Christmas Events for Kids in Windsor, Ontario (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

3 min read

For 2026, we confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Windsor, Ontario. The season opens on November 27 with Bright Lights Windsor and runs until December 5 with Windsor Santa Claus Parade. Every listing links straight to the host. This page is part of our guide to Christmas events for kids in Canada.

The short version

  • Kids’ Christmas events confirmed for 2026 in Windsor: 2
  • First: Bright Lights Windsor, Windsor, November 27
  • Free events: None confirmed yet

Below is every event we could confirm, grouped by town, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (registration, ages, what is included).

At a glance: Christmas events for kids in Windsor, Ontario

Kids’ Christmas events
2 confirmed for 2026
Cities and towns
Windsor
Season
November 27 to December 5
Free events
None confirmed yet
Last checked

Christmas events for kids in Windsor

Listed soonest first: 2 confirmed events in Windsor.

Christmas lights

Bright Lights Windsor

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Bright Lights Windsor is the City of Windsor's yearly holiday light festival in Jackson Park. The city's page lists opening night as Friday, November 27, 2026 and says more details are coming soon.

Last season the festival ran from November 28, 2025 to January 7, 2026, with themed zones such as Candy Cane Lane and Santa's Workshop, and the city described admission as free. Hours, end date and price for 2026 have not been posted yet.

Parent tip: Check the City of Windsor page for 2026 hours and the closing date before you go.

Host
City of Windsor (opens in a new tab)
Where
Jackson Park, Jackson Park, Windsor (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with City of Windsor (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Windsor, Ontario event researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

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  • 1 Parades

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Santa Claus parade

Windsor Santa Claus Parade

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The Windsor Parade Corporation organizes the Windsor Santa Claus Parade, and its 2026 application lists Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 6 p.m. The 2025 parade ran on Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor, and the route took nearly two hours. The 2026 route has not been announced, so look for it before you pick a viewing spot.

Parent tip: Confirm the 2026 route with the parade organizers before you choose where to stand.

Host
Windsor Parade Corporation (opens in a new tab)
Where
Downtown Windsor (Ouellette Avenue), Ouellette Avenue, downtown Windsor (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Windsor Parade Corporation (opens in a new tab)

New events in Windsor, Ontario every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Windsor, Ontario every day and adds them to this page. Enter your email for one weekly update with the latest finds.

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More Christmas events for kids in Canada

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Christmas events for kids in Windsor, Ontario: questions parents ask

What are the 2026 Christmas events for kids in Windsor, Ontario?

For 2026, we confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Windsor, Ontario, each on its host’s own page: Bright Lights Windsor (Windsor) and Windsor Santa Claus Parade (Windsor). Each one is listed above with times, cost and a link to the host.

Where can kids see Santa this year in Windsor, Ontario?

Where to see Santa: Windsor Santa Claus Parade (Windsor). Check the listings above for times and booking.

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, library or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 5, 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.

Christmas events for 2026 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 Windsor, Ontario

In Windsor, Ontario, the Christmas lights go up in a park named for a 1920s mayor. Jackson Park drew about 105,000 visitors last winter, and downtown hosts a Santa parade on Ouellette Avenue.

Mayor Jackson's park and the lights that fill it

Windsor's biggest Christmas night out is Bright Lights Windsor, the City of Windsor's light festival in Jackson Park. The park is named for Cecil E. Jackson, mayor from 1927 to 1930, who backed buying the old Windsor Jockey Club grounds for public parkland.

Downtown, the Windsor Santa Claus Parade is run by the Windsor Parade Corporation and rolls along Ouellette Avenue on a Saturday evening in early December. The 2025 parade was the 58th.

105,000 visitors and a 20-foot glowing character

Bright Lights Windsor ran from November 28, 2025 to January 7, 2026, nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m., and the city says admission was free. About 105,000 people came. Zones included Candy Cane Lane, Santa's Workshop and an Enchanted Children's Village, and new this time were light-up seesaws and a big heart-shaped arch.

The parade stepped off on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 6 p.m. with about 75 entries and eight bands. A new glowing character, Bella Wings, had a wingspan near 20 feet.

