Where can you see Santa Claus in Lexington and Central KY? Here’s some great events in Central KY! Click the event for more information. There are places that offer breakfast, brunch, train rides, visits, photos, and more.
Fayette Mall
Season Open November 6 through December 24, 2026
Nov 6 to Dec 10 Mon to Sat 12pm to 7pm · Sun 12pm to 6pm
Dec 11 to Dec 17 Mon to Sat 11am to 8pm · Sun 12pm to 6pm
PackagesFrom $42
Special Hours Information:
- Wake Up Santa Event – Watch for more info!
- Pet Photos
- Black Santa Photos – Special dates for Black Santa phot
Santa at Lexington Green and Fritz Farm
Santa arrives at Fritz Farm on November 22nd
Holiday Market and Santa’s Grand Arrival
1 pm – 5 pm
FREE
Greet Santa, shop from local artists, enjoy photo ops, activities, music, and more on the Green at Fritz Farm
Hours vary daily and for each location. Find info online and make a reservation!
Cabela’s
November 7 (Arrival event, 5 pm) – December 24, 2026
Starting Nov. 8th, experience the magic of Christmas at Santa’s Wonderland at your local Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s!
Hours vary – check online when you make your reservation. Reservations open November 1st.
Families can also enjoy the amazing aquariums and wildlife displays found in every Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s store.
Hamburg Pavilion
Watch for 2026 dates
Illuminated Evenings at Shaker Village
Saturday, December 5, 12 & 19, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
During the holiday season, Shaker Village will bustle with light-hearted moments that remind us of long-ago winter days filled with wonder and laughter. Make time to delight in life’s simple gifts with family and friends, as lively music, merriment and candlelight illuminate the Village.
Looking to pre-register? Purchase your tickets before December 1 to get a special early bird rate.
Early Bird Rate:
Ages 3+: $10
Free – Ages 2 and Under
Day-of tickets are priced:
Ages 3+: $12
Free: Ages 2 and Under
Meet Santa & Mrs. Claus – Take a picture with Santa in the cozy Farm Deacon’s Shop. He’ll be available and ready to pose at no additional charge from 4-8:00 p.m. You can also catch his No. 1 helper, Mrs. Claus, sharing some of her favorite holiday tales during storytime at 4:30p.m., 5:00p.m. and 5:30p.m.
Louis Flower Power Shops at Lansdowne Shoppes
Santa Visits – Watch for 2026 Dates
Kentucky Horse Park Southern Lights
November 27 – December 24, 2026 from 5:30-10:00 pm.
At the end of the route, we invite you to park and explore the Holiday Village (included in Southern Lights ticket price). 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 and hot drink in the village or sit down for dinner at Tootie’s Peppermint Café to complete your visit. (Lights run until 12/31 but Santa heads back to the North Pole after 12/24)
Black Santa
Watch for 2026 Dates
Christmas at the Farm (Devine’s Corn Maze)
Watch for 2026 Dates
Open Fridays & Saturdays, we’re transforming the farm into a twinkling wonderland of lights, laughter, and Christmas cheer. Stroll beneath the sparkling displays, sip on cozy hot chocolate, and let the sounds of the season fill your heart. 
General admission price is $7 for ages 3 and over.
Be sure to stop by Santa’s Workshop! Santa (and maybe even the Green Guy 
) will be visiting on select Friday & Saturdays for those picture-perfect holiday memories (just $10 for 4 x 6 and digitals).
Bluegrass Railroad Museum
Saturdays, November 28th, December 5th & 12th, 2026 Rides at 11 am & 2 pm
Sundays, December 6th & 13th, 2026 Rides at 2 pm
Once the train pulls out of the station for a 90 minute train ride, Santa visits with every child. Our Conductors and Car Hosts will help you pass the time while waiting for your turn with the jolly old elf.
Enjoy singing carols, watching the winter countryside or just relaxing with your family. At the end of the ride, there are candy canes for everyone before Santa gives his final farewell. Then he heads back to the North Pole to await his Big Night.
Kentucky Railway Museum
North Pole Express
December 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 2026
Rides at 5:30 pm
Join us for a nostalgic Christmas adventure aboard a historic train ride to pick up Santa! On our journey to the North Pole, enjoy a train excursion while listening to the sounds of the season. Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa boards the train and travels with us on our way back to New Haven. Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ultimate experience. Upon arriving back at the station, you have the opportunity to visit with Santa and take your child’s photo with him in the depot!
The entire family can enjoy a cookie and hot chocolate when they visit Claus’s Kitchen Caboose before the train excursion. (No food or drink other than bottled water is able to be taken on the train.) We do recommend that you arrive an hour prior to the train departure time to enjoy your cookie and hot chocolate and the small activities we have available for the kids!
Santa Express
December 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 21, 2026
Saturday Rides at 11:30 am & 2:30 pm, Sunday Rides at 2:30 pm
All aboard the Santa Express! Bring the children on a nostalgic journey to meet Santa while listening to the sounds of the season. Visit with the man in the red suit while traveling through the Rolling Fork River Valley and enjoying a historic train excursion. For even more fun, the whole family is welcome to wear their pajamas!
