Christmas Events for Kids in Surrey (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the free Christmas events for kids in Surrey for 2026. Historic Stewart Farm hosts a lantern-lit Victorian Christmas Evening with Father Christmas on Saturday, December 5, plus a Deck the Halls craft weekend on December 5 and 6, and the covered rink at Surrey Civic Plaza adds holiday skating on December 4 and 5. Every date comes from the City of Surrey’s own event pages. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Surrey

  • 3 free Christmas events for kids in Surrey
  • Victorian Christmas Evening: Saturday, December 5, 4 to 7 pm
  • Deck the Halls: December 5 and 6, noon to 4:30 pm
  • Holiday skating at Civic Plaza: December 4 and 5
  • More farm weekends: December 12 to 13 and 19 to 20

Free Christmas events for kids in Surrey

Father ChristmasFree

Victorian Christmas Evening at Historic Stewart Farm

Expand to see the parent tip

The 1894 farmhouse on Crescent Road is dressed for an old-fashioned Christmas, with gingerbread in the air, harp music in the parlour and woodstove-baked treats to nibble.

Kids make a homemade lantern in Stewart Hall, then carry it out to the pole barn for a rustic photo with Father Christmas while costumed re-enactors sing carols.

Parent tip: It gets dark by 4:30 pm in early December, so the lantern craft is worth doing first and carrying outside for the walk to the barn.

Host
City of Surrey, Historic Stewart Farm (opens in a new tab)
Address
Historic Stewart Farm, 13723 Crescent Road, Surrey, BC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Surrey, Historic Stewart Farm (opens in a new tab)

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Heritage farm holidayFree

Deck the Halls at Historic Stewart Farm

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Deck the Halls is a free weekend afternoon at the farm with a Victorian Christmas scavenger hunt through the decorated farmhouse, a chestnut roasting demo and a mini cookie from the kitchen.

Over in Stewart Hall children can make paper Santa ornaments, tissue paper wreaths or Christmas cards, and there is a holiday photo spot in the barn before you head home.

Parent tip: Miss this weekend? The farm runs Homemade Holidays on December 12 and 13 and Let’s Celebrate on December 19 and 20, also noon to 4:30 pm.

Host
City of Surrey, Historic Stewart Farm (opens in a new tab)
Address
Historic Stewart Farm, 13723 Crescent Road, Surrey, BC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Surrey, Historic Stewart Farm (opens in a new tab)

New Surrey events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Surrey daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Surrey.

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Outdoor skatingFree

Holiday Memories Skating at Civic Plaza

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The covered outdoor rink at Surrey Civic Plaza turns festive for two sessions, with acoustic covers of holiday classics both nights and a photobooth with custom holiday backdrops on Friday.

Skating is free if you bring your own skates, and rentals are $5 a pair, which makes it one of the cheapest December outings in the city centre.

Parent tip: The plaza sits beside Surrey Central SkyTrain Station, so transit saves you hunting for parking on a busy December evening.

Host
City of Surrey (opens in a new tab)
Address
Surrey Civic Plaza, 13450 104 Ave, Surrey, BC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Surrey (opens in a new tab)

New Surrey events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Surrey daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Surrey.

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? 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 Surrey Christmas event for kids happens

Make December 5 your Surrey Christmas day: Deck the Halls crafts at Historic Stewart Farm in the afternoon, then stay for Victorian Christmas Evening and Father Christmas at 4 pm.

Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Vancouver, Abbotsford, Nanaimo and Victoria. 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.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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 Amazon (opens in a new tab)

The story of Christmas in Surrey

Every November, Surrey's mayor flips the switch on a 60-foot Christmas tree in Civic Plaza, and in 2025 the festival around it added the city's first outdoor ice rink. In Bear Creek Park, a miniature Christmas train winds through a forest of lights where the Grinch has been known to lurk.

A 60-foot tree, 25,000 visitors and a record $705,258 Evening of Giving in 2024

The Surrey Tree Lighting Festival and Holiday Market is the City's big Christmas kickoff at Surrey Civic Plaza, beside City Hall and the Surrey Central SkyTrain station. The 14th annual festival in November 2024 drew more than 25,000 people over two days. Mayor and Council lit Surrey's 60-foot Christmas tree on the Saturday evening, and it stayed lit until January 2, 2025.

