Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Mercer Island for 2026. The city lights its holiday tree on Thursday, December 3, hosts a Community Holiday Party on Friday, December 11, and welcomes the Argosy Christmas Ship to Luther Burbank Park on Monday, December 21. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Washington Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Mercer Island
- 3 Christmas events for kids on Mercer Island
- Holiday Tree Lighting: Thursday, December 3, 5:30 pm
- Community Holiday Party: Friday, December 11, 6 to 8:30 pm
- Argosy Christmas Ship: Monday, December 21, about 8:40 pm
- Every date checked on the City of Mercer Island site on Nov 11
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Mercer Island events researched for you.
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Free Christmas events for kids in Mercer Island
Tree lightingFree
Holiday Tree Lighting
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026, 5:30 pm
- Where: Mercer Island (location on the city event page), Mercer Island, WA 98040 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The City of Mercer Island switches on its holiday tree on the first Thursday evening of December.
The Mercer Island High School choir sings, and young dancers from Creation Dance Studio and Island Youth Ballet perform, so kids get to watch other kids on stage before the lights come on.
Parent tip: It starts at 5:30 pm on a school night, so bring a thermos of cocoa and plan dinner on the island afterward.
- Host
- City of Mercer Island Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Mercer Island (location on the city event page), Mercer Island, WA 98040 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Mercer Island events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Mercer Island daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Mercer Island.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Mercer Island 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 Mercer Island.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Mercer Island 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
- 3 Shows
- 2 Lights
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Mercer Island every week.
Community partyFree
Community Holiday Party
- When: Friday, December 11, 2026, 6 to 8:30 pm
- Where: Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island, WA 98040 (opens in maps)
- Cost: See the city page
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Mercer Island Parks and Recreation hosts its Community Holiday Party indoors at the Community and Event Center one week after the tree lighting.
It is the city’s winter get-together for island families, held on a Friday evening so school-age kids can come along.
Parent tip: The party is indoors, which makes it the safe pick if the weather turns wet that week.
- Host
- City of Mercer Island Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island, WA 98040 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Mercer Island events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Mercer Island daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Mercer Island.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Christmas ShipFree
Argosy Christmas Ship at Luther Burbank
- When: Monday, December 21, 2026, ship expected 8:40 to 9 pm (gather from 8:30 pm)
- Where: Luther Burbank Park beach area, Mercer Island, WA 98040 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Argosy Christmas Ship, strung with hundreds of white lights, pulls up off Luther Burbank Park so the choir on board can sing to families on the beach.
The city hosts the shoreline gathering with a holiday treat, and it is one of the roughly 40 waterfront stops the ship makes around Puget Sound and the lakes.
Parent tip: It is a late, chilly stop for little ones, so bring a blanket and arrive by 8:30 pm to get a spot near the water.
- Host
- City of Mercer Island Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Luther Burbank Park beach area, Mercer Island, WA 98040 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Mercer Island events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Mercer Island daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Mercer Island.
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 Washington Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Mercer Island Christmas event for kids happens
Start with the tree lighting on December 3, head indoors for the Community Holiday Party on December 11, and wrap up the season on the beach at Luther Burbank when the Christmas Ship arrives on December 21.
- Holiday Tree LightingMercer Island · Dec 3
- Community Holiday PartyMercer Island · Dec 11
- Argosy Christmas Ship at Luther BurbankMercer Island · Dec 21
Looking further afield? Our Washington Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Seattle, Lynnwood, Monroe and Tacoma. 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 Washington city.
Mercer Island Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids on Mercer Island this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids on Mercer Island for 2026, all from the City of Mercer Island: the Holiday Tree Lighting on December 3, the Community Holiday Party on December 11 and the Argosy Christmas Ship at Luther Burbank on December 21.
When is the Mercer Island tree lighting in 2026?
Thursday, December 3, 2026, at 5:30 pm, with the high school choir and youth dance performances.
When does the Christmas Ship come to Mercer Island?
The Argosy Christmas Ship is expected at Luther Burbank Park on Monday, December 21, 2026, performing from about 8:40 to 9 pm. The city suggests arriving at 8:30 pm.
Where is the Community Holiday Party?
At the Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street, on Friday, December 11, 2026, from 6 to 8:30 pm.
Who do I contact about Mercer Island holiday events?
Mercer Island Parks and Recreation at miparks@mercerisland.gov.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Washington?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Washington 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 Mercer Island 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.