Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids around Sherwood Park for 2026. Strathcona County runs two rural Christmas days with bus tours from Bethel Transit Terminal: Christmas in the Heartland on Saturday, November 28, and Christmas in the Country, with Santa, sleigh rides and fireworks, on Saturday, December 5. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Sherwood Park
- 2 Christmas events for kids run by Strathcona County
- Christmas in the Heartland: Saturday, November 28, 10 am to 4 pm
- Christmas in the Country: Saturday, December 5, with fireworks 4 to 6 pm
- Bus tours: from Bethel Transit Terminal, kids 12 and under ride free
- Free to visit, bus tours $10 per adult
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Free Christmas events for kids in Sherwood Park
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Christmas in the Heartland
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 10 am to 4 pm, with an evening event at Moyer Recreation Centre from 4:30 pm
- Where: Halls across north Strathcona County, with bus tours from Bethel Transit Terminal, 650 Bethel Drive, Sherwood Park, AB (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to visit; bus tour $10 per adult, kids 12 and under free
- Ages: All ages
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Community halls across north Strathcona County open their doors for a day of country markets, ice carvings, sleigh rides and holiday music, then wrap up with an evening event at Moyer Recreation Centre from 4:30 pm.
Families from Sherwood Park can skip the driving with the County's bus tour, which leaves Bethel Transit Terminal at 9:45 am, stops at halls like Josephburg and Brookville, and is free for kids 12 and under.
Parent tip: Bus tour ticket sales close on November 20 or when they sell out, so book early if you want to ride rather than drive.
New Sherwood Park events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Sherwood Park daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Sherwood Park.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Sherwood Park 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 Sherwood Park.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Sherwood Park 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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Santa and fireworksFree
Christmas in the Country
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 am to 4 pm, then 4 to 6 pm at Fire Station #2
- Where: South rural Strathcona County halls and Fire Station #2, 22142 South Cooking Lake Road, Sherwood Park, AB (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to visit; bus tour $10 per adult, kids 12 and under free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
South rural Strathcona County hosts a day of Santa visits, sleigh rides, kids activities and local food at halls from Colchester to Hastings Lake.
It ends at Fire Station #2 on South Cooking Lake Road from 4 to 6 pm with free hot chocolate, another Santa visit, cookie decorating and a fireworks display, which is the part most kids remember.
Parent tip: The daytime bus tours (Routes A and B, from Bethel Transit Terminal) do not include the fire station evening, so drive out yourself if fireworks are the goal.
New Sherwood Park events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Sherwood Park daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Sherwood Park.
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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 Sherwood Park Christmas event for kids happens
Pick one Saturday or do both: Heartland on November 28 for markets and sleigh rides, then Christmas in the Country on December 5 for Santa and the fire station fireworks. The LED tree at Festival Place also lights up nightly after the County’s November 21 Celebration of Lights.
- Christmas in the HeartlandSherwood Park · Nov 28
- Christmas in the CountrySherwood Park · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary and Fort McMurray. 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 AmazonThe story of Christmas in Sherwood Park
Every November, a giant LED tree outside Festival Place in Sherwood Park lights up at 5 pm to start Strathcona County's Christmas season, and then it puts on a light show every evening, with its own soundtrack on 103.3 FM for drivers. Out in the countryside, a single hall in Josephburg fills with more than 130 nutcrackers for Christmas in the Heartland.
An LED tree at Festival Place and wagon rides with Santa and Mrs. Claus
Strathcona County's Celebration of Lights is the community's annual kickoff to Christmas, held outdoors at Festival Place, 100 Festival Way. In 2021 it ran on November 20 from 3 to 5 pm, when the LED tree at Festival Place and the lights at Broadmoor Lake Park came on at 5 pm, Santa arrived with his reindeer, carollers sang, and kids had pony rides, a scavenger hunt and selfies with Santa.
The 2026 Celebration of Lights is on Saturday, November 21, from 3 to 5 pm, with wagon rides with Santa and Mrs. Claus, campfire cooking, cookie decorating kits, letters to Santa and a visit from the Grinch. After the 5 pm light up, the tree shines daily from 6 to 8 am and from 4 to 11 pm all season, and drivers can tune to 103.3 FM to hear its music.
