Ten million lights switch on in Lehi on November 12. A week later a train leaves Heber City and comes back with a wrapped gift in every kid's hands. Seven holiday events for kids in Utah sit between those two nights and January 9, and no family reaches all seven before the season closes.
Three of the seven come with a GetOut Utah membership. The rest sell their own tickets. One costs nothing at the gate and runs for four days. Another counts down to midnight at noon, the version that fits a four-year-old's bedtime.
Start with the train. It runs a fixed schedule, ends on December 30, and books by car, so it sets the shape of the week. Then put Luminaria on a Tuesday in early December, when the walk is quiet and the lights are the same. Save one indoor afternoon for the stretch between Christmas and New Year's, when every display in the state is packed.
Holiday Events for Kids in Utah at a Glance
One row per stop, with the dates already checked.
Venue
Area
Best For
2026 Dates
Luminaria, Thanksgiving Point
Lehi
The big light walk
Nov. 12 to Jan. 9
North Pole Express, Heber Valley Railroad
Heber City
Santa and a train
Nov. 19 to Dec. 30
Christkindlmarkt SLC
Salt Lake City
A free evening out
Dec. 2 to Dec. 5
A Christmas Carol, The Ruth
Pleasant Grove
A show for ages 4 and up
Nov. 30 to Dec. 26
Peaks Ice Arena
Provo
Cheap ice time
Public skate all season
Boondocks
Kaysville
A wet or snowy afternoon
Open through the break
Noon Year's Eve, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
Draper
A countdown before bedtime
Dec. 31
A Light Walk in Lehi
Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point
Ten million lights cover 50 acres of Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point, and the path bends past the Merry Mosaic, a music and light show built around 6,500 luminaries and a 120-foot Christmas tree. New this season, Ignite the Night turns the amphitheater into a 120-foot digital stage for a seven-minute story about Frost and Fire. Christmas on the Lake stacks lit trees over the water, and the Snow Glow Dance Party gives kids somewhere to move after an hour in a coat.
The gates open November 12 and close January 9. Sundays, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day stay dark. Entry is timed every 15 minutes, and reservations are required in advance. Parking is free, at 3900 North Garden Drive in Lehi.
An hour covers the walk at kid pace. Strollers handle the route, firepits and cocoa stands break it into pieces, and the Tree of Life sculpture garden gives a quiet stretch near the end. Cocoa and the mini donuts cost extra. Before December 15 a weeknight stays calm. The week after Christmas does not. Families with grandparents wintering in Phoenix can compare what the GetOut Arizona membership puts within reach there.
A Train to the North Pole
North Pole Express, Heber City
From November 19 through December 30, the Heber Valley Railroad sends its North Pole Express out of the depot at 450 South 600 West in Heber City. Each round trip takes 90 minutes.
Weeknights board at 5 and 7:30 p.m., Saturdays add 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. trains, and the final three nights of the season, December 28 through 30, run at 2 and 5 p.m. Hosts, elves, cocoa chefs, and a few special guests work the cars while families sing. Santa climbs aboard at the North Pole for the ride back and stops at every child with a gift. Cocoa, a chocolate chip cookie, and bottled water come with the ticket.
Coach fares run about $50 to $70 for adults and $30 to $40 for children, with infants at $15. Private cars and the dome car cost several times that. A family watching the budget books coach and spends the difference on dinner in Heber.
Choose the 5 p.m. train for a five-year-old who needs to be in bed by eight, or the 7:30 for a kid who can hold out. Nothing runs on December 31.
Four Free Days in Salt Lake City
Christkindlmarkt SLC
Wooden booths fill This Is The Place Heritage Park at 2601 East Sunnyside Avenue for four days in December. The market opens December 2 and closes December 5, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, and entry costs nothing.
