Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Orangeburg for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events, all of them free. They are Gingerbread Houses, Grades K-2 (December 7) and Polar Express Night (from December 21). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New York Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Orangeburg
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Orangeburg
- All 2 are free: Gingerbread Houses, Grades K-2 and Polar Express Night
- Season: December 7 (Gingerbread Houses, Grades K-2) to December 22 (Polar Express Night)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 2 events
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Free Christmas events for kids in Orangeburg
Holiday craftsFree
Gingerbread Houses, Grades K-2
- When: Monday, December 7, 2026, 4:30 to 5:30 pm
- Where: Orangeburg Library, 20 S. Greenbush Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, registration required (waitlist only)
- Ages: Kindergarten to 2nd grade
Expand to see the parent tip
Children in kindergarten through second grade build their own holiday house from graham crackers, icing and plenty of candy. The program is limited to those grades, and Miss Kimberly is the library's contact for it.
It meets Monday, December 7, 2026 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm at the Orangeburg Library on South Greenbush Road. Registration is required at a listed price of zero, and the page shows the session is full, with new sign-ups added to a waitlist. Food allergens may be present, and the library asks families to mention allergies when they register.
Parent tip: The session is full, so join the waitlist right away and tell the library about any food allergy when you do. It starts at 4:30 pm on a school day and involves a lot of icing and candy, so plan a later dinner.
- Host
- South Orangetown Libraries, Orangeburg Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Orangeburg Library, 20 S. Greenbush Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Orangeburg events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Orangeburg daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Orangeburg.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Orangeburg 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 Orangeburg.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Orangeburg 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
- 2 Crafts
- 1 Story time
- 1 Breakfast and treats
- 1 Trains
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Orangeburg every week.
Holiday story timeFree
Polar Express Night
- When: Mon December 21 and Tue December 22, 2026, 6 to 6:30 pm (Offered on two evenings; register for one date only)
- Where: Orangeburg Library, 20 S. Greenbush Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, registration required (waitlist only)
- Ages: Preschool to 2nd grade
Expand to see the parent tip
Children come to the library in pajamas for a Polar Express evening with Miss Kimberly. She reads the book aloud, the group makes a craft, and each child goes home with a goody bag. Registering is how a child gets a ticket to board the train.
The program runs from 6:00 to 6:30 pm, and the library is offering it on two evenings this year so more children can come: Monday, December 21, 2026 and a second night, listed as Tuesday, December 22. Families are asked to register for one date only. It is for preschool through second grade, registration is required, and the Monday session is full with a waitlist.
Parent tip: It is only half an hour, so arrive in pajamas and on time or you will miss the story. The Monday night is waitlist only, so ask about the second evening when you sign up, and pick just one date as the library requests.
- Host
- South Orangetown Libraries, Orangeburg Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Orangeburg Library, 20 S. Greenbush Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Orangeburg events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Orangeburg daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Orangeburg.
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 New York Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Orangeburg Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Gingerbread Houses, Grades K-2 in Orangeburg on December 7; the last runs to December 22. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Gingerbread Houses, Grades K-2Orangeburg · Dec 7
- Polar Express NightOrangeburg · Dec 21 to Dec 22
Looking further afield? Our New York Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Tappan, Yonkers, Pleasantville and Stony Point. 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. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Orangeburg
During World War II, Orangeburg was the site of Camp Shanks, the Army embarkation camp known as "Last Stop USA," where 1.3 million service members were processed on their way overseas. Today it is a hamlet in the town of Orangetown, and its library on South Greenbush Road hosts the Christmas programs for local children.
How Orangeburg celebrates
The Christmas programs gathered for Orangeburg families this season are both at the Orangeburg Library, part of the South Orangetown Libraries, at 20 S. Greenbush Rd. On Monday, December 7, 2026, children in kindergarten through second grade build gingerbread houses from graham crackers, icing and candy. On Monday, December 21, children from preschool through second grade come in pajamas for Polar Express Night, with a reading of the book, a craft and goody bags, and the library says it is running the program on two days this year to accommodate more children. Miss Kimberly, the library contact named on both pages, hosts the Polar Express evening. South Greenbush Road is also home to the Camp Shanks Museum.
Fun facts about Christmas in Orangeburg
Orangeburg is a hamlet in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, about 19 miles north of New York City, and the 2020 census counted 4,565 residents. It was the site of Camp Shanks, the largest World War II Army embarkation camp, which covered most of the town. Orangeburg pipe, once the standard alternative to metal pipe for sewers and outdoor drainage, was manufactured here. The New York City FC soccer club has its training facility in Orangeburg.
Traditions today
- Gingerbread houses at the library: Children in kindergarten through second grade build houses from graham crackers, icing and candy at the Orangeburg Library.
