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Christmas with kids in Sioux City
In Sioux City, Christmas starts on a Monday night in late November, when floats glow down 4th Street and Santa lights the tree in front of the Public Museum. Downtown shops hold open houses with treats and crafts.
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The story of Christmas in Sioux City
How Sioux City celebrates
Sioux City kicks off the season downtown with the Downtown for the Holidays celebration. The centerpiece is the IBEW Holiday Lighted Parade, which Downtown Partners organizes with IBEW Local 231 as presenting sponsor. Floats travel 4th Street from Iowa Street to Nebraska Street, and the parade ends when Santa lights the community tree in front of the Sioux City Public Museum. A Festival of Trees at the Ho-Chunk Centre raises money for local causes, and downtown shops hold open houses with treats and crafts. We could not confirm the year the parade began.
Christmas last year in Sioux City
On Monday, November 24, 2025, the parade began at 6:15 p.m. on 4th Street, and entries competed for cash prizes of $150, $100 and $50 in two classes. Thirteen downtown spots held open houses, including a LaunchPAD Children's Museum visit with free admission and cookies, and library crafts with a life-size book tree and a storywalk. Santa met children at the Art SUX Gallery, where a Letters to Santa mailbox opened November 1. Festival of Trees opened the same night, and storefront voting ran through December 22.
Fun facts about Christmas in Sioux City
Sioux City has a sensory friendly place to watch the parade, with a free viewing area at the Convention Center. In 2019 radio station KWIT reported dozens of decorated floats and costumed characters, and a parent who had come for seven or eight years called it the busiest she had seen. In 2018 Santa's House on Nebraska Street was open from November 24 to December 20. Downtown shops have also run a window decorating contest, with the public voting for winners.
Traditions today
- IBEW Holiday Lighted Parade: Lit floats travel 4th Street on the Monday before Thanksgiving, ending with Santa and the tree.
- Tree lighting at the Public Museum: Santa lights the community tree in front of the Sioux City Public Museum at the end of the parade.
- Downtown open houses: Shops, the library and the LaunchPAD Children's Museum offer cocoa, cookies and crafts on parade night.
- Festival of Trees: Decorated trees fill the Ho-Chunk Centre atrium, with proceeds supporting a local cause.
- Letters to Santa mailbox: A mailbox at the Art SUX Gallery collects children's letters all season.
- Holiday storefront contest: Downtown windows are decorated and the public votes for a favorite.
A fact for kids
In Sioux City, Santa switches on the town Christmas tree himself. After a parade of glowing floats, he lights it in front of the Public Museum.
Questions about Christmas in Sioux City
What is the biggest Christmas tradition in Sioux City?
The IBEW Holiday Lighted Parade is the biggest. It runs down 4th Street in downtown Sioux City on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and it ends with Santa lighting the community tree in front of the Sioux City Public Museum. Downtown Partners organizes it, and IBEW Local 231 is the presenting sponsor.
When is the Sioux City holiday parade held?
It is held in late November, kicking off the season. In 2025 it was Monday, November 24, starting at 6:15 p.m., and in 2018 it was Monday, November 19. The route follows 4th Street from Iowa Street to Nebraska Street. Our Sioux City Christmas events guide on this page has this year's date if it is confirmed.
Who lights the Christmas tree in downtown Sioux City?
Santa does. At the end of the Holiday Lighted Parade, he lights the community tree in front of the Sioux City Public Museum at 607 4th Street. After the lighting, children can visit him at the Art SUX building, and in 2025 the LaunchPAD Children's Museum offered free admission and cookies on parade night.
Can anyone be in the Sioux City holiday parade?
Yes. Businesses, organizations and service groups across Siouxland can enter, and registration is free. In 2025 sign-up closed on Friday, November 14, about ten days before the parade. Entries compete for cash prizes of $150, $100 and $50 in commercial and non-commercial classes.
What is Festival of Trees in Sioux City?
Festival of Trees is a display of decorated trees in the atrium of the Ho-Chunk Centre at 600 4th Street. In 2025 it opened on November 24 and raised money for the Siouxland Humane Society. In 2018 the trees supported the Mary J. Treglia Community Center, so the cause changes from year to year.
Where can kids visit Santa in downtown Sioux City?
In 2025, Santa met children at the Art SUX Gallery at 515 4th Street after the tree lighting. In 2018, families visited Santa's House at 409 Nebraska Street from November 24 through December 20. Locations can change, so check our Sioux City Christmas events guide on this page for current plans.
How can kids send a letter to Santa in Sioux City?