From Windsor to Kingsville: a ring of light shows

Windsor is not the only place that glows. LaSalle's walk-through lights at the Civic Centre, 5950 Malden Road, include a 40-foot walk-through tree. Kingsville's Fantasy of Lights at Lakeside Park has more than 50 displays, and Amherstburg lights up Toddy Jones Park and King's Navy Yard Park along the Detroit River.

Tourism Windsor Essex also ran a free Holiday Lights Pass last season, with a contest prize of a $500 shopping spree at Devonshire Mall.

Traditions today

  • Bright Lights Windsor: The City of Windsor's light festival in Jackson Park, with opening night set for November 27, 2026.
  • Windsor Santa Claus Parade: An evening parade run by the Windsor Parade Corporation, listed for December 5, 2026 at 6 p.m.
  • W.E. Made It Holiday Market: A market at Bright Lights Windsor, open Thursday to Sunday last season.
  • LaSalle Holiday Lights Heritage Nights: Walk-through lights at the LaSalle Civic Centre, with a 40-foot walk-through tree.
  • Kingsville Fantasy of Lights: More than 50 light displays at Lakeside Park, with a free weekend train trip last season.

A fact for kids

Bella Wings, a glowing character in the 2025 Windsor parade, has a wingspan of about 20 feet.

Questions about Christmas in Windsor, Ontario

When does Bright Lights Windsor open in 2026?

Bright Lights Windsor opens on Friday, November 27, 2026 at Jackson Park. Hours, the closing date and prices have not been posted yet, and the city said more details are coming soon. Rally Takes the Train's Windsor Christmas events guide tracks the dates once they are confirmed.

When is the Windsor Santa Claus Parade in 2026?

The Windsor Santa Claus Parade is set for Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 6 p.m. The 2026 route has not been announced. Last year's parade took nearly two hours, so bring warm layers for little ones.

What does admission to Bright Lights Windsor cost?

Last season the City of Windsor stated that admission was free. Its 2026 page does not list prices yet, so check it before you go. The 2025 festival ran nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. with a holiday market, and about 105,000 people visited.

How long did Bright Lights Windsor run last year?

It opened to the public on November 28, 2025 and closed on January 7, 2026, about six weeks. Opening ceremonies were at 6:30 p.m. on the first night, and the park was open nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The 2026 end date has not been announced.

Besides the lights, what can toddlers do at Jackson Park at Christmas?

Last season the festival had an Enchanted Children's Village, Santa's Workshop, Candy Cane Lane and light-up seesaws. The chalet ran kids programming on Wednesdays, and a Silent Nights evening on Mondays muted the sound and paused strobe elements. Check the 2026 schedule, since it may change.

Does Bright Lights Windsor have a sensory-friendly night?

In 2025 the city ran sensory-friendly Silent Nights on Monday evenings, with sound muted and strobe elements paused. Tourism Windsor Essex also listed Sensory Nights at the festival. The 2026 schedule has not been posted, so confirm the night with the City of Windsor before you plan.

Who is Jackson Park named after?

Jackson Park is named for Cecil E. Jackson, who was mayor of Windsor from 1927 to 1930. During his term he supported buying the Windsor Jockey Club property for municipal parkland. Today it is the home of Bright Lights Windsor each winter.

Where does the Windsor Santa Claus Parade go?

The 2025 parade started on Giles Boulevard, went north on Ouellette Avenue and ended at Pitt Street, and the whole route took nearly two hours. The Downtown Windsor BIA's page for the same year described Ouellette from Elliott Street to Riverside. The 2026 route has not been confirmed.

How big was the 2025 Windsor Santa Claus Parade?

The 58th Windsor Santa Claus Parade had about 75 entries, including eight bands, and organizers called it the largest in years. It started at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, 2025. A glowing character named Bella Wings, with a wingspan around 20 feet, joined for the first time.

What can families do downtown before the Windsor parade starts?

Last year the Downtown Windsor Holiday Market ran from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Pelissier Street Parking Garage on parade day, December 6, 2025. Whether it returns on December 5, 2026 has not been announced, so check with the Downtown Windsor BIA.

