Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Petawawa for 2026, and they all land on the town’s Merry & Bright Festival weekend. The Santa Claus Parade takes a new route on Saturday, December 5, the Mayor lights the tree at the Container Market as the last float rolls in, and the Trail of Lights glows along the Civic Centre path on December 5 and 6. We check every date on the Town of Petawawa’s own pages and link straight there. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Petawawa
- 3 free Christmas events for kids in Petawawa
- Santa Claus Parade: Saturday, December 5, 6 pm, new 2026 route
- Tree lighting: about 8 pm at the Container Market
- Holiday Tailgate Market: December 5, 4 to 9 pm, with alpacas
- Trail of Lights: December 5 and 6 from 4:30 pm
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Free Christmas events for kids in Petawawa
Evening paradeFree
Petawawa Santa Claus Parade
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 6 to 7:30 pm
- Where: Starts at the Back 40 of the Petawawa Civic Centre, next to the dog park, Petawawa, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Petawawa’s Santa Claus Parade has a new route for 2026: floats leave the Back 40 behind the Civic Centre, wind along Highland Park Drive, Greenvale Crescent and the Boulder Creek and Limestone trail streets, then follow Town Centre Boulevard, Butler Boulevard, Murphy Road and Volunteer Way back to the Civic Centre.
It is the centrepiece of the town’s Merry & Bright Festival weekend, and the route passes right by the Holiday Tailgate Market at the Container Market, where the tree lighting follows the last float.
Parent tip: Check the new route map on the town page before you go, and pick a spot near the Container Market so you can stay put for the tree lighting afterward.
- Host
- Town of Petawawa, Merry & Bright Festival (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Starts at the Back 40 of the Petawawa Civic Centre, next to the dog park, Petawawa, ON (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Petawawa events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Petawawa daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Petawawa.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Petawawa 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 Petawawa.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Petawawa 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.
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Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Petawawa every week.
Tree lightingFree
Tree Lighting and Holiday Tailgate Market
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026; market 4 to 9 pm, tree lighting about 8 pm
- Where: Petawawa Container Market, 16 Civic Centre Road, Petawawa, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free entry; hot chocolate by donation
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Mayor switches on the town’s Christmas tree at the Petawawa Container Market as the last parade float finishes, with hundreds of twinkling lights going on at once.
Around it, the Holiday Tailgate Market runs from 4 pm with local vendors selling from car trunks and trailers, a live ice carving demonstration, a bonfire, holiday music, a hot chocolate station by donation and alpacas, which tend to be the hit with kids.
Parent tip: Arrive before the parade to see the ice carving and the alpacas while it is quieter, then keep your spot for the 8 pm tree lighting.
- Host
- Town of Petawawa, Merry & Bright Festival (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Petawawa Container Market, 16 Civic Centre Road, Petawawa, ON (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Petawawa events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Petawawa daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Petawawa.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Lit walking trailFree
Petawawa Trail of Lights
- When: December 5 and 6, 2026, starting at 4:30 pm (the town says the lights go up from December 1)
- Where: Petawawa Civic Centre, Civitan Park entrance, Petawawa, ON (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
A stretch of walking path between the Civic Centre and the Kinhut turns into an illuminated walkway of decorative light displays, put together with the Petawawa Civitan Club and the Petawawa Rotary Club.
It is an easy, stroller-friendly evening walk for small kids, and it pairs well with the Christmas Craft Show at the Civic Centre on Sunday, December 6.
Parent tip: Enter at the Civitan Park side of the Civic Centre and bring a flashlight for the parking lot; little ones in snowsuits will manage the whole loop.
- Host
- Town of Petawawa, Merry & Bright Festival (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Petawawa Civic Centre, Civitan Park entrance, Petawawa, ON (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Petawawa events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Petawawa daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Petawawa.
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? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists Santa trains and holiday rides across the country.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Petawawa Christmas event for kids happens
Make December 5 your Petawawa night: browse the Tailgate Market from 4 pm, watch the Santa Claus Parade at 6, stay for the tree lighting, then walk the Trail of Lights on Sunday evening.
- Petawawa Santa Claus ParadePetawawa · Dec 5
- Tree Lighting and Holiday Tailgate MarketPetawawa · Dec 5
- Petawawa Trail of LightsPetawawa · Dec 5 to Dec 6
Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Ottawa, North Bay, Belleville and Peterborough. 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 Canada city.
Petawawa Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Petawawa this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 free Christmas events for kids in Petawawa for 2026, all part of the Town of Petawawa Merry & Bright Festival: the Santa Claus Parade and the Tree Lighting with Holiday Tailgate Market on December 5, and the Trail of Lights on December 5 and 6.
When is the Petawawa Santa Claus Parade in 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 6 to 7:30 pm. The new route starts at the Back 40 of the Petawawa Civic Centre, next to the dog park, and ends back at the Civic Centre. It is free.
When is the Petawawa tree lighting?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, at the Petawawa Container Market, 16 Civic Centre Road, as the last parade float finishes, around 8 pm. The Holiday Tailgate Market runs there from 4 to 9 pm.
Where is the Petawawa Trail of Lights?
On the walking path between the Petawawa Civic Centre and the Kinhut, entering by Civitan Park. The town lists it for December 5 and 6, 2026, starting at 4:30 pm.
Who do I contact about Petawawa holiday events?
The Town of Petawawa: ccoyle@petawawa.ca for the Santa Claus Parade, or email@petawawa.ca and 613-687-5536 for the rest of the Merry & Bright Festival.
Are there more Christmas events near Petawawa?
Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists confirmed events across Canada, and the national search sorts events by distance from your town.
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 Petawawa 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.