Uh oh...
It appears that you're using a severely outdated version of Safari on Windows. Many features won't work correctly, and functionality can't be guaranteed. Please try viewing this website in Edge, Mozilla, Chrome, or another modern browser. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused!
Read More about this safari issue.
The Christmas activities are in full swing! This weekend there will be parades in small towns all across the state. Almost every state park has a hands-on event planned for park visitors that is sure to bring delight to participants. There will also be Christmas actives and festivals in full swing! If you haven’t heard of Santa’s North Pole in Jonesboro, check it out on this list. The famous Jingle Jubilee Parade will be in Little Rock this weekend. Northwest Arkansas is opening up its doors for the community to meet the Gymbacks and donate a toy to benefiting those in need during the holiday season. Happy Weekend!
Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade (Little Rock)
This Saturday, beginning at Second and Broadway, a Holiday parade will start at 3 p.m. and travel south on Broadway, turn west onto Capitol Avenue and end at the State Capitol. The lighting and fireworks display will follow at dark or approximately 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. You won’t want to miss this!
Venue: Downtown Little Rock
Date: December 7
Time: 3 p.m.
Admission: Free
Contact: Click Here
Santa’s North Pole (Jonesboro)
Santa’s North Pole is a magical holiday experience! You can go inside and take a stroll through their amazing animated Christmas scene display and pick up a special gift in the gift shop. With the help of world-renowned animation artist, Mr. Lou Nasti, they’ve created a magical world that brings the wonders of the North Pole right to you. At Santa’s North Pole, you’ll chat with Rudolph and see his friends taking a rest in the reindeer barn, watch penguins playing on the ice, see Santa’s elves hard at work, and other North Pole friends along the way! You can grab a freshly baked cookie from the Life-Size Gingerbread House, check out cookie decorating kits, and take a look at our Department 56 Snow Village display. No trip would be complete without a visit with Santa! Head to Jonesboro and experience the magic at SANTA’S NORTH POLE. This weekend will be FROZEN day, and there will be some special guests.
Venue: 4501 Access Rd, Jonesboro
Date: Open Tuesday- Sunday
Time: Click Here
Admission: General Admission $5, Saturday Admission $6 (Extra events will have an extra fee)
Contact: Click Here
The Nutcracker Ballet presented by The Hot Springs Children’s Dance Theater Company (Hot Springs)
This holiday classic tells the story of Clara and her magical Nutcracker Prince as they embark on a thrilling adventure. Each year Hot Springs Children’s Dance Theatre Company rings in the season with The Nutcracker, creating memories to cherish forever. Hot Springs Children’s Dance Theatre Company brings in great professional artists that will both inspire and entertain. There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than to experience the magic of the Nutcracker Ballet presented by a variety of young local talent and professional featured artists from around the county.
Venue: LakePointe Church Albert (1343 Pike Road)
Date: December 5-7
Time: Multiple showtimes to choose from
Admission: Tickets Required– Prices Vary
Contact: Click Here or call 5016556815
Christmas in Camp (Prairie Grove)
The Christmas holidays are a time of celebration and family bonding. How did Civil War soldiers celebrate Christmas when they were hundreds of miles away from home and locked in a bloody struggle determining the future of our country? Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park will host a living history event that portrays the typical lives of soldiers in a winter encampment, while also highlighting some of the Civil War Christmas traditions. In addition to the living history event, guided candlelight tours will be offered Saturday evening for a fee and visitors must register in advance as space is limited. Tours will last approximately one hour and will include walking a distance of about 1/2-mile on a December night; please dress for the weather. Tours will begin at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 8 p.m.
Venue: Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park
Date: December 7-8
Time: Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
Admission: Free
Contact: (479) 846-2990
Mistletoe Magic: Believe in Miracles 2019 (Pine Bluff)
The Mistletoe Magic festival will be this weekend. There will be vendors, food trucks, ice skating, a Ferris wheel, a kid’s area, music, and more! Don’t miss out!
