Holiday lights and festive outings with kids around the South Bay
From late November through New Year's Day, a handful of South Bay holiday outings turn an ordinary evening into a big event for little kids. Several of them sell out fast, so it pays to plan ahead.
Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose is free: an evening stroll past more than 500 decorated trees and animated holiday scenes. Fantasy of Lights turns Vasona park in Los Gatos into a light show you can drive or walk through, with animated dinosaurs, trains and tunnels — perfect for a toddler in pajamas. Filoli in Woodside fills its gardens with holiday lights and gingerbread houses, and for train fans, Niles Canyon Railway's Train of Lights and Roaring Camp's Christmas lights train are the rides of the season.
- 5 places
- 1 free
- 5 stroller-friendly
- closest is 20 min away
5 places
Drive times from Sunnyvale
Christmas in the Park
5.0San Jose · 20 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Downtown garages about $10-15 in the evening
Fantasy of Lights (Vasona Lake)
5.0Los Gatos · 20 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Drive-thru included with your timed ticket; walk-thru parks at Vasona/Oak Meadow
Filoli Historic House & Garden
4.0Woodside · 30 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$$ · Parking: Free
Niles Canyon Railway (Sunol Depot)
4.0Sunol · 35 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free at Sunol Depot (6 Kilkare Rd)
Roaring Camp Redwood Steam Train
5.0Felton · 45 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: $10 parking at the Felton depot
💡 Good to know
- Niles Canyon's Train of Lights tickets are released in October and sell out within days.
- Fantasy of Lights tickets go on sale in early November, and popular slots sell out within hours — watch parks.santaclaracounty.gov.
- Holidays at Filoli sells out too; tickets must be bought online in advance.
- Christmas in the Park is calmest on weekday evenings. The King Library and the Children's Discovery Museum are within walking distance if you want to make a day of it.