Christmas Events in Lancaster, PA: 2026 Holiday Guide to Amish Country
By Michael King, Owner
The main Christmas events in Lancaster, PA for 2026 include Santa's Paradise Express at Strasburg Rail Road, Dutch Winter Wonderland, the Mayor's Tree Lighting in Penn Square on November 27, Christmas at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, Yuletide at Wheatland, an Amish Christmas cookie tour and a German Christkindlmarkt near Manheim. Most of them run from mid-November into late December.
Key takeaways
- The season starts early: Dutch Winter Wonderland opens November 14, and Strasburg Rail Road's Christmas train and Yuletide at Wheatland both start November 21.
- Friday, November 27 is a busy night: Lancaster City lights its tree in Penn Square, and Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse holds its tree lighting the same evening.
- For an Amish Christmas experience, book a guided program such as the Amish Christmas Cookie Tour or the farmhouse experience at Old Windmill Farm. Amish homes are private, so visit through a tour.
- Some events and attractions are closed on Sundays, and so are our showrooms. Plan Sunday around events that run that day, like the Christkindlmarkt on December 13.
- Dates, times and tickets change. Every event below was checked on its official site in November 2026; check it again before you go.
2026 Christmas events in Lancaster, PA at a glance
This table lists the dates each organizer has published on its own website for the 2026 season. Where a 2026 date was not posted when we checked, we say so. Times, sell-outs and weather can change plans, so check the official site before you go.
| Event | Where | 2026 dates (official site) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa's Paradise Express | Strasburg Rail Road, Ronks | Weekends Nov 21 to Dec 20, plus Nov 27 and daily Dec 21 to 24 | Families, train fans |
| Dutch Winter Wonderland | Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster | Select dates Nov 14 to Jan 3, 2027 | Young kids |
| Mayor's Tree Lighting | Penn Square, downtown Lancaster | Nov 27, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. | Everyone |
| Christmas at Kitchen Kettle Village | Intercourse | Nov 27 to Dec 19; tree lighting Nov 27 | Shopping, Santa visits |
| Yuletide at Wheatland | LancasterHistory, Lancaster | Nov 21 to Dec 30, Monday to Saturday | History lovers |
| The 2026 Christmas Show: Winter Wonderland | American Music Theatre, Lancaster | Performances listed in November and December, through Dec 30 | Music and stage shows |
| Amish Christmas Cookie Tour | Amish Farm and House, Lancaster | Fridays and Saturdays, Nov 20 to Dec 19 | Amish culture, cookies |
| Christmas in the Park | Lititz Springs Park, Lititz | Friday, Dec 4, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Carols, small-town feel |
| Christkindlmarkt | Lancaster Liederkranz, Manheim | Sunday, Dec 13, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Gifts, German food |
| Amish Christmas Farmhouse Experience | Old Windmill Farm, Ronks | 2026 dates not posted on the farm's page when we checked | Hands-on baking, sleigh ride |
| Christmas Light Drive-Thru | Stone Gables Estate, Elizabethtown | 2026 dates not posted on the estate's page when we checked | Lights from your car |
Where can you ride a Christmas train or see Christmas lights in Lancaster?
Santa's Paradise Express at Strasburg Rail Road
Strasburg Rail Road's Christmas train is a 45-minute steam train round trip through the Amish countryside to Paradise, PA. According to the railroad, carolers and brass musicians visit every car, Santa's helpers hand each family a gift, and Santa stops to visit with every family and hear the children's wishes. In 2026 the trains run Saturdays and Sundays from November 21 through December 20, plus Friday, November 27, and every day from December 21 through Christmas Eve. The railroad says its Christmas trains sell out fast, so book early.
Dutch Winter Wonderland
Dutch Wonderland, the family amusement park in Lancaster, turns into Dutch Winter Wonderland on select dates from November 14, 2026 through January 3, 2027. The park lists more than 20 rides, visits with Santa at his Jolly Lodge, a light show in Merlin's Magical Forest, a lighted walk called Illumination Lane, and Cookies with Santa from November 14 through December 23. It's aimed at younger children.
Christmas Light Drive-Thru at Stone Gables Estate
Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown, in the western part of Lancaster County, runs a 3-mile Christmas Light Drive-Thru with more than a million LED lights. Its page describes a life-size Nativity scene, a steam train decorated for the holidays and a drive through a Moravian Star Forest. When we checked in November 2026, the drive-thru page still showed an earlier season's dates, so check the official site for 2026 dates before you go.
