Rally is researching the season
Christmas with kids in Sarnia, Ontario
Sarnia's Celebration of Lights began in 1984 with 650 lights, and volunteers still raise a Candle Arch over Front Street with a crane every November. The Kinsmen parade has added its own long run.
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Already confirmed in Sarnia, Ontario
So far we’ve confirmed 1 of this season’s events, and more are on the way.
Norm Foster's Dear Santa
When: Wed, Nov 18 to Fri, Nov 20, 2026 at 7:30pm; Sat, Nov 21, 2026 at 2pm and 7:30pm
Where: Imperial Theatre, Sarnia
Cost:
The story of Christmas in Sarnia, Ontario
650 lights in 1984 and a Candle Arch over Front Street
Sarnia's Celebration of Lights was launched in 1984 by a group of volunteers who started with 650 lights. Centennial Park now holds displays such as the Shipwreck, Neptune's Castle, the Lighthouse and the Candle Arch, and the volunteer board marked 40 years of the show in 2024. An older report described about 600,000 lights coming on when Santa flips the switch.
The other long tradition is the Sarnia Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade, which was its 44th annual edition in 2025. Floats collect food and letters to Santa along the route.
Christmas at home on Christina Street, crane day and 53 displays
The 2025 Kinsmen parade ran on Saturday, December 6, at 6pm with the theme Christmas at home. About 40 floats had signed up by November 20, and the route went south on Christina Street, west on George Street, south on Front Street and east on Davis Street to Vidal Street.
At Centennial Park, crane day on November 14 raised the Candle Arch over Front Street, community set-up followed on November 15, and the lights came on November 29. The park ended up with 53 displays. The volunteer group said it had lost about $7,000 in sponsorship that year.
Free lights, horse-and-wagon rides and Dear Santa at the Imperial
The Celebration of Lights is free because of its sponsors, and about 4,000 people came in each of two recent years. Families found photos with Santa and horse-and-wagon rides there. Set-up day in 2023 drew 154 volunteers, which the board chair believed was the most ever.
A design contest in November 2025 chose a new display to be unveiled at the 2026 show. Indoors, Theatre Sarnia plays Norm Foster's Dear Santa at the Imperial Theatre from November 18 to 21, 2026.
Traditions today
- Celebration of Lights: Volunteers set up more than 50 displays at Centennial Park each November, and the lights came on November 29 in 2025.
- Crane day for the Candle Arch: A crane raises the Candle Arch over Front Street before community set-up day.
- Sarnia Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade: The 44th annual parade ran on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 6pm, collecting food and letters to Santa.
- Design contest for a new display: A contest in November 2025 chose a design to be unveiled at the 2026 Celebration of Lights.
- Dear Santa at the Imperial Theatre: Theatre Sarnia plays the family comedy from November 18 to 21, 2026.
A fact for kids
Sarnia's Celebration of Lights started in 1984 with only 650 lights, and a crane now lifts a giant Candle Arch over Front Street.
Questions about Christmas in Sarnia, Ontario
When did Sarnia's Celebration of Lights begin?
It was launched in 1984 by a group of volunteers who started with 650 lights. The Blackburn News report marking 40 years of the show in 2024 agrees that the tradition has run since the mid-1980s. It is still run by a volunteer board and depends on donations and sponsors.
How many lights did the Celebration of Lights have in an older report?
One report on an opening night described about 600,000 lights lighting Centennial Park when Santa flipped the switch at 8pm. That is a big jump from the 650 lights of 1984. The report is undated, so treat the number as a past figure, not a 2026 count.
Which Celebration of Lights displays are the best known?
Blackburn News names the Shipwreck, Neptune's Castle, the Lighthouse and the Candle Arch, plus many other holiday-themed pieces. The Candle Arch goes up over Front Street, and in 2025 crane day was on Friday, November 14. Kids who like big structures usually point to the arch first.
Is the Celebration of Lights in Sarnia free to visit?
Yes. The 2024 report says the event is free because of its sponsors, and about 4,000 people attended in each of two recent years. Opening night was described as free and family-friendly. Donations and sponsors keep it going, and the volunteer group lost about $7,000 in sponsorship in 2025.
What happens on opening night at Centennial Park?
A Sarnia Journal report described a live nativity scene, music, food and horse-drawn trolley rides from 6:30pm, then Santa flipping the switch at 8pm and fireworks at 8:15pm. It advised dressing warmly and bringing a chair. A Tourism Sarnia-Lambton calendar listed the 2025 opening at 5pm on Saturday, November 29.
When were the Sarnia lights switched on in 2025?
The displays were lit on Saturday, November 29, 2025. Blackburn News counted over 50 displays that season, and a January 2026 report put the number at 53 at Centennial Park. The lights then stayed on every evening until the tear-down in the week of January 5, 2026.
