The New Braunfels area has 2 Christmas events for kids we could confirm for the 2026 season, from Downtown Lighting & Santa's Arrival in New Braunfels on November 20 to Wassailfest in New Braunfels, on December 3. 1 of them is free, and every listing links straight to the host. It is one stop on our guide to Christmas events for kids in Texas, part of our guide for every state.
The short version
- 2 kids’ Christmas events confirmed in New Braunfels for 2026, in New Braunfels
- First: Downtown Lighting & Santa's Arrival, New Braunfels, November 20. Runs latest: Wassailfest, New Braunfels, through December 3
- Free: Downtown Lighting & Santa's Arrival
- Checked on each host’s own page; each listing links straight to it
What are you looking for?
All 2 events
Nothing matches yet. Try another kind of event, or .
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more New Braunfels event 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 New Braunfels.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in New Braunfels before they fill up.
- Start your magical Christmas season now Every event appears the moment you enter your email.
- 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.
Waiting inside
- 2 Lights
- 2 Markets
- 1 Santa
- 1 Free
Enter your email and all will appear instantly.
The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 1 Christmas event in New Braunfels.
- New events in New Braunfels every week
- Exclusive access to free events
- Your magical Christmas season starts now
- Christmas Eve Express and free advent calendar
- One-tap add to calendar
Christmas events for kids in New Braunfels
2 confirmed events for kids in New Braunfels, soonest first.
Tree lightingFree
Downtown Lighting & Santa's Arrival
- When: Friday, November 20, 2026, 6 to 9 pm
- Where: Main Plaza, New Braunfels
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
The City of New Braunfels turns on its downtown holiday lights on Friday, November 20, 2026, at Main Plaza. The evening runs from 6 to 9 pm, and the program starts at 5:45 pm with a dance performance by American Dance Co. and holiday music from the New Braunfels Community Band.
At 6:30 pm Mayor Neal Linnartz addresses the crowd and leads the countdown to switch on the lights, and Santa arrives. A holiday market offers seasonal treats and gifts, with more holiday activities and music through the evening. Admission is free.
Parent tip: Arrive before the 5:45 pm program if you want a spot near the stage for the countdown.
- Host
- City of New Braunfels (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Main Plaza, 500 Main Plaza, New Braunfels, TX 78130
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Tree lighting
Wassailfest
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026, 6 to 9 pm
- Where: Downtown New Braunfels (Main Plaza), New Braunfels
- Cost: Free in 2025; check for 2026
- Ages: All ages
Details, tips and host
Wassailfest takes over downtown New Braunfels on Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 6 to 9 pm. Streets are decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments, and there is music, entertainment and food from vendors. Downtown businesses keep extended hours so families can shop between stops.
Wassail is a hot, cider-like holiday drink, and visitors can sip it as they stroll. The visit listing describes the evening as welcoming to people of all ages. In 2025 the festival was held at Main Plaza and was free, with school choirs singing, so check the city page for this year's exact location and any costs.
Parent tip: The official event website is newbraunfels.gov/wassailfest. The listing gives only downtown as the location, so confirm the meeting spot before you go.
- Host
- Visit New Braunfels (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown New Braunfels (Main Plaza), 500 Main Plaza, New Braunfels, TX 78130
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Look inside the book
Story time with Santa in New Braunfels? Bring Rally home.
Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor. It makes a cozy bedtime story after a big day with Santa. Turn a few pages here.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $16.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $16.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Every event above was confirmed on the host’s own page, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (sign-ups, ages, what is included). Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Texas Christmas train rides page.
New Braunfels Christmas events for kids at a glance
- Kids’ Christmas events
- 2 confirmed for 2026
- Cities
- New Braunfels
- Season
- November 20 to December 3, 2026
- Free events
- 1
- Kinds of events
- tree lighting
- Last checked
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each New Braunfels Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Downtown Lighting & Santa's Arrival in New Braunfels on November 20; the last runs to December 3. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Downtown Lighting & Santa's ArrivalNew Braunfels · Nov 20
- WassailfestNew Braunfels · Dec 3
Looking further afield? Our Texas Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Arlington, TX, Plano, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Amarillo, Laredo, McAllen, Waco, Midland, Abilene, Beaumont, College Station, Tyler, Longview, Denton, Brownsville, Killeen, Odessa, Wichita Falls, San Angelo, Bryan and Temple. 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: unlock the list and we'll email you as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in New Braunfels
New Braunfels celebrates Christmas with a German accent and a Texas twist. Families sip wassail downtown, shop a Weihnachtsmarkt at the Civic Center, and watch a cowboy Santa pose on a sleigh pulled by a Jeep.
How New Braunfels celebrates
New Braunfels leans into its German roots at Christmas. The Weihnachtsmarkt, a German-style Christmas market with a Texas twist, is the biggest yearly fundraiser for the Sophienburg Museum and Archives and had reached its 22nd year by the time one local column described it. Wassailfest turns downtown into a glow of lights, choirs and tasting tables, and it has stayed consistent through at least 30 annual celebrations. Wassail is a traditional German holiday drink, a cider-like cup that local businesses serve by the gallon.
