It’s the holiday season, the most wonderful — and expensive — time of the year! Of course you want to celebrate the season big with your family, filling the days with memories and traditions that will last a lifetime. There are so many amazing holiday experiences for kids in Indianapolis, and we think some of them are absolutely worth the splurge! But before those Christmas bills start to add up too much, don’t forget that many magical moments can be made without spending a dime.
With that, we offer you 25+ Days of FREE Activities for the Holiday Season! Inspired by our 101 Days of Summer calendar, this resource is designed to help you optimize your December with family-friendly fun on a budget. Though some items on this list may include options to purchase food or other items, every event and activity idea is free and open to the public.
Get the FREE printable Merry and Free calendar here!
Free Holiday Events in Indianapolis
If a specific event on this list doesn’t work for your location or calendar, there may be a similar option that better fits your family. For example, there are many opportunities to see free performances of scenes from the Nutcracker. Click the link under that item to see our full guide! You can also use our events calendar to find all the top family-friendly events in Central Indiana.
- Peek into the past to see the Lilly House all dressed up for the holidays on December 4. Newfields offers free admission to guests on the first Thursday of every month. Take advantage of this chance to see the gorgeous holiday decorations inside the historic Lilly House without paying admission to the museum or buying tickets to Winterlights.
- See Santa arrive in Morgantown by train on December 5. The Indiana Railroad Santa Train makes stops throughout the state the first weekend in December. The train passes through Morgantown, stopping from 4:30 until 6 pm to allow families a chance to actually board the train to Santa and Mrs. Claus.
- Avon’s Christmas Tree Lighting is on December 6. Celebrate the season at the 2025 Avon Tree Lighting, a festive evening filled with small-town holiday magic! Families can visit with Santa, see live reindeer, build holiday crafts, and enjoy the model train display before the countdown to the tree lighting.
- Broad Ripple Lights Up and kicks off the holiday season with a parade on December 7. Broad Ripple Lights Up features a Wonderland Village with holiday-themed activities for the kids, live entertainment, and a holiday light display lighting ceremony. Don’t miss the parade that steps off at 5 pm from the Monon Trail and Broad Ripple Ave! Can’t make it to this event? Tree lightings are scheduled all over Central Indiana in the weeks following Thanksgiving!
- Make your own wrapping paper in Fishers on December 9. Head to Fishers’ holiday headquarters, Jingle Bell Junction (otherwise known as the Fishers Municipal Center), for free and affordable events throughout the Christmas season. The DIY wrapping paper workshop is a free, drop-in event where families can use paint markers, wood block printing, or other design techniques to create their own decorative gift wrap to take home.
- Twirl with ballerinas at an abbreviated Nutcracker performance at the Carmel Library on December 10. Visit the Carmel Clay Public Library at 6:30 pm for this sweet performance! Watch a bite-sized version of The Nutcracker, perfect for younger audiences who might be too wiggly to sit through the full-length version. Find more free Nutcracker programs in our guide to this classic holiday ballet.
- Walk through an impressive Living Nativity production with a cast of hundreds at the Lafayette Living Nativity from December 12-14 and December 19-21. Every year since 1991, Faith Church in Lafayette has invited guests to journey through the Biblical story from creation to end times, with a focus on the birth of Jesus. You can choose if you want to drive or walk through the experience, and it’s all free. Looking for a living nativity closer to home? Indy has several options that are a bit more local!
- Santa at the Conservatory is your chance to see the trains for free on December 13. Drop in from 10 am until 1 pm for Garfield Conservatory’s free event! See the holiday trains running through a forest of poinsettias, soak up the warmth in the greenhouse amongst tropical plants from around the world, then have a quick visit with Santa. If you want to avoid the crowds, regular admission to Conservatory Crossing is just $6 per person or $14 max per family.
- Quote your favorite lines from A Christmas Story at Butler’s community movie night on December 16. No ticket is required for this film at Schrott Center for the Arts. Just show up for the 7 pm screening of a beloved holiday classic!
-
So Many Sparkles
- Monument Circle during the holidays is a must. Mail that letter to Santa, say hello to the humongous tin soldiers, and savor the sparkles cascading down from the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Need a little treat for your walk? The South Bend Chocolate Company is located right on the circle. Stop in for a creamy cup of cocoa. Visit on Saturdays and Sundays through December 21 for live music and activities at Spark: Holidays on the Circle!