The entire family can enjoy a cookie and hot chocolate when they visit Claus’s Kitchen before the train excursion! (No food or drink other than bottled water is able to be taken on the train.) We do recommend that you arrive an hour prior to the train departure time to enjoy your cookie and hot chocolate and the small activities we have available for the kids!
Brunch with Santa
December 13, 20, 2026
9:45 am
This event begins at 9:45 a.m. with a 30-minute train ride departing from our depot in New Haven. When you arrive at Gethsemane, you will be shuttled to The Legacy at Log Still where you will enjoy activities, meet and greet with Santa and brunch from 10:30 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. The return train departs at noon to arrive back in New Haven at 12:30 p.m.
*Unfortunately, this event is not wheelchair accessible. If needing wheelchair accessibility, please choose the Santa Express or North Pole Express event.
Menu includes:
Fresh Fruit, Assortment of Breakfast Breads, Scrambled Eggs, Crispy Bacon, Sausage Patties, Hashbrown Casserole, Biscuits and Gravy, Waffles, Cookies, Brownies,Hot Chocolate, Milk, Orange Juice, Adult Beverages available for purchase.
(Menu subject to change based on availability) Reservations required.
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
Santa Streamliner
December 10, 17, and 22, 2026
6 pm
Take a step back to a simpler time of joy and grandeur; a time where holiday magic fills the air. The North Pole Express at My Old KY Dinner Train is the only place where you can experience a fully renovated and functioning holiday dinner train experience like the days of old. Come early to enjoy our classic 1860s depot building decorated to the nines for your visit with Santa Claus before you board the train. We recommend arriving an hour early to enjoy your personal visit with the big man as well as our exquisite tree display including our famous 12-foot tree in either your matching pajamas or Sunday best. Your whole family will enjoy the scavenger hunt and other family activities available in the depot before boarding.
Once onboard, each 1940s style dining car is dressed with linens for you and your families’ three-course meal prepared by our seasoned culinary team. Your little ones will be greeted with their own custom coloring book at their place setting designed by a local artist. Relax while our 5-star serving staff takes care of all your needs. Throughout the beautiful 105 minute ride through the Kentucky countryside, Santa will visit each train car and table to chat, sing carols and take pictures. End this magical ride with a warm cup of our chef’s homemade hot chocolate and a giant chocolate chip cookie to fill your tummy.
Back in the depot, Santa has another surprise up his sleeve. Visit the man in the big red coat for, of course, a magical bell from his sleigh. Be ready for a special punch in your North Pole Express train ticket and a candy cane before going home.
Kids of ALL ages welcome!
Ticket Includes
1 hour 45 minute train excursion
3-course meal
Santa Claus experience in depot before, on train, and in depot after
Kids’ Tickets (ages 0-12) also include:
Activity bag at door
Special North Pole Express souvenir train ticket
Coloring book and crayons on train
Souvenir hot chocolate cup
Gift bell from Santa
Hillenmeyer Christmas (Ashland Henry Clay Estate)
Watch for 2026 info
Cincinnati Museum Center Holiday Junction
November 13, 2026 – January 4, 2027
The Duke Energy Holiday Trains have been a Cincinnati holiday staple for eight decades, delighting generations since they first debuted downtown in 1946. Track-level views reveal intricate details of the display, where over 300 rail cars and 50 locomotives steam past anxious passengers waiting to board while cars sit with snow to their hubcaps and the perfect trees strapped to their roofs.
Holiday Junction features bursts of winter whimsy that greet you as soon as you enter the door. The Northern Lights display serves as the perfect backdrop for family photos as wispy green lights dance behind you and snow-rimmed trees surround you. The history of the Duke Energy Holiday Trains is also told through an interactive storybook filled with photos of the iconic trains over the decades.
The Holiday Scavenger Hunt features hidden objects in the garden railway layout begging you to walk around, peel your eyes and scour every detail tucked away in the snowy hills.
Of course, no holiday is complete without a visit to Santa. Santa makes his grand arrival on Friday, November 27. You can visit the jolly elf by his fireplace in the Ruthven Gallery.
Also returning this year is the OMNIMAX® film Rocky Mountain Express, where you can immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of the Canadian Rockies aboard a historic steam locomotive. Plus, experience a new domed screen rail adventure with the debut of Train Time in the OMNIMAX® Theater.
Santa’s Arrival
Friday, November 27, 2026 at Noon
Join us as we welcome Santa to CMC! Santa will arrive by firetruck at Noon.
Deaf Day with Santa
Sunday, December 6 from 2 to 5 p.m.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! In partnership with Cincinnati State Interpreter Training Program (ITP), Deaf and Hard of Hearing guests are invited to visit with Santa in a whole new way.
Interpreters (ASeLves) from Cincinnati State’s ITP will be on-site, ensuring that all guests have equitable access to visit with Santa from 2 to 5 p.m. (after feeding his reindeer until the end of the day)!
Visit with Black Santa
Wednesday, December 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Don’t miss a very special visit from Black Santa at CMC!