It follows the German model, with food stalls, ornaments, gifts, and performances through the afternoon. Kids make paper lanterns for the parade that runs through the grounds, the way German children mark St. Martin's Day. A live nativity sits in the middle of the park. Strollers are welcome, though the aisles tighten after dark, and the organizers suggest leaving them home once the market fills.
Parking on site is limited and prepaid. Free lots sit off site, with a shuttle every 15 minutes to the gate.
The Membership Stops
Three stops on this list come with a GetOut Utah membership. Each one fits a different afternoon. A wider roundup of Utah family venues fills in the rest of the year.
A Christmas Carol at The Ruth, Pleasant Grove
For the 37th year, the Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater stages A Christmas Carol, running November 30 through December 26 at 401 South Pleasant Grove Boulevard. Weekday shows start at 5 and 8 p.m., Saturdays add 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. matinees, and tickets run $27 to $65.
GetOut covers one ticket to select performances. Registration closes at midnight two days before the show, the theater assigns the seat, and the email with the seat number arrives the day before or the morning of. Groups are not guaranteed to sit together. The show admits ages 4 and older, and babes in arms do not come in. Our guide to using a GetOut membership lays out the redemption step by step.
The content warning mentions ghostly imagery, themes of death, flashing lights, haze, and loud sound effects. A sensitive six-year-old might do better at Frozen, which runs November 23 through January 9 and takes two hours and 15 minutes with intermission.
Peaks Ice Arena, Provo
Hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics ran on this ice. Two Olympic-size sheets at 100 North Seven Peaks Boulevard in Provo still take public skaters most nights, usually 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is $6, skate rental $4, and a plastic walker for a wobbly beginner $5.
One public session comes with the membership, with rentals on top. Freestyle sessions and stick time do not count. A Tuesday in the middle of the break draws a thin crowd, and the rink stays open year-round.
Boondocks, Kaysville
Go-karts, a ropes course, mini golf, bumper boats, bowling, laser tag, and an XD Dark Ride share one property at 525 South Deseret Drive in Kaysville. A second location in Draper runs the same lineup.
Each month brings one single-use attraction on the pass, plus $10 off an Ultimate or four-hour pass. Neither works on $25 Tuesdays or Thumbs Up Thursdays. Bowling, laser tag, and the dark ride sit indoors, which matters when a storm shuts the outdoor rides.
This is the stop for the empty afternoon between Christmas and New Year's, when the cousins have gone home and the living room has lost its pull. Kaysville sits a mile off I-15, the road that runs north toward the Idaho line, and families who keep going can see what the GetOut Idaho membership covers up there.
New Year's Eve With Kids in Utah
Noon Year's Eve at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Draper
Confetti falls in the lobby at noon on December 31, then again at 3 p.m. The aquarium runs its countdown twice so nobody has to stay up until midnight, and the party comes with admission. Anyone planning the January side of the break can see why members start the year with a pass.
Admission runs $17.95 to $27.95 depending on demand. Children 3 to 12 take $5 off, and kids 2 and under enter free. The building stays open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with last entry an hour before close. Penguins, a Komodo dragon, river otters, and the South America gallery fill the hours before the countdown. Families who finish the week in St. George can see what the GetOut Las Vegas membership covers two hours down the interstate.
How to Plan the Holiday Weeks
Buy the timed tickets first. Luminaria sells 15-minute slots, the train sells car by car, and A Christmas Carol fills its December weekends.
Weather decides the outdoor plans. Luminaria, the train platform, and the market aisles all sit outside, so a pair of indoor options belongs in every plan. Peaks and Boondocks work as the backup. Families splitting the break between Utah and Denver can see what the GetOut Colorado membership covers on the other end of that drive.
The calendar has holes worth knowing. Luminaria closes Sundays, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Christkindlmarkt runs four days and then disappears. The train stops on December 30. The aquarium is the only stop here that runs something on December 31. Members who want more out of the cold months can borrow the habits in our winter tips for GetOut members.