That weekend had more than 50 performers, including Olympic breaking champion Phil Wizard and the Surrey Children's Choir, free rides on Enchanted Boulevard along University Drive, a Ferris wheel and letters to Santa. At the Mayor's Evening of Giving, the Surrey Fire Fighters' Charitable Society received a record $705,258, and a toy drive collected gifts for the Surrey Christmas Bureau.

The first outdoor ice rink at the 15th Tree Lighting Festival in 2025

The 15th annual festival in November 2025 debuted Surrey's first-ever outdoor ice rink, and more than 20,000 guests skated for free beneath the holiday lights. Mayor Brenda Locke and Council lit the 60-foot tree on the Saturday evening, and it stayed lit at Civic Plaza until January 2, 2026. Four stages hosted O Come All Ye Soulful with Dawn Pemberton and Jodi Proznick and a Sunday show called Divas: A Holiday Disco.

The rink then opened to everyone as Skating at Civic Plaza from December 1, 2025, to February 16, 2026, with free admission. The 2026 festival is on November 21 and 22, from noon to 8 pm, with free outdoor skating, photos with Santa and a sensory-friendly space, and Holiday Memories Skating follows on December 4 and 5.

Father Christmas in the pole barn and roasted chestnuts at Historic Stewart Farm

At Historic Stewart Farm on Crescent Road, Christmas is celebrated the old-fashioned way. During the Victorian Christmas Evening, the rustically decorated farmhouse smells of gingerbread, harpist Leanne Page plays in the parlour, children make homemade lanterns in Stewart Hall and carry them to the pole barn for a photo with Father Christmas, and costumed re-enactors sing carols. In 2025 it was held on December 6, and in 2026 it is on December 5 from 4 to 7 pm.

At Deck the Halls on December 5 and 6, 2026, families take a Victorian Christmas scavenger hunt, watch chestnuts roasting, taste a mini cookie and learn to make popcorn strings and pomanders. In 2025 the farm's Victorian Christmas weekends ran on six December days.

Bear Creek Park's Christmas Train, the Santa Express and a Grinch night ride

The Bear Creek Christmas Train is a miniature train ride through the enchanted forest of Bear Creek Park, 13750 88 Avenue, lit with colourful lights and holiday displays. In the 2025 season it ran until December 31. The daytime Santa Express, open daily from 10 am to 5 pm at $12.50 a person, included crafts, treats and a photo with Santa.

After dark, the Christmas Night Train ran from December 3 to 28, 2025, Wednesday to Sunday from 6 to 9 pm, with holiday music and a chance to spot the Grinch. Tickets for the night train are sold online at bctrains.com, while day tickets are bought on site.

Traditions today

  • Surrey Tree Lighting Festival: Two free days at Civic Plaza with the lighting of the 60-foot tree, a holiday market, Santa photos and skating. In 2026 it is November 21 and 22.
  • Victorian Christmas at Stewart Farm: Lantern making, harp music, carolling re-enactors and Father Christmas in the pole barn at the heritage farm on Crescent Road.
  • Bear Creek Christmas Train: A mini-train ride through lit forest in Bear Creek Park, with a Santa Express by day and a Christmas Night Train after dark.
  • Christmas Tree Fest at the Museum of Surrey: About 36 trees decorated by local businesses and groups during WinterFest in Cloverdale, where visitors vote for their favourites. The event was once called the Cloverdale Christmas Tree Festival.
  • Mayor's Evening of Giving: A fundraiser held with the Tree Lighting Festival for the Surrey Fire Fighters' Charitable Society, which raised a record $705,258 in 2024.

A fact for kids

At Historic Stewart Farm's Victorian Christmas Evening, kids make their own lanterns and carry them out to a barn to meet Father Christmas, the old-fashioned name for Santa.

Questions about Christmas in Surrey

When is the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival in 2026?

The Surrey Tree Lighting Festival and Holiday Market is on November 21 and 22, 2026, from noon to 8 pm at Surrey Civic Plaza, 13450 104 Avenue. Admission is free, with outdoor ice skating, photos with Santa, performers, a holiday market and Enchanted Eats food. The site is next to Surrey Central SkyTrain station.

How tall is the Surrey Christmas tree at Civic Plaza?

