Christmas in Maine 2026:
Kennebunkport + 9 events.
Santa arriving by lobster boat, a botanical garden's paths strung with lights, and a vintage train ride to meet Santa. We live right on the Maine border, and Kennebunkport, Portland, York and Bar Harbor are all places we've taken the girls, so this is the Maine we know.
All 10, at a glance.
| Event | Where | 2026 dates | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardens Aglow | Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay | Nov 14–Jan 2, Thu–Sun + select dates | $20–28 adult, $10–18 child, by date |
| Portland tree lighting & Elf screening | Monument Square, Portland | Usually the Friday after Thanksgiving; 2026 not posted | Free to attend |
| Nubble Lighthouse holiday lighting | Sohier Park, York | Lit from late Nov into Feb; 2026 not posted | Free to view |
| Christmas Prelude | Kennebunkport | Dec 3–13 | Mostly free; some paid extras |
| Freeport Sparkle Celebration | Downtown Freeport | Dec 4–13; parade Fri Dec 4, 6pm | Free |
| Christmas by the Sea | Camden | Dec 4–6 | Mostly free |
| North Pole Express | Boothbay Railway Village | Dec 5–6, 12–13, 19–20 | $21 ages 3+, online only |
| Bar Harbor Village Holidays & craft fair | Bar Harbor | Early Dec; 2026 not posted | Free to attend |
| Sugarloaf Tree Lighting Festival | Carrabassett Valley | Dec 12–13 | See Sugarloaf |
| Santa Sunday | Sunday River, Newry | Sun, Dec 13, 11am | Free to watch |
Verified October 30, 2026 against each event's own site. Portland's tree lighting, the Nubble lighting and Bar Harbor hadn't posted 2026 dates, so those rows say when they usually happen and give last year's dates. Christmas by the Sea has no website of its own; its dates come from the state's Visit Maine listing.
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Stays for Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport
The Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport centers on Dock Square, and the Hovey House is a two-minute walk from it. We stayed at the Anchorage Inn in York; we haven’t stayed in the two rentals, but they pass our filters.
- 3 bedrooms
- 2+ baths
- Full kitchen
- Washer and dryer
- A/C
- 2 min to Dock Square
A restored 1797 house 2 minutes from Dock Square, with a garret the kids can play in, a backyard and a free beach parking permit. About $360 a night, over our budget.
Where we stayed for a night away with the girls: two indoor pools and an outdoor pool.
- 2 bedrooms
- 1 bath
- Full kitchen
- Washer and dryer
- A/C
- A quarter mile to Footbridge Beach
A main bedroom and a bunk room, with toys and board games already there. Footbridge Beach and a few restaurants are a quarter mile away, the trolley stop is steps away, and the center is about a mile. About $300 a night.
Ratings and amenities were checked on Vrbo in October 2026. The buttons open Vrbo for 2 adults and 2 kids on Dec 4 to 6, the Hat Parade and Santa-by-lobster-boat weekend, so you see live prices for that weekend. The Anchorage Inn (on Expedia) and the Yellowfin cottage open on those dates too. The Hovey House needs a longer stay that weekend, so its link opens with no dates.
Portland is a central base for Freeport, Kennebunkport and the Monument Square tree. Search Vrbo rentals, already set to Portland. Look for two bedrooms and a full kitchen. Where we would stay. Affiliate link, our disclosure.
Maine Christmas events,
in calendar order.
From Gardens Aglow opening November 14 to Santa Sunday at Sunday River on December 13. For each one: what kids do there, what it costs, and the detail worth knowing first.
