Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in San Gabriel for 2026. Plaza Park lights its tree on December 1 with Santa photos and free restaurant tastings, and later in the month the Mission Playhouse hosts four performances of The Nutcracker. 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 San Gabriel
- 2 Christmas events for kids in San Gabriel
- Holiday Tree Lighting: Tuesday, December 1, 6 pm to 8:30 pm, Plaza Park, free
- Santa photos and the Taste of San Gabriel at the tree lighting
- The Nutcracker: December 19 to 21 at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse
- Every date checked on the city and Mission Playhouse websites 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 San Gabriel 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 San Gabriel.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in San Gabriel 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
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Shows
- 1 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 San Gabriel.
- New events in San Gabriel 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 San Gabriel
Tree lightingFree
San Gabriel Holiday Tree Lighting
- When: Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 6 pm to 8:30 pm; tree lighting ceremony at 7 pm
- Where: Plaza Park, 428 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
San Gabriel kicks off December in Plaza Park, across from the historic mission district, with photos with Santa, live entertainment and the tree lighting ceremony at 7 pm.
The night doubles as the Taste of San Gabriel, when restaurants from around the city hand out free samples, so families can graze their way through local favorites while waiting for the lights.
Parent tip: Arrive near 6 pm to get Santa photos in before the 7 pm lighting draws the biggest crowd, and come a little hungry for the restaurant samples.
- Host
- City of San Gabriel Community Services (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Plaza Park, 428 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New San Gabriel events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in San Gabriel daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in San Gabriel.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more San Gabriel 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 San Gabriel.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in San Gabriel 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
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Shows
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in San Gabriel every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in San Gabriel
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
Nutcracker ballet
Pasadena Dance Theatre’s The Nutcracker
- When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 5:30 pm; Sunday, December 20, 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm; Monday, December 21, 12:30 pm
- Where: San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Ticketed; $3.70 service fee per ticket at the box office or online
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Pasadena Dance Theatre, founded in 1958, brings its annual Nutcracker to the city-owned San Gabriel Mission Playhouse for four performances the weekend before Christmas.
Clara’s dream journey is danced by professional guest artists alongside the company’s alumni, conservatory students and young performers, which makes it a nice first ballet for kids who like seeing other children on stage.
Parent tip: The Monday 12:30 pm matinee falls during winter break and suits younger kids. Tickets are sold online or at the Playhouse box office, open Thursdays from 3 pm to 7 pm and on show days.
- Host
- Pasadena Dance Theatre (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New San Gabriel events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in San Gabriel daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in San Gabriel.
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 California Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each San Gabriel Christmas event for kids happens
Both events sit on Mission Drive, a short walk apart, so you can learn the parking once. Do the free tree lighting on December 1, then book Nutcracker seats for the weekend before Christmas.
- San Gabriel Holiday Tree LightingSan Gabriel · Dec 1
- Pasadena Dance Theatre’s The NutcrackerSan Gabriel · Dec 19 to Dec 21
Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for South Pasadena, Pasadena, Los Angeles and Baldwin Park. 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.
San Gabriel Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in San Gabriel this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in San Gabriel for 2026: the Holiday Tree Lighting at Plaza Park and Pasadena Dance Theatre’s The Nutcracker at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse.
When is the San Gabriel tree lighting in 2026?
Tuesday, December 1, 2026, from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at Plaza Park, 428 S. Mission Drive. The lighting ceremony is at 7 pm.
Is Santa at the San Gabriel tree lighting?
Yes. The city lists photos with Santa along with live entertainment and the Taste of San Gabriel restaurant samples.
When is The Nutcracker at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse?
Pasadena Dance Theatre performs Saturday, December 19, at 5:30 pm; Sunday, December 20, at 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm; and Monday, December 21, at 12:30 pm, 2026, at 320 S. Mission Drive.
Who do I contact about San Gabriel holiday events?
Email San Gabriel Community Services at CommSrvInfo@sangabriel.gov or call (626) 308-2875 about the tree lighting. For The Nutcracker, contact Pasadena Dance Theatre at info@pasadenadancetheatre.org.
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 San Gabriel 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.