Surrey's Christmas tree at Civic Plaza is 60 feet tall. Mayor and Council flip the switch on the Saturday evening of the Tree Lighting Festival, and the tree stays lit through the holidays. After the 2025 festival it remained lit until January 2, 2026.

How many people go to the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival?

The 14th annual Christmas festival in 2024 drew more than 25,000 attendees to Civic Plaza over one weekend, and the 15th in 2025 welcomed more than 20,000 guests, many of whom skated on the new outdoor rink. Expect crowds on the Saturday evening when the tree is lit.

What was new at the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival in 2025?

The 15th annual festival in November 2025 featured the City's first-ever outdoor ice rink, with free skating beneath the holiday lights. The 2025 Christmas weekend also had four stages, a Holiday Market with more than 25 local artisans, a Ferris wheel and light displays for photos.

Is there free skating at Surrey Civic Plaza at Christmas?

Yes. After debuting at the 2025 Tree Lighting Festival, the outdoor rink opened as Skating at Civic Plaza from December 1, 2025, to February 16, 2026, with free admission if you bring skates and a helmet, or rentals on site. In 2026 Holiday Memories Skating runs December 4 and 5, with $5 skate rentals.

Who performed at the 2024 Surrey Tree Lighting Festival?

More than 50 artists performed at the 2024 Christmas festival, including a fire show called Ember's Awakening, a dance party with DJ Flipout and a breaking demonstration by 2024 Olympic gold medallist Phil Wizard. Surrey artists Karima Essa, Rangla Punjab Arts, Salish Secondary Dance and the Surrey Children's Choir also took the stage.

What is the Mayor's Evening of Giving in Surrey?

The Mayor's Evening of Giving is an annual fundraiser tied to the Christmas tree lighting. In 2024, Mayor Brenda Locke presented the Surrey Fire Fighters' Charitable Society with a record $705,258 at the festival, money that supports programs like the Nutritional Snack Program for Surrey children. The event raised more than $1.2 million over two years.

How do I book Santa photos at the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival?

Photos with Santa at the Tree Lighting Festival are booked in advance through the festival's Santa ticket site, with timed slots. On the day, go to the Santa's Workshop tent on the plaza with your ticket confirmation and arrive 5 to 10 minutes before your slot. The 2026 Santa photos are sponsored by KPU.

Is there a sensory-friendly space at the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival?

Yes. The Surrey Tree Lighting Festival offers a sensory-friendly space, along with accessible washrooms and parking, so children who need a break from the music and crowds have somewhere calmer to go during the Christmas festivities at Civic Plaza.

What happens at the Victorian Christmas Evening at Stewart Farm?

Families step into the rustically decorated farmhouse with the smell of gingerbread, hear harpist Leanne Page in the parlour and snack on woodstove baked treats. Kids make lanterns in Stewart Hall, then take a photo with Father Christmas in the pole barn while re-enactors sing carols. In 2026 it is Saturday, December 5, from 4 to 7 pm, free.

When was Victorian Christmas Evening at Historic Stewart Farm in 2025?

In 2025 the Victorian Christmas Evening at Historic Stewart Farm was held on Saturday, December 6, from 4 to 7 pm, with harp music, lantern making and Father Christmas in the pole barn. The farm also held Victorian Christmas days on December 6 and 7, 13 and 14, and 20 and 21, 2025.

What Christmas crafts can kids make at Historic Stewart Farm?

At Deck the Halls on December 5 and 6, 2026, kids can make paper Santa ornaments, tissue paper wreaths or Christmas cards in Stewart Hall, and learn to make popcorn strings and decorative pomanders in the farmhouse kitchen. More Christmas craft days follow with Homemade Holidays on December 12 and 13 and Let's Celebrate on December 19 and 20.

Can we see chestnuts roasting in Surrey at Christmas?

Yes. Deck the Halls at Historic Stewart Farm, 13723 Crescent Road, includes a live chestnut roasting demonstration in the farmhouse kitchen, along with a mini cookie tasting and a Victorian Christmas scavenger hunt. It runs December 5 and 6, 2026, from noon to 4:30 pm and is free.

How much is the Bear Creek Park Christmas Train?

In the 2025 Christmas season, the daytime Santa Express at Bear Creek Park cost $12.50 per person, bought on site, and ran seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm with crafts, treats and a photo with Santa. Christmas Night Train tickets were sold online at bctrains.com.

When does the Bear Creek Christmas Night Train run?

