10 Vermont winter
and holiday events.
A Currier-and-Ives horse parade, a free kids' train looping a 30-foot Christmas tree, and a museum's grounds strung with lights. Most of these cluster in early December; confirm exact dates on each event's own site.
All 10, at a glance.
| Event | Where | Typical timing | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Lights | Shelburne Museum | Mid-Nov–early Jan | $15–20 adult, $10–12 child |
| Very Merry Middlebury | Middlebury | Late Nov–mid-Dec | Free |
| Vermont Holiday Festival | Killington Grand Hotel | First weekend of Dec | Free to browse |
| A Traditional Christmas in Stowe | Stowe | First weekend of Dec | Free |
| Grafton Village Holiday Festival | Grafton | First Saturday of Dec | Free |
| Kids Train, Church Street Marketplace | Burlington | Sundays through Dec | Free |
| St. J Sparkles | St. Johnsbury | Mid-Dec weekend | Free |
| Wassail Weekend | Woodstock | Second weekend of Dec | Free; $10/person for carriage rides |
| Santa's Balloon Parade | Okemo, Ludlow | December, date TBD | Free to view |
| Highlight (New Year's Eve) | Burlington | Dec 31 | $18–20; 5 & under free |
Timing reflects each event's usual pattern as of September 2026. Several had not posted exact 2026 dates yet; confirm on the event's own site, especially Santa's Balloon Parade at Okemo.
Our top three for young kids.
Wassail Weekend in Woodstock is the postcard version of a Vermont holiday: a horse-drawn parade through the village green, free to watch. The Kids Train at Church Street Marketplace in Burlington is the easiest short outing on this list: a free train loop around a 30-foot tree in a walkable, stroller-friendly pedestrian mall. Grafton Village's Holiday Festival is the most low-key, a genuinely small-town scene with a dog parade and bonfires on the green.
What families ask us.
What are the best holiday events in Vermont?
A Traditional Christmas in Stowe and Grafton Village's Holiday Festival are the two most classic Vermont-village holiday scenes, both free and built around a walkable green. Winter Lights at Shelburne Museum is the pick for a bigger, ticketed light display.
Are these Vermont holiday events free?
Most of the town-based events (Stowe, Grafton, St. Johnsbury, Woodstock's Wassail Weekend, Middlebury, and the Church Street kids' train in Burlington) are free or nearly free. Winter Lights at Shelburne Museum and Burlington's Highlight New Year's Eve festival charge admission.
What happened to Burlington's First Night celebration?
It has been rebranded as Highlight, a multi-venue New Year's Eve festival downtown with an all-access button, ending in fireworks. Families with younger kids can do an earlier slot and skip midnight.
When should we plan a Vermont holiday event trip?
Most of these cluster in early-to-mid December, before the holidays themselves. Confirm the exact date on each event's own site, since several had not posted final 2026 dates as of this writing.