- Polar Express Night: Children wear pajamas to the library to hear The Polar Express read aloud, make a craft and collect a goody bag.
- A ticket to board the train: Registering for Polar Express Night is described as getting a ticket to board the train.
- South Greenbush Road: The library that hosts both programs is on South Greenbush Road, the same road as the Camp Shanks Museum.
A fact for kids
A special kind of pipe called Orangeburg pipe was once made in Orangeburg and was used for sewers and drains before plastic pipes came along. During World War II, more than a million soldiers passed through a giant camp here on their way to Europe.
Questions about Christmas in Orangeburg
What is Orangeburg, New York known for?
Orangeburg was the site of Camp Shanks, known as "Last Stop USA," the largest World War II Army embarkation camp. A total of 1.3 million service personnel headed to Europe were processed at the camp, which covered most of the town.
Is Orangeburg a town or a village?
Orangeburg is a hamlet and census-designated place within the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York. It lies north of Tappan, south of Blauvelt, east of Pearl River and west of Piermont. The 2020 census counted 4,565 residents.
What is Orangeburg pipe?
Orangeburg pipe was once manufactured in the hamlet. Before plastic pipes, it was the standard alternative to metal pipes, especially for sewer and outdoor drainage uses. The pipe shares its name with the hamlet where it was made.
How did Orangeburg become a suburb?
After World War II, Orangeburg was very rural with few residents, many of them living modestly in former soldiers' housing. That lasted until the late 1950s, when developers introduced modern suburban housing for young couples. Today it is a suburb about 19 miles north of New York City.
Can families visit the Camp Shanks Museum?
The Camp Shanks Museum is on South Greenbush Road near the intersection of Routes 303 and 340 and is open at weekends. A separate monument stands at Independence Avenue and Lowe Lane off Western Highway. Italian and German prisoners of war were also housed at the camp.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Orangeburg?
This season's listings are two Orangeburg Library programs: Gingerbread Houses for grades K to 2 on Monday, December 7, 2026 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm, and Polar Express Night for preschool through second grade starting Monday, December 21 at 6:00 pm.
Where do the Christmas events take place?
Both are at the Orangeburg Library, 20 S. Greenbush Rd., Orangeburg, New York 10962. The library is one of the South Orangetown Libraries, and it shares its road with the Camp Shanks Museum, which is open at weekends.
Who organizes the Christmas events?
The Orangeburg Library organizes both, and each page lists the same library contact. The Polar Express page invites children to join Miss Kimberly for the evening, and the gingerbread page asks families to tell her about any food allergies when they register.
Are the Orangeburg Library Christmas programs free?
Both are listed with a price of zero. Registration is required for each, and both the gingerbread session on December 7, 2026 and Polar Express Night on December 21 have reached capacity, so new registrants are placed on a waitlist.
Sources
- Orangeburg, New York, Wikipedia
- Gingerbread Houses - Grades K-2, South Orangetown Libraries
- Polar Express Night, South Orangetown Libraries
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 New York city.
Orangeburg Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Orangeburg to start with?
Both listings are at the Orangeburg Library and both are for young children. Gingerbread Houses for grades K to 2 meets Monday, December 7, 2026 at 4:30 pm. Polar Express Night, a pajama story time for preschool through second grade, begins Monday, December 21 at 6:00 pm.
Are there free Christmas activities in Orangeburg?
Both library programs are listed with a price of zero: Gingerbread Houses on Monday, December 7, 2026 and Polar Express Night beginning Monday, December 21. Each requires registration, and each has reached capacity, so new registrants are placed on a waitlist.
Where can kids meet Santa in Orangeburg?
Neither of the two events listed here includes Santa. Polar Express Night at the Orangeburg Library, starting Monday, December 21, 2026, is the more festive of the two, with pajamas, a reading of the book, a craft and goody bags. Plan a Santa visit separately.
Do Orangeburg Christmas events need registration?
Yes, both do. Gingerbread Houses on December 7, 2026 and Polar Express Night on December 21 require registration through the library's event calendar. Both pages show that capacity has been reached and that additional registrants go on a waitlist. For Polar Express Night, families are asked to register for one date only.
Is there a Polar Express event for kids in Orangeburg?
Yes. The Orangeburg Library holds Polar Express Night from 6:00 to 6:30 pm on Monday, December 21, 2026, and says it is offering the program on two days this year to fit more children. Children wear pajamas, hear the book, make a craft and take home a goody bag.
What ages are the Orangeburg Library holiday programs for?
Gingerbread Houses on Monday, December 7, 2026 is only for children in kindergarten through second grade. Polar Express Night, starting Monday, December 21, is for preschool through second grade and is also listed for babies and toddlers. Older brothers and sisters are outside the stated range for both.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Orangeburg?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New York Christmas train rides guide. This Orangeburg 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.