Christmas last year in New Braunfels
The 2025 season began with the Weihnachtsmarkt on November 21 to 23 at the Civic and Convention Center. Wassailfest followed on Thursday, December 4, free at Main Plaza, with wassail tastings, lights and music from local school choirs. Gruene held its Town Lighting and Cowboy Kringle Arrival on December 6, and Gruene's ice skating rink stayed open from November 15 to January 4. A Meet Santa event at Freiheit Village on December 7 let kids share wish lists and take photos.
Fun facts about Christmas in New Braunfels
New Braunfels has a cowboy Santa. Genaro Alegria poses for photos at Wassailfest on a sleigh pulled by a Jeep decorated with reindeer antlers and Christmas lights. One business brought 40 gallons of wassail to a single festival, and the local Jeeps De-Lights group, started in 2014, runs a holiday light campaign each December 1 to 24. In the year before that article, that group collected 13,672 pounds of canned goods for two food banks.
Traditions today
- Downtown Lighting and Santa's Arrival: The city turns on the downtown lights at Main Plaza with a countdown from the mayor, music, a holiday market and Santa's arrival.
- Wassailfest: A downtown evening of wassail tastings, lights, school choirs and shopping, with a cowboy Santa posing for photos.
- Weihnachtsmarkt: A German-style Christmas market at the Civic and Convention Center that raises money for the Sophienburg Museum and Archives.
- Gruene Town Lighting and Cowboy Kringle: A free evening in the Gruene Historic District with a cowboy Santa and live music.
- Ice skating in Gruene: A seasonal rink with hot chocolate, holiday music and cookies that stays open into early January.
- Meet Santa at Freiheit Village: A Santa meet-and-greet where kids share wish lists and get a photo.
A fact for kids
New Braunfels has a cowboy Santa who rides in a sleigh pulled by a Jeep with reindeer antlers. He poses for photos at Wassailfest, right under the Christmas lights.
Questions about Christmas in New Braunfels
What is Wassailfest in New Braunfels?
Wassailfest is a free downtown evening in New Braunfels when streets glow with Christmas lights and ornaments, local businesses serve wassail, and school choirs sing. The 2025 festival ran December 4 from 6 to 9 pm at Main Plaza. Our New Braunfels Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's date.
What is wassail?
Wassail is a hot, cider-like holiday drink, and Community Impact describes it as a traditional German holiday drink. At New Braunfels' Wassailfest, local businesses and groups serve it by the gallon, and one business brought 40 gallons to a single festival. Families sip it while they browse downtown shops and listen to the choirs.
How long has Wassailfest been going?
The Herald-Zeitung called one Wassailfest the 30th annual celebration, so the tradition goes back more than three decades. The article notes the event has stayed consistent over the years, with wassail, lights, choirs and a tree lighting ceremony. We could not confirm the exact year the first Wassailfest took place.
Who is the cowboy Santa in New Braunfels?
Genaro Alegria is New Braunfels' cowboy Santa. At Wassailfest he posed for photos on a sleigh pulled by a Jeep decorated with reindeer antlers and Christmas lights. A local Jeep group, New Braunfels Jeeps De-Lights, started in 2014 and runs a holiday light campaign December 1 to 24 each year.
What is the Weihnachtsmarkt?
The Weihnachtsmarkt, German for Christmas market, is a German-style market with a Texas twist at the New Braunfels Civic and Convention Center. It sells German collectibles, ornaments, decorations, gifts, clothing and antiques. In 2025 it ran November 21 to 23, and the proceeds support the Sophienburg Museum and Archives.
How old is the New Braunfels Weihnachtsmarkt?
It is more than two decades old. A Sophienburg column mentioned the 22nd annual Weihnachtsmarkt, held at the Civic Center on November 19, 20 and 21 in a past year. The market is the museum's biggest yearly fundraiser. We could not confirm the exact year the first market took place.
What is the Sophienburg Museum?
The Sophienburg Museum and Archives is New Braunfels' local history museum. It runs the Weihnachtsmarkt as its biggest yearly fundraiser, and all proceeds go to museum operations and educational programming. It also writes about how German and other traditions blend into a typical Texas Christmas. Check its site for hours before you visit.
How do New Braunfels Christmas traditions blend cultures?
The Sophienburg Museum writes that Christmas observances in New Braunfels vary by denomination and ancestry, and that traditions from different backgrounds blend into a typical Texas Christmas. The Weihnachtsmarkt and wassail show the German side, and the cowboy Santa adds a Texas touch. Families can celebrate the same holiday in different ways.
When does New Braunfels turn on its downtown lights?
The City of New Braunfels lists its Downtown Lighting and Santa's Arrival for Friday, November 20, 2026, from 6 to 9 pm at Main Plaza. The program starts at 5:45 pm, and the mayor leads the countdown at 6:30 pm. Our New Braunfels Christmas events guide on this page has the full details.
