Christmas Events for Kids in Norfolk County, Ontario (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

3 min read

For 2026, we confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Norfolk County, Ontario. The season opens on November 28 with Light Up the Season: Delhi BIA Christmas Party and runs until January 1 with Simcoe Christmas Panorama. Of these, 2 are free. Every listing links straight to the host. This page is part of our guide to Christmas events for kids in Canada.

The short version

  • Kids’ Christmas events confirmed for 2026 in Delhi, Simcoe and Waterford: 3
  • First: Light Up the Season: Delhi BIA Christmas Party, Delhi, November 28
  • Free events: Simcoe Christmas Panorama and Holiday Night Market at the Waterford Museum

Below is every event we could confirm, grouped by town, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (registration, ages, what is included).

At a glance: Christmas events for kids in Norfolk County, Ontario

Kids’ Christmas events
3 confirmed for 2026
Cities and towns
Delhi, Simcoe and Waterford
Season
November 28 to January 1
Free events
2
Last checked

Christmas events for kids in Delhi

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Delhi.

Visit with Santa

Light Up the Season: Delhi BIA Christmas Party

Expand to see the parent tip

The Norfolk County Heritage & Culture guide for 2026 lists Light Up the Season, a Christmas party hosted with the Delhi BIA at the Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre, 200 Talbot Road. It runs on Saturday, November 28 from 4 to 6pm and on Saturday, December 5 from 3 to 6pm.

The guide mentions hot cocoa, a scavenger hunt and photos with Santa, and lists the price as by donation. It does not give an age range.

Parent tip: Bring a few dollars for the donation. The two Saturdays have different hours, so double check the time before you leave.

Host
Delhi BIA and Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab)
Where
Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre, 200 Talbot Road, Delhi (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Delhi BIA and Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab)

New events in Norfolk County, Ontario every week

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Christmas events for kids in Simcoe

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Simcoe.

Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 2 more Norfolk County, Ontario 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 Norfolk County, Ontario.
  • Exclusive access to free events Be first to hear about new free events in Norfolk County, Ontario.
  • 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

  • 2 Markets
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 2 Free

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Christmas lightsFree

Simcoe Christmas Panorama

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The Child's Life listing says Simcoe Christmas Panorama runs from November 28, 2026 to January 1, 2027, and calls 2026 its 68th year. It is set in Wellington Park and the surrounding parkland at 50 Bonnie Drive. The listing mentions thousands of lights, more than 40 festive displays, a Christmas market, hot chocolate and other treats, and horse-drawn trolley rides on select weekends.

Admission is free and donations help support the event. Some activities may charge a fee. The listing does not give nightly hours or trolley dates for 2026. Last year the lights ran from 6 to 10pm.

Parent tip: Last year Bonnie Drive was closed to vehicles, so plan to park on the surrounding streets and walk in. Dress warmly, since most of the visit is outdoors. Check simcoepanorama.com for the trolley weekends before you go.

Host
Simcoe Christmas Panorama (opens in a new tab)
Where
Wellington Park, 50 Bonnie Drive, Simcoe (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Simcoe Christmas Panorama (opens in a new tab)

New events in Norfolk County, Ontario every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Norfolk County, Ontario every day and adds them to this page. Enter your email for one weekly update with the latest finds.

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Christmas events for kids in Waterford

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Waterford.

Christmas marketFree

Holiday Night Market at the Waterford Museum

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The Norfolk County Heritage & Culture guide for 2026 lists the Holiday Night Market on Thursday, December 10, from 4 to 8pm at the Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum, 159 Nichol Street. The guide mentions live music and artisan vendors and lists admission as free.

It does not describe activities for children, so treat it as a relaxed family stroll through local gift stalls.

Parent tip: It starts at 4pm, so an early visit gives younger children a calmer look around before the evening crowd.

Host
Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum (opens in a new tab)
Where
Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum, 159 Nichol Street, Waterford (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum (opens in a new tab)

New events in Norfolk County, Ontario every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Norfolk County, Ontario every day and adds them to this page. Enter your email for one weekly update with the latest finds.

Free. Unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

More Christmas events for kids in Canada

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Christmas events for kids in Norfolk County, Ontario: questions parents ask

What are the 2026 Christmas events for kids in Norfolk County, Ontario?

For 2026, we confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Norfolk County, Ontario, each on its host’s own page: Simcoe Christmas Panorama (Simcoe), Light Up the Season: Delhi BIA Christmas Party (Delhi) and Holiday Night Market at the Waterford Museum (Waterford). Each one is listed above with times, cost and a link to the host.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Norfolk County, Ontario?

Yes, 2 of the 3 events here are free: Simcoe Christmas Panorama (Simcoe) and Holiday Night Market at the Waterford Museum (Waterford). Some free events still ask you to register, so check each listing.

Where can kids see Santa this year in Norfolk County, Ontario?

Where to see Santa: Light Up the Season: Delhi BIA Christmas Party (Delhi). Check the listings above for times and booking.

