Christmas Events for Kids in Woodstock (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 3 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Woodstock, Ontario for 2026. The indoor Winterlights Market on Dundas Street has free crafts on December evenings and Saturdays, with free photos with Santa on December 11 and 12, and Woodstock Transit runs its Tour of Lights bus rides past the city’s best displays on December 13 and 20. Every date comes from the City of Woodstock or Downtown Woodstock BIA websites. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Woodstock

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Woodstock
  • Winterlights Market: December 10 to 19, free admission and crafts
  • Free Santa photos: December 11 and 12 at the market
  • Tour of Lights: Sundays, December 13 and 20, 6 or 7 pm
  • Tour tickets: $3, on sale December 1 at 10 am

Free 1Ticketed and paid 1

Free Christmas events for kids in Woodstock

Indoor holiday marketFree

Winterlights Market

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A temporary indoor holiday market at 478 to 484 Dundas Street brings local vendors, live music and hands-on activities from the Woodstock Museum, Art Gallery and Public Library to downtown Woodstock on December evenings and Saturdays.

Kids can make a block-printed greeting card with the Art Gallery or craft a mini wreath or tiny ornament with the Museum for free, and Santa is there for free photos on Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12.

Parent tip: Go on December 11 or 12 for the free Santa photos, and skip Thursday, December 17, which is an adults-only 19+ night.

Host
Downtown Woodstock BIA and City of Woodstock (opens in a new tab)
Address
Winterlights Market, Downtown Woodstock, 478-484 Dundas Street, Woodstock, ON (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Downtown Woodstock BIA and City of Woodstock (opens in a new tab)

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Woodstock

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

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Holiday lights bus tour

Tour of Lights

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Woodstock Transit loads up six City buses at each departure for a guided ride past some of the most spectacular holiday light displays around town, with tours leaving the transit terminal at 6 and 7 pm.

Tickets are just $3 a person with proceeds going to the United Way, and riding a real city bus in the dark to look at lights is a big adventure for small kids, with ParaTransit buses also running on the 7 pm tour.

Parent tip: Create your recreation registration account before December 1 and book right at 10 am, since you must pick a time and bus number and seats go fast. Bring a non-perishable food item for the Salvation Army.

Host
Woodstock Transit (City of Woodstock) (opens in a new tab)
Address
Woodstock Transit Terminal, 623 Dundas St., Woodstock, ON (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Woodstock Transit (City of Woodstock) (opens in a new tab)

New Woodstock events every week

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

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? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists Santa trains and holiday rides across the country.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Woodstock Christmas event for kids happens

Book Tour of Lights seats the moment tickets open on December 1, then visit the Winterlights Market on December 11 or 12 for Santa.

Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Brantford, London, Norfolk County and Kitchener-Waterloo. 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)

The story of Christmas in Woodstock

In Woodstock, Ontario, Santa's parade and the glowing CPKC Holiday Train arrive on the same Saturday night in 2026, and the city moved the parade earlier so families can catch both. In December, kids can ride real city buses after dark on the Tour of Lights to see the town's brightest holiday displays for $3 a seat.

Home for the Holidays: a 125 Years of Woodstock parade from the Fairgrounds to Victoria Park

The Woodstock Santa Claus Parade leaves the Woodstock Fairgrounds at 875 Nellis Street, travels down McKenzie Street and west along Dundas Street, then turns right onto Light Street to finish in Victoria Park. Holiday floats, marching bands and Mr. and Mrs. Claus fill the route, and volunteers walk alongside collecting non-perishable food.

For 2026 the parade theme is Home for the Holidays: 125 Years of Woodstock. It runs on Saturday, November 21 starting at 5 pm, an earlier time the city chose so the parade would not clash with the CPKC Holiday Train stop the same evening. Woodstock Transit runs free after 3 pm that day, and vehicles left on the route after 4:30 pm are towed to a nearby street.

Smash Mouth on a lit boxcar stage at 199 Winniett Street, November 21, 2025

The 2025 Santa Claus Parade rolled on Saturday, November 15 at 6 pm from the Fairgrounds to Victoria Park, with holiday floats, marching bands, inflatables and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and float, band and Shriners applications due November 2. Six days later, on Friday, November 21, 2025, the CPKC Holiday Train pulled into 199 Winniett Street with Smash Mouth and Canadian artist JJ Wilde performing.

