Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Rochester for 2026. The Holiday Tree Lighting brings Santa, cookie decorating and caroling to Central Square on Friday, December 4, and the Christmas in Whoville Holiday Parade fills Wakefield and North Main Streets on Sunday, December 6. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New Hampshire Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Rochester
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Rochester
- Tree Lighting: Friday, December 4, 5:30 to 6:30 pm, Central Square, free
- Santa visit, cookie decorating and hot chocolate
- Holiday Parade: Sunday, December 6, 4 pm, Christmas in Whoville theme
- Every date checked on the Greater Rochester Chamber’s site on Nov 11
What are you looking for?
All 2 events
Nothing matches yet. Try another kind of event, or .
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Rochester 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 Rochester.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Rochester before they fill up.
- Start your magical Christmas season now Every event appears the moment you enter your email.
- 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.
Waiting inside
- 2 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 2 Free
Enter your email and all will appear instantly.
The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 1 Christmas event in Rochester.
- New events in Rochester every week
- Exclusive access to free events
- Your magical Christmas season starts now
- Christmas Eve Express and free advent calendar
- One-tap add to calendar
Free Christmas events for kids in Rochester
Tree lightingFree
Rochester Holiday Tree Lighting
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, 5:30 to 6:30 pm
- Where: Central Square, downtown Rochester, 1 N Main St, Rochester, NH 03867 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce lights the downtown tree in Central Square with a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, caroling and dance performances.
Kids get cookies, hot chocolate, a cookie decorating table and a visit with Santa Claus, all packed into one easy hour on a Friday evening.
Parent tip: Bring a donation for the Holiday Collection, which this year supports the Rochester Child Care Center’s Helping Hands Pantry, including kids’ hats, mittens and warm socks.
- Host
- Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Central Square, downtown Rochester, 1 N Main St, Rochester, NH 03867 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Rochester events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Rochester daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Rochester.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Rochester 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 Rochester.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Rochester 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 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Rochester every week.
Holiday paradeFree
Holiday Parade: Christmas in Whoville
- When: Sunday, December 6, 2026, 4 pm
- Where: Wakefield Street and North Main Street, downtown Rochester, Wakefield St, Rochester, NH 03867 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to watch
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
One of the largest holiday parades in New Hampshire steps off from the technology center at Spaulding High School, heads south on Wakefield Street, turns at Central Square onto North Main Street and ends near Holy Rosary.
This year’s theme is Christmas in Whoville, with judged floats, bands, youth marching groups, equestrian units, police and fire crews and Santa Claus riding in at the very end.
Parent tip: Central Square, where the route turns, gives kids a view of the floats coming down Wakefield Street and heading up North Main.
- Host
- Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Wakefield Street and North Main Street, downtown Rochester, Wakefield St, Rochester, NH 03867 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Rochester events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Rochester daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Rochester.
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 Hampshire Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Rochester Christmas event for kids happens
Meet Santa at the Central Square tree lighting on Friday, December 4, then come back downtown on Sunday afternoon for the parade.
- Rochester Holiday Tree LightingRochester · Dec 4
- Holiday Parade: Christmas in WhovilleRochester · Dec 6
Looking further afield? Our New Hampshire Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Lee, Portsmouth, Hooksett and Concord. 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 New Hampshire city.
Rochester Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Rochester this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Rochester for 2026, both from the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce: the Holiday Tree Lighting on December 4 and the Christmas in Whoville Holiday Parade on December 6.
When is the Rochester NH Holiday Parade in 2026?
Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 4 pm. It starts at Spaulding High School, travels south on Wakefield Street, turns at Central Square onto North Main Street and ends near Holy Rosary.
When is the Rochester tree lighting?
Friday, December 4, 2026, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in Central Square, 1 North Main Street. It is free.
Is Santa at the Rochester tree lighting?
Yes. The Chamber lists a visit with Santa Claus, plus cookie decorating, cookies and hot chocolate, caroling and dance performances.
Who do I contact about Rochester holiday events?
The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce at events@rochesternh.org or 603-332-5080.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in New Hampshire?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New Hampshire 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 Rochester 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.