Christmas Events for Kids in Panama City (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 Panama City for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events, 1 of them free. They are Panama City Symphony with Panama City Ballet at Beach Home for the Holidays (November 28) and Saturday Programs: Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses (Ages 6 to 12) (December 5). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Florida Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Panama City

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Panama City
  • 1 free event, including Panama City Symphony with Panama City Ballet at Beach Home for the Holidays
  • Meet Santa: Panama City Symphony with Panama City Ballet at Beach Home for the Holidays (November 28)
  • Season: November 28 (Panama City Symphony with Panama City Ballet at Beach Home for the Holidays) to December 5 (Saturday Programs: Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses (Ages 6 to 12))
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in Panama City

Holiday showFree

Panama City Symphony with Panama City Ballet at Beach Home for the Holidays

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The Panama City Symphony plays its annual outdoor holiday concert in Aaron Bessant Park, joined by dancers from the Panama City Ballet who perform to seasonal classics. Guest conductor Nathaniel Efthimiou, Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony, leads the orchestra. The concert is one piece of the Beach Home for the Holidays festivities, which also bring local vendors, the official tree lighting, Santa visits and strolling carolers to the park.

The concert starts at 6:00 pm on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach. It is free, provided by Visit Panama City Beach. Seating is on the lawn, so the symphony suggests bringing chairs and blankets, and s'mores and hot chocolate are part of the evening.

Parent tip: The symphony itself recommends arriving early, since the vendors, tree lighting and Santa visits happen around the concert rather than during it. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket and a warm layer for sitting outdoors after dark in late November.

Host
Panama City Symphony (opens in a new tab)
Address
Aaron Bessant Park, Panama City Beach, Panama City, FL 32401 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Panama City Symphony (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Panama City event researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Shows
  • 1 Crafts
  • 1 Free

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Panama City

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

Holiday crafts

Saturday Programs: Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses (Ages 6 to 12)

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Parker Public Library runs a Saturday program for kids ages 6 to 12 once a month, and the December session is a building project. Children put together gingerbread-style houses using graham crackers.

The program is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm Central time at Parker Public Library, 4710 Second Street in Parker. The listing shows no price and does not mention registration. The library's phone number is 850-871-3092.

Parent tip: The session is only an hour and is aimed at ages 6 to 12, so arrive on time to leave enough building time. Bring a box or tray to carry a fragile graham cracker house home, and call the library at 850-871-3092 if you want to confirm space.

Host
Northwest Regional Library System (opens in a new tab)
Address
Parker Public Library, 4710 Second Street, Parker, Panama City, FL 32404 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Northwest Regional Library System (opens in a new tab)

New Panama City events every week

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

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 Florida Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Panama City Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Panama City Symphony with Panama City Ballet at Beach Home for the Holidays in Panama City on November 28; the last runs to December 5. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our Florida Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Tallahassee, Pensacola, Gainesville and Inverness. 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 Panama City

Panama City got its name in 1906 because a straight line drawn from Chicago to the capital of Panama passed through the Florida town, and its promoter hoped the excitement over the Panama Canal would sell real estate. Today the Bay County seat marks Christmas with its own symphony playing under the stars and library crafts for kids nearby.

How Panama City celebrates

The Panama City Symphony carries the season outdoors with what it calls its annual holiday concert, a free community tradition at Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach, across the Hathaway Bridge from the city. The concert is part of the Beach Home for the Holidays festivities, and the Panama City Ballet dances to seasonal favorites while families sit on lawn chairs and blankets. Around the music the park has local vendors, the official tree lighting, Santa visits, strolling carolers, s'mores and hot chocolate. In neighboring Parker, the Northwest Regional Library System's Parker Public Library turns its monthly Saturday program for ages 6 to 12 into a graham cracker gingerbread house build.

Fun facts about Christmas in Panama City

Panama City was pieced together from the settlements of Floriopolis, Harrison, Millville, Park Resort and St. Andrews, named in 1906 and first incorporated in 1909. It is the county seat of Bay County and the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola, with 32,939 residents in the 2020 census. Because the city sits on St. Andrews Bay, most routes in or out cross one of three large bridges, and the Hathaway Bridge is the only direct link to Panama City Beach. Passenger trains of the Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railroad once ran from here to Dothan, Alabama.

Traditions today

  • Symphony holiday concert in the park: The Panama City Symphony describes its free outdoor holiday concert at Aaron Bessant Park as an annual community tradition.
  • Panama City Ballet on the concert stage: Dancers from the Panama City Ballet perform alongside the orchestra to bring seasonal classics to life.
  • Beach Home for the Holidays tree lighting: The official tree lighting takes place at the same park festivities, with local vendors and strolling carolers.
  • Santa visits and s'mores: Families at the park can visit Santa and warm up with s'mores and hot chocolate before the music begins.
  • Graham cracker gingerbread houses: Parker Public Library's December Saturday program has kids ages 6 to 12 build gingerbread houses from graham crackers.