What happens at the downtown lighting?
In 2026 the lineup starts with a dance performance and music from the New Braunfels Community Band, then the mayor leads a countdown to turn on the downtown lights, and Santa arrives. A holiday market with treats and gifts, plus holiday activities and music, rounds out the free evening at Main Plaza.
What is Gruene's Cowboy Kringle?
Cowboy Kringle is the cowboy Santa who arrives at the Gruene Town Lighting. In 2025 the free event ran December 6 from 5 to 7 pm in the Gruene Historic District, with live music. Our New Braunfels Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's date, so check it before you plan your evening.
Can kids go ice skating in New Braunfels?
Yes. In 2025 Gruene's ice skating rink was open November 15 to January 4 at 1622 New Braunfels Street, with hot chocolate, holiday music and cookies. Admission was $18 and times varied, so check the current schedule. Our New Braunfels Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's rink details.
Where can kids meet Santa in New Braunfels?
In 2025 kids met Santa at several places: Freiheit Village hosted Meet Santa on December 7, Freiheit Country Store held Santa's Christmas Market on December 13, and the cowboy Santa appears at Wassailfest and Gruene's lighting. Our New Braunfels Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's Santa dates.
What did Freiheit Village's Meet Santa offer?
It was a Santa meet-and-greet where kids of all ages could share wish lists and get a photo with Santa. The 2025 event ran from noon to 2 pm on December 7 at Central Plaza and was sponsored by Freiheit Village New Braunfels. Guests were encouraged to bring a camera.
What is Santa's Christmas Market?
Santa's Christmas Market was a free December 13 market in 2025 at Freiheit Country Store, hosted with Magic-Time Markets. It offered photos with Santa, food and drinks and handmade goods, and it was pet friendly. It ran from 11 am to 4 pm. Our New Braunfels Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's markets.
How can I explain Wassailfest to a young child?
Tell your child that wassail is a warm apple-cider-style drink people have shared at Christmas for a long time, and that for one night downtown New Braunfels is covered in lights, with school choirs singing and a cowboy Santa. Let them pick a favorite light and sing along with a carol.
What is the Gruene Turkey Chase?
The Kids Turkey Chase is a children's run held with the Gruene Turkey Trot 5K, which was the 17th annual in 2025 on Thanksgiving morning, November 27. It is hosted by Comal Cops for Kids and benefits Comal County charities. It is not a Christmas tradition, but it falls just before the holiday season begins.
How do Jeeps De-Lights help the community?
New Braunfels Jeeps De-Lights, a local Jeep group that started in 2014, decorates Jeeps with lights for a holiday campaign from December 1 to 24. In the year before that article, the group collected 13,672 pounds of canned goods for two food banks. It is a good example of how New Braunfels neighbors give back in December.
What is at the holiday market during the downtown lighting?
The City of New Braunfels lists a holiday market with seasonal treats and gifts as part of the free Downtown Lighting and Santa's Arrival at 500 Main Plaza. Holiday activities and music are also part of the evening, which is listed for Friday, November 20, 2026. Check our New Braunfels Christmas events guide on this page.
What makes Christmas in New Braunfels distinct?
New Braunfels mixes German heritage and Texas touches. A German-style Weihnachtsmarkt, a traditional wassail drink and a long-running Wassailfest share the calendar with a cowboy Santa, Gruene's ice rink and a downtown lighting. Several of these, including Wassailfest and the downtown lighting, were listed as free in the sources we used.
Sources
- Downtown Lighting and Santa's Arrival, City of New Braunfels
- Wassailfest, Visit New Braunfels
- New Braunfels 30th Wassailfest celebration combines tradition with holiday spirit, Herald-Zeitung
- 12 events in New Braunfels to kick off the holiday season, Community Impact
- Weihnachtsmarkt, Visit New Braunfels
- Blended cultural traditions form typical Texas Christmas, Sophienburg Museum and Archives
- Meet Santa at Freiheit Village, Visit New Braunfels
New Braunfels Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in New Braunfels this year?
We confirmed 2 for the 2026 season, and 1 of them are free. Good places to start: Wassailfest (Dec 3) and Downtown Lighting & Santa's Arrival (Nov 20). Every event on this page has the times, the cost and a link to the host.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in New Braunfels?
Yes, 1 of the 2. Some free events still need a reservation, so check the listing before you go.
Where can kids meet Santa in New Braunfels?
Bring your own camera; most visits allow photos.
Do we need tickets or reservations?
For 1 of the 2 events, yes: they sell tickets or ask you to sign up ahead. Meals with Santa and ticketed shows fill up first. Most library and park events are walk-in, and each listing says which is which.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in New Braunfels?
Yes, but they have their own guide. Santa trains and holiday train rides are listed in our New Braunfels Christmas train rides guide, so this page sticks to story times, Santa visits 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 4, 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.