Downtown Sioux City sets out a Letters to Santa mailbox at the Art SUX Gallery. In 2025 it opened on Saturday, November 1 and stayed through the holiday season, so children could drop off letters all season. Art SUX for Kids also ran a December event where kids wrote letters and decorated cookies.
What do Sioux City downtown businesses do on parade night?
Many hold open houses. In 2025 thirteen downtown spots listed treats or activities, from free hot chocolate and cookies to popcorn, candy canes and free board games at The Greatest Escape. The LaunchPAD Children's Museum offered free admission and cookies from 3 to 5 p.m., and the library had a paper ornament craft.
What can kids do at the Sioux City Public Library on parade night?
In 2025 the Aalfs Downtown Library at 529 Pierce Street joined the downtown open houses with a paper ornament craft, a life-size book tree and a storywalk. The storywalk lets kids read a picture book page by page while they walk, which makes it a gentle activity for little ones.
Is there a holiday storefront contest in Sioux City?
Yes. Downtown businesses decorate their windows, and the public votes. In 2025 businesses registered through November 3, voting ran from November 24 through December 22, and winners were announced on December 31. It gives families a reason to stroll downtown and pick their favorite display.
Does Sioux City have a sensory friendly way to watch the parade?
Yes. Organizers have set up accessible and sensory friendly viewing areas at the Sioux City Convention Center, with a sensory friendly space inside. In 2025 the accessible viewing area was free. This helps children who find loud floats and crowds overwhelming enjoy the lights at their own pace.
Are there Christmas movies for kids in downtown Sioux City?
In 2025 the RE/MAX City Centre movie series showed holiday films on Sundays: Elf and The Grinch on December 7, with a Merry Market, and Home Alone on December 14. The Sunday screenings gave families something to do after parade weekend. Dates change each year.
Are there free holiday art classes for kids in Sioux City?
In 2025 the Sioux City Art Center offered a free Winter Holiday Workshop on Saturday, December 6 at its Gilchrist Learning Center. It was aimed at ages 5 to 14, had sessions at 9:30 and 11 a.m., and required pre-registration. Check the Art Center for this year's plans.
How did the Sioux City parade feel in 2019?
It was crowded. Local radio station KWIT reported that the 2019 parade drew a large crowd downtown, with dozens of decorated floats and costumed characters. One parent who had attended for seven or eight years called it the busiest year she had seen. Santa arrived at the end to light the tree.
How do I explain the tree lighting to a young child?
Tell your child that Santa switches on the town tree to start the Christmas season. Watching the parade of lit floats along 4th Street first builds the excitement, and then the tree glows in front of the museum. Bring warm layers, since late November evenings in Sioux City are cold.
What is the Warming Shelter donation drive in Sioux City?
In 2018 the LaunchPAD Children's Museum offered free admission on parade night to families who donated hand warmers, socks or travel size toiletries for The Warming Shelter. Donation drives may vary by year, so check the current listing before you go with your family.
Where is the best place to watch the Sioux City parade with kids?
The route runs along 4th Street from Iowa Street to Nebraska Street, and the finish is at the Sioux City Public Museum. Downtown open houses were held on parade night in 2025. For little ones, the sensory friendly viewing area at the Convention Center is a calmer option.
Where is the Sioux City Public Museum?
The Sioux City Public Museum is at 607 4th Street, on the route of the IBEW Holiday Lighted Parade. At the end of the parade, Santa lights the community tree in front of the museum. Exact dates change each year, so check our Sioux City Christmas events guide on this page before you plan a visit.
How long has Santa's House been a Sioux City tradition?
We could not confirm a start year. We do know that in 2018 Santa's House at 409 Nebraska Street was open from November 24 through December 20, with evening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays and afternoon hours on weekends. Later years moved Santa visits to the Art SUX Gallery.
What makes Christmas in Sioux City special for kids?
It is a downtown celebration. One Monday evening brings a lighted parade, Santa lighting the tree, free children's museum admission, library crafts and cocoa stops, and the season continues with a letters to Santa mailbox, a storefront contest and a Festival of Trees.
Sources
- Downtown for the Holidays, Downtown Partners Sioux City
- IBEW Holiday Lighted Parade will shine bright in downtown, KSUX
- Holiday parade lights up downtown Sioux City, KWIT
- The holiday season starts in downtown Sioux City, Downtown Partners Sioux City
- November and December holiday events from Downtown Partners Sioux City, KTIV
- Downtown Partners and IBEW Local 231 prep for biggest Holiday Lighted Parade ever, Sioux City Public Museum