Christmas Events for Kids in Oak Harbor (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 Oak Harbor for 2026, and here is what he found: 4 family events, 3 of them free. The magic runs from November 16 (Gingerbread House Decorating Contest) through December 19, with EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet (December 12) and Christmas at Cliffside (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 Washington Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Oak Harbor

  • 4 Christmas events for kids in Oak Harbor
  • 3 free events, including Gingerbread House Decorating Contest, Family Holiday Movies and Christmas at Cliffside
  • Meet Santa: EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet (December 12) and Christmas at Cliffside (December 19)
  • Also on the list: 1 Christmas show, 1 story time and 3 craft workshops
  • Season: November 16 (Gingerbread House Decorating Contest) to December 19 (Gingerbread House Decorating Contest)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in Oak Harbor

Holiday craftsFree

Gingerbread House Decorating Contest

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Families decorate a gingerbread house and bring it to the Oak Harbor Main Street Association office to be entered. There are separate youth and adult categories, and the community votes on the entries. Cash prizes go to the top three in each category: $60, $40 and $20 for youth, and $100, $75 and $50 for adults.

Entry is free. Finished houses are dropped off November 16 to 23 at 881 SE Pioneer Way, community voting runs December 1 to 18, and winners are announced December 19. Sign-up is through the association's online campaign page, which showed a limited number of youth and adult spots.

Parent tip: The sign-up page lists the campaign as running through November 13, ahead of the November 16 drop-off, so register before your child starts decorating. Build it sturdy, because the house has to survive the trip to the office and hold up through voting on December 18.

Host
Oak Harbor Main Street Association (opens in a new tab)
Address
Oak Harbor Main Street Association Office, 881 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Oak Harbor Main Street Association (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 3 more Oak Harbor events researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 3 Crafts
  • 2 Santa
  • 2 Breakfast and treats
  • 1 Shows
  • 3 Free

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Holiday showFree

Family Holiday Movies

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SkyWarrior Theatre puts family holiday films on the big screen in December, one title per night. The Nightmare Before Christmas plays December 4 and The Grinch plays December 11, with The Polar Express listed as the third film. Popcorn is part of the evening.

Admission is free at every screening. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the movie starts at 5:00 p.m., though the page's calendar entry shows 6:00 p.m., so check the time before you leave. The Polar Express is listed for Dec. 28, which falls on a Monday even though the series is described as Fridays, so confirm that date with the theater.

Parent tip: Doors open half an hour before the film and seats are first come, so arrive at 4:30 p.m. if you want the family to sit together. The theater is part of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island's recreation program, so confirm you can get on base before promising the kids a movie.

Host
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (opens in a new tab)
Address
SkyWarrior Theatre, 3730 N Charles Porter Ave, Oak Harbor, WA 98278 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (opens in a new tab)

New Oak Harbor events every week

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Santa visitFree

Christmas at Cliffside

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Cliffside RV Park hosts an evening that pairs an RV decorating contest with holiday crafts and treats. Santa is there as well, for a storytime and for photos with the kids.

It runs Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., and it is free. The park is at the end of Intruder Street on base, with directional signs to follow. Families who want to stay over can call 360-257-2649 to reserve an RV site, cabin, yurt or campsite.

Parent tip: A 5:00 p.m. start at an RV park in mid-December means walking around after dark, so bring warm layers and a flashlight for the kids. The park is on the naval air station, so sort out base access before you drive over.

Host
Cliffside RV Park, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (opens in a new tab)
Address
Cliffside RV Park, End of Intruder Street, NAS Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, WA 98278 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Cliffside RV Park, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (opens in a new tab)

New Oak Harbor events every week

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

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Oak Harbor

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

Santa and Mrs. Claus

EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet

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Each family gets a one-on-one visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus in a setting arranged to be sensory friendly. Elves come along too, and a workshop area offers crafts, games and treats before or after the visit.

