Christmas Events for Kids in Westwood (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Westwood for 2026, and here is what he found: 4 family events. The magic runs from November 20 (Family Glow Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas) through December 19, with Elf: Interactive Movie (December 12) and Breakfast with Santa (December 19) along the way. We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Massachusetts Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Westwood

  • 4 Christmas events for kids in Westwood
  • Meet Santa: Breakfast with Santa (December 19)
  • Also on the list: 3 Christmas shows and 1 craft workshop
  • Season: November 20 (Family Glow Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas) to December 19 (Breakfast with Santa)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Westwood

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Holiday show

Family Glow Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Expand to see the parent tip

Canton Parks and Recreation shows Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas on a big screen at the Armando Center, with kids and parents settling in together in pajamas. Popcorn and drinks are provided.

The screening is on Friday, November 20, 2026 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in Room 200 of the Armando Center in nearby Canton. It costs $5 for Canton residents and $10 for non-residents, and you register through Canton Parks and Recreation. The organizer's page marked this session as full when this guide was prepared, so check for openings before counting on it.

Parent tip: The organizer asks families to bring a blanket and a water bottle, and a pillow or stuffed animal is welcome. The film blends Halloween and Christmas, so think about whether its spooky characters suit your youngest.

Host
Canton Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
Address
Armando Center, Room 200 (Canton), Westwood, MA 02021 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Canton Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 3 more Westwood events researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 3 Shows
  • 3 Breakfast and treats
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Crafts

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Holiday crafts

Film and Frosting

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Children in grades 2 through 5 decorate gingerbread cookies with the Canton Parks and Recreation team, then watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

It runs Friday, December 4, 2026 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. in Room 200 of the Armando Center in nearby Canton. The fee is $15 for Canton residents and $20 for non-residents, with registration through Canton Parks and Recreation. The organizer's page showed this program as full when this guide was prepared.

Parent tip: This one is limited to second through fifth graders, so younger siblings will need a different plan that night. Because it was showing as full, contact Canton Parks and Recreation to ask whether a spot has opened.

Host
Canton Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
Address
Armando Center, Room 200 (Canton), Westwood, MA 02021 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Canton Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)

New Westwood events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Westwood daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Westwood.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Holiday show

Elf: Interactive Movie

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The Westwood Public Library screens the movie Elf in its Community Meeting Room and invites the audience to take part rather than sit quietly. The listing is aimed at families and plays on the film's fondness for singing, candy canes and snowball fights.

The screening is on Saturday, December 12, 2026 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Main Library. Registration opens on Friday, November 27, 2026. The library's page does not list a price. For questions, the library can be reached at 781-326-7562.

Parent tip: Registration does not open until November 27, so set a reminder if you want seats. Since joining in is encouraged, it is a good pick for kids who find it hard to sit silently through a two-hour movie.

Host
Westwood Public Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Westwood Public Library, Main Library (Community Meeting Room), 660 High St, Westwood, MA 02090 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Westwood Public Library (opens in a new tab)

New Westwood events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Westwood daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Westwood.

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Breakfast with Santa

Breakfast with Santa

  • When: Sat December 19 (8 to 8:40 am), Sat December 19 (8:50 to 9:50 am) and Sat December 19 (10 to 11 am), 2026 (Held in Canton, not Westwood. Three seatings: sensory friendly at 8:00 a.m., Session 1 at 8:50 a.m. and Session 2 at 10:00 a.m.)
  • Where: Canton Town Club, 300 Bailey Street, Westwood, MA 02021 (opens in maps)
  • Cost: $10 per person, registration required
  • Ages: All families
Expand to see the parent tip

Families sit down to breakfast at the Canton Town Club and visit with Santa, who hears Christmas wishes and poses for a picture. The morning is divided into three seatings, and the first is a sensory friendly session.

All three seatings are on Saturday, December 19, 2026: sensory friendly from 8:00 to 8:40 a.m., Session 1 from 8:50 to 9:50 a.m. and Session 2 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. The cost is $10 per person for residents and non-residents alike. Space is limited and you sign up for a specific seating through Canton Parks and Recreation in nearby Canton.

