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Kick off the holiday season with an unforgettable Downtown Holiday Experience for one magical night! Talbot Street from East Street to Ross Street will be full of Holiday surprises and activities for families and friends to explore what the Railway has to offer this season!
Downtown shops, restaurants, and businesses are lighting up Talbot Street with beautiful decor, festive vignettes, and holiday lights. Many of your favourite local businesses are staying open late for the event. Be sure to check out the lights and artistic creations for some early holiday shopping and festive fun. Take a stroll and stop in at several warming stations that offer amazing treats, activities, and warmth!
Where to get started?
🎄Tree Lighting
- Santa arrives Downtown on a St Thomas Fire Truck, at 5:45pm to greet smiling faces and to light the Christmas Tree at 6:00pm. Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, a tasty cookie and sing a few Christmas Carols. Bring your letters to Santa and non-perishable food donations will be accepted. After visiting with the children at City Hall, Santa will be roaming Talbot Street to greet happy visitors and shoppers!
🐴 Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides
- Take a nostalgic wagon ride along Talbot Street and experience the magical lights and sounds of downtown St. Thomas. Hop off and visit local shops and restaurants for one-night-only deals, gorgeous holiday window displays and late-night shopping. Linger at the warming stations for pop-up local musical acts and vendors with snacks, warm beverages, and more!
- Ride East or West - Wagon Stations are located at:
- West Corner of Flora & Talbot
- East Corner of White & Talbot
- North Side of Talbot near Yurek’s Pharmacy
- Crock A Doodle
Please Note: Rides are one-way only -- all passengers must exit at the stop.
☕🍪 Warming Stations
Stop along your journey of discovery downtown to warm up, grab a snack or a treat and enjoy some live entertainment!
- 📍 Railway City Tourism, 605 Talbot St, St Thomas, ON
- 📍 City Hall, 545 Talbot St, St Thomas, ON
- 📍 Hepburn Parkette, 446 Talbot St, St Thomas, ON
- 📍 Crock-a-Doodle, 364 Talbot St, St Thomas, ON
Hepburn Parkette Warming Station
🎁 Late Night Holiday Shopping
While out and about be sure to check out beautiful murals displayed across town and visit several warming stations to enjoy activities, treats, and a break from the cold!
- Some participating shops like Crock-a-doodle and Railway City Tourism will have complimentary hot chocolate and treats 🥰
Crock-A-Doodle
- Customize your very own clay pottery piece at Crock-a-Doodle, and experience a fun time creating with family and friends as they offer many workshops, events, and activities! Create something unique and personal to you this holiday season!
- Meet Elsa from 6:00PM - 7:00PM!
- 📍364 Talbot St, St Thomas, ON
- 🌐 https://crockadoodle.com/stthomas
The Nook
- Pop into The Nook to check out the incredible space for small events or pop-up rentals. For Light Up Talbot, The Nook has activated a pop-up holiday market for handmade and artisan vendors to join in the downtown magic!
- Running from 5:00PM - 8:00PM
- 📍567 Talbot St, St Thomas, ON
- 🌐 https://www.thenookstt.com/
🛷 Unique and Festive Storefronts
- Local businesses will light up their windows to make downtown shine - Look for the Red Wreaths!
- Check out your favourite local businesses as they are open late and will have their storefronts intricately decorated for the season!
🛍️ It's the time of year for gift giving, shopping, and treating yourself, so we curated a Holiday Wishlist to help guide you with just that! To help tailor to your Holiday wants and needs, the Local Wishlist helps highlight items from local designers, makers, creators, small business owners and more!
Check it out here: https://www.railwaycitytourism.com/wishlist
Event Schedule
CITY HALL | 545 Talbot Street
- 5:00 PM:
- Children are welcome to drop off their holiday letters for delivery to Santa Claus
- 5:30 PM
- Mitchell Hepburn Choir Performs
- 5:45 PM
- Santa arrives at City Hall on a City fire truck
- 6:00 PM
- Tree Lighting Celebration
- Cookies and Milk courtesy of the City of St. Thomas & the St. Thomas Downtown Development Board
- 7:00 PM
- John Wise Choir Performs
Cap off your walk through downtown with a warm drink or treat at a nearby warming station to complete this amazing night!
Find out more about events and activities during the winter season with our Winter in St. Thomas Page! www.railwaycitytourism.com/winter
Event Details:
Friday, November 13 2026 from 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Located downtown St. Thomas from East Street to Ross Street
✨Download the event guide here! ✨
AUTHOR
IZABELLA GONZALEZ
Born and raised in St. Thomas, and currently studying at Western University for BMOS Accounting, Izabella is excited to help reveal the wonders of this amazing city. Izabella shares the love of bringing cultures together and understands the importance and impact of what a small-town community can accomplish.
Helping out with the Horton Market and various events grew Izabella’s love for her hometown. Being the Railway City Tourism Assistant has encouraged Izabella to bring that enthusiasm of sharing diverse and unique experiences to others wanting to experience the Railway City.