Kristen Brodhagen, the City of Woodstock's Manager of Special Events, told Oxford Today it was an honour to be chosen as a stop again. The Salvation Army served free hot chocolate and collected donations at its Christmas kettles for its HOPE Market, the city handed foam glow sticks to children, and seating was offered that year. Families were asked to bring items like fruit cups, Bear Paws, juice boxes and pasta sides.

Six city buses per departure and $5 maps for the Tour of Lights

Woodstock's Tour of Lights turns a city bus into a sightseeing coach. Woodstock Transit sends six buses at each departure from the transit terminal on Dundas Street to tour some of the most spectacular holiday light displays in the city. Tickets are $3 a person, every dollar goes to the United Way, and riders bring non-perishable food for the Salvation Army. Two ParaTransit buses run on the 7 pm tour so riders with specialized transit needs can join.

Families who prefer their own car can buy the route map for $5 at City Hall, the Reeves Community Complex or Cowan Park Sportsplex, with proceeds also going to the United Way. In 2026 the Tour of Lights runs Sunday, December 13 and Sunday, December 20, with tickets on sale December 1 at 10 am. The city also runs a Christmas Decoration Exchange, where gently used decorations are given free to community members on November 28, 2026 at Goff Gymnasium.

The Holiday Train's return to Woodstock and the Magic! stop on November 21, 2026

The Holiday Train has not always stopped in Woodstock. Heart FM reported one year that the CP Holiday Train would stop in the Friendly City for the first time in six years, after local lobbying by radio stations and residents. CP spokesperson Kevin Hyrsak said that night's free show had the Brothers Dube, Tracey Brown and the Claytones, and that each train has roughly 14 decorated cars with thousands of LED lights. In its 26th season, the train stopped at 199 Winniett Street on a Sunday evening with American Authors and KT Tunstall.

Since 1999 the train has raised more than $24 million and over 5.5 million pounds of food for food banks in Canada and the United States. In 2026 it stops on Saturday, November 21 from 6:50 to 7:10 pm with Magic! and MARIS, and free shuttles loop from Winniett Street to the downtown terminal afterward. Downtown, Museum Square is lit on November 20, and the new Winterlights Market brings Santa, crafts and music to 478 to 484 Dundas Street in December.

Traditions today

  • Santa Claus Parade: Floats, bands and Mr. and Mrs. Claus travel from the Fairgrounds along Dundas Street to Victoria Park, with a food drive on the route.
  • CPKC Holiday Train at Winniett Street: The lit train stops at 199 Winniett Street for a free boxcar concert that raises food and money for the Salvation Army.
  • Tour of Lights on city buses: Woodstock Transit buses carry families past the city's best displays for $3 a seat, all for the United Way.
  • Lighting of Museum Square: Downtown's lights are switched on with photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a silent disco and letters to Santa.
  • Christmas Decoration Exchange: Residents donate gently used Christmas decorations, and neighbours in need pick them up free.
  • Salvation Army Christmas kettles: Kettle donations at the Holiday Train stock the Salvation Army's HOPE Market with fresh food.

A fact for kids

In Woodstock you can tour the Christmas lights on a real city bus at night. Six buses leave at a time, and the ticket costs just $3, with all the money going to help people in town.

Questions about Christmas in Woodstock

What is the Woodstock Santa Claus Parade theme for 2026?

The 2026 theme is Home for the Holidays: 125 Years of Woodstock. The parade is on Saturday, November 21, 2026, starting at 5 pm, with holiday themed floats, marching bands and an appearance from Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Volunteers collect non-perishable food along the route, so bring an item if you can.

Why is the Woodstock Santa Claus Parade earlier in 2026?

The City of Woodstock moved the 2026 parade start to 5 pm to accommodate the CPKC Holiday Train, which stops in Woodstock the same evening, Saturday, November 21, from 6:50 to 7:10 pm. In 2025 the parade began at 6 pm. Families can now watch Santa downtown and still reach the train at 199 Winniett Street.