Venue: Saracen Landing
Date: December 6-8
Time: Friday 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Contact: Click Here or call 870-939-6900
Arkansas Craft Guild Annual Christmas Showcase (Little Rock)
The Arkansas Craft Guild presents the 41st Annual Christmas Showcase this weekend at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds. You will be able to shop all handmade arts and crafts by potters, glass artists, jewelers, fiber artists, woodworkers, photographers, home and fashion, plus specialty foods at its fine arts and crafts show in Arkansas.
Venue: Arkansas State Fairgrounds
Date: December 6-8
Time: Friday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: $5 at the door
Contact: Click Here
Merrytime in Magnolia
Enjoy two days of ice skating, a human-sized snow globe, gingerbread house decorating contest, holiday music, sleigh rides, Santa, enough hot chocolate to go around, and a merry time for all to enjoy in Magnolia this weekend.
Venue: Magnolia Square
Date: December 6-7
Time: Friday 3 p.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Admission: Free
Contact: (870) 234-4352
Hometown Holidays at the Little Rock Zoo
‘Tis the season to be jolly with friends and family at the Little Rock Zoo! Secure tickets at the zoo for a buffet-style dinner in the warmth of the historic Café Africa. This event features all of the activities that make for great holiday fun and help to create lasting memories! Your ticket includes dinner, holiday music, holiday crafts, animal meet and greets, train rides, and a souvenir photo with Santa Claus inside Arkansas Heritage farm! There will even be gingerbread house-making.
Venue: Little Rock Zoo
Date: December 6-7
Time: 6 p.m.
Admission: Tickets Required – prices vary
Contact: Click Here
Christmas in Camden, “Winter Nights & Magical Lights”
The Ouachita County Courthouse Lighting Ceremony will be Friday evening and include Christmas readings & carols, a special candlelight service for first responders, hot chocolate, Santa Claus and more! The Camden Police Department present the Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt on Friday evening in downtown Camden at Farmer’s Bank Parking Lot, starting at 6:30 p.m., open to children ten and under. This is free to the public. All children should be accompanied by an adult and bring a flashlight. There will be an adult painting workshop on Saturday, as well as the lighting of the community Christmas display.
Venue: Charles O. Ross Center
Date: December 6-7
Time: Friday 5:30 p.m., Saturday 6:30 pm.
Admission: Free (The adult painting workshop requires a ticket)
Contact: Click Here
A Mad Russian’s Christmas (Conway)
Join the Conway Symphony Orchestra as they bring you a whole new Christmas concert experience. See Tchaikovsky’s legendary Nutcracker Ballet unlike ever before and expect to have your faces melted by the all of the lights, the theatrics, and the screaming of Van Halen-esque guitar solos with selections from Paul O’Neill’s Trans-Siberian Orchestra! YES, there will be a nine-person rock ensemble center stage for this performance!
Venue: Reynolds Performance Hall
Date: December 7
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Admission: Tickets Required
Contact: Click Here
Meet the Gymbacks (Fayetteville)
Arkansas gymnastics will host its annual Meet the Gymbacks intrasquad in Barnhill Arena on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. The meet will be free to the public, with doors opening at 1 p.m. Fans can bring a new, unwrapped toy for children of any age with proceeds benefiting those in need during the holiday season within Northwest Arkansas. Arkansas will host five teams at Barnhill Arena throughout the 2020 season. Click Here for their schedule.
Venue: Barnhill Arena
Date: December 8
Time: 2 p.m.- 4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Contact: Click Here
The North Polar Express (Bentonville)
In Bentonville, you can ride the North Polar express with cookies and hot chocolate. You can take pictures with Santa Claus and have a great time. Thee polar express is a bus ride around the block moving along the movie it drops you off at the “north pole” where you can take photos with Santa.
Venue: 13080 US-71, Bentonville, Arkansas
Date: December 7
Time: 5 p.m.- 8 p.m.
Admission: Free-Donations Accepted
Contact: Click Here
We do the work.
You check your email.
Sign up for our weekly e-news.
Get stories sent straight to your inbox!
Like this story? Read more from Only in Arkansas
This Black History Month, we continue to pay tribute to the innumerable...
Harding University President David Burks has announced that the...
There is so much to do in Arkansas over the next few days! For hunting...
Join the Conversation
Leave a Comment