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Christmas with kids in Waterloo
In Waterloo, Christmas starts with fireworks. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, downtown gathers at Anton's Garden to light a tree, meet Santa and pet a few farm animals.
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The story of Christmas in Waterloo
How Waterloo celebrates
Waterloo's biggest tradition is the downtown holiday kickoff, Waterloo Lights the Night, hosted by Experience Waterloo at Anton's Garden. A 2022 news story called that year the second year of the Winter WonderLoo celebration, so the party began around 2021. It is free and family friendly, with a tree lighting, fireworks, Santa and cookies and cocoa. Other traditions sit around it: garden lights at the Cedar Valley Arboretum, free Santa visits on December Saturdays, and a holiday evening at the historic Grout houses.
Christmas last year in Waterloo
In 2025 Waterloo Lights the Night took place on a Saturday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Anton's Garden, at East 4th and Sycamore Streets, with the tree lighting and fireworks just after 6. Kids shared wish lists with Santa, took photos, visited a petting zoo and enjoyed free cookies and hot chocolate. Illuminate the Gardens ran Thursday to Saturday evenings from November 28 to December 27 with free cocoa and s'mores, and kids 4 and under got in free. Main Street Waterloo offered free Santa visits on three December Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fun facts about Christmas in Waterloo
The 2024 kickoff included a kids' story time led by the Waterloo Public Library at 6:30 p.m., right after the fireworks. Families were also invited to bring a new, unwrapped gift for Friends of the Family, a local group that helps people with housing and survivor support. The Grout Historic Houses open the Rensselaer Russell House Museum and Snowden House for a free Christmas at Russell Square evening with crafts, treats and live entertainment. And in 2025 the Waterloo Center for the Arts hosted a Noon Year's Party where kids counted down to a ball drop at noon.
Traditions today
- Waterloo Lights the Night: A free downtown tree lighting with fireworks, Santa, farm animals and cocoa at Anton's Garden.
- Visits with Santa: Free visits at Anton's Garden on December Saturdays where kids share wish lists.
- Illuminate the Gardens: Evening lights at the Cedar Valley Arboretum with cocoa, s'mores and a Santa visit.
- Christmas at Russell Square: A free evening at the Grout historic houses with crafts, treats and live entertainment.
- Library story time and ornaments: The Waterloo Public Library has joined the kickoff with a story time and held a family ornament workshop.
A fact for kids
In Waterloo, Christmas starts with fireworks and a petting zoo. Kids can pet farm animals and sip hot chocolate before the big tree lights up.
Questions about Christmas in Waterloo
How does Waterloo, Iowa kick off Christmas?
Waterloo kicks off the season with Waterloo Lights the Night, a free downtown party at Anton's Garden on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It has a tree lighting, fireworks, Santa, farm animals and cocoa. Experience Waterloo hosts it, and it began as the Winter WonderLoo kickoff around 2021.
Where does the Waterloo Christmas tree get lit?
The tree is lit at Anton's Garden, at East 4th and Sycamore Streets in downtown Waterloo. In 2024 the lighting happened at 6:05 p.m., right before fireworks. Families gather on the grounds, and food and drinks are sold there. Check our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page for this year's date.
What is Winter WonderLoo?
Winter WonderLoo is the name Waterloo gave to its holiday season kickoff. A 2022 news story called that year the second year of the celebration, so it started around 2021. It opened with a Lights the Night party with fireworks, a lit tree and a visit from Santa.
Can kids meet Santa in Waterloo?
Yes, Santa has been part of the downtown kickoff, where kids share wish lists and get a photo. Main Street Waterloo also listed free Santa visits at Anton's Garden on three December Saturdays in 2025. See our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page for current dates.
Is there a petting zoo at the Waterloo tree lighting?
In 2025 Waterloo Lights the Night included a petting zoo with farm animals and a photo spot, and in 2024 Santa's stable and farm animals were part of the fun. Animals can change from year to year, so check the current listing before you go.
Does the library join the Waterloo holiday kickoff?
