Christmas Events for Kids in New Albany, OH (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 New Albany, OH for 2026, and here is what he found: 4 family events, 1 of them free. The magic runs from November 22 (Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate) through December 13, with Gingerbread House Decorating (Preschool) (December 12) and Brunch with Santa (December 13) 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 Ohio Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in New Albany

  • 4 Christmas events for kids in New Albany
  • 1 free event, including Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas Screening
  • Meet Santa: Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate (November 22) and Brunch with Santa (December 13)
  • Parades and tree lightings: Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate (November 22)
  • Also on the list: 1 Christmas show and 2 craft workshops
  • Season: November 22 (Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate) to December 13 (Brunch with Santa)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in New Albany

Holiday showFree

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas Screening

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The McCoy Center for the Arts shows the live-action film of the Dr. Seuss story, with Jim Carrey as the Grinch who sneaks into Whoville with his dog Max to steal Christmas from the Whos. The screening uses the center's Mershad Digital Experience, and guests are encouraged to bring non-perishable food or a cash donation for the Thanksforgiving 4 Miler charity run held in New Albany on Thanksgiving Day.

The screening is on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, listed from 7:00 to 10:00 pm at 100 E Dublin Granville Rd. Admission is free and no ticket is required. The film is rated PG and runs about 105 minutes.

Parent tip: A 7:00 pm start and a running time of about 105 minutes means a late finish for small children two nights before Thanksgiving. There are no tickets to hold a seat, so arrive early, and bring a can or two for the food collection.

Host
McCoy Center for the Arts (opens in a new tab)
Address
McCoy Center for the Arts, 100 E Dublin Granville Rd, New Albany, OH 43054 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom McCoy Center for the Arts (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 3 more New Albany events researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 2 Santa
  • 2 Crafts
  • 2 Breakfast and treats
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Free

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in New Albany

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

Tree lighting

Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate

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The afternoon begins with Santa Skate at the Hinson Amphitheater, where families skate, pose for a photo with Santa, write a letter to the North Pole and decorate a jingle bell. At 5:00 pm the crowd moves to Rose Run Park, where a children's choir leads carols and Santa and the Mayor count down to the lighting of the tree, which stands in a new spot this year.

It all happens on Sunday, November 22, 2026. Santa Skate runs from noon to 4:30 pm and costs $15 per person, a price that covers skate rental and every activity. The carols and lighting start at 5:00 pm with free hot beverages and donuts, and the ice rink stays open until 8:00 pm.

Parent tip: If your kids are too small to skate, you can skip the paid session and arrive for the 5:00 pm carols and countdown, since the page lists a fee only for Santa Skate. The tree has moved to a new place in Rose Run Park this year, so allow a few extra minutes to find it.

Host
City of New Albany (opens in a new tab)
Address
Rose Run Park and Hinson Amphitheater, 55 W Main St, New Albany, OH 43054 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of New Albany (opens in a new tab)

New New Albany events every week

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

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Holiday crafts

Gingerbread House Decorating (Preschool)

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Preschoolers, helped by their grown-ups, decorate their own gingerbread houses with a wide choice of candy in the demo kitchen on the first floor of the Philip Heit Center. Every child carries the finished house home to display for the season, and the candy mess stays behind in the kitchen.

The session is on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 am at 150 W. Main St. It costs $25 for one child with one adult and $15 for each additional child, and it is for ages 2 to 6. All supplies come with registration through Healthy New Albany.

Parent tip: This session is built for ages 2 to 6 with an adult working beside each child, so plan on decorating too. Registering a sibling costs an extra $15, and you will need a flat spot in the car for the trip home.

Host
Healthy New Albany (opens in a new tab)
Address
Philip Heit Center Demo Kitchen, 150 W Main St, New Albany, OH 43054 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Healthy New Albany (opens in a new tab)

New New Albany events every week

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

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Breakfast with Santa

Brunch with Santa

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New Albany Links Golf Club serves a holiday brunch with Santa in a single late-morning seating. Places are booked ahead through the club's online shop, where you choose the number of adults, children ages 4 to 10 and children 3 and under in your party.

