Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Oakdale for 2026. All three happen at the Discovery Center: Tree Lighting with Santa on Thursday, December 3, Santa’s Mailboxes from December 1 to 15, and the free Winter Wonderland with hayrides and a petting zoo on Saturday, December 19. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Minnesota Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Oakdale
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Oakdale
- Tree Lighting with Santa: Thursday, December 3, 6 to 7:30 pm
- Santa’s Mailboxes: December 1 to 15 at the Discovery Center
- Winter Wonderland: Saturday, December 19, 9 am to 1 pm, free
- Every date checked on the city site on Nov 11
What are you looking for?
All 3 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Oakdale 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 Oakdale.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Oakdale 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.
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Waiting inside
- 3 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 2 Free
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The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 2 Christmas events in Oakdale.
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Free Christmas events for kids in Oakdale
Tree lightingFree
Tree Lighting with Santa
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026, 6 to 7:30 pm
- Where: Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N, Oakdale, MN 55128 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The City of Oakdale lights its holiday tree at the Discovery Center on the edge of the Oakdale Nature Preserve, and Santa comes for the evening.
It is a short weeknight event, which makes it an easy after-dinner outing for families with younger kids.
Parent tip: Parking at the Discovery Center is limited during the City Hall construction, so plan to park on nearby streets and walk in.
- Host
- City of Oakdale (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N, Oakdale, MN 55128 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Oakdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Oakdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Oakdale.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Oakdale 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 Oakdale.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Oakdale before they fill up.
- 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
- 3 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Oakdale every week.
Winter festivalFree
Winter Wonderland
- When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 9 am to 1 pm (hayrides 10 am to 1 pm)
- Where: Oakdale Nature Preserve and Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N, Oakdale, MN 55128 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Oakdale Recreation and the Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce fill the Nature Preserve and Discovery Center with horse-drawn hayrides, a petting zoo, the dogs of winter and a candy cane hunt.
Kids can visit Santa, get holiday face painting, roast s’mores at the bonfire and make crafts with the Washington County Library, and breakfast and lunch are available on site.
Parent tip: Hayrides start at 10 am, an hour after the gates open, so do Santa and the candy cane hunt first.
- Host
- Oakdale Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Oakdale Nature Preserve and Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N, Oakdale, MN 55128 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Oakdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Oakdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Oakdale.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Letters to SantaFree
Santa’s Mailboxes
- When: Tuesday, December 1 to Tuesday, December 15, 2026, during Discovery Center hours
- Where: Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N, Oakdale, MN 55128 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Kids
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa’s Mailboxes go up at the Discovery Center for the first half of December so kids can drop off their letters in person.
Oakdale Recreation asks families to include the child’s name, age and address on each letter.
Parent tip: Bring the letter along to the December 3 tree lighting and post it the same night.
- Host
- Oakdale Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N, Oakdale, MN 55128 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Oakdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Oakdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Oakdale.
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 Minnesota Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Oakdale Christmas event for kids happens
Mail the Santa letter at the December 3 tree lighting, then come back to the Nature Preserve on December 19 for hayrides and the candy cane hunt.
- Santa’s MailboxesOakdale · Dec 1 to Dec 15
- Tree Lighting with SantaOakdale · Dec 3
- Winter WonderlandOakdale · Dec 19
Looking further afield? Our Minnesota Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Saint Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Cottage Grove and Minneapolis. 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 AmazonKeep 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 Minnesota city.
Oakdale Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Oakdale this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Oakdale for 2026: Tree Lighting with Santa on December 3, Santa’s Mailboxes from December 1 to 15 and Winter Wonderland on December 19.
When is the Oakdale tree lighting in 2026?
Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N, with Santa.
When is Oakdale Winter Wonderland?
Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 9 am to 1 pm at the Oakdale Nature Preserve and Discovery Center. It is free and includes hayrides, a petting zoo, Santa, crafts and s’mores.
Where can kids mail a letter to Santa in Oakdale?
At Santa’s Mailboxes in the Discovery Center from December 1 to 15, 2026. Include the child’s name, age and address.
Who do I contact about Oakdale holiday events?
Oakdale Recreation at nathan.timmons@oakdalemn.gov or 651-747-3860.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Minnesota?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Minnesota Christmas train rides page.
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 Oakdale on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.
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.