A November 15 light up and New Year's fireworks over Broadmoor Lake in 2025
Last season the Celebration of Lights was held on Saturday, November 15, 2025. Families rode wagons with Santa and Mrs. Claus, cooked over campfires, made holiday crafts, wrote letters to Santa and took home cookie decorating kits, and at 5 pm the countdown lit the community holiday lights and the LED tree. Guests were asked to bring donations for the Strathcona Food Bank.
The County's two rural Christmas days followed, and the season ended at the New Year's Festival on December 31, 2025, from 6 to 8 pm, with ice sculptures, holiday displays, hot chocolate and s'mores stations, fire dancer shows and fireworks at 8 pm over Broadmoor Lake Park. A free Park 'N Ride ran every 15 minutes from Bethel Transit Terminal.
130 nutcrackers, a Ukrainian lunch and nativity scenes in north County halls
Christmas in the Heartland is a driving tour of rural halls and churches in north Strathcona County, run with the Josephburg Ag Society, which was founded in 1973. At Josephburg Community Hall, the Good Hope Committee shares German culture with more than 130 nutcrackers on display. Bethany Lutheran Church fills with nativity displays of all sizes, Brookville Community Hall serves a Ukrainian lunch and sells Whoville trees, and Partridge Hill Hall shows antiques.
The bookmobile that parks at Brookville Hall for crafts during the Heartland day continues a County service whose first driver, Helen Lavender, helped design the original vehicle and drove it alone for two years. She remembered running out of gas once, because the engine had to idle to keep the bookmobile heated.
Christmas buses to 1909 Grand Trunk Pacific hamlets and fireworks at Fire Station #2
The County's Christmas bus tours leave Bethel Transit Terminal at 9:45 am and return at 4 pm, for $10 an adult, with kids 12 and under and adults 70 and over riding free. On Christmas in the Country, Route B stops in Ardrossan, at Uncas School and at Deville/North Cooking Lake Hall, all hamlets that grew up around Grand Trunk Pacific Railway stations when the line was built through the County in 1908 and 1909.
Route A stops at Colchester Community Hall, in the district once served by Bretona station, which even had a toy factory in the 1960s and 1970s. After the buses return, Christmas in the Country ends from 4 to 6 pm at Fire Station #2 on South Cooking Lake Road with free hot chocolate, Santa, cookie decorating and fireworks.
Traditions today
- Celebration of Lights: Strathcona County's free outdoor Christmas kickoff at Festival Place, ending with the LED tree light up at 5 pm. In 2026 it is on November 21.
- Christmas in the Heartland: A day of country markets, ice carvings, sleigh rides, nativity displays and nutcrackers at halls across north Strathcona County, on November 28 in 2026.
- Christmas in the Country: Santa visits, sleigh rides and local food at south County halls, ending with fireworks at Fire Station #2. In 2026 it is on December 5.
- County Christmas bus tours: Buses from Bethel Transit Terminal carry families between rural halls for $10 an adult, and kids 12 and under ride free.
- New Year's Festival fireworks: Free activities at Festival Place, Broadmoor Lake Park and nearby venues on December 31, with fireworks at 8 pm so young kids can see them.
A fact for kids
At Christmas in the Heartland, one country hall in Josephburg puts out more than 130 nutcrackers at once, so you can try to count soldiers, kings and mice before lunch.
Questions about Christmas in Sherwood Park
When is the Celebration of Lights in Sherwood Park in 2026?
Strathcona County's Celebration of Lights is on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 3 to 5 pm at Festival Place, 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park. It is free, with wagon rides with Santa and Mrs. Claus, campfire cooking, crafts, face painting, letters to Santa and the LED tree light up at 5 pm. Festival Way closes from 2 to 6 pm.
When was the 2025 Celebration of Lights in Sherwood Park?
The 2025 Celebration of Lights took place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 3 to 5 pm at Festival Place. Families enjoyed wagon rides with Santa and Mrs. Claus, campfire cooking, holiday crafts, letters to Santa, face painting and cookie decorating kits, and the community holiday lights and LED tree came on at 5 pm.
What time does the Festival Place Christmas tree light show run?
After it lights up at the Celebration of Lights, the LED tree at Festival Place in Sherwood Park lights up daily through the holiday season from 6 to 8 am and from 4 to 11 pm. If you are driving by, tune your radio to 103.3 FM to hear the soundtrack for the tree light show.