Special Events *Keep checking back for more 2026 updates
Holiday Open House in Versailles
Saturday, November 14, 2026
10 am – 5 pm
Versailles Christmas Open House is November 14th🎄
Hosted by the Versailles Merchants Alliance, this is your official kickoff to the holiday season! Come celebrate the magic of Christmas while shopping, eating, and drinking local.🛍️🍴☕️
Santa Claus is coming to Versailles and will be ready to hear all about what your kiddos are wishing for this Christmas! Make plans to come to Versailles, shop for unique holiday gifts, support our local small businesses, visit Santa, and soak up all the holiday cheer!
Santa Arrives by Train in Midway
Watch for 2026 Info
Santa and Mrs. Claus Meet and Greet
Holly Day Market at Alltech Arena
Meet and Greet – Saturday, December 5, 2026 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Polar Express Storytime – Sunday, December 7, 2026 12 pm – 2 pm $30/ticket
General Admission tickets are $15, and children 10 and under are free. Parking is included.
Cookies and Cocoa with Mrs. Claus
Shaker Village
December 5, 2026
11 am & 2 pm
Bring your little ones to Shaker Village for a fun event decorating cookies, sipping cocoa, and listening to stories from Mrs. Claus.
All children must be accompanied by a paying adult. All tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. $24/person, 2 and under FREE
A Kentucky Christmas at Ashland
December 5, 2026
4 pm – 7 pm
Join us for one of Lexington’s most beloved traditions as we light our Christmas Tree for the first time to kick off the holiday season! Our Christmas. The tree will be illuminated at dusk; candlelight tours of the mansion to follow for ticketed guests.
Deck the Halls with Ronald McDonald House
December 12, 2026
12 pm – 2 pm
We’re so excited to bring the holiday magic back to Ronald McDonald House Lexington! Join us for a free, festive afternoon of meeting Santa, enjoying coffee and cocoa with special treats, shopping raffle tickets for your chance to win beautifully decorated trees and wreaths, and celebrating the most wonderful time of the year with us.
St. Nich Fest, Nicholasville
Saturday, December 12, 2026 (Events through the day)
Parade 5:30 pm (2025 time – will confirm for 2026)
Watch for details
A Wonderful Woodford Christmas
December 12, 2026
Noon – 5 pm
A Wonderful Woodford Christmas✨🎄
We invite you to continue to celebrate the magic of the holiday season in Versailles! Join us on Saturday, December 12th from 12 PM–5 PM at The District for an afternoon filled with Christmas cheer for the whole family!
🎄 Special performances by Jane’s School of Dance
🎨 Kids’ crafts & activities
🎁 Handmade vendors & unique gifts
🎅 Santa & MORE!
📍 The District, 105 Rose Hill Ave, Versailles, Kentucky
Bring your family, grab your friends, and come make some holiday memories with us!
A Wonderful Woodford Christmas – where the magic of the season comes to life right here in Versailles!
Meet the Clauses at Historic Boone Tavern
December 18, 2026
6 pm – 7 pm
Come decorate cookies and drink some hot chocolate with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Step into a cozy, holiday setting at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant for a magical experience with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Designed to create unforgettable holiday memories for the whole family, this festive event brings classic Christmas traditions together in one place.
Cookie Decorating: Guests receive a cookie along with a selection of colorful icings, festive sprinkles, and toppings. Perfect for unleashing your inner baker, guests of all ages can design their own delicious Christmas treats to take home or enjoy on the spot.
Warm Cocoa Bar: Cozy up with a mug of rich hot chocolate. Customize your drink with toppings like mini marshmallows and whipped cream for the ultimate winter treat.
Photos with Santa & Mrs. Claus: Capture the magic of the season with a personal photo opportunity. Guests can share their holiday wish lists, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and take memorable family photos in a beautifully decorated festive environment.
Pink Santa at Olive’s Apron
Watch for 2026 date
Register for a time between 9 am – 3 pm (30 minute visits)
Join us at our little pink house for a magical visit with Pink Santa. Each spot includes 1 cookie to decorate and 1 goody bag, plus a visit with Pink Santa. **This is a take your own photo event.** Tickets are $25/per FAMILY with additional goody bags and cookies available to purchase, We will NOT have extras to purchase the day of.
Breakfast with Santa at Bronte Bistro in Joseph Beth
Watch for 2026 Info
Cookies, Cocoa and Santa Claus at Goldfish Swim School
Watch for 2026 Info
Friday Flurries at The Summit – Watch for 2026 Info
Tea with Mrs. Claus at Waveland
Watch for 2026 Info
Breakfast with Santa (4-H)
Watch for 2026 Info
Pancakes with Santa
Watch for 2026 Info
Crafts and Photos with Santa
Watch for 2026 Info
Santa Express
Have Santa visit your Richmond home!
Watch for 2026 Info
Note: You must live within Richmond city limits to register. There is limited space available. Call (859) 623 – 8753 if you are unsure if you live in Richmond city limits. Register here
Pancakes with the Grinch
Watch for 2026 info
Give a Child A Smile Sensory Christmas Party
Watch for 2026 info
The Holiday Events Guide is HERE!
Find Santa, Music, Train Rides, Trees and more!!