Which Windsor holiday markets suit families, including W.E. Made It?

Bright Lights Windsor had the W.E. Made It Holiday Market in 2025, open Thursday to Sunday, with a smaller food and drink market on weekdays. Downtown Windsor also held a Holiday Market on parade night. Rally Takes the Train's Windsor Christmas events guide lists confirmed 2026 dates as they appear.

Who runs the Windsor Santa Claus Parade and is it downtown?

The Windsor Santa Claus Parade is organized by the Windsor Parade Corporation and runs on a Saturday evening in downtown Windsor, Ontario. In 2026 it is listed for December 5 at 6 p.m. Nearby towns such as Kingsville and Essex hold their own events, so check the town before you drive.

Which Essex County light shows are worth a drive besides Jackson Park?

LaSalle's Holiday Lights Heritage Nights at the Civic Centre, 5950 Malden Road, ran daily from 5 to 10 p.m. last season. Kingsville's Fantasy of Lights at Lakeside Park has over 50 displays, and Amherstburg's River Lights spreads along the Detroit River. Check each festival's 2026 dates first.

What is the Holiday Lights Pass in Windsor-Essex?

It was a free digital pass from Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. Visitors checked in at light festivals for a chance to win a $500 shopping spree at Devonshire Mall, and the contest closed on January 7, 2026. Whether it returns in 2026 has not been announced.

Did the Libro Express Holiday Train run at Bright Lights Windsor?

Tourism Windsor Essex listed the Libro Express Holiday Train as running nightly from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bright Lights Windsor in the 2025-26 season, along with Santa on Fridays and Saturdays. Those details are from last season, so check the City of Windsor page for 2026.

Where does Santa show up in Windsor, Ontario?

Santa rides in the Windsor Santa Claus Parade, which is listed for December 5, 2026. Last season Tourism Windsor Essex also listed Santa at Bright Lights Windsor on Fridays and Saturdays, and LaSalle's lights had Santa Saturdays. The 2026 visit schedules are not yet posted.

What is open on Christmas Day for kids in Windsor?

Last season Bright Lights Windsor ran nightly from November 28 to January 7, which covered December 25, and LaSalle's lights ran daily to January 4. Hours on Christmas Day 2026 have not been posted. Check the City of Windsor page before you head out.

Where was The Nutcracker staged in Windsor, Ontario in 2025?

In 2025 the Edmunds Towers School of Dance staged The Nutcracker at the Capitol Theatre, 121 University Avenue West, on December 5, 6 and 7, with tickets at $40. The 2026 performance dates have not been announced, so watch the Capitol Theatre's calendar.

Which Windsor Symphony holiday concerts were listed for 2025?

Tourism Windsor Essex listed the Windsor Symphony Orchestra's Handel's Messiah and Holiday Dreams at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor in its 2025 holiday guide. No 2026 holiday dates have been posted for the Windsor Symphony yet, so check the orchestra's calendar.

When did work start on Bright Lights Windsor in 2026?

Access to Jackson Park was limited from Tuesday, October 13, 2026 for the first phase of equipment installation. The city's page also lists tentative park closures on October 22 and November 12. Opening night is scheduled for November 27.

Sources

  1. Bright Lights Windsor, City of Windsor
  2. Bright Lights Windsor returns, the city holiday tradition shines, City of Windsor
  3. Successful year at Bright Lights Windsor, AM800 CKLW
  4. 58th annual Windsor Santa Claus Parade to feature 75 entries, AM800 CKLW
  5. 2026 Windsor Float Application, Windsor Parade Corporation
  6. Experience holiday magic in Windsor-Essex this holiday season, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
  7. Holiday lights events in Windsor-Essex, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
  8. Downtown Windsor Santa Claus Parade, Downtown Windsor BIA
  9. Prep work to begin for Bright Lights Windsor 2026, CTV News Windsor
  10. The Nutcracker (Edmunds Towers School of Dance), Capitol Theatre Windsor
Kelsey Cecil
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