Where should we park for the Celebration of Lights in Sherwood Park?
Festival Lane and Festival Place have no parking on Christmas light up day, and Festival Way closes from 2 to 6 pm. Park at the Sherwood Park Arena and Sports Centre, the Community Centre parkade or the Centre in the Park parkade, which are free for the first two hours. There is no Park 'N Ride shuttle for this event.
What did the Celebration of Lights look like in 2021?
In 2021 the Celebration of Lights was held outdoors at Festival Place on November 20 from 3 to 5 pm. The LED tree at Festival Place and Broadmoor Lake Park lit up at 5 pm, Santa came with his reindeer, holiday carollers sang, and kids had campfire cooking, pony rides, a scavenger hunt and selfies with Santa. A Food Bank Tent took donations.
Can we bring a food bank donation to Christmas events in Sherwood Park?
Yes. Strathcona County asks families to bring a non-perishable food item or a monetary donation for the Strathcona Food Bank to the Celebration of Lights, and the New Year's Festival on December 31 collects donations too. Giving to the food bank has been part of the County's Christmas light up for years, including a Food Bank Tent in 2021.
Who runs Christmas in the Heartland near Sherwood Park?
Christmas in the Heartland is held with the Josephburg Ag Society, founded in 1973 to support local infrastructure, programming and events in north Strathcona County, along with Strathcona County. The 2026 day is Saturday, November 28, from 10 am to 4 pm, with stops at Josephburg Community Hall, Moyer Recreation Centre, Bethany Lutheran Church, Brookville Hall and Partridge Hill Hall.
Where can we see nutcrackers at Christmas near Sherwood Park?
During Christmas in the Heartland, the Good Hope Committee at Josephburg Community Hall shares German culture with more than 130 nutcrackers to look at, plus artisan vendors and an ice carving. The hall is at #57 54569 Range Road 215 in Josephburg, and the 2026 Heartland day is November 28 from 10 am to 4 pm.
Are there nativity displays at Christmas in the Heartland?
Yes. Bethany Lutheran Church, at 20577 Township Road 550, shows nativity displays of all sizes during Christmas in the Heartland, with sleigh rides, music, an ice carving and food to buy on site. It is one of the stops on the County's Heartland bus tour from Sherwood Park, along with Brookville and Partridge Hill halls.
What food is served at Christmas in the Heartland?
Brookville Community Hall serves a Ukrainian lunch with live music, plus breads, baking and fudge, and Moyer Recreation Centre makes cinnamon buns on site at its country Christmas market. Bethany Lutheran Church and Partridge Hill Hall have concessions with winter-warming food. The evening event at Moyer Recreation Centre starts at 4:30 pm.
What can kids do at Brookville Hall during Christmas in the Heartland?
Brookville Community Hall, on Highway 16 at 53203 Range Road 212, has a kids craft table and the County Bookmobile parked for little ones to explore during Christmas in the Heartland. Grown-ups can enjoy a Ukrainian lunch with live music and shop for breads, baking, fudge and Whoville trees, and there is an ice carving on site.
Is there a bookmobile at Christmas in the Heartland?
Yes. Children can create at the craft table or inside the beloved Bookmobile at Brookville Community Hall during Christmas in the Heartland. Strathcona County's first bookmobile driver, Helen Lavender, helped design the original and drove it alone for its first two years, and she recalled the engine had to keep running to stay heated.
How much do the Strathcona County Christmas bus tours cost?
The Christmas bus tours cost $10 per adult, and kids 12 and under and adults 70 and over ride free. Buses leave Bethel Transit Terminal, 650 Bethel Drive, Sherwood Park, at 9:45 am and return at 4 pm. Heartland sales close November 20 and Christmas in the Country sales close November 27, or sooner if they sell out.
Which halls do the Christmas in the Country bus routes visit?
Route A stops at Colchester Community Hall, St. Lukes School, South Cooking Lake Hall, Ministik Church, Deville/North Cooking Lake Hall and Wye Community Hall. Route B stops at Holy Redeemer School, the Ardrossan 55 Plus Club, Uncas School, Deville/North Cooking Lake Hall, Hastings Lake Hall and Ministik Church. Neither route includes the evening fireworks.