If You Want This, Go There
Seven rows, one per question a parent usually asks.
If You Want
Go To
Why
The biggest light show in the state
Luminaria
10 million lights over 50 acres
A gift from Santa without a mall line
North Pole Express
Santa boards the train at the North Pole
An evening that costs nothing
Christkindlmarkt
Free entry, walk right in
A show a five-year-old can sit through
A Christmas Carol at The Ruth
A 5 p.m. curtain and a story that ends well
To burn energy on a cold afternoon
Boondocks
Bowling and laser tag under one roof
Cheap time on the ice
Peaks Ice Arena
The membership covers the session
A countdown that ends before bedtime
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
Confetti at noon and again at 3 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these holiday events come with a GetOut Utah membership?
A Christmas Carol at The Ruth, one public skate at Peaks Ice Arena, and one attraction at Boondocks. The other four sell their own tickets, and Christkindlmarkt costs nothing.
What is the cheapest night on this list?
Christkindlmarkt, at no cost beyond parking. Peaks runs $6 a skater, and the aquarium's admission includes the countdown.
Which stop suits a toddler?
The aquarium on December 31. Confetti at lunchtime, animals in between, and a nap in the car seat on the way home. Christkindlmarkt works too, if a stroller can push through the crowd.
Do these events need tickets in advance?
Luminaria does, in 15-minute slots. The train sells out car by car. A Christmas Carol needs the GetOut registration two days ahead. Christkindlmarkt and the aquarium take walk-ups.
What happens on New Year's Eve?
The aquarium counts down at noon and 3 p.m. Luminaria stays open through January 9, so December 31 is a light walk, with no countdown.
Plan the Season With GetOut
A GetOut Utah membership runs $119.95 for the year and covers 157-plus venues across the state, including the three stops on this list. Without a membership, four skaters at Peaks pay $24 in admission and another $16 in rentals, and four seats at the theater cost $108 to $260. The membership comes in under the theater night and keeps working through the rest of the year.
Ten million lights switch on in Lehi on November 12. A week later a train leaves Heber City and comes back with a wrapped gift in every kid's hands. Seven holiday events for kids in Utah sit between those two nights and January 9, and no family reaches all seven before the season closes.
Three of the seven come with a GetOut Utah membership. The rest sell their own tickets. One costs nothing at the gate and runs for four days. Another counts down to midnight at noon, the version that fits a four-year-old's bedtime.
Start with the train. It runs a fixed schedule, ends on December 30, and books by car, so it sets the shape of the week. Then put Luminaria on a Tuesday in early December, when the walk is quiet and the lights are the same. Save one indoor afternoon for the stretch between Christmas and New Year's, when every display in the state is packed.
Holiday Events for Kids in Utah at a Glance
One row per stop, with the dates already checked.
Venue
Area
Best For
2026 Dates
Luminaria, Thanksgiving Point
Lehi
The big light walk
Nov. 12 to Jan. 9
North Pole Express, Heber Valley Railroad
Heber City
Santa and a train
Nov. 19 to Dec. 30
Christkindlmarkt SLC
Salt Lake City
A free evening out
Dec. 2 to Dec. 5
A Christmas Carol, The Ruth
Pleasant Grove
A show for ages 4 and up
Nov. 30 to Dec. 26
Peaks Ice Arena
Provo
Cheap ice time
Public skate all season
Boondocks
Kaysville
A wet or snowy afternoon
Open through the break
Noon Year's Eve, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
Draper
A countdown before bedtime
Dec. 31
A Light Walk in Lehi
Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point
Ten million lights cover 50 acres of Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point, and the path bends past the Merry Mosaic, a music and light show built around 6,500 luminaries and a 120-foot Christmas tree. New this season, Ignite the Night turns the amphitheater into a 120-foot digital stage for a seven-minute story about Frost and Fire. Christmas on the Lake stacks lit trees over the water, and the Snow Glow Dance Party gives kids somewhere to move after an hour in a coat.