This seating is on Sunday, December 13, 2026, at 11:00 am at 7100 New Albany Links Drive. Adults are $45 and kids ages 4 to 10 are $18, with tax and service charge included, and children 3 and under eat free with an adult purchase. The page gives no end time.

Parent tip: Ask for high chairs or booster seats in the order notes at checkout, as the club requests. The order form lets you add up to six people in each age group, so a larger family can be booked in a single order.

Host
New Albany Links Golf Club (opens in a new tab)
Address
New Albany Links Golf Club, 7100 New Albany Links Drive, New Albany, OH 43054 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom New Albany Links Golf Club (opens in a new tab)

New New Albany events every week

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

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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 New Albany Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate in New Albany on November 22; the last runs to December 13. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

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 Reynoldsburg, Columbus, OH, Pickerington and Granville. 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 New Albany

Rose Run, one of the small streams that crosses New Albany on its way to the Rocky Fork, shares its name with the park where the city lights its holiday tree. From that ceremony in late November through a Santa brunch in mid December, Christmas here is spread across the city's arts center, the Philip Heit Center and a golf club.

How New Albany celebrates

New Albany opens the season on November 22 with what the event listing calls the annual tree lighting ceremony at Rose Run Park, with a children's choir, Santa and the Mayor, plus a Santa Skate at the Hinson Amphitheater. Two nights later the McCoy Center for the Arts, the city's 786-seat performing arts hall, shows How the Grinch Stole Christmas for free and collects food for the Thanksforgiving 4 Miler. Healthy New Albany runs gingerbread house decorating for preschoolers at the Philip Heit Center on December 12, and New Albany Links Golf Club serves Brunch with Santa on December 13.

Fun facts about Christmas in New Albany

New Albany was laid out in 1837 by Nobel Landon and William Yantis in the center of Plain Township, with lots measuring 50 by 100 feet. One theory holds that the name came from settlers who had moved from the Albany, New York, area, and the community has also been known as Hope. It was incorporated in 1856 with a population of 50. The 1980 census listed only 414 residents, and the 2020 census counted 10,825.

Traditions today

  • Tree lighting at Rose Run Park: A children's choir leads carols before Santa and the Mayor count down to the lights at the city's annual ceremony.
  • Santa Skate at the Hinson Amphitheater: Families skate, take a photo with Santa, write to the North Pole and decorate a jingle bell on the afternoon of the tree lighting.
  • The Grinch at the McCoy Center for the Arts: The center screens the live-action film for free and asks guests to bring food or cash donations for the Thanksforgiving 4 Miler.
  • Gingerbread houses at the Philip Heit Center: Healthy New Albany sets out candy and supplies in the demo kitchen so children ages 2 to 6 can decorate a house with an adult.
  • Brunch with Santa at New Albany Links: The golf club hosts a holiday brunch seating with Santa on a Sunday in mid December.

A fact for kids

When New Albany became an official village in 1856, only 50 people lived there. The town has also gone by the name Hope.

Questions about Christmas in New Albany

When was New Albany, Ohio founded?

New Albany was founded in 1837, when Nobel Landon and William Yantis laid it out in the center of Plain Township and sold lots of 50 by 100 feet to new settlers. It was incorporated in 1856, and S. Ogden was elected the first mayor.

How did New Albany get its name?

The origin is not certain. One theory is that some of the original settlers had migrated from the area of Albany, New York. A separate Ohio town called Albany had already been laid out in 1832, and New Albany has also been known by the name Hope.

How big is New Albany?

New Albany had 10,825 residents at the 2020 census. It was far smaller for most of its history, with only 414 residents listed in 1980, and grew quickly from the 1990s onward. Most of the city lies in Franklin County, about 15 miles northeast of Columbus.

What happens at Christmas in New Albany?

