Holiday events for kids in Idaho fit into five weeks. The lights switch on the day after Thanksgiving, the last Santa cruise sails January 3, and most of the state's best family nights land between the two.
Two of them fall on November 27. The Twin Falls County Fairgrounds in Filer host the 35th Christmas in the Nighttime Sky, a toy drive with a chili dinner and fireworks. In Boise, Winter Garden aGlow opens its gates for the season that same evening.
Seven stops made this list. Four come with a GetOut Idaho membership, and the other three sell their own tickets or ask for a toy at the gate.
Holiday Events for Kids in Idaho at a Glance
#
Event
City
Best For
Indoor / Outdoor
GetOut Offer
1
Christmas in the Nighttime Sky
Filer
All ages
Outdoor
One toy per family
2
Winter Garden aGlow
Boise
Ages 4 and up
Outdoor
Not included
3
Journey to the North Pole
Coeur d'Alene
Ages 3 to 10
Both
Not included
4
Santa at Munchkin Playland
Heyburn
Ages 1 to 8
Indoor
Included, all-day admission
5
East Idaho Aquarium
Idaho Falls
All ages
Indoor
Included, one admission
6
Joe Marmo / Wayne Lehto Ice Arena
Idaho Falls
Ages 4 and up
Indoor
Included, rentals too
7
Noon Year's Eve at Wahooz
Meridian
Ages 5 to 12
Both
Included, one attraction
A Light Walk and a Toy Drive
Southern Idaho gets two of its biggest nights on the same Friday.
Christmas in the Nighttime Sky, Filer
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 27, at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds, 215 Fair Avenue in Filer, eight miles east of Twin Falls. The celebration moved there in 2025 after three decades at Kimberly Nurseries, and 3,300 people followed it out to Filer.
Admission is one new, quality, unwrapped toy per family, and organizers distribute the haul to children from birth to 16 across southern Idaho before Christmas. Last year's count passed 3,000. The chili and potato dinner runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and costs nothing. More than a dozen staffed firepits line the grounds, local acts play from a stage near the firepits, and Santa works the crowd. Fireworks go up around 7:30, set to Christmas music on KOOL 96.5.
The fairgrounds sit in open country, and the wind that arrived in 2025 turned a cold evening into a two-coat one. Indoor seating keeps dinner out of the wind. Bring a bag for the toys.
Winter Garden aGlow, Boise
Winter Garden aGlow opens November 27 and runs through December 31, with timed entry from 6 to 9 p.m. Volunteers spend the fall stringing more than 500,000 lights through the garden, and the path winds past the English Garden, the rose beds, and a children's garden sized for small legs.
Tickets run $20 for adults and $16 for ages 4 to 12. Children 3 and under enter free. Weekend slots go first, and the gate sells only what is left, so a Friday visit needs a ticket bought in advance. Santa appears on select nights. Cookies and hot chocolate come with the walk, and local vendors sell snacks and warm drinks.
Parking is free, though the garden lot is closed this season and cars park at the Table Rock Trailhead behind the Warden's House. An hour covers the loop at kid pace. Gravel shows up in a few stretches, which makes a stroller with real tires worth the trunk space.
Families with relatives across the Oregon line can see what the GetOut Oregon membership covers on that side of the border.
A Santa Cruise in North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene sends Santa out on the water.
Journey to the North Pole, Coeur d'Alene
Boats leave the Resort Plaza Shops at 115 S. 2nd Street four times a night, at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m., from November 26 through January 3. Each trip lasts 40 minutes.
The boat passes 1.5 million lights strung along the shore. A floating North Pole village sits at the turn, with a 60-foot LED tree in the middle. Santa comes aboard with Mrs. Claus and the elves, and the moment most kids talk about on the ride home is hearing their own name read from the Nice List. Fireworks go up over the water as the boat turns back.
Adults pay $30.50, seniors $29.50, kids 6 to 12 pay $15, and children 5 and under ride free. Sneak peek week, November 13 through 25, takes 25% off and drops an adult ticket to $23.50. A preschooler does better on the 5:30 boat. The 7:30 departure suits a kid who can stay up past bedtime.
Spokane sits 30 minutes west of the dock, and families tacking on a visit to relatives can see what the GetOut Washington membership covers across the state line.
Cabins are enclosed and the decks stay open for the lights. Hats and gloves earn their keep out there.
GetOut Stops for the School Break
The school break brings the cousins and the cold. These three stops come with the membership and fill a morning.
Santa at Munchkin Playland, Heyburn
Munchkin Playland on 21st Street runs an indoor playground with a climbing structure, a toddler corner, and a café where parents sit with coffee while the kids work the room. Santa stops by in December, and the playroom fills with kids who have one more request to make.
