Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Wantage for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Gingerbread Story and Craft (December 16) and Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas Movie Morning (December 22). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New Jersey Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Wantage
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Wantage
- Season: December 16 (Gingerbread Story and Craft) to December 22 (Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas Movie Morning)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Wantage
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday story time
Gingerbread Story and Craft
- When: Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 5 to 5:45 pm
- Where: Sussex County Library, Sussex-Wantage Branch (Community Room), 69 County Rd 639, Wantage, NJ 07461 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page, registration required
- Ages: Ages 3 to 8
Expand to see the parent tip
Children listen to a story with a gingerbread theme and then make a matching craft at the Sussex-Wantage Branch of the Sussex County Library. The session meets in the window side of the branch's Community Room and is listed for preschoolers ages 3 to 5 and children ages 6 to 8.
It runs on Wednesday, December 16, 2026, from 5:00 to 5:45 PM. Registration opens at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 2, 2026. The library's listing does not give a price.
Parent tip: The library says a seat can be handed to a waiting family if you are more than 15 minutes late without calling, and with only 45 minutes on the clock it pays to arrive early. Set a reminder for 5:00 PM on December 2, when sign-up opens.
- Host
- Sussex County Library System, Sussex-Wantage Branch (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Sussex County Library, Sussex-Wantage Branch (Community Room), 69 County Rd 639, Wantage, NJ 07461 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Wantage events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Wantage daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Wantage.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Wantage 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 Wantage.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Wantage 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
- 1 Shows
- 1 Crafts
- 1 Story time
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Wantage every week.
Holiday event
Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas Movie Morning
- When: Tuesday, December 22, 2026, 10 to 11 am
- Where: Sussex County Library, Sussex-Wantage Branch (Community Room), 69 County Rd 639, Wantage, NJ 07461 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page, registration required
- Ages: Ages 3 to 8
Expand to see the parent tip
The branch screens Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas, a holiday special packed with music about what matters most at this time of year. Families are invited to bring their own movie snack, and although chairs and a rug are set out, you can also bring a blanket or mat to sit on.
The showing is on Tuesday, December 22, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the Community Room. Registration opens at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 8, 2026. It is listed for ages 3 to 5 and 6 to 8, and the page does not give a price.
Parent tip: Pack a snack and a favorite blanket, since sitting on the floor is part of the setup and the library is not providing food. Arriving more than 15 minutes late without calling ahead could cost you your seat, so leave a cushion for parking and coats.
- Host
- Sussex County Library System, Sussex-Wantage Branch (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Sussex County Library, Sussex-Wantage Branch (Community Room), 69 County Rd 639, Wantage, NJ 07461 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Wantage events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Wantage daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Wantage.
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 New Jersey Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Wantage Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Gingerbread Story and Craft in Wantage on December 16; the last runs to December 22. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Gingerbread Story and CraftWantage · Dec 16
- Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas Movie MorningWantage · Dec 22
Looking further afield? Our New Jersey Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Morristown, Hawthorne, NJ, Roseland and Paramus. 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 Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Wantage
Wantage Township wraps all the way around Sussex borough, making the two one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in New Jersey where one municipality completely surrounds another. In December, Christmas for kids here centers on the Sussex-Wantage Branch of the Sussex County Library, which hosts a gingerbread story and craft and a holiday movie morning.
How Wantage celebrates
Christmas for kids in Wantage Township runs through the Sussex County Library System, whose Sussex-Wantage Branch hosts both events on this season's calendar. On Wednesday, December 16, 2026, the branch holds a gingerbread themed Story and Craft, and on Tuesday, December 22, it screens Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas, with chairs and a rug set out and families welcome to bring snacks and blankets. Both meet in the branch's Community Room, both are listed for ages 3 to 8, and both take registration that opens two weeks ahead. They are small indoor gatherings in a township that spreads across more than 67 square miles of the Kittatinny Valley.
Fun facts about Christmas in Wantage
Wantage was formed as a precinct on May 30, 1754, from parts of Newton Township, and was incorporated as a township on February 21, 1798, among New Jersey's first group of 104 townships. It was named for Wantage, England. The 2020 census counted 10,811 residents. Near the Beemerville section stands Rutan Hill, also called Volcanic Hill, which is New Jersey's only volcanic site and was last active more than 440 million years ago.
Traditions today
- Gingerbread Story and Craft: The Sussex-Wantage Branch pairs a gingerbread themed story with a craft for ages 3 to 8 on December 16, 2026.
- Holiday movie morning at the library: On December 22, 2026, families bring snacks and blankets to the branch for a showing of Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas.
- The Community Room at the Sussex-Wantage Branch: Both of this season's events meet in the window side of the library branch's Community Room.