A fact for kids

Panama City almost never gets snow, but during the 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard as much as 6 inches fell. The city was named after the country of Panama because a straight line from Chicago to Panama's capital runs right through it.

Questions about Christmas in Panama City

When was Panama City, Florida, founded?

The development was named Panama City in 1906 and first incorporated under that name in 1909. It was formed by combining several earlier settlements and communities in what was then an unincorporated part of Northwest Florida: Floriopolis, Harrison, Millville, Park Resort and St. Andrews.

How did Panama City get its name?

According to a history from the Panama City Public Library cited by Wikipedia, developer George Mortimer West renamed the town from Harrison to Panama City to spur real estate sales during popular interest in the Panama Canal. A straight line from Chicago to Panama's capital crossed the Florida town.

How big is Panama City?

The 2020 census counted 32,939 people in Panama City, not including Panama City Beach. It is the county seat and most populous city of Bay County and the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola. The wider metropolitan area has a population of around 200,534.

What happens at Christmas around Panama City?

The Panama City Symphony performs a free outdoor holiday concert with the Panama City Ballet on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 6:00 pm in Aaron Bessant Park, during Beach Home for the Holidays. On December 5, Parker Public Library hosts a graham cracker gingerbread house program for ages 6 to 12.

Who organizes the holiday concert?

The Panama City Symphony presents the concert with the Panama City Ballet, and the symphony says it is free thanks to Visit Panama City Beach. Guest conductor Nathaniel Efthimiou, Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony, leads the orchestra for the 2026 performance.

How do you get from Panama City to Panama City Beach for the concert?

Panama City Beach is about 10 miles west of Panama City along US 98. The Hathaway Bridge over St. Andrews Bay is the largest of the area's three big bridges and the only direct connection between the two cities, so concert traffic from Panama City crosses it.

What is free at Christmas near Panama City?

The symphony's holiday concert at Aaron Bessant Park on November 28, 2026, is free. The symphony's page also describes the surrounding Beach Home for the Holidays evening, with a tree lighting, Santa visits, carolers and local vendors, and suggests bringing lawn chairs and blankets.

Did Panama City have a railroad?

Yes. The Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railroad ran passenger trains from Panama City to Dothan, Alabama, until sometime between 1955 and 1956, and also offered sleeping car service to Atlanta. Today the Bay Line Railroad operates an 82-mile freight line north to Dothan.

Does it snow in Panama City at Christmas?

Rarely. Panama City has a humid subtropical climate with short, mild winters, and the average January low is about 42.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow is unusual, though up to 6 inches fell during the 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard. Outdoor holiday events here are planned for lawn chairs and blankets.

What happened to Panama City in Hurricane Michael?

Hurricane Michael struck Panama City directly on October 10, 2018, making landfall as a category 5 storm with winds of 160 miles per hour. It caused catastrophic damage to the city and nearby communities, permanently closed the Panama City Mall and led to a major rebuild of Tyndall Air Force Base.

Sources

  1. Panama City, Florida, Wikipedia
  2. Panama City Symphony with Panama City Ballet at Beach Home for the Holidays, Panama City Symphony
  3. Saturday Programs (Ages 6 - 12), Northwest Regional Library System

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 Florida city.

Panama City Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids around Panama City to start with?

Begin with the Panama City Symphony and Panama City Ballet concert at Beach Home for the Holidays on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 6:00 pm in Aaron Bessant Park. For a hands-on activity, kids ages 6 to 12 can build graham cracker gingerbread houses at Parker Public Library on Saturday, December 5.

Are there free Christmas events for families near Panama City?

Yes. The Panama City Symphony's holiday concert with the Panama City Ballet on November 28, 2026, is free, provided by Visit Panama City Beach. It is held outdoors at Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach, and families bring their own lawn chairs and blankets.

Where can kids meet Santa near Panama City?

The symphony's concert page says the Beach Home for the Holidays festivities at Aaron Bessant Park include visits with Santa, along with local vendors, strolling carolers and the official tree lighting. The concert there is on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 6:00 pm, and arriving early is encouraged.

Is there a tree lighting or holiday show near Panama City?

Both happen on the same evening. The official tree lighting is part of Beach Home for the Holidays at Aaron Bessant Park, where the Panama City Symphony performs seasonal classics with Panama City Ballet dancers on Saturday, November 28, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm.

Do these holiday events need tickets or sign-up?

The November 28 symphony concert is described as a free community concert on the park lawn. The December 5 gingerbread house program at Parker Public Library lists no price or registration on its page, and families can phone the library at 850-871-3092 with questions.

Are the events in Panama City itself?

Not quite. The symphony concert is across the bay at Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach, about 10 miles west of Panama City by US 98 and the Hathaway Bridge. The library craft program is at Parker Public Library on Second Street in neighboring Parker.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Panama City?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Florida Christmas train rides guide. This Panama City 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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