Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Markham for 2026. Families and their dogs can meet Santa at Barkham at the Markham Fairgrounds on November 28 and 29, Cornell lights its community tree in The Mews Park on Friday, December 4, and Ballet Jörgen dances The Nutcracker at the Flato Markham Theatre on December 30 and 31. Every date comes from the City of Markham events listings. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Markham
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Markham
- Barkham: November 28 and 29, Santa photos at the Markham Fairgrounds
- Cornell Tree Lighting: Friday, December 4, 6:30 pm, free
- The Nutcracker: December 30 and 31 at Flato Markham Theatre
- Youthtix: $20 Nutcracker seats for young people
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Free Christmas events for kids in Markham
Community tree lightingFree
Cornell Tree Lighting
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, 6:30 to 8 pm
- Where: The Mews Park, Cornell, 115 Country Glen Road, Markham, ON L6B 1B5 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
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Cornell lights its community tree in The Mews Park, right beside the neighbourhood's volunteer-maintained skating rinks, with hot chocolate and a festive sing-along.
Kids get to shout the countdown before the tree glows, and the free, one-hour-and-a-half evening is short enough to fit in on a school night.
Parent tip: Bring skates in case the rinks are flooded and open, and a thermos, since the hot chocolate line can grow right before the countdown.
- Host
- Cornell community tree lighting volunteers (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- The Mews Park, Cornell, 115 Country Glen Road, Markham, ON L6B 1B5 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Markham events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Markham daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Markham.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Markham 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 Markham.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Markham 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
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- 1 Shows
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Markham
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
Santa photos with dogs
Barkham: The Holiday Experience
- When: Saturday and Sunday, November 28 and 29, 2026, 11 am to 5 pm
- Where: Markham Fairgrounds, 10801 McCowan Rd, Markham, ON L3P 3J3 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Tickets required; 10% of ticket sales go to the Ontario SPCA York Region Animal Centre
- Ages: All ages
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The Markham Dog Alliance fills the Markham Fairgrounds with a festive weekend for dogs and families, with 60 plus holiday vendors, live music, a family fun zone, an art zone and photos with Santa.
Kids who love dogs will be in their element with the lure course, sniffscape, holiday costume contest and adoptable dogs from the Ontario SPCA, and fundraising through gift wrapping and raffles supports the OSPCA and the Markham Food Bank.
Parent tip: Bring the family dog on a short leash for the Santa photo, and plan to arrive near 11 am before the vendor aisles get busy.
- Host
- Markham Dog Alliance (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Markham Fairgrounds, 10801 McCowan Rd, Markham, ON L3P 3J3 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Markham events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Markham daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Markham.
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Holiday ballet
Ballet Jörgen: The Nutcracker, A Canadian Tradition
- When: Wednesday, December 30, 2026 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and Thursday, December 31, 2026 at 11 am and 3 pm
- Where: Flato Markham Theatre, 171 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham, ON L3R 8G5 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Regular $68, Prime $78, Youthtix $20
- Ages: All ages
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Ballet Jörgen brings its Canadian take on The Nutcracker to the City's Flato Markham Theatre for four holiday break performances, set to Tchaikovsky's score.
Klara's dream journey travels through Canadian winter scenes with snowflakes, lumberjacks, Mounties and woodland creatures, and at about 90 minutes with a $20 youth ticket it is a manageable first ballet for kids.
Parent tip: The 11 am show on New Year’s Eve suits younger children best, and leaves the afternoon free before any evening plans.
- Host
- Flato Markham Theatre (City of Markham) (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Flato Markham Theatre, 171 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham, ON L3R 8G5 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Markham events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Markham daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Markham.
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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? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists Santa trains and holiday rides across the country.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Markham Christmas event for kids happens
Start with Santa and the dogs at Barkham, catch the free Cornell tree lighting on December 4, and save The Nutcracker for the last days of the holiday break.
- Barkham: The Holiday ExperienceMarkham · Nov 28 to Nov 29
- Cornell Tree LightingMarkham · Dec 4
- Ballet Jörgen: The Nutcracker, A Canadian TraditionMarkham · Dec 30 to Dec 31
Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Toronto, Whitby, Oshawa and Mississauga. 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 Canada city.
Markham Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Markham this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Markham for 2026, all on the City of Markham events listings: Barkham: The Holiday Experience on November 28 and 29, the Cornell Tree Lighting on December 4 and Ballet Jörgen’s The Nutcracker on December 30 and 31.
When is the Cornell Tree Lighting in 2026?
Friday, December 4, 2026, at 6:30 pm in The Mews Park, 115 Country Glen Road, beside the Cornell skating rinks. It is free.
Where can kids see Santa in Markham?
At Barkham: The Holiday Experience at the Markham Fairgrounds, 10801 McCowan Rd, on November 28 and 29, 2026, from 11 am to 5 pm. It is a ticketed dog and family event with photos with Santa.
When is The Nutcracker at Flato Markham Theatre?
Wednesday, December 30, 2026 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and Thursday, December 31 at 11 am and 3 pm. Tickets are $68 regular, $78 prime and $20 Youthtix.
Who do I contact about Markham holiday events?
The Flato Markham Theatre box office at boxoffice@markham.ca or 905-305-7469 for The Nutcracker, the Cornell tree lighting organizer at stewartjlynne@gmail.com, and the Markham Dog Alliance at marcela@markhamdogalliance.com for Barkham.
Are there more Christmas events near Markham?
Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and the national search sorts events by distance from your town.
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 municipal or tourism calendar. We last checked Markham on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, washrooms 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.