Parent tip: The sensory friendly seating starts at 8 a.m. and lasts 40 minutes rather than an hour, so plan an early start if that is the one your child needs. When the page was checked, Session 2 had far fewer seats left than Session 1.

Host
Canton Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
Address
Canton Town Club, 300 Bailey Street, Westwood, MA 02021 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Canton Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)

New Westwood events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Westwood daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Westwood.

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 Massachusetts Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Westwood Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Family Glow Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas in Westwood on November 20; the last runs to December 19. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our Massachusetts Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Norwood, Boston, Hingham and Rehoboth. 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.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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 Amazon (opens in a new tab)

2026 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 Westwood

Westwood keeps count of its tree lightings. The 2012 ceremony outside Town Hall was the 25th, and in 2019 the emcee told the crowd it was the 32nd year in a row.

How Westwood celebrates

The town's holiday season centers on the annual tree lighting at Westwood Town Hall, held on a Sunday afternoon in early December in the years where local reports give a day. Those counts, 25 lightings by 2012 and 32 by 2019, point back to the late 1980s. The format has stayed familiar: schoolchildren help with the switch or the countdown, Santa rides in on a Westwood fire engine, and there are horse-drawn rides, elves on stilts, dancers and hot chocolate. Around it, churches hold Christmas fairs, and in December 2022 the Westwood Community Chest held a Luminary Night, with residents lighting luminaries to show support for neighbors in need.

Fun facts about Christmas in Westwood

More than 250 Westwood residents turned out for the 25th tree lighting in 2012. In 2019 the ceremony fell on the same Sunday as a New England Patriots game, in chilly weather with snow, and horse-drawn sleigh rides looped around the police station parking lot. Ms. Hurley's second-grade class from the Sheehan School was the special guest in 2017, and in 2010 students from Deerfield Elementary were chosen to flip the switch.

Traditions today

  • Town Hall Tree Lighting: Westwood gathers outside Town Hall each December to count down and light the town tree.
  • Santa on the fire engine: Santa arrives at the ceremony on a Westwood fire engine, with a police escort in 2019.
  • Students at the switch: Local schoolchildren take part in the lighting, from Deerfield Elementary students flipping the switch in 2010 to kids joining the countdown on the stairs in 2019.
  • Horse-drawn rides: Carriage rides ran in front of Town Hall in 2017, and sleigh rides circled the police station parking lot in 2019.
  • Church Christmas fairs: In 2022 the Holly Berry Fair at First Baptist Church and the Christmas Fair at First Parish were both held on Saturday, December 3.
  • Luminary Night: The Westwood Community Chest's Luminary Night on December 11, 2022 asked residents to light luminaries in support of neighbors in need.

A fact for kids

At the 2019 tree lighting, two elves walked around on stilts, and a balloon artist twisted candy canes, wreaths and reindeer for kids.

Questions about Christmas in Westwood

Where is Westwood's tree lighting held?

It takes place outside Westwood Town Hall. Reports from 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2019 all place the ceremony there, with horse-drawn carriage rides offered in front of the building in 2017 and sleigh rides looping around the nearby police station parking lot in 2019.

How long has Westwood held its tree lighting?

Patch described the December 2012 ceremony as the 25th annual tree lighting, and in 2019 emcee Michael Walsh told the crowd it was the 32nd year in a row, according to Hometown Weekly. Both counts suggest the tradition began in the late 1980s.

How does Santa arrive at the Westwood tree lighting?

By fire engine. In 2010 Patch reported that Santa would ride in on a fire engine with two elves and hand out candy canes. In 2019 Hometown Weekly described him arriving in a Westwood fire truck with a police escort, then sitting for photos.

Who gets to light the tree in Westwood?

Children are part of it. In 2010 students from Deerfield Elementary were scheduled to flip the switch at about 4:30 p.m. In 2019 children joined emcee Michael Walsh on the stairs to count down to the lights. In 2017 a second-grade class from the Sheehan School was the special guest.

What time of day is the Westwood tree lighting?