How can you experience an Amish Christmas in Lancaster County?
Lancaster County is home to the largest Amish settlement in the United States. The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College estimates the Lancaster County area settlement at 45,575 people in 2026. Amish homes and farms are private, so the respectful way to learn about an Amish Christmas is through a guided program.
Amish Christmas Cookie Tour
Amish Farm and House, at 2395 Covered Bridge Drive in Lancaster, runs a three-hour Amish Christmas Cookie Tour. Guests visit three Amish homes to sample homemade Christmas cookies and leave with recipes and cookies to take home. The farm says 2026 tours run on Fridays and Saturdays from November 20 through December 19.
Amish Christmas Farmhouse Experience at Old Windmill Farm
Old Windmill Farm, at 262 Paradise Lane in Ronks, offers a hands-on Christmas program in its farmhouse kitchen. Guests churn butter, press cider, bake bread and pumpkin pies, cook applesauce, share the meal at the family's table, and finish with a horse-drawn sleigh ride when the weather allows. The farm's page did not list 2026 dates when we checked, so look there for the current schedule.
How do the Amish celebrate Christmas?
Discover Lancaster, the county's tourism office, explains that the Amish celebrate Christmas as a sacred holiday focused on the birth of Christ and on family. It's celebrated over two days. On December 25, families spend a quiet day at home reading scripture. December 26, called "Second Christmas," is for visiting family and friends, sharing a big meal and exchanging practical gifts.
Where are the Christmas tree lightings and small-town celebrations?
Mayor's Tree Lighting in Penn Square
Lancaster City's Mayor's Tree Lighting is on Friday, November 27, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Penn Square downtown. According to Visit Lancaster City, Santa arrives on a city fire truck, the Mayor leads the countdown and a community sing-along, and there's live music, food trucks and late hours at Central Market.
Christmas at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse
Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse decorates for Christmas from November 27 through December 19, 2026. Its holiday kick-off is Friday evening, November 27, with a tree lighting at 5:30 p.m., live music and shops open until 8 p.m. On Saturdays through the season the village lists live music, and it hosts Breakfast with Santa and Friends and Friday-night Dinner with Mrs. Claus at the Kling House Restaurant, both by reservation.
Christmas in the Park in Lititz
Lititz holds its annual Christmas in the Park on Friday, December 4, 2026, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the band shell in Lititz Springs Park. Venture Lititz lists local performers, a carol sing with candle lighting and the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree.
What Christmas shows, tours and markets are in Lancaster this year?
American Music Theatre: Winter Wonderland
American Music Theatre, at 2425 Lincoln Highway East in Lancaster, calls its 2026 holiday production "The 2026 Christmas Show: Winter Wonderland." The theater describes a show that moves from a Bavarian village to the North Pole, with a live orchestra and both sacred and secular holiday songs. Its calendar lists performances in November and December, through December 30.
Yuletide at Wheatland
LancasterHistory offers Yuletide at Wheatland, a guided tour of President James Buchanan's home that looks at Christmas traditions from the years he lived there, 1848 to 1868. Tours run November 21 through December 30, 2026, Monday through Saturday on the half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There are no tours on Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Check in at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 North President Avenue.
Christkindlmarkt at the Lancaster Liederkranz
The Lancaster Liederkranz, a German heritage club at 722 S. Chiques Road in Manheim, holds a traditional German Christmas market on Sunday, December 13, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The club lists more than 30 local craft and gift vendors, German food and drinks under the pavilion and tents, and seated dining inside. It notes that food and drinks are cash only.
The National Christmas Center at Stone Gables Estate
Stone Gables Estate is also home to the National Christmas Center museum, with more than 18,000 square feet of nostalgic Christmas decor, including 17-foot-tall storefronts modeled on 1950s Columbia, Pennsylvania. The estate's page mentions opening for the Christmas season in November; check its official site for this year's days.
How should you plan a Christmas day trip to Lancaster County?