Why is there a crane at Centennial Park in November?
The crane lifts the largest and heaviest displays and raises the Candle Arch over Front Street. In 2025 crane day was Friday, November 14, and community set-up day followed on Saturday, November 15 at 9am. In January 2026 a crane also lifted the five heaviest displays during tear-down.
Who puts up the Celebration of Lights displays?
Volunteers do. Set-up day in 2023 drew 154 volunteers, which the board chair believed was the most ever. In 2025 the group needed about 20 people for the November 1 move out of storage, plus trucks and trailers at least 14 feet long. The board chair calls it a community effort.
What is the Celebration of Lights design contest?
A design contest opened on November 1, 2025, with a submission deadline of November 20, 2025, followed by online voting. The winning design is to be unveiled at the 2026 Sarnia Celebration of Lights. Entry sheets could be dropped off at The Toy Corner on Confederation Street or The Book Keeper on Exmouth Street.
When will the Sarnia lights come on in 2026?
The sources read for this page do not give a 2026 opening date. In 2025 the lights were lit on November 29, and the design contest material refers to an opening ceremony on November 29 without a year. Check the Celebration of Lights website before heading to Centennial Park.
What time was the Sarnia Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade in 2025?
It ran on Saturday, December 6, 2025, starting at 6pm and expected to end by 8pm. Christina Street North closed from Exmouth Street to Michigan Avenue at 2pm for staging, and rolling closures began at 5pm. It was the 44th annual Sarnia Kinsmen parade.
What route did Sarnia's 2025 Santa parade follow?
The city confirmed a route south on Christina Street, west on George Street, south on Front Street and east on Davis Street, ending at Vidal Street. That differed from past years, which usually went down Wellington Street. The staging area is normally at Christina Street and Exmouth Street.
What was the theme of the 2025 Sarnia Santa parade?
The theme was Christmas at home. About 40 floats had signed up by November 20, and two American bands and Air, Sea and Army Cadet groups were expected. Registration for floats stayed open until November 26, so the final float count may have been higher.
Can kids hand in letters to Santa at the Sarnia parade?
Yes. Along the 2025 route, organizers collected non-perishable food donations and letters to Santa. That makes the parade a handy time to bring a letter already written. Food donations are a simple job for a young helper, since a tin or box is easy to carry.
When is the Sarnia Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade in 2026?
The pages read for this page do not give a 2026 date. In 2025 it was on Saturday, December 6 at 6pm, and the Tourism Sarnia-Lambton calendar showed the Sarnia parade on the first Saturday of December that year. Look for the Kinsmen announcement and the city's road closure notice in the fall.
What Christmas show is at the Imperial Theatre in November 2026?
Theatre Sarnia presents Norm Foster's Dear Santa from November 18 to 21, 2026. Evening shows are at 7:30pm on November 18, 19, 20 and 21, and there is a 2pm matinee on Saturday, November 21. The theatre tags it as Family Entertainment.
What is Dear Santa about?
It is a comedy set at the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Toy supplies run short, a pushy salesman tries to sell Santa a high-tech sleigh, a teen who has lost her holiday spirit shows up, and elves cause trouble. Santa's Chief of Staff, Algernon, just wants to start his vacation.
Where is the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia?
The Imperial Theatre is at 168 Christina Street North, Sarnia, Ontario. It hosts Theatre Sarnia's Dear Santa in November 2026. In 2025 it also held family shows such as The Nightingale Chorus's Believe from December 3 to 6, which is a good reminder to check the theatre calendar for each season.
Which other Lambton County towns hold Santa parades?
In 2025, Corunna, Forest and Grand Bend held parades on Saturday, November 29, and Watford and Petrolia held theirs on Saturday, December 6. Plympton-Wyoming's Christmas in the Village and Alvinston's Hallmark Christmas event were on December 13. Those were 2025 dates, so 2026 dates need checking.
Where can Sarnia kids see Santa and ride a wagon?
The 2024 report on the Celebration of Lights lists photos with Santa and horse-and-wagon rides among its family features, and Santa flips the switch on opening night. Rally Takes the Train's Sarnia Christmas events guide lists the 2026 dates that have been confirmed so far.
Sources
- Sarnia-Lambton Holiday Parades, Tourism Sarnia-Lambton
- Sarnia's Celebration of Lights is marking 40 years, Blackburn News
- Switching on the lights, The Sarnia Journal
- Sarnia Santa Claus parade to highlight Christmas at home, Blackburn News
- Displays to be taken out of storage for Celebration of Lights, Blackburn News
- Volunteers needed for Celebration of Lights tear down, Blackburn News
- Celebration of Lights community introduction (design contest), Celebration of Lights
- Norm Foster's Dear Santa, Imperial Theatre
- Santa Claus parades float across Lambton, Blackburn News