In 2025 the Christmas Night Train at Bear Creek Park ran from December 3 to 28, Wednesday to Sunday, from 6 to 9 pm, with holiday music, lit forest displays and a chance to spot the Grinch. The day train ran until December 31. Check bctrains.com for the 2026 Christmas schedule.

What is WinterFest at the Museum of Surrey?

WinterFest is the Museum of Surrey's Christmas season in Cloverdale, with about 36 trees decorated by local businesses and community groups, holiday scavenger hunts and crafts. Visitors vote for their favourite tree. In 2026 it runs November 21 to December 19, with Sensory Santa on November 28 and Merry Makers crafts on December 12. Admission is free.

What was the Cloverdale Christmas Tree Festival?

The Cloverdale Christmas Tree Festival was the earlier name for the Christmas tree display at the Museum of Surrey. It is now the Christmas Tree Fest, one part of the museum's WinterFest, where local businesses and groups decorate trees and visitors vote. In 2026 the Tree Fest opens November 21.

Where can we see millions of Christmas lights in Surrey?

Noel Surrey with the Magic of Bright Nights at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, 17905 62 Avenue, has millions of lights on trees and tunnels, a Christmas Market, photo spots and fire pits. In 2025 it ran to December 28, and every ticket helped support the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund.

Is there a big Christmas store in Surrey?

Yes. Potters Christmas Store in Surrey is described as Western Canada's largest Christmas store, and it transforms into a holiday wonderland each December. In 2025 it was open until December 24, and it makes a fun stop for kids who love browsing ornaments and decorations.

Is there a gingerbread contest in Surrey?

Yes. The Downtown Surrey BIA runs a Christmas Gingerbread Village at 10153 King George Boulevard, where the community helps crown the year's Gingerbread Star. Details are posted at downtownsurreybia.com under Events, and it was one of the city's featured festive outings in December 2025.

What is a good Christmas plan for kids in Surrey?

Start at the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival on November 21 or 22, 2026, then spend Saturday, December 5 at Historic Stewart Farm for Deck the Halls crafts and Victorian Christmas Evening, and finish with a Bear Creek Christmas Train ride. More B.C. dates are in our Canada Christmas events guide.

Sources

  1. Surrey Tree Lighting Festival and Holiday Market kicks off the holiday season, City of Surrey
  2. New outdoor ice rink debuts at 15th annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival and Holiday Market, Surrey Tree Lighting Festival
  3. Surrey Tree Lighting Festival, City of Surrey
  4. Visitor Information, Santa Photos, Surrey Tree Lighting Festival
  5. Victorian Christmas Evening, City of Surrey
  6. Deck the Halls, City of Surrey
  7. Victorian Christmas Evening, December 6, Arts Council of Surrey
  8. 8 ways to get festive in Surrey, West Coast Traveller
  9. WinterFest and the Cloverdale Christmas Tree Festival at the Museum of Surrey, Vancouver's Best Places

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.

Surrey Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Surrey this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 free Christmas events for kids in Surrey for 2026, all on the City of Surrey site: Victorian Christmas Evening at Historic Stewart Farm on December 5, Deck the Halls on December 5 and 6, and Holiday Memories Skating at Civic Plaza on December 4 and 5.

Where can kids see Father Christmas in Surrey?

At Victorian Christmas Evening at Historic Stewart Farm, 13723 Crescent Road, on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4 to 7 pm. Photos with Father Christmas are in the pole barn and the evening is free.

Is Deck the Halls at Stewart Farm free?

Yes. Deck the Halls runs December 5 and 6, 2026, from noon to 4:30 pm with free crafts, a scavenger hunt and kitchen demos. Homemade Holidays (December 12 and 13) and Let’s Celebrate (December 19 and 20) follow on later weekends.

Is skating free at Surrey Civic Plaza in December?

Yes, if you bring your own skates. Rentals are $5 a pair. Holiday Memories Skating runs Friday, December 4, 3:30 to 6 pm and Saturday, December 5, 5:30 to 8 pm.

Who do I contact about Surrey holiday events?

For Stewart Farm events, email stewartfarm@surrey.ca or call 604-591-4627. For Civic Plaza skating, email communityenhancement@surrey.ca.

Are there more Christmas events near Surrey?

Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, 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 city or tourism calendar. We last checked Surrey 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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