Christmas Events for Kids in Princeton, WV (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 Princeton, WV for 2026, and here is what he found: 3 family events. They are Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa (November 28), Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus (December 5) and Christmas Express: A Magical Holiday Adventure (December 12). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our West Virginia Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Princeton

  • 3 Christmas events for kids in Princeton
  • Meet Santa: Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa (November 28) and Christmas Express: A Magical Holiday Adventure (December 12)
  • Also on the list: 1 story time and 2 craft workshops
  • Season: November 28 (Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa) to December 12 (Christmas Express: A Magical Holiday Adventure)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Princeton

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

Santa visit

Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa

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At Princeton Hammer & Stain, each child stuffs a plush Christmas friend and dresses it in a holiday outfit, while the family paints a set of four wooden ornaments together. Cookies and hot cocoa are served, Santa arrives for an unhurried visit and photos, and children leave with a stocking to carry their keepsakes home.

Two sessions are offered on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., at the studio at 851 Mercer Street. The cost is $45 per child, booked ahead on the studio's website, and registrations are non-refundable. When you register, note in the personalization box whether your child wants a boy or girl outfit for the plush.

Parent tip: Pick your session when you book, since the 2:00 and 3:30 p.m. times are selected separately, and fill in the outfit choice so the plush is ready. Because registrations cannot be refunded, wait until your Thanksgiving weekend plans are firm.

Host
Princeton Hammer & Stain (opens in a new tab)
Address
Princeton Hammer & Stain, 851 Mercer St, Princeton, WV 24740 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Princeton Hammer & Stain (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 2 more Princeton 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 Princeton.
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Coming up on this page

  • 3 Breakfast and treats
  • 2 Santa
  • 2 Crafts
  • 1 Story time

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Holiday crafts

Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus

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Mrs. Claus hosts this craft session at Princeton Hammer & Stain, which the studio says is in its third year. Children make a paper craft with her, paint a Santa's Magic Key, a wooden Cookies for Santa tray and a gingerbread ornament, then settle in for cookies, hot cocoa and a Christmas story she tells.

It takes place Saturday, December 5, 2026, with sessions at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at 851 Mercer Street. The price is $35 per child, reserved through the studio's website, and registrations are non-refundable.

Parent tip: There are four projects to finish plus a story, so this one suits kids who enjoy sitting down to paint. Dress them in clothes that can take a little paint, and choose the 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. session around nap time.

Host
Princeton Hammer & Stain (opens in a new tab)
Address
Princeton Hammer & Stain, 851 Mercer St, Princeton, WV 24740 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Princeton Hammer & Stain (opens in a new tab)

New Princeton events every week

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

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Santa visit

Christmas Express: A Magical Holiday Adventure

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Princeton Hammer & Stain takes its holiday programming to the Princeton Railroad Museum for a pajama morning with a railroad theme. Children meet Santa and a railroad conductor, explore the museum, complete a Christmas scavenger hunt and have hot cocoa and cookies. Each child gets a Christmas plush with a choice of pajamas or a conductor outfit for it, and Santa hands out a gift before the end.

This session is Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at 99 Mercer Street. The Christmas Express Ticket is $35 and includes museum admission; the $45 Junior Conductor Package adds a conductor hat for your child and a take-home ornament paint kit. Seats are limited and registrations are non-refundable.

Parent tip: Kids are encouraged to come in Christmas pajamas, so dress them before you leave home. Note that this event meets at the Railroad Museum at 99 Mercer Street, not at the Hammer & Stain studio at 851 Mercer Street.

Host
Princeton Hammer & Stain (opens in a new tab)
Address
Princeton Railroad Museum, 99 Mercer St, Princeton, WV 24740 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Princeton Hammer & Stain (opens in a new tab)

New Princeton events every week

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

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 West Virginia Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Princeton Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa in Princeton on November 28; the last runs to December 12. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our West Virginia Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Charleston, WV, Huntington and Wheeling. 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.

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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 Princeton

Princeton became headquarters of the Virginian Railway's New River Division when the line was completed in 1909, and a replica of the railway's two-story passenger station now holds the town's railroad museum. At Christmas 2026 that museum hosts a pajama morning with Santa, one of three holiday workshops put on by a Mercer Street craft studio.

How Princeton celebrates

Princeton's Christmas events for children in 2026 come from Princeton Hammer & Stain, a studio at 851 Mercer Street. On November 28 it holds Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa, which the studio counts among its annual traditions, with plush-making, ornament painting and a visit from Santa. On December 5 it presents its third annual Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus, a session of crafts, treats and a story. On December 12 the studio moves along Mercer Street to the Princeton Railroad Museum for Christmas Express, where children in pajamas meet Santa and a railroad conductor and explore the museum.

Fun facts about Christmas in Princeton

Princeton is the county seat of Mercer County and had 5,872 residents in the 2020 census. It was named after the Battle of Princeton in New Jersey, where General Hugh Mercer, the county's namesake, died. William Smith donated 1.5 acres for the county courthouse when the county was formed in 1837, and Princeton was incorporated on February 20, 1909. The Virginian Railway, finished in 1909, made Princeton the headquarters of its New River Division.