Group events by area
Lancaster County is spread out, so plan by region. Strasburg Rail Road, Old Windmill Farm, Kitchen Kettle Village and our Intercourse showroom are all in the eastern countryside. Penn Square, Wheatland, American Music Theatre, Dutch Wonderland and Amish Farm and House are in and around the city of Lancaster. Lititz and the Liederkranz near Manheim are to the north, and Stone Gables Estate is west in Elizabethtown. For more ideas, see our guide to things to do in Lancaster, PA and our list of places to eat near our stores.
Book ahead and watch for Sundays
Train rides, shows, tours and meals with Santa sell tickets in advance. Some attractions also close on Sundays or on Thanksgiving and Christmas; Wheatland, for example, gives no tours on those days. Our showrooms are closed on Sunday too. Many events are outdoors at night, so bring warm layers.
Hosting Christmas dinner at home?
If your family is coming to you this year, the table is the piece that works hardest. We checked the 99 tables we list from one of our dining builders: 98 of them list leaves, 93 list 12-inch leaves, and 60 say the leaves can be stored inside the table. That means you can set the table small for everyday meals and add leaves when the whole family comes for Christmas. Browse our dining tables or the full dining room collection, and since most of our furniture is made to order, you can usually choose the size and wood.
For hosting the holidays at home
652 Mission Double Pedestal Table
Bowerston Double Pedestal Table
Arlington Pedestal Table
Grandma's Rocker
Frequently asked questions
When do Christmas events in Lancaster, PA start?
Mid-November. In 2026, Dutch Winter Wonderland opens November 14, and the Amish Christmas Cookie Tour starts November 20. Strasburg Rail Road's Christmas train and Yuletide at Wheatland start November 21. The city and Kitchen Kettle Village light their trees on November 27.
Is there a Christmas train in Lancaster County?
Yes. Strasburg Rail Road runs Santa's Paradise Express, a 45-minute steam train round trip to Paradise with carolers and a visit from Santa. In 2026 it runs weekends from November 21 through December 20, plus November 27 and every day from December 21 to 24.
Is Sight & Sound's Christmas show in Lancaster this year?
Not in 2026, based on the Sight & Sound website. It lists Miracle of Christmas on its Branson, Missouri stage from November 3 to December 31, 2026, while its Lancaster theater in Ronks shows a different production through December 31. Check the official site for the latest schedule.
Do the Amish celebrate Christmas?
Yes. According to Discover Lancaster, the Amish keep Christmas as a sacred family holiday. December 25 is a quiet day at home, and December 26, "Second Christmas," is for visiting, a big meal and practical gifts.
Where can I see Christmas lights in Lancaster County?
Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown has a 3-mile drive-thru with more than a million LED lights; check its site for 2026 dates. Dutch Winter Wonderland has light shows and Illumination Lane, and Kitchen Kettle Village is lit up for shopping in the evening on its kick-off night.
Is Kings Amish Furniture open during the Christmas season?
Our posted hours are Monday to Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 5, closed on Sunday, at both Pennsylvania showrooms and in Murrells Inlet, SC. Check our locations page before you visit.
Sources
- Strasburg Rail Road: Santa's Paradise Express
- Dutch Wonderland: Dutch Winter Wonderland
- Stone Gables Estate: Christmas Light Drive-Thru and National Christmas Center
- Amish Farm and House: Amish Christmas Cookie Tour
- Old Windmill Farm: Amish Christmas Farmhouse Experience
- Visit Lancaster City: Mayor's Tree Lighting
- Kitchen Kettle Village: Winter Holiday Fun
- Venture Lititz: Christmas in the Park
- American Music Theatre: The 2026 Christmas Show
- LancasterHistory: Yuletide at Wheatland
- Lancaster Liederkranz: Fests & Christkindlmarkt page (lancasterliederkranz.com)
- Sight & Sound Theatres: Miracle of Christmas
- Discover Lancaster: How do the Amish celebrate Christmas?
- Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies: Twelve Largest Amish Settlements, 2026
- Kings Amish Furniture locations page and product pages on kingsamishfurniture.com (as listed in November 2026)
How we made this guide: we checked every event on its organizer's own website in November 2026 and only listed 2026 dates that the organizer had published. Where no 2026 date was posted, we said so. The table counts come from the tables listed on our site. Every fact was checked against our product pages and our locations page.
See it in person
Visit our showrooms in Intercourse and Lancaster, PA, and Murrells Inlet, SC. Open Monday to Friday 10 to 5, Saturday 9 to 5.