What is the Woodstock Ontario Santa Claus Parade route?

The parade departs from the Woodstock Fairgrounds at 875 Nellis Street, goes down McKenzie Street and west along Dundas Street, then turns right on Light Street to end in Victoria Park at 413 Buller Street. Roads along the route close at 4:30 pm, and accessible parking is on Dundas Street between Vansittart Avenue and Light Street.

When was the 2025 Woodstock Santa Claus Parade?

It was on Saturday, November 15, 2025, starting at 6 pm from the Woodstock Fairgrounds, along Dundas Street and onto Light Street to Victoria Park. It featured holiday floats, marching bands, inflatables and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and entries included floats, walking groups, bands and Shriners.

When does the CPKC Holiday Train stop in Woodstock in 2026?

Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 6:50 to 7:10 pm at 199 Winniett Street, with performances from Magic! and MARIS. The Salvation Army Woodstock collects donations and serves hot chocolate, and asks for money rather than canned goods so it can buy fresh food for its HOPE Market.

Who played the Holiday Train in Woodstock in 2025?

Smash Mouth, known for All Star, and Canadian artist JJ Wilde performed when the CPKC Holiday Train stopped at 199 Winniett Street on Friday, November 21, 2025. The Salvation Army served free hot chocolate, the city gave children foam glow sticks, and seating was available that year.

How long has the Holiday Train stopped in Woodstock Ontario?

The train has run since 1999, but Woodstock has not been on every schedule. Heart FM once reported that the CP Holiday Train was stopping in Woodstock for the first time in six years after local lobbying. In recent seasons it has stopped at 199 Winniett Street, including November 21, 2025, and it returns on November 21, 2026.

How many cars are on the Holiday Train that stops in Woodstock?

CP spokesperson Kevin Hyrsak told Heart FM that each Holiday Train has roughly 14 well decorated cars in festive themes, with thousands of LED lights. When it stops, one boxcar door lowers to become a stage, the musicians play, and then the door closes and the train rolls on to its next stop.

Where do you watch the Holiday Train in Woodstock?

At 199 Winniett Street, by the CPKC rail yard. There is an accessible viewing area next to the CPKC building and accessible parking at Drew Street and Winniett Street. Several nearby streets close for the stop, and after the show free shuttles loop to the downtown transit terminal at 623 Dundas Street until about 8 to 8:30 pm.

What should we donate at the Woodstock Holiday Train?

The Salvation Army Woodstock collects donations at the stop. For 2026 it asks for money instead of canned goods, so it can buy fresh food for its HOPE Market. In 2025 it listed needed items such as fruit and pudding cups, Bear Paws, juice boxes, pasta and rice sides and Hamburger Helper.

How much has the CPKC Holiday Train raised?

Heart FM reported that since 1999 the Holiday Train has raised more than $24 million and over 5.5 million pounds of food for food banks across Canada and the United States. Every donation stays in the community where it is given, so money given at the Woodstock stop helps the local Salvation Army.

How does the Woodstock Tour of Lights work?

Families board Woodstock Transit buses at the transit terminal at 623 Dundas Street for a guided ride past some of the city's most spectacular holiday light displays. Six buses leave at 6 pm and six at 7 pm, and you pick a time and bus number when you buy. In 2026 the tours run December 13 and 20.

Where does the money from the Woodstock Tour of Lights go?

All proceeds from the $3 tickets go to the United Way, and riders are asked to bring non-perishable food for the Salvation Army. The $5 self-guided route maps sold at City Hall and recreation centres also raise money for the United Way.

Can we do the Woodstock Christmas lights tour in our own car?

Yes. The City of Woodstock sells maps of the Tour of Lights route for $5 at City Hall, 500 Dundas Street, the Reeves Community Complex at 381 Finkle Street and Cowan Park Sportsplex at 895 Ridgewood Drive. Proceeds go to the United Way, and you can drive the route any evening.

Is the Woodstock Tour of Lights accessible?

Yes. Two ParaTransit buses run on the 7 pm tour for people who use specialized transit. Existing specialized transit customers call Voyago Dispatch to reserve a seat, and Voyago confirms pick-up times closer to the date. Regular tickets cannot be bought in person at City Hall, only online or at recreation centres.

