book club opportunities and a holiday-themed scavenger hunt called the Holiday HUNT, which starts December 10 and lets visitors earn points. Blind Date with a Book Advent gift sets can be ordered ahead.
The room is open from Saturday, November 28 through Wednesday, December 30, 2026, with listed hours of 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., at 624 East 5th Avenue. No admission charge or sign-up is mentioned. Craft night dates are not on the listing, which points families to the shop's Facebook page for details.
Parent tip: Let each child choose one book to wrap and put under the tree, which is the idea behind the room. If the scavenger hunt is the draw, wait until December 10 or later, and check the shop's Facebook page for craft night dates before promising one.
- Host
- The Big Book Nook (listed by Visit Fairfield County) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- The Big Book Nook, 624 E 5th Ave, Lancaster, OH 43130 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Lancaster events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Lancaster daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lancaster.
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Tree lighting
WinterFest & Tree Lighting
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, noon to 5:30 pm (The event header gives Saturday, December 5, 2026. The description text says Saturday, December 6th, which does not match the 2026 calendar. The organizer says more details are coming.)
- Where: Downtown Lancaster, 104 N Broad St, Lancaster, OH 43130 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No admission price listed; horse-drawn carriage rides are free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Destination Downtown Lancaster turns the city center over to WinterFest for an afternoon that ends with the tree lighting. Families can ride in a horse-drawn carriage at no charge, visit Santa, follow a scavenger hunt, join family activities and listen to holiday music.
The event page is dated Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 12:00 to 5:30 p.m. at 104 North Broad Street. The carriage rides are free, and no admission price or sign-up is mentioned. The description still names December 6, and the organizer promises more details, so recheck the page before you go.
Parent tip: The schedule of what happens when has not been posted yet, so look at the organizer's page again that week to see when the tree is lit. With five and a half hours on the clock, pick a carriage ride or the Santa visit first and build the afternoon around it.
- Host
- Destination Downtown Lancaster (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown Lancaster, 104 N Broad St, Lancaster, OH 43130 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Lancaster events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Lancaster daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lancaster.
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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 Lancaster Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook in Lancaster on November 28; the last runs to December 30. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book NookLancaster · Nov 28 to Dec 30
- WinterFest & Tree LightingLancaster · Dec 5
- Photos with Santa at Brick House StudioLancaster · Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our Ohio Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Granville and New Albany, OH. 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 Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Lancaster
Lancaster was founded in 1800 on a square-mile tract that Ebenezer Zane received where his frontier trail crossed the Hocking River, and it was first called New Lancaster. The season now begins downtown, where WinterFest brings horse-drawn carriages, Santa and a tree lighting to North Broad Street on Saturday, December 5, 2026.
How Lancaster celebrates
Downtown is the center of Christmas in Lancaster. Destination Downtown Lancaster runs WinterFest and Tree Lighting on December 5, 2026 at 104 North Broad Street, with free horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, a scavenger hunt and holiday music. Its calendar places an Advent Window Walk just before, on December 1, and a Glass Town Countdown on December 31. Visit Fairfield County gathers other stops under its Tinsel & Traditions Trail events, including free Santa pictures at Brick House Studio & Events on December 12 and the Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook, a seasonal bargain book room open November 28 to December 30.
Fun facts about Christmas in Lancaster
Lancaster was founded in 1800, three years before Ohio became a state, on land along Zane's Trace. Its name was shortened from New Lancaster in 1805, and it was incorporated in 1831. Many early settlers were German immigrants and their descendants from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman was born here in a house built in 1811. The 2020 census counted 40,552 residents.
Traditions today
- WinterFest and Tree Lighting: Destination Downtown Lancaster hosts an afternoon of family activities, a scavenger hunt and holiday music that includes the tree lighting, on December 5 in 2026.
- Horse-drawn carriage rides: Free horse-drawn carriage rides are part of WinterFest in Downtown Lancaster.
- Pictures with Santa at Brick House Studio: Brick House Studio & Events on North Broad Street offers a free visit and pictures with Santa on December 12, 2026.
- Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook: The bookshop on East 5th Avenue opens a holiday book room from November 28 to December 30, 2026, with craft nights and a scavenger hunt.
- Tinsel & Traditions Trail: Visit Fairfield County groups the county's seasonal listings, including the Santa photos and the book room, as Tinsel & Traditions Trail events.
A fact for kids
Ebenezer Zane agreed to blaze a trail 266 miles long through Ohio, and part of his reward was a square mile of land at each big river crossing. Lancaster grew up on the square beside the Hocking River.
Questions about Christmas in Lancaster
When was Lancaster, Ohio founded?