It is held Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Nor'Wester, Building 2556, on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Space is limited, and families RSVP through their case liaison or by calling 360-257-6289. The page lists no price.

Parent tip: Because RSVPs go through a case liaison, this visit is set up for families already working with the EFMP program, so call 360-257-6289 if you are unsure whether it is open to you. The visits are one-on-one in a sensory friendly setting, a good match for children who find a busy Santa line hard.

Host
Fleet & Family Support Center, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (opens in a new tab)
Address
Fleet & Family Support Center, Nor'Wester (Bldg. 2556), 3675 W Lexington, Bldg. 2556, Oak Harbor, WA 98278 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Fleet & Family Support Center, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (opens in a new tab)

New Oak Harbor events every week

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

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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 Washington Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Oak Harbor Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Gingerbread House Decorating Contest in Oak Harbor on November 16; the last runs to December 19. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our Washington Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Bellingham, Lynnwood, Monroe, WA and Seattle. 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 Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor is named for the Garry oak trees of the area, on the northern end of Whidbey Island. At Christmas the season splits between downtown, where the Main Street Association collects gingerbread houses for a community contest, and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, which hosts holiday movies and visits with Santa.

How Oak Harbor celebrates

Christmas in Oak Harbor comes from two directions. Downtown, the Oak Harbor Main Street Association runs a Gingerbread House Decorating Contest from its office on SE Pioneer Way, with youth and adult categories, community voting from December 1 to 18 and winners named December 19. On Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, the base's family programs show Family Holiday Movies at SkyWarrior Theatre starting December 4 and hold a sensory friendly EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet at the Nor'Wester on December 12. Cliffside RV Park closes the run on December 19 with Christmas at Cliffside, an evening of RV decorating, crafts, treats and storytime with Santa.

Fun facts about Christmas in Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915, with a population of 401, and it counted 24,622 residents in the 2020 census. In the early 1850s two settlers staked claims where the city now stands: Zakarias Martin Toftezen, a shoemaker from Norway, and C.W. Sumner from New England. The city grew after the Deception Pass Bridge was completed on July 31, 1935, linking Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island and the mainland, and after Naval Air Station Whidbey Island followed on September 21, 1942.

Traditions today

  • Gingerbread House Decorating Contest: The Oak Harbor Main Street Association collects decorated houses at its SE Pioneer Way office in November and puts them to a community vote from December 1 to 18.
  • Family Holiday Movies at SkyWarrior Theatre: The theater shows free family holiday films in December, with doors at 4:30 p.m. and the movie at 5:00 p.m.
  • EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet: Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves hold one-on-one, sensory friendly visits at the Nor'Wester on December 12, with a workshop of crafts, games and treats.
  • Christmas at Cliffside: Cliffside RV Park pairs an RV decorating contest with holiday crafts, treats and storytime and photos with Santa on December 19.

A fact for kids

Oak Harbor is on an island, and the only way to drive there is through Deception Pass, where the bridge was finished in 1935. Before that, steamers and freighters carried people and freight between the island and the mainland.

Questions about Christmas in Oak Harbor

When was Oak Harbor, Washington founded?

Two settlers staked claims where the city now stands in the early 1850s: Zakarias Martin Toftezen, a shoemaker from Norway, and C.W. Sumner from New England. Irish and Dutch immigrants followed. Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915, with a population of 401.

How did Oak Harbor get its name?

Oak Harbor was named for the Garry oak trees in the area. Houses and businesses first grew up along the shore of the harbor itself, because the pioneers relied entirely on water transportation until the 1900s.

Who lived in the Oak Harbor area first?

The Lower Skagit people have inhabited Oak Harbor and nearby Crescent Harbor since time immemorial. There were several villages in the vicinity, and the modern settlement of Oak Harbor was built over one of them.

How do you get to Oak Harbor?

Oak Harbor is on northern Whidbey Island, and the only land access is by driving through Deception Pass. The Mukilteo to Clinton ferry reaches the southern end of the island, and the Coupeville to Port Townsend ferry connects to the Olympic Peninsula.