The gates open November 12 and close January 9. Sundays, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day stay dark. Entry is timed every 15 minutes, and reservations are required in advance. Parking is free, at 3900 North Garden Drive in Lehi.
An hour covers the walk at kid pace. Strollers handle the route, firepits and cocoa stands break it into pieces, and the Tree of Life sculpture garden gives a quiet stretch near the end. Cocoa and the mini donuts cost extra. Before December 15 a weeknight stays calm. The week after Christmas does not. Families with grandparents wintering in Phoenix can compare what the GetOut Arizona membership puts within reach there.
A Train to the North Pole
North Pole Express, Heber City
From November 19 through December 30, the Heber Valley Railroad sends its North Pole Express out of the depot at 450 South 600 West in Heber City. Each round trip takes 90 minutes.
Weeknights board at 5 and 7:30 p.m., Saturdays add 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. trains, and the final three nights of the season, December 28 through 30, run at 2 and 5 p.m. Hosts, elves, cocoa chefs, and a few special guests work the cars while families sing. Santa climbs aboard at the North Pole for the ride back and stops at every child with a gift. Cocoa, a chocolate chip cookie, and bottled water come with the ticket.
Coach fares run about $50 to $70 for adults and $30 to $40 for children, with infants at $15. Private cars and the dome car cost several times that. A family watching the budget books coach and spends the difference on dinner in Heber.
Choose the 5 p.m. train for a five-year-old who needs to be in bed by eight, or the 7:30 for a kid who can hold out. Nothing runs on December 31.
Four Free Days in Salt Lake City
Christkindlmarkt SLC
Wooden booths fill This Is The Place Heritage Park at 2601 East Sunnyside Avenue for four days in December. The market opens December 2 and closes December 5, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, and entry costs nothing.
It follows the German model, with food stalls, ornaments, gifts, and performances through the afternoon. Kids make paper lanterns for the parade that runs through the grounds, the way German children mark St. Martin's Day. A live nativity sits in the middle of the park. Strollers are welcome, though the aisles tighten after dark, and the organizers suggest leaving them home once the market fills.
Parking on site is limited and prepaid. Free lots sit off site, with a shuttle every 15 minutes to the gate.
The Membership Stops
Three stops on this list come with a GetOut Utah membership. Each one fits a different afternoon. A wider roundup of Utah family venues fills in the rest of the year.
A Christmas Carol at The Ruth, Pleasant Grove
For the 37th year, the Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater stages A Christmas Carol, running November 30 through December 26 at 401 South Pleasant Grove Boulevard. Weekday shows start at 5 and 8 p.m., Saturdays add 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. matinees, and tickets run $27 to $65.
GetOut covers one ticket to select performances. Registration closes at midnight two days before the show, the theater assigns the seat, and the email with the seat number arrives the day before or the morning of. Groups are not guaranteed to sit together. The show admits ages 4 and older, and babes in arms do not come in. Our guide to using a GetOut membership lays out the redemption step by step.
The content warning mentions ghostly imagery, themes of death, flashing lights, haze, and loud sound effects. A sensitive six-year-old might do better at Frozen, which runs November 23 through January 9 and takes two hours and 15 minutes with intermission.
Peaks Ice Arena, Provo
Hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics ran on this ice. Two Olympic-size sheets at 100 North Seven Peaks Boulevard in Provo still take public skaters most nights, usually 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is $6, skate rental $4, and a plastic walker for a wobbly beginner $5.
One public session comes with the membership, with rentals on top. Freestyle sessions and stick time do not count. A Tuesday in the middle of the break draws a thin crowd, and the rink stays open year-round.
Boondocks, Kaysville
Go-karts, a ropes course, mini golf, bumper boats, bowling, laser tag, and an XD Dark Ride share one property at 525 South Deseret Drive in Kaysville. A second location in Draper runs the same lineup.
