Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Southold for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events, all of them free. They are Come Meet Mrs. Claus (December 3) and Santa's Workshop (December 17). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New York Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Southold
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Southold
- All 2 are free: Come Meet Mrs. Claus and Santa's Workshop
- Season: December 3 (Come Meet Mrs. Claus) to December 17 (Santa's Workshop)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Free Christmas events for kids in Southold
Holiday story timeFree
Come Meet Mrs. Claus
- When: Thursday, December 3, 2026, 10 to 11 am
- Where: Southold Free Library, Children's Section, 53705 Main Rd, Southold, NY 11971 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, registration required
- Ages: 18 months to 4 years, with an adult
Expand to see the parent tip
Mrs. Claus visits the children's section of the Southold Free Library to read Christmas stories to preschoolers. Kids can say hello, pose for pictures with her and warm up with hot cocoa.
The visit is Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the library, 53705 Main Rd. Registration is required and closes at 10:00 a.m. that day, and the listing shows no charge. It is for children from 18 months to 4 years, and an adult must stay and take part, since drop-offs are not allowed.
Parent tip: Plan to sit with your child for the whole hour, because the library expects adults to join in. Let the cocoa cool before handing it to a toddler, and have your phone ready for the picture with Mrs. Claus.
- Host
- Southold Free Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Southold Free Library, Children's Section, 53705 Main Rd, Southold, NY 11971 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Southold events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Southold daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Southold.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Southold 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 Southold.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Southold 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 Crafts
- 1 Story time
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Southold every week.
Holiday craftsFree
Santa's Workshop
- When: Thursday, December 17, 2026, 4 to 5 pm
- Where: Southold Free Library, Community Room, 53705 Main Rd, Southold, NY 11971 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, registration required
- Ages: Grades 3 to 6
Expand to see the parent tip
This is a gift-wrapping workshop just for tweens. Kids bring presents for siblings, friends or family and learn to wrap them on their own, using paper, tape, ribbons and bows the library supplies, with Christmas music playing and hot cocoa on the side.
It meets Thursday, December 17, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Southold Free Library, 53705 Main Rd. Registration is required and closes at 4:00 p.m. that day, and the listing shows no charge. It is open to grades 3 through 6.
Parent tip: Have your child bring the gifts unwrapped, in a bag siblings cannot peek into, since the library provides only the wrapping supplies. Boxed or flat-sided presents are easiest for a first-time wrapper.
- Host
- Southold Free Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Southold Free Library, Community Room, 53705 Main Rd, Southold, NY 11971 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Southold events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Southold daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Southold.
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 York Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Southold Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Come Meet Mrs. Claus in Southold on December 3; the last runs to December 17. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Come Meet Mrs. ClausSouthold · Dec 3
- Santa's WorkshopSouthold · Dec 17
Looking further afield? Our New York Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Bohemia, West Islip, Wantagh and Mineola. 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 Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Southold
The hamlet of Southold was settled on October 21, 1640, by English Puritans from New Haven Colony, and most histories call it the first English settlement on Long Island in what became New York. Nearly four centuries later, its library on Main Road keeps December simple for kids, with a story hour with Mrs. Claus and a gift-wrapping workshop.
How Southold celebrates
The Christmas programs on file for Southold both come from the Southold Free Library at 53705 Main Rd. On Thursday, December 3, 2026, Mrs. Claus visits the children's section to read Christmas stories, pose for pictures and share hot cocoa with children from 18 months to 4 years and their adults. On Thursday, December 17, the library's Community Room becomes Santa's Workshop, where tweens in grades 3 to 6 learn to wrap gifts with supplies the library provides, to Christmas music. Both need registration and are listed at no charge. Main Road is the local name for New York State Route 25, the main route through the Town of Southold.
Fun facts about Christmas in Southold
Southold is both a hamlet and the larger town around it, one of ten towns in Suffolk County at the northeastern tip of Long Island's North Fork. The settlers bought the land in the summer of 1640 and spelled its Indian name Yennicott. The name Southold is believed to come from Southwold, the English coastal town where founding minister John Youngs grew up. The town had about 180 people in 1650 and 23,732 at the 2020 census.
Traditions today
- Come Meet Mrs. Claus: Mrs. Claus reads Christmas stories to preschoolers in the children's section of the Southold Free Library and stays for pictures and hot cocoa.
- Santa's Workshop for tweens: Students in grades 3 to 6 bring presents to the library and learn to wrap them with paper, ribbons and bows the library provides.
- Hot cocoa at the library: Both December programs at the Southold Free Library include hot cocoa.
- Main Road: The library stands on Main Road, the name used for New York State Route 25 across almost all of the Town of Southold.