The season includes the Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate on November 22, a free screening of How the Grinch Stole Christmas on November 24, gingerbread house decorating for preschoolers on December 12 and Brunch with Santa at New Albany Links Golf Club on December 13.

Where is the New Albany tree lighting held?

The carols and lighting are at Rose Run Park at 5:00 pm on Sunday, November 22, and the tree has a new location in the park this year. The park shares its name with Rose Run, a stream that flows through the city toward the Rocky Fork.

Who organizes Christmas events in New Albany?

The tree lighting and Santa Skate are listed with the City of New Albany's community programs office as the contact. The McCoy Center for the Arts hosts the Grinch screening, Healthy New Albany runs the gingerbread session, and New Albany Links Golf Club sells the Santa brunch.

What is free at Christmas in New Albany?

The Grinch screening on November 24 at the McCoy Center for the Arts is free, and no ticket is required. Hot beverages and donuts are free at the tree lighting on November 22. Santa Skate, the gingerbread session and the Santa brunch all carry a charge.

What is the McCoy Center for the Arts?

It is the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, developed jointly by the Village of New Albany, Plain Township and the New Albany-Plain Local School District. The brick building has a 786-seat auditorium with balcony seating, a rehearsal studio, a dance studio and classrooms.

What is the Philip Heit Center?

The Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany was opened by the nonprofit Healthy New Albany, which grew out of the success of the New Albany Walking Classic, a 10K walking event held each September since 2005. Its first floor demo kitchen hosts the gingerbread house session on December 12.

What other community traditions does New Albany have?

Each May since 1976, residents have celebrated New Albany Founders Day with a parade, festival, rides, vendors and street performers. Taste of New Albany has brought restaurant food to Market Square each August since 2002, with proceeds going to the New Albany Chamber of Commerce.

Sources

  1. New Albany, Ohio, Wikipedia
  2. Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate, New Albany Chamber of Commerce
  3. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Free Screening, New Albany Chamber of Commerce
  4. Gingerbread House Decorating (preschool), New Albany Chamber of Commerce
  5. Brunch with Santa | 11:00am Seating | Sunday, December 13th, New Albany Links Golf Club

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.

New Albany Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in New Albany to start with?

Begin with the Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Skate on Sunday, November 22. Santa Skate runs from noon to 4:30 pm at the Hinson Amphitheater, and carols and the tree lighting follow at 5:00 pm in Rose Run Park. Two days later, on November 24, the McCoy Center for the Arts screens How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in New Albany?

Yes. The Grinch screening at the McCoy Center for the Arts on November 24 is free with no ticket required, though food donations are welcome. At the tree lighting on November 22, hot beverages and donuts are free and the page lists a fee only for the afternoon Santa Skate.

Where can kids meet Santa in New Albany?

Santa is at Santa Skate at the Hinson Amphitheater on November 22 from noon to 4:30 pm, where families can take a photo with him, and he helps the Mayor count down to the tree lighting at 5:00 pm. New Albany Links Golf Club also holds a Brunch with Santa seating on Sunday, December 13, at 11:00 am.

Is there a tree lighting in New Albany?

Yes. The annual tree lighting ceremony is at Rose Run Park on Sunday, November 22, at 5:00 pm, with carols led by a children's choir and a countdown with Santa and the Mayor. The tree stands in a new location this year, and the nearby ice rink stays open until 8:00 pm.

Which New Albany Christmas events need tickets or sign-up?

Gingerbread House Decorating on December 12 requires registration with Healthy New Albany at $25 per child and adult pair. Brunch with Santa on December 13 is booked through the New Albany Links online shop at $45 for adults and $18 for kids ages 4 to 10. The Grinch screening needs no ticket.

Can families ice skate in New Albany during the holidays?

On November 22, Santa Skate at the Hinson Amphitheater costs $15 per person, and that includes skate rental, a photo with Santa, a letter to the North Pole and a jingle bell to decorate. After the 5:00 pm tree lighting the rink remains open until 8:00 pm.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near New Albany?

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