Christmas Events in Harford County, MD (2026 Guide)

by Josh Tessier

Last updated: Oct. 26, 2026

Harford County's 2026 Christmas season kicks off Nov. 28 with Small Business Saturday and the Winter Wonderland lighting in Bel Air. Then comes a big parade weekend: Havre de Grace's Holly Jolly Parade Friday, Dec. 4, Aberdeen's Christmas Street parade and the Highland Holiday Tractor Parade in Street on Saturday, Dec. 5, and the Bel Air Christmas Parade Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3:30 p.m. Most events are free.

Main Street in downtown Bel Air, MD, in December — *Main Street in downtown Bel Air in December.*
Photo: “Downtown Bel Air Winter” by Yaoiloverr, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.

I'll keep this page updated every week until New Year's. Dates change, and new events post late, so check back.

What's on the 2026 Harford County Christmas calendar?

These dates are posted for 2026 by the people running each event. Click any event name for the host's page.

Date (2026)	Event	Town	Time	Cost
Sat., Nov. 7	Authors & Artists Holiday Gift Sale, Bel Air Armory	Bel Air	10 a.m.-3 p.m.	Free
Fri., Nov. 27	Chris Pinnella: Christmas by Candlelight, STAR Centre	Havre de Grace	8 p.m.	Ticketed
From Fri., Nov. 27	Jarrettsville Nurseries* tree farm opens, Santa on weekends	Street	Santa 10 a.m.-4 p.m.	Free to visit
Sat., Nov. 28	Small Business Saturday	Bel Air	All day	Free
Sat., Nov. 28	Winter Wonderland opening and lighting	Bel Air	5-8 p.m. (town calendar says 5-9)	Free
Saturdays, Nov. 28-Dec. 19	Belle Aire Holiday Market, 121 S. Main St.	Bel Air	9 a.m.-noon	Free
Sat., Nov. 28, Dec. 12 & 19	Bel Air Farmers' Market winter market*	Bel Air	9 a.m.-noon	Free
Thu., Dec. 3	Norrisville Holiday Tree Lighting*, Norrisville Library	White Hall	6:30-7:30 p.m.	Not posted
Fri., Dec. 4	Holly Jolly Parade & Tree Lighting*, then Santa Land	Havre de Grace	6-8 p.m.	Free
Fri.-Sat., Dec. 4-5	49th Christmas Street Celebration (parade Sat.)	Aberdeen	Times not posted yet	Free
Sat., Dec. 5	Highland Holiday Tractor Parade*, North Harford High School to Falling Branch Brewery	Street	5 p.m. (roads close at 4)	Free
Sat., Dec. 5	Liriodendron Holiday Open House*	Bel Air	9 a.m.-4 p.m.	Not posted
Sat., Dec. 5	Bel Air Christkindl Markt, 2 S. Bond St.	Bel Air	Noon-6 p.m.	Not posted
Sat., Dec. 5	Winter Wonderland night + craft fair	Bel Air	See note below	Free
Sat., Dec. 5	Holiday Craft Fair, Havre de Grace High School	Havre de Grace	9 a.m.-2 p.m.	Free
Sun., Dec. 6	36th Bel Air Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting	Bel Air	3:30 p.m.	Free
Wed.-Sat., Dec. 9-12	A Ladew Christmas*	Monkton	3-7 p.m.	$25 adult, $6 child (non-members)
Sat., Dec. 12	Breakfast with Santa, Abingdon Fire Company*	Abingdon	7-10 a.m.	Not posted
Sat., Dec. 12	Beers with Santa and The Grinch*, Hopkins Farm Brewery	Havre de Grace	1-3 p.m.	Free
Sat., Dec. 12	Jarrettsville VFC Winter Craft Show*	Jarrettsville	9 a.m.-2 p.m.	Not posted
Sat., Dec. 12	Winter Wonderland last night	Bel Air	5-8 p.m.	Free
Sat., Dec. 12	54th Candlelight Tour	Havre de Grace	3-8 p.m.	Tickets on sale Nov. 1
Sat.-Sun., Dec. 12-13	Lock House Holiday Boutique*	Havre de Grace	Sat. 9-5, Sun. 11-3	Free to browse
Mon., Dec. 14	Pictures with Santa, Aberdeen Library*	Aberdeen	5:30-6:30 p.m.	Free
Thu., Dec. 24	Joppatowne Christmas Eve luminaries*	Joppa	6-7 p.m.	Order by Dec. 4
Thu., Dec. 31	Noon Year's Eve, Bel Air Library*	Bel Air	11:30 a.m.-noon	Free
Thu., Dec. 31	NYE Gala & Run, Cedar Lane Park*	Bel Air	11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	Free
Thu., Dec. 31	New Year's Eve Party with Eclipse, American Legion Post 47*	Havre de Grace	7:30-11:59 p.m.	$65

* Posted only by the host so far. Confirm before you go.