The village of Lancaster was founded in 1800, when the sons of Ebenezer Zane began dividing their father's square-mile tract on the Hocking River into lots for sale. That was three years before Ohio formally became a state. Lancaster was incorporated in 1831.
How did Lancaster, Ohio get its name?
The town was first known as New Lancaster. Its early settlers were mostly German immigrants and their descendants, many of them from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. An act of the legislature shortened the name to Lancaster in 1805.
What is Zane's Trace?
Zane's Trace was a trail through Ohio from Wheeling, West Virginia, to Limestone, Kentucky, completed by 1797. Ebenezer Zane received square-mile tracts where it crossed the Hocking, Muskingum and Scioto Rivers, and Lancaster was laid out on the Hocking tract.
What happens in Lancaster at Christmas?
Downtown hosts WinterFest and Tree Lighting on December 5, 2026, with free carriage rides, Santa, a scavenger hunt and music. Brick House Studio & Events has free Santa pictures on December 12, and The Big Book Nook runs its Holly Jolly Room from November 28 to December 30.
Who organizes WinterFest in Lancaster?
WinterFest and Tree Lighting is an event of Destination Downtown Lancaster, which lists it on its upcoming events calendar alongside an Advent Window Walk on December 1 and a Glass Town Countdown on December 31. Local businesses sponsor the day, including a sponsor for the horse-drawn wagon.
Where does WinterFest take place?
The event page gives the location as 104 North Broad Street in Downtown Lancaster. Brick House Studio & Events, which hosts Santa photos the following Saturday, is farther along the same street at 632 North Broad Street.
What is free at Christmas in Lancaster?
The Santa visit and pictures at Brick House Studio & Events on December 12, 2026 are free. WinterFest offers free horse-drawn carriage rides on December 5. Visit Fairfield County files both the Santa photos and the Holly Jolly Room under its cheap or free listings.
Why is Lancaster linked to glass?
The glass industry has been one of the mainstays of Fairfield County's economy for more than 100 years. The Ohio Glass Museum, opened in 2002 in historic downtown Lancaster, records that history, and the downtown New Year's Eve event is called the Glass Town Countdown.
Which famous general was born in Lancaster?
Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman and his brother, Senator John Sherman, were born in Lancaster. Their birthplace, a house built in 1811 and later expanded, is now a museum holding items from the general's life and Civil War artifacts.
How many people live in Lancaster, Ohio?
Lancaster had 40,552 residents at the 2020 census, making it the 30th largest city in Ohio. It is the seat of Fairfield County and sits near the Hocking River, about 33 miles southeast of Columbus.
Sources
- Lancaster, Ohio, Wikipedia
- WinterFest & Tree Lighting, Destination Downtown Lancaster
- Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook, Visit Fairfield County
- Free Photos with Santa at Brick House Studio, Visit Fairfield County
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 Ohio city.
Lancaster Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Lancaster, Ohio to start with?
Start with WinterFest and Tree Lighting in Downtown Lancaster on Saturday, December 5, 2026, which packs carriage rides, Santa, a scavenger hunt and holiday music into one afternoon. A week later, on December 12, Brick House Studio & Events offers free pictures with Santa from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Are there free Christmas events for families in Lancaster?
Yes. Photos with Santa at Brick House Studio & Events on December 12, 2026 are free. At WinterFest on December 5, the horse-drawn carriage rides are free. The Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook, open November 28 to December 30, lists no admission charge, though its books and gifts are for sale.
Where can kids meet Santa in Lancaster?
There are two listed chances. Santa visits with families during WinterFest and Tree Lighting in Downtown Lancaster on Saturday, December 5, 2026, between 12:00 and 5:30 p.m. He is also at Brick House Studio & Events, 632 North Broad Street, on Saturday, December 12 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
When is the Lancaster tree lighting?
The tree lighting is part of WinterFest, which Destination Downtown Lancaster lists for Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 12:00 to 5:30 p.m. at 104 North Broad Street. The organizer has not yet posted the hour the tree is lit and says more information is coming, so check its page closer to the day.
Do Lancaster's Christmas events need tickets or sign-up?
None of the three listings mentions tickets or registration. WinterFest on December 5, 2026 and the Santa photos on December 12 read as walk-up events. The Big Book Nook does ask shoppers to order its Blind Date with a Book Advent gift sets in advance so they are ready by Christmas.
Is there a Christmas activity for book-loving kids in Lancaster?
The Holly Jolly Room at The Big Book Nook, 624 East 5th Avenue, is open from November 28 to December 30, 2026. It offers bargain books, music and movies, special craft nights, and a holiday-themed scavenger hunt called the Holiday HUNT that begins on December 10.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Lancaster?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Ohio Christmas train rides guide. This Lancaster guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.
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 every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
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.