- Sussex borough, the town inside the township: Sussex borough sits entirely within Wantage Township, and the library branch carries both names.
- The Kittatinny Valley: The township lies in the Kittatinny Valley, a section of the Great Appalachian Valley, which forms the backdrop to the season here.
A fact for kids
Wantage has its own volcano. Rutan Hill, also called Volcanic Hill, is the only volcanic site in New Jersey, and it was last active more than 440 million years ago.
Questions about Christmas in Wantage
When was Wantage Township founded?
Wantage was formed as a precinct on May 30, 1754, from portions of Newton Township. It was incorporated as a township on February 21, 1798, as part of the first group of 104 townships created in New Jersey.
How did Wantage get its name?
According to its Wikipedia article, the township was named for Wantage, England. The name is pronounced WHAN-tij. Part of the township was split off on October 14, 1891, to form the Borough of Deckertown, which was renamed Sussex borough in 1902.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Wantage?
This season's calendar has two library events: a gingerbread themed Story and Craft on Wednesday, December 16, 2026, from 5:00 to 5:45 PM, and a screening of Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas on Tuesday, December 22, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Both are listed for ages 3 to 8.
Where do Wantage's Christmas events for kids take place?
Both listed events are held at the Sussex-Wantage Branch of the Sussex County Library, in the window side of its Community Room. The branch is in Wantage Township, which completely surrounds Sussex borough in Sussex County, New Jersey.
Who organizes the holiday events in Wantage?
The Sussex County Library System runs both, through its Sussex-Wantage Branch. The library system describes its role as giving the community chances to gather, learn and be entertained, and it handles registration for each program through its online events calendar.
Are Wantage's library Christmas events free?
The library's event pages do not state a price or say that the programs are free. Both require registration, which opens on December 2, 2026 for the gingerbread Story and Craft and on December 8 for the holiday movie, so check the sign-up page for any cost.
How many people live in Wantage Township?
The 2020 United States census counted 10,811 residents in Wantage Township, down 547 from the 11,358 counted in 2010. The township covers 67.48 square miles, nearly all of it land, in the Kittatinny Valley of Sussex County.
Is there really a volcano in Wantage?
There is an ancient one. Rutan Hill, also called Volcanic Hill, sits near the Beemerville section of Wantage Township. It is described as New Jersey's only volcanic site, and it was last active more than 440 million years ago.
What is a doughnut town, and why is Wantage one?
A doughnut town pair is one municipality that entirely surrounds another. Wantage Township completely surrounds Sussex borough, making the two one of 21 such pairs in New Jersey. Children from both places attend the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District through eighth grade.
Sources
- Wantage Township, New Jersey, Wikipedia
- Story and Craft @ Sussex-Wantage, Sussex County Library System
- Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas @ Sussex-Wantage, Sussex County Library System
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 New Jersey city.
Wantage Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What Christmas events for kids are happening in Wantage, NJ this year?
Two are on the calendar, both at the Sussex-Wantage Branch of the Sussex County Library. A gingerbread themed Story and Craft takes place on Wednesday, December 16, 2026, from 5:00 to 5:45 PM, and a screening of Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas follows on Tuesday, December 22, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM.
Are the Wantage library holiday events free?
Neither listing states a price, and neither says the event is free. Both the gingerbread Story and Craft on December 16, 2026 and the Mickey and Minnie movie morning on December 22 take registration through the Sussex County Library System, so the sign-up page or the branch is the place to confirm any cost.
Where can kids meet Santa in Wantage?
Neither of this season's listed events in Wantage includes a Santa visit. The Sussex-Wantage Branch is offering a gingerbread story and craft on December 16, 2026 and a holiday movie on December 22. Families looking for Santa may want to check the neighboring town pages in Sussex County.
Is there a holiday movie or show for kids in Wantage?
Yes. The Sussex-Wantage Branch shows Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas on Tuesday, December 22, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Chairs and a rug are set up in the Community Room, and families can bring a favorite movie snack plus a blanket or mat to sit on.
Do I need to sign up for the Wantage library Christmas events?
Yes, both take registration. Sign-up for the gingerbread Story and Craft opens at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, and sign-up for the Mickey and Minnie movie opens at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 8. Each opens two weeks before its event date.
What ages are the Wantage holiday events for, and what if we run late?
Both events are listed for preschoolers ages 3 to 5 and children ages 6 to 8. The library notes that if you are more than 15 minutes late and have not contacted the branch, your seat may be given to someone waiting, so plan to be there before the start time.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Wantage?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New Jersey Christmas train rides guide. This Wantage guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.
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 every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
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.