Rally is researching the season
Christmas with kids in Tyler
In Tyler, one child gets to light the city's Christmas tree each year, a tradition that goes back to 1987. The Rose City's holiday parade is older still, and has been marching for more than 70 years.
2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
We are confirming this season's Christmas events in Tyler with every host. Subscribe and we'll email you the day they are released.
Free. One email a week with new events in Tyler. Unsubscribe anytime.
Already confirmed in Tyler
1 events confirmed so far; more are coming.
A Pineywoods Christmas
When: Sat, Dec 12, 5 to 9 pm
Where: Tyler State Park, Tyler
Cost: Free entrance (food bank donation encouraged)
The story of Christmas in Tyler
How Tyler celebrates
Tyler's Christmas parade is one of its oldest traditions. A 2015 Tyler Morning Telegraph story said it had been around for more than 70 years, with Tyler Junior College students building big balloons in the 1940s. The downtown tree lighting follows the parade, and since 1987 a Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Miracle Child has lit the tree. Over the decades the square has had a towering tinsel tree in the 1950s, a Santa's Rocket Ship bus that carried dozens of children at a time, and a Santa's house built in 1963.
Christmas last year in Tyler
In 2025 the Rose City Christmas Parade moved to a new location. It started at 6:30 p.m. on December 4 at Rose Stadium, lined up on West Houston Street and headed west to Fair Park Drive. The tree lighting that followed was the 40th annual ceremony. Tyler State Park also held A Pineywoods Christmas, and on December 13 families came to Breakfast with Santa at the Glass Recreation Center from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. On December 6, UT Tyler's Junior Detective Academy invited kids ages 5 to 12 to solve clues in a Christmas cottage mystery.
Fun facts about Christmas in Tyler
Tyler's city tree is a 30-foot artificial tree that stands on the downtown square at 110 N. College Ave. Its branches and steel frame are stored for 11 months of the year, and a parks crew in bucket trucks decorates it in silver, gold and a touch of red. A drone show has lit the sky after the ceremony. In old Tyler, children most often asked Santa for bicycles and dolls, and cowboy outfits and boots were a surprisingly common request too.
Traditions today
- Rose City Christmas Parade: A holiday parade with a history of more than 70 years, now run by the Rotary Clubs of Tyler and held on a December evening.
- Miracle Child tree lighting: A Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Miracle Child lights Tyler's downtown tree, a custom since 1987.
- The 30-foot city tree: An artificial tree on the downtown square, decorated each year with silver, gold and a touch of red.
- Breakfast with Santa: The city's parks department holds a come-and-go morning with Santa at the Glass Recreation Center.
- A Pineywoods Christmas: Tyler State Park lights its camping loops, with ranger story times and holiday crafts.
- Santa Land lights: A drive-through display of millions of lights with a Tunnel of Lights, listed by Visit Tyler.
A fact for kids
Tyler's big Christmas tree is stored in pieces for 11 months and then built again every year by a crew working from bucket trucks.
Questions about Christmas in Tyler
How old is the Tyler Christmas parade?
Tyler's Christmas parade is more than 70 years old. A 2015 Tyler Morning Telegraph story said it had been around for over seven decades, though even the city archives manager did not know exactly when the holiday committee began. The parade was billed as the 30th annual that year, even though it is much older.
Who lights the Christmas tree in Tyler?
A Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Miracle Child lights Tyler's tree each year, and the tradition goes back to 1987. In a recent ceremony, nine-year-old Luna Cruz of Mineola did the honors. Kids like the idea that a child, not a grown-up, gets to flip the switch for the whole city.
Where is Tyler's city Christmas tree?
The city's 30-foot Christmas tree stands on the downtown square at 110 N. College Ave. One recent lighting took place at the T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza downtown. For this year's schedule, see our Tyler Christmas events guide on this page, since locations can change from one year to the next.
Is Tyler's Christmas tree real?
No, it is an artificial tree. The city began using one in 2023, and 2024 was the second year. Its branches and steel frame are stored for 11 months of the year, and a parks crew installs it with bucket trucks. The city says it is more sustainable and takes less labor and time.
What was Santa's Rocket Ship in Tyler?
Santa's Rocket Ship was a festive bus that gave rides to dozens of children at a time during Tyler's old holiday seasons, according to a 2015 newspaper story. It is a charming reminder that Tyler's Christmas traditions have long been built around kids and their wish lists for Santa.
Did Tyler really have a tinsel tree?
Yes. For a few years in the 1950s, the city displayed a towering tinsel tree on the square, according to a 2015 Tyler Morning Telegraph story. You can tell kids that Tyler once had a shiny silver tree long before today's silver and gold decorations.
What was Santa's house in Tyler?