Where are the Christmas in the Country fireworks?
The Christmas in the Country fireworks are at Fire Station #2, 22142 South Cooking Lake Road, during the evening event from 4 to 6 pm on Saturday, December 5, 2026. There is free hot chocolate, a Santa visit and cookie decorating too. The daytime bus tours do not go to the fire station, so families drive out themselves.
Were the Christmas in the Country stops once railway towns?
Several were. Ardrossan, Uncas, Deville and North Cooking Lake, which the Christmas in the Country Route B bus visits, had Grand Trunk Pacific Railway stations or freight stops after the line was built through Strathcona County in 1908 and 1909. Colchester, on Route A, was served by Bretona station, which once had a toy factory nearby.
When is the Sherwood Park New Year's Eve fireworks show?
Strathcona County's New Year's Festival fireworks go off at 8 pm on December 31 over Broadmoor Lake Park. In 2025 the festival ran from 6 to 8 pm with ice sculptures, holiday displays, hot chocolate and s'mores stations, fire dancers and aerial artists, and a free Park 'N Ride every 15 minutes from Bethel Transit Terminal.
When did Sherwood Park have its first Christmas?
Sherwood Park's first residents arrived in December 1955, when Gordon Walker and his family rented a model home on Birch Avenue, so they had the young hamlet to themselves that first Christmas. The Otto and Dawdy families moved in during January 1956, and by the end of 1956 Sherwood Park had 30 families.
Is there a Santa wagon ride in Sherwood Park?
Yes. Wagon rides with Santa and Mrs. Claus are one of the favourite activities at Strathcona County's Celebration of Lights at Festival Place. In 2026 the event is on November 21 from 3 to 5 pm, and the wagon rides run alongside campfire cooking, a winter carnival, hot chocolate and face painting before the 5 pm tree light up.
Does the Grinch come to the Sherwood Park Christmas light up?
In 2026 the Grinch joins Santa and Mrs. Claus as a special guest at the Celebration of Lights at Festival Place on November 21. The County asks families to wear their favourite holiday sweater or elf hat, and most activities are outdoors, so dress for the weather.
What is a good Christmas plan for kids in Sherwood Park?
Start with the Celebration of Lights on November 21, 2026, then ride the County bus to Christmas in the Heartland on November 28 and finish with Santa and fireworks at Christmas in the Country on December 5. Rally Takes the Train keeps every confirmed date in our Canada Christmas events guide.
Sources
- Celebration of Lights, Strathcona County
- Enjoy the annual kick off to the holiday season at Strathcona County's Celebration of Lights, Strathcona County
- Strathcona County drumming up holiday spirit with annual Celebration of Lights, Strathcona County
- Ring in 2026 at Strathcona County's New Year's Festival, Strathcona County
- Celebrate a rural County Christmas, Strathcona County
- Christmas In the Heartland, Josephburg Ag Society
- Transportation by land, water and air, Strathcona County
- Snippets and snapshots, Strathcona County
- History of Sherwood Park, Strathcona County
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 Canada city.
Sherwood Park Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Sherwood Park this year?
We have confirmed 2 Strathcona County Christmas days for 2026: Christmas in the Heartland on November 28 and Christmas in the Country on December 5, both with bus tours leaving from Sherwood Park.
When is Christmas in the Country 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 am to 4 pm at halls in south rural Strathcona County, then 4 to 6 pm at Fire Station #2, 22142 South Cooking Lake Road, with Santa, cookie decorating and fireworks.
When is Christmas in the Heartland 2026?
Saturday, November 28, 2026, 10 am to 4 pm at halls across north Strathcona County, with an evening event at Moyer Recreation Centre from 4:30 pm.
How do the bus tours work?
Buses leave Bethel Transit Terminal, 650 Bethel Drive, at 9:45 am and return at 4 pm. Tickets are $10 per adult, and kids 12 and under ride free. Heartland sales close November 20 and Country sales close November 27, or sooner if sold out.
Who do I contact about these events?
Strathcona County at info@strathcona.ca.
Are there more Christmas events near Sherwood Park?
Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists confirmed events in cities across Canada, including nearby Edmonton, 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 county calendar. We last checked Sherwood Park on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, washrooms 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.