Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Pasadena for 2026: a tree lighting at one of the prettiest city halls in America, and a whole winter season at the children’s museum. The Mayor’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting brings Santa to City Hall on Friday, December 4, and Kidspace’s Winter Frolic runs from November 6 into January with sock skating and a giant gingerbread house. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Pasadena
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Pasadena
- Free tree lighting with Santa: Friday, December 4, 5 to 7 pm, City Hall
- All season: Kidspace Winter Frolic, November 6 to January 10
- Sock skating at Kidspace for $6 extra
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 11
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All 2 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
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Free Christmas events for kids in Pasadena
Tree lightingFree
Mayor's Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, 5 to 7 pm (tree lighting 6 pm)
- Where: Pasadena City Hall, 100 N Garfield Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
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Pasadena’s official tree lighting happens in front of City Hall, one of the most beautiful civic buildings in California, with its domed tower lit up for the season.
Local singers and dancers perform, the Armory Center for the Arts runs crafts for kids, and there are light refreshments. Santa makes a special appearance, and the mayor switches on the city’s official tree at 6 pm.
Parent tip: The city’s own advice: come early for parking and a good viewing spot at City Hall before the 6 pm lighting.
- Host
- City of Pasadena (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Pasadena City Hall, 100 N Garfield Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Pasadena events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Pasadena daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Pasadena.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Pasadena 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 Pasadena.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Pasadena 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 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Shows
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Pasadena every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Pasadena
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Event hosts: free events are listed first. The #1 spot puts your event at the top of this page.Inquire about the #1 spotAdd your event for free
Holiday activities
Winter Frolic at Kidspace
- When: Daily during museum hours, November 6, 2026 to January 10, 2027
- Where: Kidspace Children's Museum, 480 N Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91103 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Included with Kidspace admission; Sock Skating Rink $6 extra per person
- Ages: Young children and families
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Kidspace Children’s Museum turns its campus into a winter playground for the holidays. The star is a no-ice Sock Skating Rink, where little ones slide and spin in their socks: a perfect first skating experience.
Kids can ride trikes through a giant gingerbread house into a candyland forest, build sculptures from pretend ice blocks in Penguin Paradise, dress up a life-size no-melt snow family, and settle in for winter story time in the Storytime Garden several times a day.
Parent tip: Wear smooth socks without grippy bottoms for the rink, and catch a story time at 10:30 am, 12:30, 2:30 or 4:30 pm. Toddler Tuesday mornings are calmer for the littlest ones.
- Host
- Kidspace Children's Museum (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Kidspace Children's Museum, 480 N Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91103 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Pasadena events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Pasadena daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Pasadena.
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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 California Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Pasadena Christmas event for kids happens
Kidspace’s Winter Frolic runs every day the museum is open from November 6 to January 10, so it fits any weekend or school break. The tree lighting at City Hall is one evening only, Friday, December 4.
- Winter Frolic at KidspacePasadena · Nov 6 to Jan 10
- Mayor's Annual Holiday Tree Lighting CeremonyPasadena · Dec 4
Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach, Anaheim and Long Beach. 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 California city.
Pasadena Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Pasadena this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Pasadena for 2026: the Mayor’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting at City Hall on Friday, December 4, and Winter Frolic at Kidspace Children’s Museum from November 6, 2026 to January 10, 2027.
When is the Pasadena tree lighting in 2026?
Friday, December 4, 2026, from 5 to 7 pm at Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue. The tree is lit at 6 pm, and Santa makes an appearance.
What is Kidspace Winter Frolic?
A holiday season at Kidspace Children’s Museum with a no-ice sock skating rink, a trike ride through a giant gingerbread house, pretend ice blocks, a dress-up snow family and winter story times.
How much is Winter Frolic at Kidspace?
Winter Frolic activities are included with Kidspace admission. The Sock Skating Rink is an extra $6 per person.
Where can kids meet Santa in Pasadena?
At the Mayor’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting at City Hall on December 4, 2026.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in California?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s California 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 Pasadena 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.