Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Valparaiso for 2026. Valpo Parks lights the big tree at Central Park Plaza with free Santa photos on Saturday, November 28, and Holly Days fills downtown with Santa, ice sculptures and the Holiday Express Train on Saturday, December 5. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Indiana Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Valparaiso
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Valparaiso
- Winter Fest and Tree Lighting: Saturday, November 28, 5 to 7 pm, free
- Free photos with Santa at Central Park Plaza
- Holly Days: Saturday, December 5, 3 to 6 pm, free
- Every date checked on the hosts’ own sites on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Valparaiso
Tree lighting with SantaFree
Winter Fest and Tree Lighting
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 5 to 7 pm
- Where: Central Park Plaza, 60 Lafayette St, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Valpo Parks lights the giant Christmas tree at Central Park Plaza on Small Business Saturday, with musical performances and free photos with Santa.
The evening also includes the presentation of the city’s Good Neighbor Award before the big tree switches on.
Parent tip: Eat downtown afterward and keep the receipt: the plaza ice rink gives discounted admission to anyone who shows one from a downtown restaurant that night.
- Host
- Valparaiso Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Central Park Plaza, 60 Lafayette St, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Valparaiso events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Valparaiso daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Valparaiso.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Valparaiso 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
- 2 Santa
- 2 Lights
- 1 Shows
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Valparaiso every week.
Downtown holiday festivalFree
Holly Days
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 3 to 6 pm
- Where: Downtown Valparaiso, Lincolnway, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Holly Days spreads through downtown Valpo with Santa, carolers, ice sculptures, holiday lights, Candy Cane Lane and live entertainment.
Kids can climb aboard the Holiday Express Train, and downtown shops hold open houses while families make the rounds.
Parent tip: Find Santa early, before the late-afternoon crowd builds, then ride the Holiday Express Train as the lights come on.
- Host
- Valparaiso Events (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Downtown Valparaiso, Lincolnway, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Valparaiso events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Valparaiso daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Valparaiso.
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 Indiana Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Valparaiso Christmas event for kids happens
Start with the tree lighting on November 28 and stay for a skate, then come back downtown on December 5 for Holly Days and the Holiday Express Train.
- Winter Fest and Tree LightingValparaiso · Nov 28
- Holly DaysValparaiso · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our Indiana Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for South Bend, Notre Dame, Mishawaka and Lafayette. 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 AmazonKeep 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 Indiana city.
Valparaiso Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Valparaiso this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Valparaiso for 2026: Valpo Parks’ Winter Fest and Tree Lighting on November 28 and Holly Days downtown on December 5.
When is the Valparaiso tree lighting in 2026?
Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 5 to 7 pm at Central Park Plaza in downtown Valparaiso. It is free and includes photos with Santa.
When is Holly Days in 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 3 to 6 pm throughout downtown Valparaiso, with Santa, carolers, ice sculptures, Candy Cane Lane and the Holiday Express Train.
Is there a holiday train for kids in Valparaiso?
Yes. The Holiday Express Train is part of Holly Days downtown on December 5, 2026.
Who do I contact about Valparaiso holiday events?
Valpo Parks at tingram@valpo.us for Winter Fest, and Valparaiso Events at info@valparaisoevents.com for Holly Days.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Indiana?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Indiana Christmas train rides page.
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 Valparaiso on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms 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.