An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City

An Old Time Christmas is Silver Dollar City’s large-scale holiday festival in Branson, Missouri, running November 7, 2026–January 2, 2027 on select operating days. The 2026–27 season combines more than 6.5 million lights, elaborate nighttime displays, live Christmas productions, seasonal food and shopping, and a major new parade.

Lights and nighttime atmosphere

The festival transforms the 1880s-style park after dark, with Christmas in Midtown alone using 1.5 million lights across towering structures and illuminated tunnels. Other centerpieces include Joy on Town Square, where an eight-story animated Christmas tree performs synchronized light-and-music sequences, and the live Grand Fir in The Plaza, illuminated during nightly ceremonies.

New for 2026

The headline addition is Stars, Lights & Christmas Nights Parade, a new production twice the length of the previous parade. It incorporates large illuminated floats, music, interactive elements, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and friends, Yukon Cornelius and Misfit Toys, concluding with a Nativity-themed finale.  

Shows and traditions

Entertainment ranges from the Broadway-style A Dickens’ Christmas Carol, celebrating its 25th Christmas in 2026, to Heart of Christmas, The Living Nativity, Tinker Junior’s Toy Shop and the comedic Frontier Fa-La-La Follies. The Frisco Sing-Along Steam Train remains one of the festival’s signature traditional experiences.

Food, shopping and recognition

Seasonal offerings include holiday buffets, hearty Ozarks-style dishes, sweets and a five-item Christmas Tasting Ticket, while roughly 60 shops emphasize gifts and work by Silver Dollar City craftspeople. The festival has been voted USA TODAY’s Best Theme Park Holiday Event eight times, making it one of the park’s signature annual celebrations.