When is the holiday Lighting of Museum Square in Woodstock in 2026?

Friday, November 20, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in downtown Woodstock. The evening includes photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a NorthFire Circus fire and aerial show, a silent disco, hot chocolate and cookies in Santa's House, live ice carving, and a Grinch scavenger hunt and letters to Santa inside 478 to 484 Dundas Street.

What is the Grinch Escape Room at the Woodstock Museum?

It is a holiday escape room where groups find clues and solve puzzles to save Christmas and bring cheer back to Whoville. It runs Friday and Saturday evenings from November 6 to December 19, 2026, for groups of 4 to 6 aged 14 and up, at $20 per person, so it suits older kids and teens.

What is the Woodstock Christmas Decoration Exchange?

Residents donate gently used Christmas decorations, and community members in need take them home free. In 2026, donations are dropped at Goff Gymnasium in the Reeves Community Complex on November 26 and 27 from 5 to 7 pm, and the exchange opens Saturday, November 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 am. Items go quickly.

Is there free transit for Christmas events in Woodstock?

Yes. On Saturday, November 21, 2026, Woodstock Transit offers free service after 3 pm so residents can get to the Santa Claus Parade and the CPKC Holiday Train. After the train, free shuttles run from Winniett Street, between Ingersoll Avenue and Drew Street, to the downtown terminal.

What is a good Christmas plan for kids in Woodstock Ontario?

Watch the Lighting of Museum Square on November 20, 2026, then the 5 pm Santa Claus Parade and the 6:50 pm Holiday Train the next evening. In December, visit the Winterlights Market for Santa and free crafts, and book Tour of Lights bus seats as soon as tickets open on December 1.

What was new at the Woodstock Holiday Train stop in 2025?

Kristen Brodhagen, Manager of Special Events for the City of Woodstock, told Oxford Today that seating would be available at the 2025 stop. The city also handed out foam glow sticks to children, and the Salvation Army served free hot chocolate while collecting donations at its Christmas kettles.

Sources

  1. Santa Claus Parade, City of Woodstock
  2. CPKC Holiday Train, City of Woodstock
  3. Tour of Lights, City of Woodstock
  4. Lighting of Museum Square, City of Woodstock
  5. Christmas Decoration Exchange, City of Woodstock
  6. What's Good in Tillsonburg? Smash Mouth and JJ Wilde to perform as CPKC Holiday Train returns to Woodstock, Oxford Today
  7. Holiday Train in Woodstock this Sunday, 104.7 Heart FM
  8. Holiday Train is back, 104.7 Heart FM
  9. The festive CPKC Holiday Train is travelling through Ontario and these are all stops, Narcity
  10. Santa Claus Parade, November 15, 2025, HappeningNext

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 Canada city.

Woodstock Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Woodstock, Ontario this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Woodstock for 2026: the Winterlights Market downtown, with free Santa photos on December 11 and 12, and the Woodstock Transit Tour of Lights on December 13 and 20.

Where can kids see Santa in Woodstock?

At the Winterlights Market, 478-484 Dundas Street, on Friday, December 11, 2026 (5 to 9 pm) and Saturday, December 12 (11 am to 5 pm). The photos are free.

How do I get tickets for the Woodstock Tour of Lights?

Tickets are $3 per person and go on sale Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 10 am through the City’s program registration site, or in person at Cowan Park Sportsplex, Reeves Community Complex, the Woodstock Museum and the Woodstock Art Gallery. Not at City Hall.

When does the Tour of Lights leave?

Buses leave the Woodstock Transit Terminal at 6 pm and 7 pm on Sunday, December 13 and Sunday, December 20, 2026.

Who do I contact about Woodstock holiday events?

The Downtown Woodstock BIA at info@downtownwoodstock.ca for the Winterlights Market, and the City of Woodstock Engineering Office, Transit Department at engineering@cityofwoodstock.ca for the Tour of Lights.

Are there more Christmas events near Woodstock?

Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and the national search sorts events by distance from your town.

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 municipal or tourism calendar. We last checked Woodstock on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, washrooms 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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