A fact for kids
The Town of Southold is mostly water. It covers about 404 square miles, but only about 54 of them are land, and it has roughly 163 miles of coastline.
Questions about Christmas in Southold
When was Southold founded?
English Puritans from New Haven Colony settled in Southold on October 21, 1640, after buying the land that summer. In most histories Southold is reported as the first English settlement on Long Island in the future New York State.
How did Southold get its name?
The name is believed to be a shortened form of Southwold, a coastal town in the English county of Suffolk where founding minister John Youngs was born and raised. It may also refer to a holding to the south of New Haven, where the settlers came from.
Who founded Southold?
The settlement was led by the Reverend John Youngs, with Peter Hallock. It consisted of the families of Barnabas Horton, John Budd, John Conklin, John Swazy, William Wells, John Tuthill and Matthias Corwin, who came from New Haven Colony.
Is Southold a town or a hamlet?
Both. The Town of Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County and lies on the North Fork of Long Island and includes Plum Island and Fishers Island. Inside it is a hamlet also named Southold, along with places such as Cutchogue, Mattituck, Peconic, Orient and the village of Greenport.
Does a train go to Southold?
Yes. The Long Island Rail Road's Main Line is the only rail line in the Town of Southold, with stations at Mattituck, Southold and Greenport for trips toward New York City. The line is also used by the Railroad Museum of Long Island.
What was Southold known for growing?
The area was agricultural and long dominated by potato farming. In the late 20th century, large areas of the North Fork were redeveloped as vineyards, and this part of Long Island now has a wine industry.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Southold?
The Southold Free Library lists two programs for 2026. Come Meet Mrs. Claus, with Christmas stories, pictures and hot cocoa for ages 18 months to 4 years, is Thursday, December 3, at 10:00 a.m. Santa's Workshop, a gift-wrapping session for grades 3 to 6, is Thursday, December 17, at 4:00 p.m.
Where are the Christmas programs held?
Both are at the Southold Free Library, 53705 Main Rd. The Mrs. Claus story hour is in the children's section, and Santa's Workshop is in the Community Room. Main Road is the local name for New York State Route 25, the main west to east route through the town.
Who organizes the Christmas programs?
The Southold Free Library runs both and takes registration on its events calendar. Christine Weiss is listed as presenter for Come Meet Mrs. Claus, with Dana Bruey as the contact, and Santa's Workshop is led by Miss Nicole, with Nicole Gomez as the contact.
Are the library's Christmas programs free?
Both are listed at no charge, and both require registration. Sign-up for Come Meet Mrs. Claus closes at 10:00 a.m. on December 3, 2026, and sign-up for Santa's Workshop closes at 4:00 p.m. on December 17.
Sources
- Southold, New York, Wikipedia
- Come Meet Mrs. Claus, Southold Free Library
- Santa's Workshop, Southold Free Library
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 New York city.
Southold Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Southold?
The Southold Free Library has one for each end of childhood in 2026. Come Meet Mrs. Claus, a story hour with photos and hot cocoa for ages 18 months to 4 years, is Thursday, December 3, at 10:00 a.m. Santa's Workshop, a gift-wrapping session for grades 3 to 6, is Thursday, December 17, at 4:00 p.m.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Southold?
Both library programs are listed at no charge. Come Meet Mrs. Claus on December 3, 2026, and Santa's Workshop on December 17 each require registration through the Southold Free Library's events calendar. For the workshop, the library supplies the wrapping paper, tape, ribbons and bows.
Where can kids meet Santa or Mrs. Claus in Southold?
Mrs. Claus visits the children's section of the Southold Free Library on Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. to read Christmas stories and pose for pictures. Despite its name, Santa's Workshop on December 17 is a gift-wrapping class, and the page does not mention a Santa visit.
Which Southold holiday events need registration?
Both do. Registration for Come Meet Mrs. Claus closes at 10:00 a.m. on December 3, 2026, the start of the program. Registration for Santa's Workshop closes at 4:00 p.m. on December 17. Sign up on the Southold Free Library's events calendar.
Is there a Christmas activity for tweens in Southold?
Yes. Santa's Workshop on Thursday, December 17, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. is for grades 3 through 6. Tweens bring gifts for family or friends and learn to wrap them with supplies from the library, with Christmas music and hot cocoa.
Can I drop my child off at the Mrs. Claus story time?
No. The Southold Free Library says the December 3, 2026, program is designed for children and accompanying adults, and drop-offs are not permitted. Plan to stay and take part with your child, who should be between 18 months and 4 years old.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Southold?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New York Christmas train rides guide. This Southold guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.
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 every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
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.