Hours run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and the playland closes Sundays. GetOut covers one all-day admission, so a family can arrive at nine and leave at lunch.
This is the smallest stop on the list and the easiest one for kids under 8. Heyburn sits about 25 minutes from Twin Falls, which puts it on the way home from a Magic Valley morning.
East Idaho Aquarium, Idaho Falls
The aquarium fills an old movie theater on Anderson Street. Kids touch and feed stingrays at the pool. Parakeets eat from a hand in the bird room, and the tunnel puts nurse sharks and blacktip reef sharks overhead. Rufus the porcupine and a tank of local trout and sturgeon round out the collection.
Hours run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. A pass through every touch tank and feeding station takes two to three hours at kid pace, which covers a cold morning. GetOut covers one general admission. Our guide to Idaho's zoos and aquariums covers the outdoor animal stops for warmer weather.
Joe Marmo / Wayne Lehto Ice Arena, Idaho Falls
The city rink on Rogers Street reopened for the season on October 3, and public skate sessions run through the winter. Rentals come with admission, so a family walks in with warm socks and nothing else.
GetOut covers one admission with rentals included. Public sessions run most days, with the schedule shifting around hockey and figure skating blocks. The ice stays indoors, so a below-zero day works here.
Anyone continuing south on I-15 can see what the GetOut Utah membership covers across the state line.
The two Idaho Falls stops fill a day between them, with the aquarium and the rink ten minutes apart.
New Year's Eve for Kids in Idaho
Idaho celebrates early, which suits a five-year-old.
Noon Year's Eve at Wahooz, Meridian
Wahooz runs its countdown at noon on December 31, with a balloon drop, party favors, and the attractions open for the day. The complex holds 15 attractions, from a three-story ropes course and Clip 'n Climb walls to laser tag, bumper cars, mini golf, and go-karts. Kids 5 to 12 get the most from a four-hour pass.
The building closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, which matters for a family planning the week between Christmas and New Year's. December 31 is the exception, and the noon party runs that day.
GetOut covers one attraction on a regular visit. January is the quiet month to use it, and our post on why families love GetOut explains how the app handles a visit.
Fireworks Over the Lake, Coeur d'Alene
Two family cruises leave the Resort Plaza Shops on December 31, at 7:15 and 7:45 p.m., and both return after the fireworks over the lake. A 10:30 p.m. dessert cruise runs later for families with older kids. The 7:15 boat gets a kid home before nine.
How to Plan the Holiday Weeks
Buy the timed tickets first. Entry to aGlow sells by the hour and the North Pole cruise sells by departure, and both fill on weekends after December 15.
November 27 through December 14 stays quiet. The stretch after Christmas packs every light display after 6 p.m., and the ice arena fills on school holidays. Families planning more winter outings can borrow the routines in our winter tips for GetOut members.
The Idaho Falls day works around the weather. The aquarium and the ice arena sit ten minutes apart, and either one works as the warm-up for the other.
Christmas in the Nighttime Sky runs one night only, and wind can change the fireworks plan. The event has run through cold and wind for 35 years, and a jacket handles most of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these holiday events come with a GetOut Idaho membership?
Munchkin Playland, East Idaho Aquarium, the Joe Marmo / Wayne Lehto Ice Arena, and Wahooz each carry one admission on the membership. Winter Garden aGlow, the Coeur d'Alene cruise, and Christmas in the Nighttime Sky do not.
Which stop works best for a toddler?
Munchkin Playland. The climbing structure stays low, the toddler corner keeps the big kids out, and the café gives a parent a chair. The 5:30 cruise in Coeur d'Alene gets a small kid home by seven, and aGlow is calmer on a weeknight.
What does Christmas in the Nighttime Sky cost?
Admission is one new, unwrapped toy per family, and the chili and potato dinner is free.
Can you do New Year's Eve with kids who sleep at eight?
Wahooz drops its balloons at noon. The 7:15 cruise in Coeur d'Alene ends before nine, with the fireworks over the water while the boat is out.
When does the holiday season end?
Winter Garden aGlow closes December 31. The North Pole cruise runs through January 3. The aquarium and the ice arena stay open all winter.
Plan the Season With GetOut
A GetOut Idaho membership runs $139.95 for the year, per person, and covers 68-plus venues across the state, including all four GetOut stops on this list. A family of four pays $72 at aGlow and $91 on the cruise, which comes to $163 for two nights. The membership costs less than that, and it keeps working through the rest of the year.
Families looking for a warm Saturday in January can work through the indoor spots across Idaho. Anyone driving south toward Las Vegas for the holiday can see what the GetOut Las Vegas membership covers at the other end of that trip.
