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Holiday Events Plus Where to Find Santa For a Visit and Pictures!

November 3, 2024

Looking to get photos with Santa this year? We have a full list of all the places he will be in 2024 around the Louisville, KY area! You can find even more fun holiday events on our Local Event Calendar. Sign up to get the calendar emailed to you every week for free HERE! Find our full list of light displays HERE


If you have an upcoming holiday event that you would like to add to the calendar submit the info to be added to our calendar at this link


Recurring Events 


  • Gardens Aglimmer - Enjoy a stroll through our holiday lights display while enjoying a hot drink and sweet treat from our Jingle All the Way Café. This year’s event will include visits from Santa* crafting
    activities for kids of all ages, and great photo opportunities. Please note: Santa will arrive nightly at 6pm and depart by 9pm. If you plan to visit Santa, you must be in line by 8:15pm. 
  • Friday, November 29 – Saturday, November 30
  • Thursday, December 5 – Sunday, December 8
  • Wednesday, December 11 (Special Date Night, ages 21+ only)
  • Thursday, December 12 – Sunday, December 15
  • Monday, December 16 (Special Sensory Friendly Night)
  • Tuesday, December 17 – Monday, December 23
  • Friday, December 27 – Monday, December 30 (Santa and Mrs. Claus are not present on these dates)

  • Qannik’s Beary Happy Holiday at the Louisville Zoo - Create warm memories while you watch Qannik and her animal friends through the Zoo enjoy three weekends of festive fun with special holiday enrichment on December 7th-8th and 14th-15th. Santa and Mrs. Claus visit on the 21st and 22nd.

  • Southern Lights Holiday Festival - Drive through the lights nightly, November 29-December 31, 2024 (Closed Christmas Day) from 5:30-10:00 pm. At the end of the route, we invite you to park and explore the Holiday Village (included in admission). The Holiday Village features photos with Santa, Santa’s North Pole Mailbox (where children can drop off their Christmas List), Animal Land, Mini-Train rides, a Bluegrass Miniature Train Display, and the Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop. Grab a quick snack in the village or sit down for dinner at Tootie’s Peppermint Café to complete your visit.
















FREE CHARACTER VISITS, 6-10 PM:
SANTA – Nov. 29, Dec. 5, Dec. 12, Dec. 19 (plus Dec. 23 at Greenway Park)
THE GRINCH – Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 (plus Dec. 23 at Greenway Park)
BUDDY THE ELF AND JOVIE –  Dec. 6, Dec. 13, Dec. 20
SPECIAL GUEST NIGHTS – Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 18, Dec. 21


November 8th

Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass


November 9th

SLHI Christmas Charity Pajama Party & Holiday Market

Hurstbourne Christian Church Christmas/Holiday Arts Bazaar

Norton Commons Holiday Pop Up Market


November 15th

Festival of Trees & Lights


November 16th

Bullitt Central High School Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair 

Lowe's Kids Workshops: Holiday Countdown

Anchal 13th Annual Holiday Shop

Thanksgiving Clay Workshop at Oldham County Schools Arts Center

Festival of Trees & Lights

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Christmas Market 

The Kentucky Castle: Holiday Market


November 17th

Ascension School: The Grinch's Christmas Bazaar

Festival of Trees & Lights

The Kentucky Castle: Holiday Market


November 21st

Lights on Main Preview Party


November 23rd

Holiday Brite Nite at Paddock Shops 

The Louisville Orchestra: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Christkindlmarkt at the German American Club

Male High School Winter Wonderland Craft Show

St. Gabriel's Annual Craft Show


November 24th

An Evening with Chevy Chase following a screening of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Holiday House Tour and Kinkade Village with Train Exhibit at Blackacre

Purrfect Day Cafe: Ms. Sweeny's TURKEY TALES Crafts and Storytime with Kiddos plus KITTENS

Falls of the Ohio State Park: Make a Natural Ornament

Kosair for Kids Pie Auction


November 28th

54th Annual Northeast Family YMCA Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot


November 29th

Harley-Davidson Louisville: Selfies with Santa

Rocky Mountain High Experience® - A John Denver Christmas


November 30th

Shelbyville Fire & Rescue: Breakfast with Santa Fundraiser 

Light Up Jeff

International Holiday Event at The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass

