Rally is researching the season
Christmas with kids in Utica
In Utica, Santa has a regular spot downtown. On Mondays in December he greets children in Bagg's Square with cocoa and candy canes, and the rest of the season fills with theater shows, museum displays and nutcrackers.
2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
We are confirming this season's Christmas events in Utica with every host. Subscribe and we'll email you the day they are released.
Free. One email a week with new events in Utica. Unsubscribe anytime.
The story of Christmas in Utica
How Utica celebrates
Utica's Christmas season mixes downtown gatherings with museum and theater traditions. The city began hosting Santa in Bagg's Square in 2024, where he and his elves meet children every Monday evening in December. Other favorites live indoors: the Stanley Center for the Arts, on Genesee Street, hosts a holiday show with acrobats and Christmas characters, and the Oneida County History Center fills its rooms with nutcrackers and toy trains. The Munson museum adds cookie decorating and a holiday open house at Fountain Elms, so families can pick something quiet or lively.
Christmas last year in Utica
In 2025 Santa returned to Bagg's Square for a second year, every Monday in December from 5 to 7 p.m.. Families got free hot cocoa and candy canes, and special evenings brought Utica Comets players and mascot Naudie on December 1 and 22, and Utica City FC players with mascot Keeper on December 15. The Stanley held its Santa's Circus show on December 18. The Oneida County History Center ran its nutcracker display from November 29 to January 10, and the Adirondack Railroad ran holiday trains from November 14 to December 21.
Fun facts about Christmas in Utica
Utica's Santa visits come with team mascots. Naudie the Comets mascot and Keeper from Utica City FC both have special evenings, so hockey and soccer fans can take photos with their heroes and with Santa. The nutcracker display at the Oneida County History Center is called Not So Tiny Nutcrackers, and it stayed up for about six weeks in the 2025 season. Nearby Turning Stone in Verona builds a gingerbread village that runs for over a month, and it was themed around holidays around the world in 2025.
Trains and Christmas near Utica
Trains turn up in Utica's holiday season. The Adirondack Railroad is based at Union Station in Utica, and in 2025 it ran holiday trains from November 14 to December 21. The Oneida County History Center also hosted a holiday train display with FunTrak on December 26 and 27. For more track time, Central Square Station Museum sits about an hour west, and the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad is in Milford, about an hour southeast.
- Adirondack Railroad: Based at Union Station in Utica, it is the closest railroad to town and ran holiday trains in the 2025 season.
- Central Square Station Museum: A small station museum west of Utica where kids can see railroad history up close.
- Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad: A heritage railroad in Milford, a good outing for train fans who want to go beyond Utica.
Traditions today
- Santa at Bagg's Square: On Mondays in December from 5 to 7 p.m., Santa and his elves meet children downtown with free hot cocoa and candy canes.
- Team mascot nights: Utica Comets players with Naudie and Utica City FC players with Keeper join Santa on special Mondays for photos and autographs.
- Santa's Circus at the Stanley: A holiday show with acrobats and meet-and-greets with Christmas characters, plus letters to Santa with Mrs. Claus.
- Not So Tiny Nutcrackers: An Oneida County History Center display that stayed up from late November to early January in 2025.
- Munson holiday workshops: Cookie decorating and a holiday open house at Fountain Elms, both held in December 2025.
- Gingerbread Village at Turning Stone: A village of gingerbread houses in nearby Verona, themed around holidays around the world in 2025.
A fact for kids
In Utica, Santa has special helpers on some Mondays. Hockey mascot Naudie and soccer mascot Keeper stop by Bagg's Square to meet kids and take photos.
Questions about Christmas in Utica
Where does Santa appear in downtown Utica?
Santa visits Bagg's Square in downtown Utica on Mondays in December, from 5 to 7 p.m., according to the city's 2025 announcement. He and his elves meet children and take photos, and families get free hot cocoa and candy canes. Check our Utica Christmas events guide on this page for this year's schedule.
When did Santa start coming to Bagg's Square?
The 2025 season was the second year in a row that Santa came to Bagg's Square, so the Monday visits began in 2024. They are one of the newer holiday traditions in downtown Utica, run by the city and free to the public, with photos, cocoa and candy canes for every child.
Who joins Santa at Bagg's Square?
On special Mondays, local sports teams join in. In 2025 the Utica Comets players and their mascot Naudie came on December 1 and 22, and Utica City FC players and mascot Keeper came on December 15. Kids could get photos and autographs along with their visit with Santa.
Is it free to meet Santa in Utica?
The city of Utica described its Bagg's Square Santa visits in 2025 as complimentary and open to the public. Children received free hot cocoa and candy canes, and photos with Santa and his elves were part of the evening. Other Santa meetings around town, such as theater shows, may sell tickets.