It has been a late afternoon event. The 2017 schedule had carriage rides starting at 3:00 p.m., face painting at 3:30 p.m. and the remaining activities at 4:00 p.m. In 2010 the tree was due to be lit at about 4:30 p.m. Confirm the current year's times with the town.

What else happens at the tree lighting besides the lights?

Past ceremonies have included performances by young dancers and the Westwood High School Chorus, elves on stilts, face painting, a balloon artist, and photos with Santa. Hometown Weekly's 2019 report noted free food and hot chocolate, along with costumed snowmen and gingerbread men mingling with families.

How many people come to the Westwood tree lighting?

Patch reported that more than 250 Westwood residents attended the 25th annual lighting in 2012. In 2019, when the ceremony overlapped with a Patriots game on a snowy Sunday, Hometown Weekly noted that the crowd was slow to build but grew as the afternoon went on.

Are there Christmas fairs in Westwood?

Yes. Hometown Weekly's 2022 holiday roundup listed two church fairs on Saturday, December 3 of that year, both from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: the Holly Berry Fair at First Baptist Church and the Christmas Fair at First Parish. Both offered holiday goods, food and gift ideas.

What is Luminary Night in Westwood?

It is a Westwood Community Chest event in which residents set out lighted luminaries to show holiday spirit and support neighbors in need. Westwood Minute listed it for Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 5 p.m., with luminary kits sold beforehand at Neroli Mercado, High Street Market and Muffin House Cafe.

Has Westwood had a holiday market?

In 2022 the Westwood Artists held a December Marketplace on the Senior Center lawn on Saturday, December 10, selling handmade items as holiday gifts. The same weekend, families could book photo slots with Elsa and Santa at the Westwood Council on Aging gazebo, with proceeds going to community initiatives.

Sources

  1. Westwood Tree Lighting Draws a Crowd, Patch
  2. Westwood Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Details, Patch
  3. Westwood Tree Lighting Ceremony, Patch
  4. Westwood tree lighting report (Dec. 12, 2019), Hometown Weekly
  5. Holiday activities coming fast and furious, Hometown Weekly
  6. Things To Do around Westwood this Weekend: Friday, Dec 9 - Sunday, Dec 11, 2022, Westwood Minute

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 Massachusetts city.

Westwood Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

Which Christmas event for kids is actually in Westwood?

The Elf: Interactive Movie at the Westwood Public Library's Main Library on High Street, on Saturday, December 12, 2026 from 1 to 3 p.m. It is a family screening where the audience is encouraged to join in. The other listings on this page are run by Canton Parks and Recreation in nearby Canton.

Where can kids meet Santa near Westwood in 2026?

Canton Parks and Recreation hosts Breakfast with Santa at the Canton Town Club on Bailey Street on Saturday, December 19, 2026. Children share their Christmas wishes with Santa and can have a picture taken. There are three seatings between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m., and each family registers for one.

Is there a sensory friendly Santa visit near Westwood?

Yes. The first seating of Breakfast with Santa at the Canton Town Club on Saturday, December 19, 2026 is a sensory friendly session, running from 8:00 to 8:40 a.m. The two later seatings, at 8:50 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., are open to all families. Registration is required for every seating.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Westwood?

None of these listings is described as free by its organizer. The Westwood Public Library's page for the Elf screening on December 12 does not list a price at all, so ask the library when registration opens. The Canton programs charge a fee, starting at $5 for Canton residents and $10 for non-residents at the movie night.

What holiday movies can families see around Westwood this season?

There are three. Canton Parks and Recreation shows The Nightmare Before Christmas on Friday, November 20, 2026, and pairs How the Grinch Stole Christmas with gingerbread cookie decorating for grades 2 to 5 on Friday, December 4. The Westwood Public Library screens an interactive Elf on Saturday, December 12.

Which of these events need registration?

All of them. Registration for the library's Elf screening opens on Friday, November 27, 2026. The Canton movie night, Film and Frosting and Breakfast with Santa are booked through Canton Parks and Recreation. The November 20 movie night and the December 4 Film and Frosting were both showing as full when this guide was prepared.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Westwood?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Massachusetts Christmas train rides guide. This Westwood 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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