LIBA South's Small Business Saturday Holiday Market

Shop Small Saturday at Norton Commons

Fleur de Flea Presents Vintage Holiday Bash

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops


December 1st

Light Up Jeffersontown

Kentucky Performing Arts presents A Magical Cirque Christmas

Holiday House Tour and Kinkade Village with Train Exhibit at Blackacre

4th Annual Light Up The Maples Park

Santa's Shop in Jeffersontown

Falls of the Ohio State Park: Create an Origami Ornament

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops

Bud’s Tavern JTown: Breakfast with Santa


December 3rd

The Hip Hop Nutcracker


December 6th

A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage

Derby City Pediatric Dentistry - Pictures and Crafts with Santa

Annual WinterFair

Enchanted Winter Woods - Walk Through Christmas Display

2024 Oldham Gardens Christmas Market


December 7th

Light Up St Matthews

Blackacre State Nature Preserve And Historic Homestead: Country Christmas

19th Annual Nature of Christmas in Goshen

Breakfast with Santa at Slugger Field

FaLaLa on Frankfort

Cookies with Captain Santa

Bardstown Road Aglow 

Light Up La Grange

Breakfast with Santa at Middletown United Methodist Church

Holiday Ornament Ceramics Workshop at Oldham County Schools Arts Center

NoCo Holiday Market

StageOne Family Theatre presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Made Market Louisville - Holiday 2024

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show

Oldham County History Center - Breakfast with the Grinch, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and many other iconic characters

Old Louisville Holiday Home Tour

The East End Farmer’s Market: An Old-Fashioned Christmas Market

Pleasure Ridge Park Fire District 3rd Annual Pancakes with Santa 

Magic Inc. presents Nutcracker In A Nutshell

Sensory Friendly Christmas Party presented by Ecotech and Barren Heights

37th Ballard Holiday Halls Arts and Craft Fair

Santa's Shop in Jeffersontown

Breakfast with Santa at Dave and Buster's

Annual WinterFair

Falls of the Ohio State Park: Nature's Holiday Lights - Minerals in Ultraviolet

Enchanted Winter Woods - Walk Through Christmas Display

Bernheim: Holiday Open House

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops

Feeders Pet Supply: Picture Your Pet with Santa

2024 Oldham Gardens Christmas Market

The Story of the Nutcracker at Performing Arts Louisville


December 8th

Cookies with Captain Santa

River City Turners Gymnastics: Pancakes with Santa

Joy Full, Josephine Sculpture Park's 2nd annual year-end gratitude gathering

StageOne Family Theatre presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Samara Joy 'A Joyful Holiday' ft. The McLendon Family

Old Louisville Holiday Home Tour

37th Ballard Holiday Halls Arts and Craft Fair

Jeffersontown Fire and EMS: Cookies with Santa 

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops

Feeders Pet Supply: Picture Your Pet with Santa

2024 Oldham Gardens Christmas Market

Grinch Brunch Buffet at the B.A. Colonial

Middletown Christian Church Christmas Concerts


December 10th

Ceramic Christmas Tree Workshop at Waterfront Botanical Gardens


December 12th

Pizza and Pajamas with Santa at Sicilian Pizza & Pasta Glenmary Plaza

Christmas with Santa at Mt. Washington Branch Library


December 13th

An Acoustic Christmas with Over the Rhine

Dinner with Signing Santa 

Enchanted Winter Woods - Walk Through Christmas Display

Westport Village: All is Bright Magical Holiday Celebration

2024 Oldham Gardens Christmas Market


December 14th

Louisville Orchestra Family Concert: Santa's Symphony Spectacular

Cookies with Captain Santa

Christmas In Anchorage

Lowe's Kids Workshops: Spinning Snowflake 

Santa is coming to Reardon's

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church: Breakfast with Santa 

Clarksville Parks and Recreation: Breakfast with Santa 

The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass: Pet Picture with Santa & Mrs Claus 

StageOne Family Theatre presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Jim Brickman - Comfort & Joy

Pet Picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus at The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass

Christmas Folklore and Natural History Hike at Blackacre

Louisville Nature Center: Holly and Ivy

Santa's Shop in Jeffersontown

Enchanted Winter Woods - Walk Through Christmas Display

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops

Westport Village: Photos with Santa

2024 Oldham Gardens Christmas Market

Brunch with Santa at Metro Diner


December 15th

StageOne Family Theatre presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Holiday House Tour and Kinkade Village with Train Exhibit at Blackacre

Lights on Main Free Family Day

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops

2024 Oldham Gardens Christmas Market

Holiday Hayride with Horses (and Santa) at Chestnut Hall


December 21st

Qannik’s Beary Happy Holiday: With Santa & Mrs. Claus

StageOne Family Theatre presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Candlelight Tour at Blackacre

Nutcracker on Ice, Presented by Louisville Skating Academy

Waterfront Botanical Gardens: Storytime and Craft - Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

City of Jeffersontown: Pancakes with Santa 

Santa's Shop in Jeffersontown

The 13th Annual Flea Off Market Holiday Bazaar

Falls of the Ohio State Park: T’was the Hike Before Christmas

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops

Westport Village: Photos with Santa


December 22nd 

Qannik’s Beary Happy Holiday: With Santa & Mrs. Claus

Nutcracker on Ice, Presented by Louisville Skating Academy

The 13th Annual Flea Off Market Holiday Bazaar

Free Carriage Rides and Santa Visits at The Paddock Shops