- Pile into the car for a driving tour of Indy’s best holiday lights. Our popular guide to Christmas light displays around Indianapolis and the surrounding cities has become a trusted resource for local families. Best of all, it includes a driving map, so you can plot the perfect route to see all the festive homes in your area.
- Saunter down the Magnificent Monon. Carmel’s stretch of the Monon Trail gets all dressed up for the holidays. Start at the Christkindlmarkt at Carter Green and walk up to Main Street, passing under glittering tunnels of lights on your way.
- Greenwood’s Lighted Trail opens on December 8. Amphitheater Park is merry and bright from dusk until dawn, and you might even catch some free entertainment from the stage. Lighted displays of trees, candy canes, holiday figures, and more include a total of 42,840 lights!
- Lights Over Seminary in Noblesville showcases vintage holiday decor. Open to the public in Seminary Park every evening in December from 5-11 pm, Lights Over Seminary will transport you directly to Noblesville’s Christmas past. The city has restored old decor, bringing it to life to delight new generations of residents and visitors alike.
Free Festivities On Your Schedule
- Watch the train layout at Sullivan’s Hardware. While a ride on the ever-popular Sullivan’s Express requires a fee (and a reservation), visitors will find plenty of free entertainment around the hardware store throughout the Christmas season! Kids love the oversized stuffed forest creatures displayed in creative setups, the train layout in the greenhouse, and the giant bear that makes his appearance each year.
- Visit the Kinderecke at the Carmel Christkindlemarkt. It’s hard to overhype the experience at the Carmel Christkindlemarkt. While there are certainly plenty of ways you could spend money at the market, you can easily enjoy several hours exploring the free activities and entertainment. If you’re visiting with kids, head straight for the Kinderecke, or “Kids Corner.” Rotating crafts are available during most market hours and you can also pick up your Kinder Club Passport. Fill your book with stamps from around the Christkindlmarkt and turn it in at Guest Services for a prize!
- Watch a candy cane pour at the Martinsville Candy Kitchen. This sweet shop makes candy canes the old-fashioned way. Be sure to call ahead or check the shop’s social media pages to see when they’ll be pouring candy the week you want to visit. Martinsville is a short, one-hour road trip from Indy and is home to some great family-friendly shops like Fables and Fairytales Bookstore and Urban Brew Cafe. Stay until dark to drive through the free Festival of Lights at Jimmy Nash Park.
- Mail a letter to Santa. Help your child craft that all-important letter to the Big Guy at the North Pole. Teach them how to address and stamp the envelope, then drop it off in your nearest Santa Mailbox. Our guide will help you find one close to your home.
- Get your free 4×6 printed photo with Santa at Cabelas. Remember real, PRINTED photos? In our digital age, it seems even more special to leave a Santa photo op with a physical snapshot in hand, and you can get one for free at Cabela’s in Noblesville! Reservations to meet the Jolly Old Elf in Santa’s Wonderland are recommended.
- Do some window shopping. Indianapolis has no shortage of destinations for shopping! Even if you’ve finished gathering gifts or are trying to stick to a budget, it’s always fun to do a little browsing in a walkable, festively decorated area. Try Massachusetts Avenue, Fountain Square, or the Keystone Fashion Mall in Indianapolis. Zionsville also has a particularly quaint main street, along with Franklin on the south side. Keep the kids entertained by stopping at one of these Indianapolis toy stores.
At Home Holiday Fun
- Decorate your home. Whether you’re on team “real tree” or team “artificial tree,” putting up all the lights and ornaments is a beloved part of the holiday season. Share the stories behind favorite decor pieces with your family and craft new baubles together to add to your collection.
- Select toys to donate to spread some holiday cheer. Make space for those incoming holiday gifts by sorting through old belongings to see what your children may be ready to pass on to others. There are plenty of places in Indianapolis willing to accept your gently used toys and clothing. You can even try the Reverse Advent Calendar, which focuses on choosing something to donate each day, suggested by a member of our team!
- Host a holiday movie party. Choose your favorite festive film, invite some special people, and settle in for a movie night with a holiday theme. Whether you’re watching cartoon shorts with preschoolers, comedies like Elf or A Muppet Christmas Carol with older kids, or a cheesy Hallmark romance with teens, this is the simplest way to create a beloved memory or even a tradition. Don’t forget the snacks! Exchange cookies, host a pitch-in dinner, or make it a breakfast cereal extravaganza reminiscent of Indy’s own Cereal Cinema!
Ring in the New Year at one of these kid-friendly parties!
Check out some of our favorite Winter Break activities, many of which are totally free.