Holiday events for kids in Idaho fit into five weeks. The lights switch on the day after Thanksgiving, the last Santa cruise sails January 3, and most of the state's best family nights land between the two.
Two of them fall on November 27. The Twin Falls County Fairgrounds in Filer host the 35th Christmas in the Nighttime Sky, a toy drive with a chili dinner and fireworks. In Boise, Winter Garden aGlow opens its gates for the season that same evening.
Seven stops made this list. Four come with a GetOut Idaho membership, and the other three sell their own tickets or ask for a toy at the gate.
Holiday Events for Kids in Idaho at a Glance
#
Event
City
Best For
Indoor / Outdoor
GetOut Offer
1
Christmas in the Nighttime Sky
Filer
All ages
Outdoor
One toy per family
2
Winter Garden aGlow
Boise
Ages 4 and up
Outdoor
Not included
3
Journey to the North Pole
Coeur d'Alene
Ages 3 to 10
Both
Not included
4
Santa at Munchkin Playland
Heyburn
Ages 1 to 8
Indoor
Included, all-day admission
5
East Idaho Aquarium
Idaho Falls
All ages
Indoor
Included, one admission
6
Joe Marmo / Wayne Lehto Ice Arena
Idaho Falls
Ages 4 and up
Indoor
Included, rentals too
7
Noon Year's Eve at Wahooz
Meridian
Ages 5 to 12
Both
Included, one attraction
A Light Walk and a Toy Drive
Southern Idaho gets two of its biggest nights on the same Friday.
Christmas in the Nighttime Sky, Filer
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 27, at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds, 215 Fair Avenue in Filer, eight miles east of Twin Falls. The celebration moved there in 2025 after three decades at Kimberly Nurseries, and 3,300 people followed it out to Filer.
Admission is one new, quality, unwrapped toy per family, and organizers distribute the haul to children from birth to 16 across southern Idaho before Christmas. Last year's count passed 3,000. The chili and potato dinner runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and costs nothing. More than a dozen staffed firepits line the grounds, local acts play from a stage near the firepits, and Santa works the crowd. Fireworks go up around 7:30, set to Christmas music on KOOL 96.5.
The fairgrounds sit in open country, and the wind that arrived in 2025 turned a cold evening into a two-coat one. Indoor seating keeps dinner out of the wind. Bring a bag for the toys.
Winter Garden aGlow, Boise
Winter Garden aGlow opens November 27 and runs through December 31, with timed entry from 6 to 9 p.m. Volunteers spend the fall stringing more than 500,000 lights through the garden, and the path winds past the English Garden, the rose beds, and a children's garden sized for small legs.
Tickets run $20 for adults and $16 for ages 4 to 12. Children 3 and under enter free. Weekend slots go first, and the gate sells only what is left, so a Friday visit needs a ticket bought in advance. Santa appears on select nights. Cookies and hot chocolate come with the walk, and local vendors sell snacks and warm drinks.
Parking is free, though the garden lot is closed this season and cars park at the Table Rock Trailhead behind the Warden's House. An hour covers the loop at kid pace. Gravel shows up in a few stretches, which makes a stroller with real tires worth the trunk space.
Families with relatives across the Oregon line can see what the GetOut Oregon membership covers on that side of the border.
A Santa Cruise in North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene sends Santa out on the water.
Journey to the North Pole, Coeur d'Alene
Boats leave the Resort Plaza Shops at 115 S. 2nd Street four times a night, at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m., from November 26 through January 3. Each trip lasts 40 minutes.
The boat passes 1.5 million lights strung along the shore. A floating North Pole village sits at the turn, with a 60-foot LED tree in the middle. Santa comes aboard with Mrs. Claus and the elves, and the moment most kids talk about on the ride home is hearing their own name read from the Nice List. Fireworks go up over the water as the boat turns back.
Adults pay $30.50, seniors $29.50, kids 6 to 12 pay $15, and children 5 and under ride free. Sneak peek week, November 13 through 25, takes 25% off and drops an adult ticket to $23.50. A preschooler does better on the 5:30 boat. The 7:30 departure suits a kid who can stay up past bedtime.
Spokane sits 30 minutes west of the dock, and families tacking on a visit to relatives can see what the GetOut Washington membership covers across the state line.
Cabins are enclosed and the decks stay open for the lights. Hats and gloves earn their keep out there.
GetOut Stops for the School Break
The school break brings the cousins and the cold. These three stops come with the membership and fill a morning.
Santa at Munchkin Playland, Heyburn
Munchkin Playland on 21st Street runs an indoor playground with a climbing structure, a toddler corner, and a café where parents sit with coffee while the kids work the room. Santa stops by in December, and the playroom fills with kids who have one more request to make.