Santa's house was a structure on the Tyler square built in 1963 and designed by Shirley Simons Jr. Clanahan Construction supplied the materials at cost. It gave children a place to meet Santa for decades, and its story shows how local businesses helped build the city's Christmas traditions.
What did Tyler kids ask Santa for long ago?
Children most often asked Santa for bicycles and dolls, according to a 2015 look back at Tyler's holiday history. Cowboy outfits and boots were also a surprisingly common request. It is a fun question to ask your own kids: what would they have asked for?
Who runs the Tyler Christmas parade now?
The Rotary Clubs of Tyler present the Rose City Christmas Parade, and a 2015 story noted that the Rotary Club had recently taken over. Before that, the Tyler chamber of commerce raised money from local businesses for holiday decorations and the parade, rather than using city funds.
Where was the 2025 Tyler Christmas parade?
The 2025 parade moved to Rose Stadium and started at 6:30 p.m. on December 4. It lined up on West Houston Street and headed west to Fair Park Drive. The 40th annual tree lighting followed at the W.T. Brookshire Center. Our Tyler Christmas events guide on this page has this season's schedule.
How many years has Tyler held its tree lighting ceremony?
The 2024 ceremony was the 39th annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, and the 2025 ceremony was the 40th. It follows the Rose City Christmas Parade and features a Miracle Child, performers and photos with Santa. A drone show has also lit the sky above downtown.
What is the Miracle Child tradition?
The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals names a Miracle Child to light Tyler's tree each year, and the custom dates to 1987. A recent Miracle Child was nine-year-old Luna Cruz. It is a way to honor children who have been helped by a hospital and to give them a starring role.
Did Tyler have a drone show at Christmas?
Yes, a recent privately funded drone show followed the tree lighting, with drones forming holiday and Tyler-themed shapes in the night sky. Mayor Don Warren noted the city did not pay for it. Check our Tyler Christmas events guide on this page to see if a show is planned this year.
What is A Pineywoods Christmas?
A Pineywoods Christmas is an evening at Tyler State Park where the camping loops are lit up for a drive or walk. The park offers ranger story times, holiday crafts, stargazing and cocoa. Visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable food for the East Texas Food Bank, which turns a night out into a kindness project.
Is there Breakfast with Santa in Tyler?
Yes, Tyler Parks and Recreation has held a come-and-go Breakfast with Santa at the Glass Recreation Center. In 2025 it ran on Saturday, December 13, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., with activities while supplies lasted. See our Tyler Christmas events guide on this page for the dates this season.
What is the Junior Detective Academy at UT Tyler?
It is a holiday mystery adventure for children ages 5 to 12 and their families at the UT Tyler Health Science Center. In 2025 kids moved through themed cottages solving clues in Operation Save Christmas, with refreshments, lawn games and a photo booth. It cost $10 per person or $25 per family.
Are there Christmas lights to see in Tyler?
Visit Tyler lists Santa Land, a drive-through display of millions of lights with animated displays and a Tunnel of Lights. It also lists guided family-friendly e-bike light tours and the Pineywoods lights at Tyler State Park. Look at our Tyler Christmas events guide on this page for this year's times and tickets.
How do you explain the Miracle Child tree lighting to a young child?
Tell your child that Tyler lets a very special kid switch on the Christmas tree for everyone. That child has been helped by a children's hospital, and the tradition began in 1987. Then you can watch the lighting together and talk about how a community can celebrate brave kids.
Does Tyler have a Christmas storytime at the library?
Yes, the Tyler Public Library runs weekly storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., and in December 2025 it added a special classical music storytime. Schedules change, so check our Tyler Christmas events guide on this page for holiday readings.
What is the best way to see the Tyler parade with small kids?
Arrive early, since the 2025 parade started at 6:30 p.m. at Rose Stadium and the tree lighting followed. Bring blankets, layers for the evening and a plan for after, such as the Miracle Child lighting and photos with Santa. Our Tyler Christmas events guide on this page has current times.
Sources
- Christmas Parade has been around for more than 70 years, Tyler Morning Telegraph
- 2025 Miracle Child lights city Christmas tree as drones bring flashy light show in downtown Tyler, Tyler Morning Telegraph
- Tyler's 30-foot tree decked out for the holidays, Tyler Morning Telegraph
- Tyler Christmas parade announces new location for this year, Yahoo News
- Breakfast with Santa, City of Tyler Parks and Recreation
- UT Tyler to Offer Holiday Mystery Adventure for Children, Families, UT Tyler
- A Pineywoods Christmas, Texas Parks and Wildlife
- Tyler holiday cheer, Visit Tyler
- Tyler Public Library December programs, City of Tyler