Winter Wonderland note: two sources list different times for Dec. 5. The Bel Air Arts & Entertainment District lists 5-8 p.m. (craft fair 3-8). Bel Air Brief lists 2-8 p.m. I'll update this once the organizer posts the final schedule.

Usually happens, but no 2026 date yet

Havre de Grace Duck Drop: 2025 date (Dec. 31), 2026 not yet announced.
Mt. Ararat Lodge lighting and train garden, Bel Air: 2025 date (Sun., Dec. 7, lighting at 6 p.m.), 2026 not yet announced.
Harford Holidays at Ripken Stadium, Aberdeen: 2025 dates (Dec. 4-6 and 12-13), 2026 not yet announced.
Abingdon Fire Company Santa Tour: 2025 schedule, 2026 not yet announced.

Lots of other yearly events, like light shows, church concerts and more town tree lightings, haven't posted 2026 dates yet. I'll add them as hosts post. For more, check the Visit Harford events calendar and the Havre de Grace tourism calendar. You can also check The Harford County Mom's seasonal guides for family ideas.

When are the Christmas parades and tree lightings?

Four parades roll on three back-to-back days, and North Harford lights a tree the night before.

White Hall, Thu., Dec. 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m. The Norrisville Holiday Tree Lighting is at the Norrisville Library, 5310 Norrisville Road. The library lists caroling, cocoa and a holiday ornament craft. Confirm before you go.
Havre de Grace, Fri., Dec. 4, 6-8 p.m. The Holly Jolly Parade starts at Union Ave. and St. John St. and ends at Congress Ave. Santa helps the mayor light the tree at Washington, St. John and Green streets. Then Santa Land opens at 450 Pennington Ave. Confirm before you go.
Aberdeen, Sat., Dec. 5. The 49th Christmas Street Celebration runs Dec. 4-5. The parade goes down W. Bel Air Ave., and the theme is "Frosty Comes to Aberdeen." 2026 times aren't posted yet.
Street, Sat., Dec. 5, 5 p.m. The Highland Holiday Tractor Parade sends about 75 lighted tractors from North Harford High School down Route 165, Old Pylesville Road and Street Road to Falling Branch Brewery. It's free. Roads close at 4 p.m., and the host says no parking before noon. Santa, food trucks and music follow at the brewery. Confirm before you go. Full details: my Highland tractor parade guide.
Bel Air, Sun., Dec. 6, 3:30 p.m. The parade starts at Churchville Rd. and S. Main St. and ends on Lee St. The tree is lit in Shamrock Park around 4:30-5 p.m. If the weather is bad, it's cancelled, not moved to another day.

Full details: my Bel Air Christmas parade guide and Havre de Grace Christmas guide.

Harford County Christmas 2026 key dates, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 12, across Bel Air, Havre de Grace, Aberdeen and Monkton — *Key dates as of Oct. 26, 2026. Times can change, so check before you go.*

Graphic: joshtalksharford.com. Background photo: "Downtown Bel Air Winter" by Yaoiloverr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped, text added.

Where are the holiday markets and craft fairs?

Authors & Artists Holiday Gift Sale: Sat., Nov. 7, 10-3, Bel Air Armory
Small Business Saturday: Sat., Nov. 28, downtown Bel Air
Belle Aire Holiday Market: Saturdays Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12 and 19, 9 a.m.-noon, 121 S. Main St., Bel Air
Bel Air Farmers' Market winter market: Nov. 28, Dec. 12 and 19, 9 a.m.-noon, 2 S. Bond St.
Liriodendron Holiday Open House: Sat., Dec. 5, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 502 W. Gordon St., Bel Air
Bel Air Christkindl Markt: Sat., Dec. 5, noon-6, 2 S. Bond St.
Winter Wonderland Craft Fair: Sat., Dec. 5, Bel Air Armory
Havre de Grace High School Holiday Craft Fair: Sat., Dec. 5, 9-2
Meet the Artists & Holiday Shoppe Preview: Fri., Dec. 11, 5 p.m., Concord Point Lighthouse Keeper's House
Jarrettsville VFC Winter Craft Show: Sat., Dec. 12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., indoors, rain or shine
Lock House Holiday Boutique: Sat., Dec. 12, 9-5, and Sun., Dec. 13, 11-3, Havre de Grace
A Ladew Christmas: Dec. 9-12, 3-7 p.m., Monkton. Public tickets go on sale Nov. 9.

Host-only listings: confirm before you go.

Where can I see Santa?