Yes. In 2024 the Waterloo Public Library led a kids' story time at 6:30 p.m. during Lights the Night at Anton's Garden. It brings books into a busy night of fireworks and lights.
What treats do families get at Lights the Night?
Free cookies and hot chocolate have been handed out to everyone at Waterloo Lights the Night. Food and cocktails are also sold on the Anton's Garden grounds, so grown-ups can warm up too. The event itself is free, which makes it an easy first stop for the season.
What is Illuminate the Gardens in Waterloo?
Illuminate the Gardens is a holiday lights evening at the Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. In 2025 it ran Thursday through Saturday evenings from late November to late December, with free cocoa and s'mores, themed nights and a Santa visit. Youth tickets were $2 and kids 4 and under were free.
Can you see Christmas lights in Waterloo?
Yes, the Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Gardens turned on its Illuminate the Gardens lights in 2025, and downtown Waterloo lights its tree at Anton's Garden each kickoff night. Our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page lists this year's dates and tickets.
What historic homes decorate for Christmas in Waterloo?
The Grout Historic Houses held Christmas at Russell Square at the Rensselaer Russell House Museum and Snowden House in 2025. It was a free evening with crafts, treats and live entertainment, though donations were encouraged.
Is there a children's theatre show in Waterloo at Christmas time?
Waterloo Community Playhouse staged The Sound of Music in late 2025 at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, with child tickets at $10. Shows change each year, so check the playhouse and our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page for what is on now.
Can kids make ornaments in Waterloo?
Yes. The Waterloo Public Library held a Holiday Ornament Festival in 2025, a family ornament-making workshop with materials provided while supplies lasted. Ask the library or look at our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page.
What is a Yule Tide Tea?
A Yule Tide Tea is a holiday tea party. The Grout Historic Houses hosted one at Snowden House in 2025, with tickets for adults and children and registration required. Check with the houses about ages and ticket prices.
Does Waterloo have a Noon Year's party for little kids?
Waterloo Center for the Arts hosted a Noon Year's Party in its Phelps Youth Pavilion, with crafts, snacks, games and a noon ball drop, so little ones can celebrate without staying up late. Registration was required, so sign up ahead of time.
How do I explain a tree lighting to a young child?
Tell them the town gathers in the dark, counts down together, and the tree glows to say the holidays have started. In Waterloo the lighting is followed by fireworks, so warn little ones about the noise and bring ear protection if they are sensitive.
What should I wear to Waterloo's outdoor Christmas nights?
Dress warmly in layers, because Iowa evenings in late November and December are cold, and the Anton's Garden kickoff and the arboretum lights are outdoors. Mittens, hats and boots help, and a thermos is handy even though free cocoa is often served.
Does Waterloo have a Christmas parade?
The sources we opened for Waterloo describe a tree lighting kickoff rather than a parade. We did not find a Christmas parade in them. For this year's schedule, including any parades or Santa visits, look at our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page, which lists confirmed dates.
Where is Waterloo, Iowa?
Waterloo is a city in northeast Iowa along the Cedar River, part of the Cedar Valley with nearby Cedar Falls. Its downtown holiday kickoff is held at Anton's Garden on Sycamore Street.
Are Waterloo's Christmas gatherings free?
Many are. Waterloo Lights the Night, the Santa visits at Anton's Garden and Christmas at Russell Square were all free in the 2025 listings, while the arboretum lights and some theatre or tea events charged admission. Our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page marks each price.
Is there a Christmas train museum near Waterloo?
We did not find a sourced Christmas rail story or a listed railroad museum in Iowa for this page. If you plan a train outing, check our museum pages and our Waterloo Christmas events guide on this page, since train rides are covered separately from family events.
Sources
- Celebrate the Holidays in Waterloo, Experience Waterloo
- Waterloo Lights the Night, Experience Waterloo
- Waterloo Lights the Night will kick off the holiday season downtown, KWWL
- Waterloo's Winter WonderLoo kicks off Saturday night, KWWL