What is Santa's Circus at the Stanley?
Santa's Circus was a holiday show at the Stanley Center for the Arts, 261 Genesee Street, listed for December 18, 2025 at 7 p.m.. It featured acrobatic stunts and meet-and-greets with Christmas characters, and kids could write letters to Santa with Mrs. Claus. See our Utica Christmas events guide for this year.
Where is the Stanley Center for the Arts?
The Stanley Center for the Arts is at 261 Genesee Street in downtown Utica, New York. It hosts holiday shows in December, including the Santa's Circus performance listed for 2025. Its holiday show with character meet-and-greets gives families an indoor option in December.
What can kids see at the Oneida County History Center?
In 2025 the Oneida County History Center in Utica showed its Not So Tiny Nutcrackers display from November 29 to January 10, then a holiday train display with FunTrak on December 26 and 27. Both are good for little ones who like toys, trains and bright decorations.
How long does the nutcracker display last?
In the 2025 season the Not So Tiny Nutcrackers display at the Oneida County History Center ran from November 29, 2025 to January 10, 2026, so families could visit before and after Christmas Day. Dates change each year, so check our Utica Christmas events guide or the center's website.
Are there cookie or craft activities for kids in Utica?
Yes. In 2025 the Munson museum in Utica held a holiday cookie decorating workshop on December 11, and the same evening it held a holiday open house at Fountain Elms. Programs like these are listed in the county tourism holiday guide each November, so look there for new dates.
Where can kids see a gingerbread village near Utica?
Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, a short drive from Utica, showed a Gingerbread Village called Holidays Around the World from November 25 to December 31 in 2025. It is the kind of display young children enjoy looking at, with tiny houses and sweets to spot.
Is there a Christmas tree lighting near Utica?
Yes, there are several small ones in the area. The 2025 county holiday guide listed a Christmas tree lighting at The Root Farm in Sauquoit on December 13. Dates change each year, so check our Utica Christmas events guide on this page and the host's own page before you go.
What holiday events happen in nearby towns?
Nearby towns add to Utica's season. The 2025 county guide listed a Believe Magical Christmas Festival in New Hartford, a Jingle Jog 5K in Clinton, a kids paint and snack class in Rome and a Tuba Christmas concert at the Rome Capitol Theatre. Dates change each year.
How do I explain Santa's Monday visits to a toddler?
Tell your child that Santa comes downtown on Mondays in December to say hello. Mention that there will be hot cocoa and candy canes, and that you may stand in a short line. Let them practice waving, and bring a favorite toy if they feel shy about sitting with him.
What does the county tourism guide cover?
The Oneida County tourism holiday guide lists events across Utica, Rome, Clinton and the surrounding area. The 2025 edition was published on November 7 and covered long runs like displays and single-day events like workshops and concerts. Read each description to see whether an event suits your child's age.
Is Utica's Christmas season mostly indoors or outdoors?
Both. Santa's Monday visits at Bagg's Square and tree lightings are outdoors in cold weather, so dress kids warmly. The nutcracker display, museum workshops and theater shows are indoors. Utica winters are cold, so plan a warm break with cocoa between stops.
What should I bring when visiting Santa in Utica?
Bring warm layers, mittens and a charged phone for photos, since Santa's Bagg's Square visits take place on December evenings. The visits run two hours, from 5 to 7 p.m., so you can arrive a little late. Lines may form, so give toddlers a snack beforehand.
Are there train displays for kids in Utica at Christmas?
Yes. The Oneida County History Center listed a holiday train display with FunTrak on December 26 and 27 in 2025. The Adirondack Railroad, based in Utica, also ran holiday train rides in 2025, and our museum page for it has more details on the railroad itself.
What is the Adirondack Railroad in Utica?
The Adirondack Railroad is a heritage railroad based at Union Station in Utica, listed on our museum page. In 2025 the county tourism guide showed holiday train rides running from November 14 to December 21. See our Utica Christmas events guide on this page for this year's information.
Are there other railroad museums near Utica?
Yes. Central Square Station Museum is in Central Square, about an hour west, and the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad is in Milford, about an hour southeast. Each has its own page in our museum guide, with details on what kids can see at the station.
Where can I find this year's Utica Christmas schedule?
Our Utica Christmas events guide on this page lists the holiday events we have confirmed for kids this season. Dates change each year, and this history page draws on the 2025 season, so always check the host's own page before you go. The city of Utica and Oneida County tourism also post holiday schedules.
Sources
- Santa Claus Returns to Bagg's Square for a Second Year of Holiday Magic, City of Utica
- Santa's Circus, The Stanley Center for the Arts
- Oneida County Holiday Events Guide, Oneida County Tourism
- Adirondack Railroad, Rally Takes the Train
- Central Square Station Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad, Rally Takes the Train