Rally is researching the season
Christmas with kids in Springdale
In Springdale, Christmas begins downtown at Shiloh Square, where a big tree is lit, a parade follows and kids write letters to Santa at the train station. Organizers say the tree is the largest live Christmas tree in the state.
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The story of Christmas in Springdale
How Springdale celebrates
Christmas on the Creek is the heart of the season in Springdale. The Downtown Springdale Alliance organizes it around Shiloh Square on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, with a kids zone, Santa photos, live music and a tree lighting followed by the Christmas Parade of the Ozarks. The 2021 event was the sixth year, which points to a start in the mid-2010s. Organizers have said the tree is the largest live Christmas tree in the state, and the whole day grew out of a wish to bring neighbors back downtown.
Christmas last year in Springdale
Christmas on the Creek on Saturday, November 29, 2025 ran from noon to 7 p.m. There was a kids zone with crafts, free Santa photos at the train station, where visitors could write letters to Santa, and multicultural performances at Shiloh Square on the hour from noon to 5 p.m. The tree lighting came at 5:30 p.m., followed by a parade from 6 to 7 p.m. On December 12, the International Cocoa Crawl served cocoa creations from around the world from 5 to 8 p.m., with advance tickets at $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12.
Fun facts about Christmas in Springdale
More than 20 businesses join the International Hot Cocoa Crawl, and each pours a cocoa inspired by flavors from another part of the world. The Emma Exchange Artisan Market has more than 40 local vendors. Local businesses once donated decorated Christmas trees for an auction that raised money for activities at Springdale junior high schools, and a Parade of Trees stayed up all season in 2021. Visitors come from Fayetteville, Bentonville and Rogers. Even the Shiloh Museum joins in with free hot cocoa and a scavenger hunt.
Trains and Christmas in Springdale
Springdale's Christmas has a railroad thread. Santa photos happen at the train station during Christmas on the Creek, and the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad turns its vintage railcars into holiday trains after Thanksgiving, with hot chocolate, snacks and Santa visiting each car. The railroad is a working freight line that also runs vintage passenger excursions from Springdale. Farther south, the Fort Smith Trolley Museum lets families ride an authentic 1926 Birney streetcar and see Frisco steam locomotive 4003 in its car barn.
- Arkansas & Missouri Railroad: A working freight railroad based in Springdale that runs vintage passenger excursions, including a holiday train after Thanksgiving.
- Fort Smith Trolley Museum: Kids can ride an authentic 1926 Birney streetcar and see a Frisco steam locomotive in the car barn.
Traditions today
- Christmas on the Creek: A downtown Springdale festival on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, with a kids zone, Santa photos, music, a food court and a tree lighting.
- Tree lighting at Shiloh Square: The mayor lights a big live tree at 5:30 p.m. on festival day, and organizers say it is the largest live Christmas tree in the state.
- Christmas Parade of the Ozarks: Holiday floats and local performers roll through downtown Springdale after the tree lighting.
- International Hot Cocoa Crawl: More than 20 businesses serve cocoa creations inspired by flavors from around the world, and tickets include a signature mug.
- Letters to Santa at the train station: Kids visit Santa at the train station and write letters to him during Christmas on the Creek.
- Arkansas & Missouri Christmas Train: Vintage railcars become holiday trains with hot chocolate, snacks and Santa visiting each car after Thanksgiving.
A fact for kids
In Springdale, kids can mail their Christmas wishes the old-fashioned way. At the train station during Christmas on the Creek, they write letters to Santa.
Questions about Christmas in Springdale
What is Christmas on the Creek in Springdale?
Christmas on the Creek is Springdale's big downtown holiday festival, held around Shiloh Square on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It has a kids zone with crafts, Santa photos, live music, local shopping, a tree lighting and a parade. See our Springdale Christmas events guide on this page for this year's details.
When did Christmas on the Creek start?
An organizer said the 2021 festival was its sixth year, so it began in the mid-2010s. The 2020 event was shortened for social distancing, and 2021 was the largest yet, with more vendors and more hot cocoa crawlers. It has since grown into the city's main Christmas tradition downtown.
Who organizes Christmas on the Creek?
The Downtown Springdale Alliance organizes it. The group's mission is to promote and enhance a vibrant downtown through events that bring people together. The festival was created to draw neighbors back downtown, and visitors come from Fayetteville, Bentonville and Rogers as well as Springdale.
Where is the Springdale Christmas tree?
The tree lighting takes place downtown at Shiloh Square, and in 2025 it was held at 5:30 p.m. on Christmas on the Creek day, presented by the mayor. Check our Springdale Christmas events guide on this page for this year's time and place before you head downtown.
Is Springdale's tree really the largest live Christmas tree in Arkansas?
That is what organizers have said. At an early Christmas on the Creek, they described the lit tree as the largest live Christmas tree in the state. We could not find a published height, so treat it as a local claim, and ask your kids to guess how tall it is.
