Grammy's Guide for the Holidays

This holiday season is filled with magic for my husband and me as we have two granddaughters under the age of two. As a proud grandmother, I want to show these little girls (and their parents too) all the magic of a Maine Christmas. Below is the list of magical events happening within an hour's drive of Scarborough, Maine. Let the magic of the holiday season begin! 🎄

Top picks for babies under two

For grandbabies this young, the best bets are short, warm, early-evening outings close to home. These five give the most magic for the least fuss, all within about 45 minutes of Scarborough.

1. Polar Express train, Portland (~15 min) — about 50 minutes on a real train with Santa. Book a matinee so you're home for bedtime; lap children ride for a small fee. Sells out fast, so book first.
2. Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport (~30 min) — heated, decorated trolleys during Christmas Prelude, plus hot chocolate and Santa on select days. Under-2s on a lap ride free and ticket caps keep Santa lines short.
3. Maine Celebration of Lights, Cumberland (~25 min) — a 20-minute drive-through of over a million lights. Babies stay warm and buckled in their car seats; no strollers or cold.
4. L.L.Bean Northern Lights, Freeport (~30 min) — free lights, Santa and Mrs. Claus visits, and s'mores on weekends. Easy to leave whenever little ones get tired.
5. Santa in Scarborough — your own town's free Santa event in early December; confirm the 2026 date with Scarborough Community Services (207-730-4150).

Calendar at a glance

The busiest stretch is December 3–13, when Kennebunkport, Freeport and Ogunquit all hold their festivals. Drive times from Scarborough are approximate.

Gardens Aglow runs a bit past your one-hour limit, but it's Maine's biggest light show if you're willing to stretch.

Train and trolley rides

The Polar Express — Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, Portland

• When: select dates November 20 – December 28; no trains December 24–25.
• Where: boards at Ocean Gateway Marine Terminal on the Portland waterfront. No railroad parking; use street parking or nearby lots.
• What happens: the story comes to life with hot chocolate, carols and Santa aboard. The ride lasts about 50 minutes.
• Cost: coach about $35 ($40 on peak days), first class about $65, presidential about $105; a lap child is about $5.
• Baby tips: the railroad itself recommends matinee departures for families with young children. Be seated 20 minutes early — trains leave exactly on time — and tickets are non-refundable.

Christmas Prelude Trolley Rides — Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport

• When: Fri–Sun, December 4–6 and 11–13, 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; last ride leaves at 5 p.m.
• What happens: heated, antique trolleys trimmed with live greens, hot chocolate, a holiday model railroad, and Santa on campus on four of the days.
• Cost: $15 per person; children 2 and under on a lap ride free.
• Baby tips: a daytime ride fits nap schedules better than evening events. The museum is about 3 miles outside downtown, so drive there directly.

Santa visits

You have Santa options almost every week from now until Christmas, several of them free.

• L.L.Bean, Freeport (free): Santa and Mrs. Claus visit during the Northern Lights weekends, and Santa makes his big arrival at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 20 after the 5:45 p.m. tree lighting. Free family photo sessions need a reservation.
• Cabela's Santa's Wonderland, Scarborough (free): listed for November 8 – December 22; reservations recommended. Check Cabela's site for 2026 times.
• Polar Express, Portland: Santa comes through the train cars on every ride.
• Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport: Santa is on campus four of the six Prelude ride days; ticket caps keep lines short.
• Christmas by the Sea, Ogunquit: Santa visits are part of the December 11–13 weekend.
• Scarborough Santa in the Park (free): usually the first weekend of December; confirm the 2026 date with Scarborough Community Services, 207-730-4150.

Holiday light displays

For babies, a drive-through or a short stroll beats a long walk in the cold. Here they are from easiest to most effort.

• Maine Celebration of Lights, Cumberland Fairgrounds (Nov 27 – Dec 30): over a mile of road with more than a million LED lights, animated scenes and a 300-foot color tunnel, seen from your warm car. Takes about 20 minutes; tickets are priced per vehicle and bought online. There are no public restrooms on site.
• L.L.Bean Northern Lights, Freeport (Nov 6 – Jan 18): tens of thousands of lights across the flagship campus, fire pits, a S'mores Shed and holiday movie nights. Free, and you can stay 20 minutes or two hours.
• Winter Wonders at Sandy Hill Farm, Eliot (Nov 13 – Feb 28): a mile-long walking trail through 14 acres of handmade light displays and tunnels; plan about an hour. Bring a sturdy stroller or baby carrier; tickets are non-refundable.
• NyteWalk at Moon Lantern Forest, Lebanon (through Jan 3): a storybook forest path with lanterns, tunnels and tiny elf villages set to music.
• Gardens Aglow, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay (Nov 14 – Jan 2): more than 750,000 lights and two giant wooden trolls. Open Thursday–Sunday plus select dates; last year children under 3 got in free. About 1 hr 15 min away, so best on a day the babies nap in the car.
• 

Town festivals and tree lightings

• Kennebunkport Christmas Prelude (Dec 3–13): the 45th year of this classic coastal festival — Dock Square tree lighting, a family street festival, caroling, and Santa arriving by lobster boat. The second-weekend tree lighting is Friday, December 11 at 5:30 p.m., with fireworks over the cove at 6:15 p.m. The Hat Parade is Saturday, December 5 at 3 p.m. Download the Christmas Prelude app for the full schedule; streets close for the December 11 festival, so arrive early.
• Freeport Sparkle Celebration (Dec 4–13): opens with the Parade of Lights and Santa waking the town's Talking Christmas Tree, then a week of treats, fire pits, and food trucks.
• Christmas by the Sea, Ogunquit (Dec 11–13): tree and bridge lightings, a parade, a bonfire, fireworks, children's activities and Santa.
• Portland Monument Square tree lighting: traditionally the Friday after Thanksgiving in late afternoon, which would be November 27 this year — watch Portland Downtown's site to confirm.
• Christmas at Victoria Mansion, Portland (Nov 27 – Jan 3): a Victorian home decorated room by room around the theme Santa's Whimsical Workshop. Lovely for you, but better as a grown-ups' outing than with toddlers.

Tips for outings with babies under two

• Book the ticketed events now: the Polar Express especially sells out, and several events have non-refundable tickets.
• Go early in the evening: lights come on around 4–4:30 p.m. in December, so you can see them and still be home for bedtime.
• Pick one big thing per outing: a train ride or a light show plus a snack is plenty for this age.
• Dress in layers you can peel off: cold outside, warm on trains and trolleys. Bring a blanket for the stroller or carrier.
• Plan the Santa photo for after a nap and a feed: a happy baby on Santa's lap is all about timing.
• Pack for no restrooms: the drive-through lights and some outdoor sites have none, so change diapers before you go.