Santa is busy here. He's at Jarrettsville Nurseries on weekends from Nov. 27, Bel Air's Winter Wonderland opening night on Nov. 28, and Santa Land in Havre de Grace after the Dec. 4 parade. On Dec. 5 he's at the Liriodendron, Aberdeen's Breakfast with Santa and the Highland tractor parade after-party at Falling Branch Brewery in Street. Dec. 12 has Abingdon Fire Company's Breakfast with Santa (7-10 a.m.), a tea party at the Opera House and Beers with Santa at Hopkins Farm Brewery.

See every spot in my where to see Santa in Harford County guide.

Where can I see Christmas lights?

The Town of Bel Air says Winter Wonderland runs every Saturday between Thanksgiving and New Year's, with over 100,000 lights on Main Street. Special nights are Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.

For drive-by and drive-through displays, our team keeps a full list: Harford County winter light displays.

Is there a historic holiday tour?

A Ladew Christmas, Monkton: Wed.-Sat., Dec. 9-12, 3-7 p.m. Non-members pay $25 per adult and $6 per child ages 2-12. A pretty pick for a date night. Confirm before you go.
54th Candlelight Tour, Havre de Grace: Sat., Dec. 12, 3-8 p.m. A self-paced tour of decorated homes, museums and churches. Tickets go on sale Nov. 1 at the Lock House Museum.

Where can I cut a Christmas tree?

Jarrettsville Nurseries opens Fri., Nov. 27, 2026, until trees sell out. The farm lists free wagon rides, a bonfire, a train garden and Santa on weekends. Confirm before you go. Hickory Hill Farm in Street opens first, on Sun., Nov. 22, and Jones Family Farm has choose-and-cut Nov. 27-Dec. 20. See all the dates and hours in my Christmas tree farms in Harford County guide.

What's happening on New Year's Eve?

Kids can count down at the Bel Air Library's Noon Year's Eve at 11:30 a.m. or the Running Club's free NYE Gala at Cedar Lane Park at 11 a.m. Adults can head to the Legion Post 47 party in Havre de Grace ($65). The Havre de Grace Duck Drop ran Dec. 31, 2025. The 2026 date isn't posted yet.

More in my Harford County New Year's Eve guide.

What's going on in each town?

Bel Air: Winter Wonderland, the Belle Aire market, Christkindl Markt and the Dec. 6 parade.
Havre de Grace: The Dec. 4 parade, Santa Land, Beers with Santa and the Candlelight Tour on Dec. 12.
Aberdeen: Christmas Street Dec. 4-5, with a parade, craft fair and Breakfast with Santa, plus Pictures with Santa at the library Dec. 14.
Abingdon, Fallston, Forest Hill, Darlington, Churchville, Jarrettsville, Monkton, Joppa, Edgewood, Street, White Hall: Highlights include A Ladew Christmas in Monkton, the Norrisville tree lighting in White Hall on Dec. 3, the Highland Holiday Tractor Parade in Street on Dec. 5, Jarrettsville Nurseries, and the Joppatowne luminaries on Christmas Eve. Fire company Santa runs and church events post later. I'll add them as they come in.

Cold or rainy day? The Harford County Mom has a list of indoor things to do with kids in Harford County.

Moving to Harford County?

The holidays are a good time to look around. You see how each town comes together. If you're thinking about a move, call or text me at (443) 617-2099. Happy to help.

FAQ

When is the Bel Air Christmas Parade in 2026?

Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026. The Route 66 Band plays at the courthouse at 2:30 p.m., the parade starts at 3:30 p.m., and the tree is lit in Shamrock Park around 4:30-5 p.m. It's free. Bad weather cancels it, with no makeup date.

When is the Havre de Grace Christmas parade?

The Holly Jolly Parade and Tree Lighting is Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, 6-8 p.m., per the city. Santa Land at 450 Pennington Ave. opens after.

When is the Aberdeen Christmas parade?

Aberdeen's 49th Christmas Street Celebration is Dec. 4-5, 2026, with the parade on Saturday, Dec. 5 down W. Bel Air Ave. 2026 times aren't posted yet.

Is there a tractor parade in Harford County?

Yes. The Highland Holiday Tractor Parade is Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, at 5 p.m. About 75 lighted tractors go from North Harford High School to Falling Branch Brewery in Street. It's free, per the host.

Are Harford County Christmas events free?

Most are. The parades, tree lightings, Winter Wonderland and the Belle Aire market are free. The Candlelight Tour and some shows need tickets.

What is there to do in Bel Air at Christmas?

Winter Wonderland (Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12), the Belle Aire Holiday Market (Saturdays Nov. 28-Dec. 19), the Christkindl Markt (Dec. 5) and the Christmas Parade (Dec. 6).

Where can I see Christmas lights in Harford County?

Downtown Bel Air's Winter Wonderland lights Main Street on Saturdays from Thanksgiving to New Year's. For more displays, see the Lee Tessier Team's Harford County winter light displays guide.