Christmas Events for Kids in Mineola (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Mineola for 2026, and here is what he found: 5 family events, 4 of them free. The magic runs from December 3 (Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop) through December 21, with Merry Grinchmas (December 19) along the way. We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New York Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Mineola

  • 5 Christmas events for kids in Mineola
  • 4 free events, including Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop, Gingerbread Houses and Merry Grinchmas
  • Also on the list: 1 Christmas show, 1 story time and 2 craft workshops
  • Season: December 3 (Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop) to December 21 (The Nutcracker Experience)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in Mineola

Holiday craftsFree

Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop

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Kids make their own holiday paper squishies in this hands-on art session led by Ink and Easel Art Studio. Each child picks from designs such as presents, reindeer and snowmen and leaves with a soft paper creation they built themselves.

The workshop is Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm in the Library Community Room, for children in grades 1 through 5. Registration is required with a library card and opens November 18 at 10:00 am for Mineola cardholders, then November 25 for everyone else if space remains. The listing shows a price of zero.

Parent tip: The library's lateness rule applies here: if there is a waitlist and you are more than 5 minutes late, your child's spot can go to the next family. With a 4:30 pm start on a school day, plan the pickup so you arrive early.

Host
Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Mineola Memorial Library, Library Community Room, 195 Marcellus Rd, Mineola, NY 11501 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)

New Mineola events every week

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 4 more Mineola 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 Mineola.
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  • Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
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Coming up on this page

  • 2 Crafts
  • 2 Zoos and museums
  • 2 Breakfast and treats
  • 1 Shows
  • 4 Free

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Holiday craftsFree

Gingerbread Houses

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Each family gets one gingerbread house, supplied by Fanny Cakes bakery, to decorate together at the library. The children's librarians lead the evening, which is reserved for families with children.

It is held Wednesday, December 9, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in the Library Community Room. Sign up for one spot per family with a library card: Mineola cardholders from November 16 at 10:00 am, other cardholders from November 23 at 10:00 am. The listing shows a price of zero and warns that the event may involve allergens.

Parent tip: Register one spot for the whole family, not one per child, since each family shares a single house. The library cannot promise the supplies are free of cross contamination, so think twice if your child has a food allergy.

Host
Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Mineola Memorial Library, Library Community Room, 195 Marcellus Rd, Mineola, NY 11501 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)

New Mineola events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Mineola daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Mineola.

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Holiday eventFree

Merry Grinchmas

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The Grinch is expected to drop in on this meet and greet at the library, with snacks for the children who come to see him. Royal Events Princess Parties presents the afternoon.

The date is Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm in the Library Community Room. Registration with a library card is required and opens at 10:00 am on November 30 for Mineola cardholders and on December 7 for other cardholders if space allows. The listing shows a price of zero.

Parent tip: The library says any age may come but calls it best for 4 and up, so consider how a younger child handles a costumed character up close. Families without a Mineola card can only sign up from December 7 if seats are left.

Host
Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Mineola Memorial Library, Library Community Room, 195 Marcellus Rd, Mineola, NY 11501 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)

New Mineola events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Mineola daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Mineola.

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Holiday showFree

The Nutcracker Experience

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Baby Ballet of Long Island leads little dancers through the Nutcracker in this movement program. It opens with a warm up and a storytime, then the tale comes alive with music, dance and choreography taken from the ballet.

It runs Monday, December 21, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:15 am in the Library Community Room, for ages 2 to 5. Registration with a library card is required and opens at 10:00 am on December 7 for Mineola cardholders and on December 14 for other cardholders if space allows. The listing shows a price of zero.

Parent tip: At 45 minutes with a warm up before the dancing, this is paced for 2 to 5 year olds, so dress your child in clothes they can move in. Sign-up opens only two weeks ahead, on December 7, so mark that morning.

Host
Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Mineola Memorial Library, Library Community Room, 195 Marcellus Rd, Mineola, NY 11501 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)

New Mineola events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Mineola daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Mineola.

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Mineola

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Holiday event

Santa Chair Photos

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For one day the library sets out a life-size inflatable Santa chair as a backdrop for family holiday pictures. Visitors of any age can climb on and snap their own photos.

