List of Events

Children's Visual Art Contest

New event for our young residents. We invite all Kindergarten- high school aged children to enter our first ever Holiday Visual Arts Contest, sponsored by the City Arts Council. 

Theme: Sounds of Christmas

• Media Allowed: Any drawing media, watercolors, acrylics, temperas, pastels, colored pencils, permanent markers, colored pens.
• Techniques Allowed:  drawing, painting, collage, mixed media. No Sculptures or 3D. Only original work. No Copies. Must be Family Friendly. No use of copyrighted materials. Any plagiarized entries will be disqualified. 
• Size Limit: 12" X 18"
• Please Include: Full Name, Age, School, Mailing address, email and telephone (parent's number) on the back of your entry. 
• Only one entry per child.
• ALL ENTRIES MUST BE DELIVERED TO SARATOGA SPRING CITY LIBRARY BY NOV. 28 at 4:30 pm 

Winners will be announced at the Community Orchestra Holiday Concert on Monday, December 5, 7pm at Vista Heights Middle School.

Holiday Home Decorating Contest

You don't need to leave the city to see fabulous homes decorated for the holidays.  

• December 1 - December 26

Event Details

• Want to be a participant? Click the link Holiday Lighting Contest registration for information and the registration form, November 1-28.
• Maps of participating homes will be available December 1 
  • Click this link to access the interactive map and voting
  • Citizens will be able to vote for their favorite homes through December 1-26. 
  • Winners will be announced on Social Media the beginning of January

Christmas Tree Lighting

• Monday, November 27, 2023
• 6:15 PM - Santa arrives
• 6:30 PM - Tree Lighting program begins (tree lighting will immediately follow)
• Neptune Park

Event Details

Kick off the Holiday season by joining us for our annual Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa, crafts for the kids (while supplies last) and musical entertainment. You can also drop off your letter to Santa in his mailbag when you stop by to visit with him. Kona Ice (hot chocolate), Clark's Malasadas and San Diablo Churro's will be there for you to purchase a treat. Firework show immediately following the tree lighting.

Silent Santa

• Saturday, December 2, 2023
• Time 9 AM - 12 PM
• Public Safety Building 

Event Details

This is a time for people with special needs to meet Santa Claus without all of the hustle and bustle that normally goes with the holiday season.

• Participants will be able to sign up for an individual 10-minute time slot with Santa.
• Parents will be able to add notes to their registration to let Santa know the best way to interact with their child.
• Parents with multiple children, please sign up for 1 time slot for everyone (not per child) to visit with Santa.
• Parents can bring any extended family that they would like to have there during their time slot.
• This event is for all special needs individuals who are wanting to see Santa in a no stress environment. There is no age limit on this event. 

Presented by the Miss Saratoga Springs Royalty

City Orchestra Holiday Concert

• Monday, December 4, 2023
• 7 PM
• Vista Heights Middle School
• Cost is Free

Come and enjoy holiday music, see our Visual Art Entries from our first ever Holiday Art Contest and have some fun at our Community Orchestra Holiday Concert. If you haven't dropped your letter to Santa off at the Library yet, you can bring it to the concert and put it in Santa's Mailbag. 

Sponsored by the Saratoga Springs Arts Council

Christmas Jars- Stuff the Jar Night

Presented by the Westlake Student Council

• TBA
• 5 PM 
• Westlake High School 

Christmas Jars is the annual charitable fundraiser supported by students at Westlake High School. Stuff the Jar night is a holiday event put on by the students.  All proceeds from Christmas Jars and Stuff the Jar Night go to help families in need right here in Saratoga Springs.

Sponsored by the Saratoga Springs Youth Council

Library Holiday Activities

Letters To Santa

Print up your letter to Santa template from the link below or pick up a template in the library.  Drop it off to Santa's mailbox in the library between November 28 - December 16. 

• You can also put it in Santa's mailbag at:
  • The Christmas Tree Lighting, November 27 
  • Silent Santa - December 2
  • Holiday Orchestra Concert - December 4. 

Santa will answer letters dropped off by December 16. 

Printable Santa Letter Template

Library page