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, library or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 8, 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.

Christmas events for 2026 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 Norfolk County, Ontario

Simcoe's Christmas Panorama is in its 68th year, and in Port Dover Santa arrives by fish tug. Norfolk County's towns each keep their own Christmas traditions, from Lions parades to a harbour bonfire.

Wellington Park lights, now in their 68th year

Simcoe Christmas Panorama is the oldest tradition in Norfolk County, and the 2026 edition is called its 68th year. It fills Wellington Park and the surrounding parkland at 50 Bonnie Drive with thousands of lights and more than 40 festive displays. Curiocity calls it one of the oldest light festivals in Ontario, and admission is free, with donations welcome. Port Dover has its own tradition in ChristmasFest, where Santa arrives by fish tug. In December 2024, Delhi, Waterford and Langton each held a parade run by a local business group or Lions club.

A fire truck, a fish tug and a Cookie Walk in 2025

Panorama's 67th year opened on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 6pm in Wellington Park. Santa arrived on a fire truck, and a local child helped him switch on the lights. The lights then ran nightly from 6 to 10pm into January 1, 2026. Horse-drawn trolley rides ran December 12 to 13 and 19 to 20 and cost $4 a person. In Port Dover, ChristmasFest on Saturday, November 15, began with a Cookie Walk at Grace United Church, then a 1pm parade, Santa visits at the Lighthouse Theatre, a beach bonfire and a Sunday Santa breakfast at the Legion.

Hundreds of trees and a hospice light-up

Panorama is known for hundreds of decorated Christmas trees, and in 2025 Bonnie Drive was closed to cars so families could walk the lights. Babies and toddlers on a lap rode the trolleys free. At ChristmasFest the beach bonfire came with carolling and hot chocolate, and a hospice tree was lit at Powell Park at 7pm. Delhi's Light Up the Season party also has a scavenger hunt.

Traditions today

  • Simcoe Christmas Panorama: The light festival in Wellington Park runs November 28, 2026 to January 1, 2027, with free admission and more than 40 displays.
  • Horse-drawn trolley rides: Trolleys run on select weekends at Panorama. In 2025 they cost $4 a person and toddlers on a lap rode free.
  • Port Dover ChristmasFest: The mid-November day has a Cookie Walk, a parade with Santa arriving by fish tug, a beach bonfire and a Sunday Santa breakfast.
  • Small-town parades: Delhi, Waterford and Langton each held a December parade in 2024, led by the Delhi BIA and the Waterford and Langton Lions clubs.
  • Light Up the Season in Delhi: Hot cocoa, a scavenger hunt and photos with Santa at the Delhi Tobacco Museum on November 28 and December 5, 2026.
  • Holiday Night Market in Waterford: A free evening market with live music and artisan vendors at the Waterford museum on December 10, 2026.

A fact for kids

In Port Dover, Santa arrives for the parade on a fish tug, a working fishing boat, instead of a sleigh.

Questions about Christmas in Norfolk County, Ontario

When does Simcoe Christmas Panorama run in 2026?

Simcoe Christmas Panorama is listed from November 28, 2026 to January 1, 2027, in its 68th year. It takes place in Wellington Park and the surrounding parkland at 50 Bonnie Drive, with free admission. The listing does not give nightly hours for 2026, so check the festival's own website before you go. Rally Takes the Train's Norfolk County Christmas events guide lists it too.

How old is the Simcoe Christmas Panorama?

The 2026 edition is called the festival's 68th year, and a 2025 article called it the 67th annual Panorama. Curiocity describes it as one of the oldest light festivals in Ontario. None of the pages we read gives a founding year, so the exact start date of the first lights in Simcoe is not confirmed.

Is Simcoe Christmas Panorama free to visit?

Yes. Admission to Panorama is free, and donations are welcome to help support the festival. Some activities cost extra: the horse-drawn trolley rides need a ticket, and in 2025 they were $4 per person, with babies and toddlers on laps riding free. Bring a little cash or plan to e-transfer a donation.

Where do you park for Simcoe Christmas Panorama?

In 2025 Bonnie Drive and the park's Bonnie Drive lot were closed to vehicles during the festival, and visitors were asked to park on the surrounding streets. The park's address is 50 Bonnie Drive in Simcoe. Parking rules can change from year to year, so look at the festival's website for the 2026 notice.

How do the horse-drawn trolley rides at Panorama work?

Trolley rides run on select weekends and need a ticket. In 2025 they ran December 12 to 13 and 19 to 20, from 6 to 9pm, at $4 a person, and babies and toddlers on laps rode free. Trolley dates for 2026 have not been posted in the pages we read, so check the festival's website before planning a night.

What happens on Panorama's opening night?

On opening night in 2025, Saturday, November 29, the ceremony began at 6pm in Wellington Park. Santa arrived on a fire truck and a local child helped him switch on the lights. The 2026 festival is listed to start November 28, but the opening ceremony details for 2026 have not been posted yet.