The chair is available Friday, December 4, 2026, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at Mineola Memorial Library. The listing is open to everyone and does not mention registration or a fee.

Parent tip: This is a photo spot with an inflatable chair, not a visit with Santa himself, so tell little ones ahead of time and bring your own phone or camera. The six-hour window lets you stop by before or after school.

Host
Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Mineola Memorial Library, 195 Marcellus Rd, Mineola, NY 11501 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Mineola Memorial Library (opens in a new tab)

New Mineola events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Mineola daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Mineola.

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 New York Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Mineola Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop in Mineola on December 3; the last runs to December 21. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our New York Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Hewlett, Wantagh, Bronx and Brooklyn. 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.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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 Amazon (opens in a new tab)

2026 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 Mineola

Mineola traces its name to 1858, when locals named the community for an Algonquin chief, Miniolagamika, a name said to mean pleasant village. In December the village's Memorial Library, which sits beside Mineola Memorial Park, hosts a run of holiday programs for children and families.

How Mineola celebrates

The Christmas programs confirmed for this guide all come from Mineola Memorial Library at 195 Marcellus Road, next to Mineola Memorial Park. In December 2026 its Library Community Room hosts a Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop with Ink and Easel Art Studio, a family Gingerbread Houses night with houses from Fanny Cakes bakery, a Merry Grinchmas meet and greet presented by Royal Events Princess Parties, and The Nutcracker Experience with Baby Ballet of Long Island. The library also sets out an inflatable Santa chair for photos on December 4. The library pages are the only organizer sources used here, so village-wide celebrations are not described.

Fun facts about Christmas in Mineola

The Long Island Rail Road reached Mineola in 1839, and the station opened that same year. Voters picked Mineola as the seat of the new Nassau County in November 1898, and Governor Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the county courthouse on July 13, 1900. The village was incorporated in 1906 and had 20,800 residents in the 2020 census. During its 2006 centennial, LIRR Caboose #50 was installed in Memorial Park.

Traditions today

  • Gingerbread Houses: On December 9, each family decorates one gingerbread house from Fanny Cakes bakery in the Library Community Room.
  • Merry Grinchmas: On December 19, children share snacks and wait for a visit from the Grinch at the library.
  • The Nutcracker Experience: On December 21, Baby Ballet of Long Island leads ages 2 to 5 through a warm up, a storytime and Nutcracker dancing.
  • Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop: On December 3, children in grades 1 to 5 make paper squishies shaped like presents, reindeer and snowmen.
  • Santa Chair Photos: On December 4, a life-size inflatable Santa chair at the library serves as a holiday photo spot for all ages.
  • Mineola Memorial Park: The park beside the library was where the village's 2006 centennial closed in December with fireworks.

A fact for kids

A real Long Island Rail Road caboose, number 50, was placed in Mineola's Memorial Park for the village's 100th birthday in 2006. And in 1919 a giant British airship called R34 flew all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to Mineola.

Questions about Christmas in Mineola

How did Mineola get its name?

In 1858 local people named the community after an Algonquin chief, Miniolagamika, a name meaning pleasant village. The name was later shortened and altered to Mineola. Before that, the settlement on the Hempstead Plains had been known as Hempstead Branch.

When was Mineola incorporated?

Mineola was legally incorporated as a village in 1906 and was first run by a president. The community is older than that, though. It took the Mineola name in 1858, and the Long Island Rail Road had reached it back in 1839.

When did the railroad come to Mineola?

The Long Island Rail Road reached Mineola in 1839, and the station on what is now the Main Line opened the same year. A year later, in 1840, resident John A. Searing built the Mineola Hotel across from the station.

Why is Mineola the county seat of Nassau County?

Nassau County was formed in 1899 from the part of Queens that did not join New York City. Voters chose Mineola as the county seat in November 1898, ahead of Hicksville and Hempstead. Governor Theodore Roosevelt laid the courthouse cornerstone on July 13, 1900.

What is Mineola's place in aviation history?