Gardens Aglow
About a mile of lit garden paths, which takes around two hours at kid pace. Prices depend on the night: adults $20, $24 or $28, kids $10, $14 or $18, so the cheaper "Family Value" dates are worth hunting for. Parking is free, and a free Friday to Sunday shuttle runs from 11 Howard Street in Boothbay Harbor. Closed Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25, and January 1. Official site →
Portland tree lighting & Elf screening
Buddy the Elf, an outdoor screening of Elf, and the tree switched on with a giant candy-cane lever. The 2026 date wasn't posted when we checked; last year it was Friday, November 28, 2025, from 4 to 6:30pm. Dress for the cold and bring a chair for the movie. Portland is one of the Maine towns we know with the girls. Official site →
Nubble Lighthouse holiday lighting
The Nubble lit for the holidays, from dusk to midnight every night. Last season the lights went on Saturday, November 29, 2025 and stayed up through February 1, 2026; the 2026 date wasn't posted when we checked. York's Long Sands is our family's favorite beach, with the Nubble in view while the girls play on the rocks, so seeing it lit up in December is an easy yes. Official site →
Christmas Prelude
Kennebunkport at Christmas. The Dock Square tree is lit on Friday, December 4 at 5:30pm, the Hat Parade is Saturday, December 5 at 3pm (free, but register on Eventbrite), Santa arrives by lobster boat at the Nonantum Resort on Sunday, December 6, and fireworks go up over the cove on Friday, December 11 at 6:15pm. Most of it is free. The organizer's pages list two different times for Santa's boat, so check the schedule app that morning. Kennebunkport is one of our day trips with the girls. Official site →
Freeport Sparkle Celebration
The Parade of Lights comes down Main Street on Friday, December 4 at 6pm, rain or shine, and Santa arrives at the end to "wake" the Talking Tree. After that, kids can sing and tell jokes to the tree at Main and Bow Streets on weekends from 11am to 8pm. There's no admission. Official site →
Christmas by the Sea
Camden's 40th year: a Friday evening parade and tree lighting with Santa, then Santa arriving by boat in Camden Harbor on Saturday morning, and craft fairs all weekend. Exact times weren't posted. Don't mix it up with Ogunquit's event of the same name, which is a week later. Official site →
North Pole Express
A vintage train where Santa boards at Thorndike Station and every child gets a keepsake gift. Eight trains a day run from 10:45am to 4pm. Tickets are $21 for ages 3 and up and are sold online in advance only. Strollers and car seats can't go on the train, missed trains aren't refunded, and weather cancellations are. Official site →
Bar Harbor Village Holidays & craft fair
Cocoa and cookies on the Village Green, then Santa reads 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and lights the tree. Last year that was Friday, December 5, 2025, and the Island Arts Association's craft fair ran December 5 to 7. Neither organizer had posted 2026 dates when we checked. We've been to Bar Harbor and Acadia with the girls. Official site →
Sugarloaf Tree Lighting Festival
Santa visits with Amos and friends, then fireworks, live music and warm treats at the base. A holiday market with more than 15 makers sets up on the hotel's second floor. Times and prices weren't posted yet. Official site →
Santa Sunday
Skiers in Santa suits ski down together for charity (more than 300 last year, per local coverage), and it's free to watch. Be at the South Ridge base by 11am for the group photo and the ski-down. Proceeds go to The River Fund Maine and the Boyne Forever Foundation. Registration for skiers opens December 1. Official site →
You won't do all 10.
Here's how we'd choose.
If you're picking a few:
Christmas Prelude, the Freeport parade, Camden's Christmas by the Sea, the Nubble and Santa Sunday cost nothing to watch. Prelude's trolley rides and breakfast with Mrs. Claus are the paid extras.
The North Pole Express is the most hands-on for little ones, with Santa on board and a gift for every child. The Freeport Talking Tree is a free, five-minute thrill.
Kennebunkport for Prelude, then Freeport or Camden. If you want a night away, Boothbay does Gardens Aglow and the North Pole Express in one weekend; see our Boothbay Harbor guide.
From our side of the New Hampshire seacoast, the Nubble and Kennebunkport are short drives. Our Maine with kids guide covers more of the coast.
Looking beyond
Maine?
This list is one state in our holiday series. The New England roundup adds Newport, Mystic and Ice Castles, or skip the research and have us plan the trip.
What families ask about
Christmas in Maine.
When is Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport in 2026?
December 3 to 13, 2026. The Dock Square tree is lit Friday, December 4, the Hat Parade is Saturday, December 5, Santa arrives by lobster boat Sunday, December 6, and the fireworks are Friday, December 11. Most events are free.
What are the best Christmas towns in Maine?
Kennebunkport for Christmas Prelude, Freeport for the Parade of Lights and the Talking Tree, Camden for Christmas by the Sea, and Boothbay for Gardens Aglow and the North Pole Express.
What is Gardens Aglow?
A walk-through light display on about a mile of paths at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. In 2026 it runs from November 14 to January 2, Thursday to Sunday plus select dates, 4 to 9pm. Adult tickets are $20 to $28 depending on the night.
Are Maine Christmas events free?
Most town events are: Christmas Prelude, the Freeport Sparkle Celebration, Christmas by the Sea, the Portland and Bar Harbor tree lightings, the Nubble and Santa Sunday. Gardens Aglow and the North Pole Express charge admission.
When is the Nubble Lighthouse lit for the holidays?
Usually from the Saturday after Thanksgiving into February. Last season it was lit from November 29, 2025 to February 1, 2026, from dusk to midnight. York Parks and Recreation hadn't posted the 2026 date when we checked.