Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Waterford, Connecticut for 2026. The Light Up Stroller Parade rolls into the Jordan Green tree lighting on Friday, December 11, and Quaker Hill lights its own tree on its village green the next evening, Saturday, December 12. Mr. and Mrs. Claus visit both. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Connecticut Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Waterford
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Waterford
- Jordan Green tree lighting: Friday, December 11, stroller parade at 5 pm, lighting from 5:30 pm
- Quaker Hill Green tree lighting: Saturday, December 12, 5:30 to 6:30 pm
- Both free, with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, cookies and cocoa
- Every date checked on the Town of Waterford calendar on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Waterford
Tree lighting and stroller paradeFree
Waterford Tree Lighting at Jordan Green and Light Up Stroller Parade
- When: Friday, December 11, 2026: stroller parade at 5 pm, tree lighting celebration 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Where: Jordan Green, 65 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT 06385 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, food vendors for purchase
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Waterford’s evening starts at 5 pm sharp at Captain Arnold E. Holm Jr. Memorial Park, where families with decorated strollers and wagons walk two laps around the pond behind Officers Fredricks and Hodges in their lit-up cart, then follow them over to Jordan Green.
At the green, elementary school singers and a dance group perform, a Hometown Hero lights the tree among luminaries decorated by local kids, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus visit while families enjoy free cookies and hot cocoa.
Parent tip: Meet at the main entrance of Memorial Park before 5 pm if you want to join the stroller parade, since it leaves right on time.
- Host
- Waterford Recreation & Parks (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Jordan Green, 65 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT 06385 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Waterford events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Waterford daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Waterford.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Waterford 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 Waterford.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Waterford 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 Parades
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Waterford every week.
Village tree lightingFree
Tree Lighting at Quaker Hill Green
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 5:30 to 6:30 pm
- Where: Quaker Hill Green, Waterford, CT 06385 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The village of Quaker Hill gets its own smaller tree lighting the next night, with children and neighbors singing holiday songs on the green.
A Hometown Hero flips the switch, Mr. and Mrs. Claus drop by, luminaries decorated by Quaker Hill elementary students glow around the tree, and everyone heads to the Quaker Hill firehouse afterward for free cookies and hot cocoa.
Parent tip: This one lasts about an hour, so it suits younger kids who will not make it through a long evening.
- Host
- Waterford Recreation & Parks (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Quaker Hill Green, Waterford, CT 06385 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Waterford events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Waterford daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Waterford.
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 Connecticut Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Waterford Christmas event for kids happens
Decorate the stroller or wagon for the December 11 parade and stay for the Jordan Green lighting, then catch the cozier Quaker Hill lighting on December 12 if the kids want a second visit with the Clauses.
- Waterford Tree Lighting at Jordan Green and Light Up Stroller ParadeWaterford · Dec 11
- Tree Lighting at Quaker Hill GreenWaterford · Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our Connecticut Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for New London, Norwich, Glastonbury and Meriden. 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 Connecticut city.
Waterford Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Waterford this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Waterford for 2026: the Jordan Green tree lighting with the Light Up Stroller Parade on December 11 and the Quaker Hill Green tree lighting on December 12.
When is the Waterford tree lighting in 2026?
Friday, December 11, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Jordan Green, 65 Rope Ferry Road. The Light Up Stroller Parade starts at 5 pm at Memorial Park and ends at the green.
How does the Light Up Stroller Parade work?
Decorate your stroller, wagon or yourselves, meet at the main entrance of Captain Arnold E. Holm Jr. Memorial Park, and walk two laps around the pond behind the lit-up police cart before heading to Jordan Green.
When is the Quaker Hill tree lighting?
Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm on Quaker Hill Green, with cookies and cocoa at the Quaker Hill firehouse afterward.
Who do I contact about Waterford holiday events?
Waterford Recreation & Parks at rmcnamara@waterfordct.org.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Connecticut?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Connecticut 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 Waterford 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.