Hours run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and the playland closes Sundays. GetOut covers one all-day admission, so a family can arrive at nine and leave at lunch.
This is the smallest stop on the list and the easiest one for kids under 8. Heyburn sits about 25 minutes from Twin Falls, which puts it on the way home from a Magic Valley morning.
East Idaho Aquarium, Idaho Falls
The aquarium fills an old movie theater on Anderson Street. Kids touch and feed stingrays at the pool. Parakeets eat from a hand in the bird room, and the tunnel puts nurse sharks and blacktip reef sharks overhead. Rufus the porcupine and a tank of local trout and sturgeon round out the collection.
Hours run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. A pass through every touch tank and feeding station takes two to three hours at kid pace, which covers a cold morning. GetOut covers one general admission. Our guide to Idaho's zoos and aquariums covers the outdoor animal stops for warmer weather.
Joe Marmo / Wayne Lehto Ice Arena, Idaho Falls
The city rink on Rogers Street reopened for the season on October 3, and public skate sessions run through the winter. Rentals come with admission, so a family walks in with warm socks and nothing else.
GetOut covers one admission with rentals included. Public sessions run most days, with the schedule shifting around hockey and figure skating blocks. The ice stays indoors, so a below-zero day works here.
Anyone continuing south on I-15 can see what the GetOut Utah membership covers across the state line.
The two Idaho Falls stops fill a day between them, with the aquarium and the rink ten minutes apart.
New Year's Eve for Kids in Idaho
Idaho celebrates early, which suits a five-year-old.
Noon Year's Eve at Wahooz, Meridian
Wahooz runs its countdown at noon on December 31, with a balloon drop, party favors, and the attractions open for the day. The complex holds 15 attractions, from a three-story ropes course and Clip 'n Climb walls to laser tag, bumper cars, mini golf, and go-karts. Kids 5 to 12 get the most from a four-hour pass.
The building closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, which matters for a family planning the week between Christmas and New Year's. December 31 is the exception, and the noon party runs that day.
GetOut covers one attraction on a regular visit. January is the quiet month to use it, and our post on why families love GetOut explains how the app handles a visit.
Fireworks Over the Lake, Coeur d'Alene
Two family cruises leave the Resort Plaza Shops on December 31, at 7:15 and 7:45 p.m., and both return after the fireworks over the lake. A 10:30 p.m. dessert cruise runs later for families with older kids. The 7:15 boat gets a kid home before nine.
How to Plan the Holiday Weeks
Buy the timed tickets first. Entry to aGlow sells by the hour and the North Pole cruise sells by departure, and both fill on weekends after December 15.
November 27 through December 14 stays quiet. The stretch after Christmas packs every light display after 6 p.m., and the ice arena fills on school holidays. Families planning more winter outings can borrow the routines in our winter tips for GetOut members.
The Idaho Falls day works around the weather. The aquarium and the ice arena sit ten minutes apart, and either one works as the warm-up for the other.
Christmas in the Nighttime Sky runs one night only, and wind can change the fireworks plan. The event has run through cold and wind for 35 years, and a jacket handles most of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these holiday events come with a GetOut Idaho membership?
Munchkin Playland, East Idaho Aquarium, the Joe Marmo / Wayne Lehto Ice Arena, and Wahooz each carry one admission on the membership. Winter Garden aGlow, the Coeur d'Alene cruise, and Christmas in the Nighttime Sky do not.
Which stop works best for a toddler?
Munchkin Playland. The climbing structure stays low, the toddler corner keeps the big kids out, and the café gives a parent a chair. The 5:30 cruise in Coeur d'Alene gets a small kid home by seven, and aGlow is calmer on a weeknight.
What does Christmas in the Nighttime Sky cost?
Admission is one new, unwrapped toy per family, and the chili and potato dinner is free.
Can you do New Year's Eve with kids who sleep at eight?
Wahooz drops its balloons at noon. The 7:15 cruise in Coeur d'Alene ends before nine, with the fireworks over the water while the boat is out.
When does the holiday season end?
Winter Garden aGlow closes December 31. The North Pole cruise runs through January 3. The aquarium and the ice arena stay open all winter.
Plan the Season With GetOut
A GetOut Idaho membership runs $139.95 for the year, per person, and covers 68-plus venues across the state, including all four GetOut stops on this list. A family of four pays $72 at aGlow and $91 on the cruise, which comes to $163 for two nights. The membership costs less than that, and it keeps working through the rest of the year.
Families looking for a warm Saturday in January can work through the indoor spots across Idaho. Anyone driving south toward Las Vegas for the holiday can see what the GetOut Las Vegas membership covers at the other end of that trip.
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