The level plains drew early pilots. Glenn Curtiss made a flight of over 23 minutes and 15 miles here in July 1909. In July 1919 the British airship R34 arrived in Mineola after the first east to west crossing of the North Atlantic by air.

How many people live in Mineola?

The 2020 census counted 20,800 residents. Mineola is a village on Long Island, about 21 miles east of Midtown Manhattan, and it is the county seat of Nassau County. Most of the village lies in the Town of North Hempstead.

Is there a train caboose in Mineola?

As part of the village's centennial in 2006, LIRR Caboose #50 was installed in Memorial Park. The centennial year also included a parade of 80 marching units in October and ended in December with a service at Mineola Middle School and fireworks in Mineola Memorial Park.

What happens at Christmas for kids in Mineola?

In December 2026 Mineola Memorial Library hosts a Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop on December 3, Santa Chair Photos on December 4, Gingerbread Houses on December 9, Merry Grinchmas on December 19 and The Nutcracker Experience on December 21. Most are held in the Library Community Room.

Where do Mineola's holiday programs for children take place?

The programs in this guide are held at Mineola Memorial Library, 195 Marcellus Road. The library adjoins Mineola Memorial Park near the center of the village. Four of the five programs use the Library Community Room, and the photo chair is set up at the library for one day.

Who organizes the holiday programs at the library?

Mineola Memorial Library runs them through its children's library. Outside presenters lead several sessions: Ink and Easel Art Studio for the squishy workshop, Royal Events Princess Parties for Merry Grinchmas and Baby Ballet of Long Island for The Nutcracker Experience. The children's librarians present Gingerbread Houses.

Do Mineola's library holiday programs need registration?

Four of them do. A library card is required to register, and sign-up opens at 10:00 am for Mineola cardholders first, then about a week later for other cardholders. Santa Chair Photos on December 4 is listed for everyone, and its page mentions no registration.

Sources

  1. Mineola, New York, Wikipedia
  2. Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop, Mineola Memorial Library
  3. Santa Chair Photos, Mineola Memorial Library
  4. Gingerbread Houses, Mineola Memorial Library
  5. Merry Grinchmas, Mineola Memorial Library
  6. The Nutcracker Experience, Mineola Memorial Library

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 New York city.

Mineola Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What Christmas events for kids are happening in Mineola in 2026?

Mineola Memorial Library has five holiday programs in December 2026: the Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop on December 3, Santa Chair Photos on December 4, Gingerbread Houses on December 9, Merry Grinchmas on December 19 and The Nutcracker Experience on December 21. All take place at the library on Marcellus Road.

Which Mineola holiday events need sign-up?

Four of the five require registration with a library card: the Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop, Gingerbread Houses, Merry Grinchmas and The Nutcracker Experience. Mineola cardholders register first, starting at 10:00 am on November 18, November 16, November 30 and December 7 respectively. Other cardholders can sign up a week later, in most cases only if space remains.

Where can kids take a Santa photo in Mineola?

On Friday, December 4, 2026, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mineola Memorial Library sets out a life-size inflatable Santa chair for holiday pictures. It is open to all ages, and the listing does not mention registration. The page describes a photo chair and does not promise a visit from Santa himself.

What is the best Mineola Christmas event for toddlers and preschoolers?

The Nutcracker Experience on Monday, December 21, from 10:30 to 11:15 am is made for ages 2 to 5. Baby Ballet of Long Island leads a warm up, a storytime and dancing drawn from the ballet. Merry Grinchmas on Saturday, December 19 is open to all ages but suggested for 4 and up.

Are there holiday events in Mineola for school-age kids?

Yes. The Holiday Paper Squishy Workshop on Thursday, December 3 at 4:30 pm is for grades 1 through 5 and is led by Ink and Easel Art Studio. Gingerbread Houses on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00 pm is a family event where each family decorates one house together.

Can families from outside Mineola attend the library's holiday programs?

For the four programs with registration, the library opens sign-up to Mineola cardholders first and to other cardholders about a week later, in most cases only if space remains. A library card is required to register. Santa Chair Photos on December 4 is listed for everyone with no registration mentioned.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Mineola?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New York Christmas train rides guide. This Mineola 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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