Traditions today

  • Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa: Children stuff a Christmas plush, families paint ornaments and Santa visits at Princeton Hammer & Stain.
  • Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus: The studio's third annual session pairs crafts and a Christmas story with Mrs. Claus.
  • Christmas Express: Kids in Christmas pajamas meet Santa and a conductor and complete a scavenger hunt at the Princeton Railroad Museum.
  • The Princeton Railroad Museum: A replica of the Virginian Railway's two-story passenger station holds the museum of the town's railroad heritage.
  • Mercer Street: Both event locations have Mercer Street addresses, and the street gives its name to a nationally recognized historic district.

A fact for kids

Princeton sits high in the mountains, about 2,400 feet above sea level on average. Its railroad museum is inside a copy of the two-story train station that was built there about 100 years earlier.

Questions about Christmas in Princeton

How did Princeton get its name?

Princeton was named after the Battle of Princeton, fought in Princeton, New Jersey. General Hugh Mercer died there, and Mercer County, which has Princeton as its county seat, carries his name. The county was formed in 1837.

When was Princeton founded and incorporated?

Mercer County was formed in 1837, and William Smith donated 1.5 acres for a county courthouse in what would become Princeton. The city itself was incorporated much later, on February 20, 1909, the same year the Virginian Railway was completed.

What happened in Princeton during the Civil War?

Princeton was burned on May 1, 1862, under Confederate Captain Walter Jenifer to keep supplies from the Union army, and few structures survived. The Battle of Pigeon Roost, also called the Battle of Princeton Courthouse, followed on May 17, 1862.

Why is the railroad important to Princeton?

The Virginian Railway, formed in 1907 and completed in 1909, ran about 360 miles from Deepwater to a port near Norfolk, Virginia. Princeton became headquarters of its New River Division, and the article credits the railroad with bringing significant growth to the town.

What is the Princeton Railroad Museum?

It is a museum of the town's railroading heritage and the Virginian Railway, housed in a replica of the railway's two-story Princeton passenger station and offices. The article calls the replica the largest such effort in West Virginia. The organizer lists the museum at 99 Mercer Street.

How many people live in Princeton?

The 2020 census counted 5,872 residents, down from 6,432 in 2010. Princeton is part of the Bluefield micropolitan area and sits at an average altitude of about 2,400 feet above sea level.

What happens at Christmas for kids in Princeton?

In 2026, Princeton Hammer & Stain offers Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa on November 28, Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus on December 5 and Christmas Express at the Princeton Railroad Museum on December 12. All three combine keepsakes with cookies and hot cocoa.

Who organizes these Christmas events?

All three are run by Princeton Hammer & Stain, a studio at 851 Mercer Street. Two take place at the studio, and the Christmas Express is held at the Princeton Railroad Museum. Booking is through the studio's website.

Is Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus an annual event?

Yes. The studio describes the December 5, 2026 session as its third annual Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus and says it is back by popular demand. It also refers to its Believe experience with Santa as one of its annual traditions.

What do kids take home from the Christmas Express?

Every child receives a Christmas plush with either Christmas pajamas or a conductor outfit, plus a gift handed over by Santa. The $45 Junior Conductor Package adds a conductor hat and an ornament paint kit to finish at home.

Sources

  1. Princeton, West Virginia, Wikipedia
  2. 11/28/26 Believe A Christmas Experience with Santa, Hammer & Stain Princeton, WV
  3. 12/05/26 Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus, Hammer & Stain Princeton, WV
  4. 12/12/26 Christmas Express: A Magical Holiday Adventure 11:00 AM, Hammer & Stain Princeton, WV

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 West Virginia city.

Princeton Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Princeton, WV in 2026?

Princeton Hammer & Stain runs three: Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa on Saturday, November 28, Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus on Saturday, December 5, and Christmas Express at the Princeton Railroad Museum on Saturday, December 12. Kids who love trains should start with the Christmas Express.

Where can kids meet Santa in Princeton?

Santa visits with each child at Believe: A Christmas Experience with Santa on November 28 at Princeton Hammer & Stain, 851 Mercer Street. He also appears at the Christmas Express on December 12 at the Princeton Railroad Museum, 99 Mercer Street, where he gives each child a gift.

Is there a Christmas train event in Princeton?

Christmas Express: A Magical Holiday Adventure is held at the Princeton Railroad Museum on Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. The listing describes activities inside the museum: children meet Santa and a railroad conductor, explore the museum and complete a scavenger hunt. It does not mention a train ride.

How much do the Princeton Christmas events cost?

Believe is $45 per child. Cookies & Cocoa with Mrs. Claus is $35 per child. The Christmas Express Ticket is $35, or $45 for the Junior Conductor Package with a conductor hat and an ornament paint kit. The studio lists these prices on its booking pages.

Do the events need to be booked in advance?

Yes. All three are booked and paid for on the Princeton Hammer & Stain website, and you select a session time for the Santa and Mrs. Claus events. The studio states that registrations are non-refundable, and it says seats for the Christmas Express are limited.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Princeton?

The events on this page are all paid workshops from Princeton Hammer & Stain, priced from $35 to $45. Each price includes keepsakes to take home, such as painted ornaments or a Christmas plush, along with cookies and hot cocoa and time with Santa or Mrs. Claus.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Princeton?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s West Virginia Christmas train rides guide. This Princeton 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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