December Happenings and Events

Richland County is ready to put you in the holiday spirit! Our December Calendar is full of dazzling light displays, holiday craft markets, and community festivals!

Shop local for your Christmas gifts.

Shop The 51st Annual Holiday Fair (Now – Dec 31, Closed Mondays) at Mansfield Art Center for handmade gifts from Ohio artisans and craft makers. Find gifts for everyone on your list at the 44th annual Ontario Community Craft Show (Dec 5) at the Richland County Fairgrounds. Shop crochet, wood, chocolates, jewelry, Christmas décor and more from over 75 crafters. The volunteers at the  Tiny Tim Shoppe (Dec 4, 5, 12, 19) at Social on Main are ready to help your children, ages 12 and under, shop for you! All gifts are $15 or less and volunteers will even help with the wrapping too. There are no walk-ins this year, so make sure to sign up for a shopping time!

Need some inspiration for your Christmas list? Check our local holiday gift guide.

Get in the Christmas spirit!

Christmas at Kingwood (Now – Jan 3) at Kingwood Center Gardens, Mansfield’s magical holiday experience, returns for 2020! This year’s festivities include a new entrance through the Garden Gateway! Enjoy delicious treats served by Buehler’s in Kingwood’s Gateway Café, buy unique gifts in the Garden & Gift Shop, and explore the Exhibit Gallery before you head out to the outdoor displays. The Community Tree Walk will host trees creatively decorated by community partners, and Buehler’s Snacks & Sips will offer hot beverages, snacks, and spirits in the workshop (open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). See Kingwood Hall decked for the season in the theme of “Christmas Through The Years. Please register or pre-purchase tickets in advance to reserve the date and time of your visit. This applies to member and children’s tickets as well. Capacity limits will be set for each hour and Kingwood Hall will closely monitor headcount. The Welcome Desk will offer limited walk-up tickets only when pre-sale capacity allows.

Spend a magical Christmas evening at Christmas at the Castle, A Kingdom of Lights (Now – Dec 31) at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. Stroll the grounds and soak up the Holiday Spirit with over 100,000 lights, outdoor Christmas trees and, of course, your favorite Holiday tunes! Jolly Old Saint Nick drops down the chimney at The Pavilion to meet children of all ages every Friday and Saturday from 5 PM to 8 PM. Admission on Friday and Saturday is $8 per car and free all other evenings. Buy your car pass in advance: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/123739449023. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday’s, savor a Christmas feast at the Copper Mug Bar and Grill.

Enjoy a Christmas Tree Lighting from the safety of home. The Mansfield Christmas tree lighting has gone virtual. Watch the VIRTUAL Christmas Time in the City (Dec 4) on Downtown Mansfield’s Facebook Event. The event will include many familiar faces like emcee Tommy Barnes, Mayor of Mansfield, Tim Theaker, and a wonderful performance at the Renaissance Theatre by local group, Coma Love.

Celebrate the season at the 5th Annual Christmas in the Village (Dec 3-5) in downtown Plymouth, Ohio. Shop over 80 Craft and Artisan vendors, eat from your choice of 8 Food trucks, and skate on a 2,000 square foot ice rink. On Friday, there will be the Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting. On Saturday, there will be carriage rides, ice sculpture carving, and the Plymouth Polar Express Train. Meet and greet with Santa and his Reindeer, try your hand at Axe Throwing.

There’s still a chance to see Santa this year at the 2nd Annual Sip n’ See Santa (Dec 5) at Fox Winery. Due to social distancing guidelines, Fox Winery is offering six 30-minute sessions with limited capacity in each session. There will be stations set up that each family can rotate through. These stations include (1) picture of your child(ren) with Santa, (1) glass of wine, (1) coloring page, per child, (1) craft, per child, and (1) kid’s reindeer snack. The cost for this event is for (1) child: $20, for (2) children: $2, for (3) children: $30. To reserve your spot, Venmo payment to @livfox7 and include the following info in your payment description: Family name, how many children will be attending, and which session you’d like to attend (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6). Session ONE: 11 – 11:30 AM, Session TWO: 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM,Session THREE: 12:30 – 1 PM, Session FOUR: 1:15 – 1:45 PM, Session FIVE: 2: – 2:30 PM, or Session SIX: 2:45 – 3:15 PM. 

You can also meet Santa and his reindeer when you bring a Christmas Gift for the feathered friends at Ohio Bird Sanctuary’s Christmas for the Birds (Dec 12). Santa, and he and his reindeer will be at the Sanctuary on Saturday, December 12 from 10 AM to 12 PM. Spaces are limited and registration is required. Reserve a timeslot by the vehicle (There is no limit on number of passengers). Admission is a Christmas gift for our birds! This can be a monetary donation to help feed the birds or a donation of an item from their wish list.

What will you add to your calendar? Did we miss an exciting event? Make sure to submit your local events to our Calendar of Events for the chance to be featured!

Please note, it’s still 2020 and event details and safety guidelines are subject to change. We make every effort to ensure this info is correct at the time of posting, but please check with the official event organizers for cancellations and changes before traveling.