What can kids see at Panorama besides the lights?

The 2026 listing mentions more than 40 festive displays, a Christmas market, hot chocolate and other treats, and horse-drawn trolley rides on select weekends. A 2025 article also describes hundreds of decorated Christmas trees. Because the lights are outdoors and run into the evening, bundle up and plan a walk of an hour or so.

What is ChristmasFest in Port Dover?

ChristmasFest is Port Dover's mid-November Christmas day. In 2025 it ran on Saturday, November 15, with a Cookie Walk at Grace United Church, harbour museum crafts, a parade, Santa visits, wagon rides, a beach bonfire and a hospice tree light-up. A Santa breakfast followed on Sunday at the Legion. The pages we read did not post 2026 dates.

How does Santa arrive at the Port Dover parade?

Santa arrives by fish tug. In 2025 he came in at 1pm on Saturday, November 15, and the parade followed along Harbour Street and downtown. Float judging happened before the parade, and parade floats could win small cash prizes. The date for the 2026 parade was not posted in the sources we read.

Where can kids visit Santa in Port Dover?

In 2025 Santa visited children at the Lighthouse Theatre from 2 to 4pm on ChristmasFest Saturday, and a wish-list mailbox was set up as well. The next morning, from 9 to 11am, there was a Santa breakfast at the Port Dover Legion. These were 2025 times, and 2026 details were not yet posted.

Is there a Santa Claus parade in Delhi?

Delhi has held one run by the Delhi BIA. In 2024 it took place on Saturday, December 7, at 6pm, with floats gathering around 5pm and a route that started and ended at the Soccer Park, with a turnaround at Church Street. A 2026 parade date was not found in the sources we read.

When is the Waterford Santa Claus parade?

The Waterford Lions Santa Claus Parade was held on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 6:30pm. A 2026 date has not been found in the pages we read, so check with the Waterford Lions or the County before planning. Waterford does have a 2026 holiday outing: a free Holiday Night Market at the museum on December 10.

Is there a morning Christmas parade in Norfolk County?

Langton has one. In 2024 the Langton Lions Christmas Parade was on Saturday, December 14, at 11am at the arena, with participants gathering at the Langton Community Centre by 10:30am. That is an easier time slot for little children than the evening parades. A 2026 date was not found in the sources we read.

What is Light Up the Season in Delhi?

It is a Christmas party hosted with the Delhi BIA at the Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre, 200 Talbot Road. The 2026 guide lists Saturday, November 28 from 4 to 6pm and Saturday, December 5 from 3 to 6pm, with hot cocoa, a scavenger hunt and photos with Santa. Entry is by donation.

Is there a Christmas market in Norfolk County?

Yes. The Holiday Night Market is listed for Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 4 to 8pm at the Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum, 159 Nichol Street. It has live music and artisan vendors, and admission is free. Simcoe Christmas Panorama also lists a Christmas market among its 2026 attractions, with seasonal gifts.

Is there a Victorian Christmas event in Waterford?

The Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum has listed Vintage Venue sessions for Victorian Christmas decorating. Registration is online and the guide gives no price. The 2026 dates are not confirmed here, so check with the museum. It reads as an adult craft session rather than a children's program.

Which Norfolk County communities hold Christmas events?

The pages we read show Simcoe with Christmas Panorama, Port Dover with ChristmasFest, Delhi with its BIA parade and Light Up the Season party, Waterford with its Lions parade and holiday night market, and Langton with a Lions parade. Each town runs its own schedule, so dates differ from place to place.

Is there a New Year's Day outing at the Port Dover Harbour Museum?

The Port Dover Harbour Museum listed a Captain's Polar Bear Levee on Thursday, January 1, 2026, with doors at 1pm and entry by donation. A levee date for January 1, 2027 has not been posted in the guide we read.

Is there a Christmas party for kids in Delhi?

Light Up the Season is a Christmas party hosted with the Delhi BIA at the Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre, with hot cocoa, a scavenger hunt and photos with Santa. It runs on Saturday, November 28 and Saturday, December 5, 2026, and entry is by donation.

Where can I find all Christmas events for kids in Norfolk County in 2026?

Rally Takes the Train's Norfolk County Christmas events guide gathers the confirmed 2026 dates in one place, including Simcoe Christmas Panorama, Light Up the Season in Delhi and the Holiday Night Market in Waterford. Parade dates are added only once a host posts them, so check back in late November.

Sources

  1. Simcoe Christmas Panorama (event listing, 2026 season), Child's Life Magazine
  2. One of the oldest light festivals in Ontario is just a drive away from Toronto, Curiocity
  3. Simcoe Christmas Panorama, TO DO Canada
  4. ChristmasFest in Port Dover Saturday, Nov. 15, Port Dover Maple Leaf
  5. It's the season for Christmas parades, Grant Haven Media
  6. Heritage & Culture: Events, Exhibitions, Programs 2026, Norfolk County Heritage & Culture
Kelsey Cecil
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