Each month brings one single-use attraction on the pass, plus $10 off an Ultimate or four-hour pass. Neither works on $25 Tuesdays or Thumbs Up Thursdays. Bowling, laser tag, and the dark ride sit indoors, which matters when a storm shuts the outdoor rides.
This is the stop for the empty afternoon between Christmas and New Year's, when the cousins have gone home and the living room has lost its pull. Kaysville sits a mile off I-15, the road that runs north toward the Idaho line, and families who keep going can see what the GetOut Idaho membership covers up there.
New Year's Eve With Kids in Utah
Noon Year's Eve at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Draper
Confetti falls in the lobby at noon on December 31, then again at 3 p.m. The aquarium runs its countdown twice so nobody has to stay up until midnight, and the party comes with admission. Anyone planning the January side of the break can see why members start the year with a pass.
Admission runs $17.95 to $27.95 depending on demand. Children 3 to 12 take $5 off, and kids 2 and under enter free. The building stays open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with last entry an hour before close. Penguins, a Komodo dragon, river otters, and the South America gallery fill the hours before the countdown. Families who finish the week in St. George can see what the GetOut Las Vegas membership covers two hours down the interstate.
How to Plan the Holiday Weeks
Buy the timed tickets first. Luminaria sells 15-minute slots, the train sells car by car, and A Christmas Carol fills its December weekends.
Weather decides the outdoor plans. Luminaria, the train platform, and the market aisles all sit outside, so a pair of indoor options belongs in every plan. Peaks and Boondocks work as the backup. Families splitting the break between Utah and Denver can see what the GetOut Colorado membership covers on the other end of that drive.
The calendar has holes worth knowing. Luminaria closes Sundays, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Christkindlmarkt runs four days and then disappears. The train stops on December 30. The aquarium is the only stop here that runs something on December 31. Members who want more out of the cold months can borrow the habits in our winter tips for GetOut members.
If You Want This, Go There
Seven rows, one per question a parent usually asks.
If You Want
Go To
Why
The biggest light show in the state
Luminaria
10 million lights over 50 acres
A gift from Santa without a mall line
North Pole Express
Santa boards the train at the North Pole
An evening that costs nothing
Christkindlmarkt
Free entry, walk right in
A show a five-year-old can sit through
A Christmas Carol at The Ruth
A 5 p.m. curtain and a story that ends well
To burn energy on a cold afternoon
Boondocks
Bowling and laser tag under one roof
Cheap time on the ice
Peaks Ice Arena
The membership covers the session
A countdown that ends before bedtime
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
Confetti at noon and again at 3 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these holiday events come with a GetOut Utah membership?
A Christmas Carol at The Ruth, one public skate at Peaks Ice Arena, and one attraction at Boondocks. The other four sell their own tickets, and Christkindlmarkt costs nothing.
What is the cheapest night on this list?
Christkindlmarkt, at no cost beyond parking. Peaks runs $6 a skater, and the aquarium's admission includes the countdown.
Which stop suits a toddler?
The aquarium on December 31. Confetti at lunchtime, animals in between, and a nap in the car seat on the way home. Christkindlmarkt works too, if a stroller can push through the crowd.
Do these events need tickets in advance?
Luminaria does, in 15-minute slots. The train sells out car by car. A Christmas Carol needs the GetOut registration two days ahead. Christkindlmarkt and the aquarium take walk-ups.
What happens on New Year's Eve?
The aquarium counts down at noon and 3 p.m. Luminaria stays open through January 9, so December 31 is a light walk, with no countdown.
Plan the Season With GetOut
A GetOut Utah membership runs $119.95 for the year and covers 157-plus venues across the state, including the three stops on this list. Without a membership, four skaters at Peaks pay $24 in admission and another $16 in rentals, and four seats at the theater cost $108 to $260. The membership comes in under the theater night and keeps working through the rest of the year.
