Kid Friendly Holiday Activities

Looking for some fun ways to get the kids into the holiday spirit?  Here are a few Nevada City & Grass Valley activities that are great for the whole family.  The Nevada City Victorian Christmas celebration kicks off on Sunday, December 8th, mark your calendar for three Sundays and two Wednesday evening outdoor block parties with plenty of holiday cheer.

Sundays – Dec 8, 15 & 22 from 1:30 – 6pm
Wednesdays – Dec 11 & 18 from 5 – 9pm

The kids will enjoy listening to live music, caroling, food trucks and an opportunity to meet Santa.

Maybe you want to get the kids to help you pick out the Christmas tree?  Stop by McBurney’s Christmas Tree Farm in Cedar Ridge.  They have Douglas Fir and White Fir up to 6 feet tall.  The farm opens in late September for those who want to pick out the tree, so you don’t have to wait till December to shop for the perfect tree, but remember they’re a cash or check only business.

Downtown Grass Valley’s Cornish Christmas starts Friday, November 29th from 6-9pm, listen to the Cornish Choir on the steps of the historic Union Building, support local merchants and catch up with friends.  The Book Seller is offering a fun Grinch-mas Story Hour reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss on Friday, December 20th at 7 and 7:30 pm with a special appearance by the Grinch and Max!  

Here’s a round up of some more fun kid friendly holiday events:

• Turkey Trot, Thursday, November 28th
• Holidays at Empire Mine, Friday & Saturday, November 29th & 30th
• Scrooge by Legacy Presents at the Nevada Theatre, November 29th- December 24th
• Nevada County Nutcracker, Friday- Sunday, December 20th-22nd
• Clara and the Nutcracker, Thursday-Saturday, December 12th-14th
• Santa at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, Saturday, December 7th

The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Museum Christmas at the Museum event will be Saturday, December 7th.  Santa will be there, plus the museum will be running one of their rail buses in the upper yard as well as the Porter and Engine 13.

And because the holidays are always about something sweet, don’t forget you can order a holiday pie from Flour Garden Bakery, Lazy Dog Chocolateria sweets, stock up on goodies at Emily’s Catering and Cakes Holiday Pop Up Shop or try the Treats peppermint stick or egg nog ice cream.

Or maybe you want to stop by Grass Valley Games for one of the open game sessions, get the whole family together to play a board game, Thursdays 4-7pm.  The Artist Workshop will have clay gingerbread houses and holiday ornaments for kids to paint.  Two Little Birds Boutique in Nevada City is going to have face painting during Victorian Christmas and stop by their shop on Commercial Street to post your letters to Santa.

With the upcoming holidays, it’s always to remember there are lots of great events for all ages, leave a comment and share your favorite thing to do with kids in Nevada City & Grass Valley.

© 2019 InnSide Nevada City, Photos © by Erin Thiem and Lenkaland Photography