When was the Deception Pass Bridge built?

The Deception Pass Bridge was completed on July 31, 1935, linking Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island and the mainland. It was a Public Works Administration project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and Oak Harbor grew after it opened.

When did the Navy come to Oak Harbor?

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island dates to September 21, 1942, and the city grew following its arrival. The air station now hosts several of the holiday events families attend, including Family Holiday Movies at SkyWarrior Theatre and Christmas at Cliffside at Cliffside RV Park.

What happens at Christmas for kids in Oak Harbor?

The Oak Harbor Main Street Association runs a Gingerbread House Decorating Contest, with voting December 1 to 18. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island lists Family Holiday Movies starting December 4, an EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet on December 12 and Christmas at Cliffside on December 19.

Who organizes Oak Harbor's Christmas events?

The gingerbread contest is run by the Oak Harbor Main Street Association from its office at 881 SE Pioneer Way. The holiday movies, the Santa meet and greet and Christmas at Cliffside are listed by the family and recreation programs at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

What is free at Christmas in Oak Harbor?

Entry to the Gingerbread House Decorating Contest is free, and so is admission to every Family Holiday Movies screening at SkyWarrior Theatre. Christmas at Cliffside on December 19 is also listed as free. The page for the EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet does not state a price.

Is Oak Harbor rainy in December?

Winters in Oak Harbor are cold and damp, though not severe. Because the city sits in the Olympic rain shadow, the area is much drier than most of the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades. Christmas at Cliffside on December 19 is held at an RV park, so warm layers are a good idea.

Sources

  1. Oak Harbor, Washington, Wikipedia
  2. Gingerbread House Decorating Contest, Oak Harbor Main Street Association
  3. Family Holiday Movies, Navy Life PNW, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
  4. EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet, Navy Life PNW, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
  5. Christmas at Cliffside, Navy Life PNW, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island

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 Washington city.

Oak Harbor Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Oak Harbor, Washington?

Downtown, the Oak Harbor Main Street Association runs a Gingerbread House Decorating Contest with entries dropped off November 16 to 23 and voting December 1 to 18. On Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Family Holiday Movies start December 4 at SkyWarrior Theatre, and Christmas at Cliffside brings Santa to Cliffside RV Park on December 19.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Oak Harbor?

Yes. Entry to the Gingerbread House Decorating Contest is free, with drop-off November 16 to 23. Family Holiday Movies at SkyWarrior Theatre have free admission on December 4 and 11. Christmas at Cliffside on Saturday, December 19, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., is also free and includes crafts, treats and Santa.

Where can kids meet Santa in Oak Harbor?

Santa is at Christmas at Cliffside on Saturday, December 19, 2026, for storytime and photos at Cliffside RV Park. The EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet on Saturday, December 12, offers one-on-one, sensory friendly visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Nor'Wester, with RSVPs through a case liaison. Both are on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Are there holiday movies for families in Oak Harbor?

SkyWarrior Theatre shows Family Holiday Movies with free admission. The Nightmare Before Christmas plays December 4 and The Grinch plays December 11, with doors at 4:30 p.m. and the film at 5:00 p.m. The Polar Express is listed for December 28, so confirm that date with the theater before you go.

Which Oak Harbor Christmas events need sign-up?

The Gingerbread House Decorating Contest requires registration on the Main Street Association's campaign page before houses are dropped off November 16 to 23. The EFMP Santa Claus Meet & Greet on December 12 has limited space and takes RSVPs through a case liaison or at 360-257-6289. The movies and Christmas at Cliffside list no sign-up.

Can kids win prizes in Oak Harbor's gingerbread contest?

Yes. The Oak Harbor Main Street Association's contest has a youth category with cash prizes of $60 for first place, $40 for second and $20 for third. Community voting runs December 1 to 18, and winners are announced December 19. Adults compete separately for $100, $75 and $50.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Oak Harbor?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Washington Christmas train rides guide. This Oak Harbor 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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