Last updated 8 October 2026. Every date below is checked against the organiser's own page. Spelthorne's own Christmas programme is usually published in November, so several local dates are still to come. We say so rather than guess.
Staines sits in a lucky spot at Christmas. Its own parade and market days, the Spelthorne villages each doing their own evening, and Windsor twenty minutes up the river with a castle, a great park and a panto. Here is what is confirmed for 2026.
Staines Christmas Parade
Staines High Street · Sunday 22 November 2026, from 10.30am · Free
The big one for the town. Father Christmas arrives, there is a stage on the High Street, and this year's theme is the movies. Run by Visit Staines with the Elmsleigh Centre and Two Rivers. A morning event rather than an evening one, which suits small children and their bedtimes.
Staines Santa Fun Run
Staines High Street · Sunday 22 November 2026, warm-up 9.30am, start 10am
The same morning as the parade, and timed to finish just as it begins. Staines Rotary's 3.5km run, or walk, on a flat route that suits pushchairs and wheelchairs. Everyone aged five and over gets a Santa suit, hat and beard, and a medal at the finish. Entry is £13 for adults, £10 for ages nine to fifteen and £5 for ages five to eight, with family tickets from £30 and under-fives free. Book through Staines Rotary's Eventbrite page.
Ashford Wide Christmas Market
Church Road, Ashford · Wednesday 2 December 2026, 5pm to 8pm
More than fifty stalls along Church Road, with live music, mulled wine and hot chocolate, and a free Santa's grotto. Some roads and parking spaces close for the evening, so come by train or on foot if you can.
Chertsey Christmas Goose Fair
Guildford Street, Chertsey · Saturday 5 December 2026, 10am to 3pm · Free
A daytime one, with a procession at 11am, a funfair, free crafts and face painting, and festive food along the street. Good for small children who will not last into the evening.
Shepperton Big Tree Night
Shepperton High Street · Wednesday 9 December 2026, 5pm to 8.30pm · Free
Held on the second Wednesday of December every year. Santa's grotto with real reindeer, carols and stalls, all run by volunteers and no tickets needed. The High Street closes to traffic from the afternoon, so park a little way off and walk in.
Windsor, twenty minutes up the river
Windsor Christmas lights switch-on
Castle Hill, Windsor · Saturday 14 November 2026, from 1pm
An afternoon of local schools, choirs and community groups on stage, with stalls from local traders around the town centre. It ends with a countdown led by the cast of the Theatre Royal panto, who switch on the lights and Windsor's biggest tree with the castle behind them.
Windsor Great Park Illuminated
Entry via the Savill Garden car park · 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
A light trail through the park after dark. Adult tickets from £19.80, children from £12.10 and families from £56.10. Parking is limited and has to be bought in advance with your ticket, and tickets are non-refundable. There is a low-sensory evening on 24 November.
Jack and the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal Windsor · 20 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 · Tickets from £19.50
Windsor's panto, with Brian Blessed as the voice of the giant, which is reason enough.
Windsor Christmas Fair
Windsor Racecourse · Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November 2026, 10am to 4pm
Adults £5 online or £6 on the gate, under-18s free, and parking is free. No dogs.
Windsor Castle at Christmas
A festive weekend on 12 and 13 December 2026, with wreath-making demonstrations and community choirs, and Victorian crafts for families on selected days from 19 to 31 December. Both are included with standard castle admission.
LEGOLAND Christmas
LEGOLAND Windsor · selected dates from 21 November 2026 to 2 January 2027 · Tickets from £34
Pre-book to guarantee entry.
Closer to home
Boxing Day racing at Kempton Park
Kempton Park, Sunbury · Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 December 2026
The Christmas Festival, with the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. Tickets on sale now, and under-18s go free on most Jockey Club racedays.
Santa at Squire's, Shepperton
Squire's run their Magical Grotto from 21 November to 24 December 2026, on selected days, and Shepperton is one of their garden centres. Book online, and check your chosen centre is running the grotto on your date.
Expected, but not yet confirmed
These all ran in 2025. None has a 2026 date on its organiser's own page yet, so please check before you travel.
- Sunbury Christmas Street Party, The Avenue Parade. Ran on Thursday 4 December 2025, 5pm to 8pm.
- Christmas in Stanwell. A lantern parade and carols ran on 5 December 2025.
- Meet Santa at the Elmsleigh Centre. Free, with no need to book, on weekends through December 2025.
- Two Rivers Christmas market stalls. Ran from mid-November 2025 into the new year.
We will update this page as each date lands. If you would rather be told, the signup at the foot of this page is one short letter a month and nothing else.
Coming home
Most of these are evenings spent standing in the cold, and the drive back is where everyone admits it. We keep a throw in the car for exactly that, and leave a cordless lamp glowing in the front room so the house is lit when we get in.
For presents, our Christmas gift guide is grouped by budget, and Christmas gifting has it all in one place, with UK delivery included.
Further round the river: Christmas in Walton-on-Thames and Christmas markets near Sunbury-on-Thames.