What is the Christmas Parade of the Ozarks?
It is the parade that follows the tree lighting at Christmas on the Creek, with holiday floats and local performers. In 2025 it ran from 6 to 7 p.m. In 2024 the parade was hosted by Rodeo of the Ozarks and was free to watch, with no tickets needed.
What time was the Springdale Christmas parade last year?
In 2025 the parade ran from 6 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 29, right after the 5:30 p.m. tree lighting. In 2024 the evening ran from 6 to 8 p.m. on November 30. Arriving early helps, so see our Springdale Christmas events guide on this page for this year's times.
Where can kids see Santa during Christmas on the Creek?
In 2025, free Santa photos were offered at the train station from noon to 5 p.m., and kids could write letters to Santa there too. Santa and festive characters also appear around Shiloh Square. See our Springdale Christmas events guide on this page for where to find him this year.
What is there for kids at Christmas on the Creek?
There is a kids zone with crafts on Lower Turnbow, free Santa photos, performances at Shiloh Square every hour from noon to 5 p.m. and a food court off Holcomb Street. In an earlier year kids also made ornaments and wrote letters to Santa. The parade finishes the day.
What is the International Hot Cocoa Crawl?
It is a ticketed downtown event where more than 20 businesses serve cocoas inspired by flavors from around the world. In 2025 it ran on December 12 from 5 to 8 p.m., with a signature mug for ticket holders and a sofa experience at Shiloh Square. Advance tickets were $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12.
How much were Cocoa Crawl tickets in 2025?
Advance tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12, and tickets on the day were higher. Tickets could also be bought at the Mile 16 check-in. Prices change each year, so check our Springdale Christmas events guide on this page for this season's details.
What is the Emma Exchange?
The Emma Exchange is an artisan market in downtown Springdale that runs during Christmas on the Creek, with more than 40 local vendors. Shoppers find handmade gifts from local makers and artisans. It sits among the music, food and Santa photos that fill Shiloh Square on festival day.
What does the Shiloh Museum do at Christmas?
The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History has held a free Ozark Bookshelf Holiday Bash, a museum store open house with free hot cocoa, discounts and a scavenger hunt with prizes, timed to coincide with Christmas on the Creek. In 2024 it ran from noon to 4 p.m. on November 30.
How did downtown Springdale get its Christmas trees?
Local businesses donated decorated Christmas trees for an auction held at an early Christmas on the Creek, and the money went to activities and groups at Springdale's junior high schools. In 2021 a Parade of Trees stayed up all season, and live music played at businesses on the square through December.
Why did Springdale start Christmas on the Creek?
Executive Director Misty Murphy said the early festival aimed to bring people back to downtown and rebuild the community spirit it had lost in recent years. Organizers hoped it would become a lasting tradition, and today it is the city's signature holiday event, drawing visitors from across Northwest Arkansas.
How can I explain a tree lighting to my kids?
Tell them that the whole town gathers in the dark, counts down together and then the big tree glows. At Shiloh Square the mayor presents the lighting, and a parade follows. Ask kids to count how many colors they can see, and remind them it is fine to cover their ears if the crowd gets loud.
Is there a Christmas train in Springdale?
Yes. The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad turns vintage railcars into holiday trains, usually starting the Friday after Thanksgiving and running through December. Riders get hot chocolate and snacks, and Santa visits each car for a chat and photos. See our Springdale Christmas events guide on this page for this year's schedule.
Which railroad is based in Springdale?
The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad is a working freight railroad in northwest Arkansas. It also runs vintage passenger excursions from Springdale and Van Buren over the Boston Mountains. For families it is a way to connect Springdale's Christmas season with the region's railroad history.
Is there a trolley museum near Springdale?
The nearest trolley museum on our list is the Fort Smith Trolley Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Families can ride an authentic 1926 Birney streetcar and look around a car barn with Frisco steam locomotive 4003 and vintage buses. It is open Friday to Sunday, so check hours before you go.
Where can kids see Christmas lights in Springdale?
The lights at downtown Springdale shine most during Christmas on the Creek, when the big tree is lit at Shiloh Square. Northwest Arkansas also has other light displays, so see our Springdale Christmas events guide on this page for this season's confirmed dates and nearby family events.
Sources
- Downtown Springdale Alliance prepares for upcoming holiday festivities, KUAF Ozarks at Large
- Family-Friendly Holiday Traditions in Springdale, Arkansas.com
- Hundreds head to Springdale for Christmas on the Creek, KNWA FOX24
- Downtown Springdale begins new holiday tradition with tree lighting, 5NEWS
- Christmas on the Creek: Downtown Springdale Christmas Parade, Fayetteville Macaroni Kid
- Ozark Bookshelf Holiday Bash, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
- Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, Rally Takes the Train
- Fort Smith Trolley Museum, Rally Takes the Train