Celebrate in Saratoga

Children's Visual Art Contest

We invite all kindergarten- high school aged children to enter our Holiday Visual Arts Contest, sponsored by the City Arts Council.

Theme: "There's Christmas in the Air"

• 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 or AI generated art. Must be Family Friendly. No use of copyrighted materials. Any AI or 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 SPRINGS CITY RECEPTION (IN THE BOX) BY Dec. 1 at 5:00 pm 

Winners will be announced at the Community Orchestra Holiday Concert on Monday, December 8, 7:30pm at Westlake High School, following the Stuff the Jar Night event.

Christmas Tree Lighting

• Monday, December 1, 2025
• 5:00 PM - Santa arrives via Firetruck
• 6:30 PM - Tree Lighting and Fireworks 
• Neptune Park

Event Details

Kick off the Holiday season by joining us for our annual Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa! There will be crafts for the kids (while supplies last), musical entertainment, fireworks and the Christmas Train. While visiting Santa, you can drop off your Letter to Santa and be sure to get your train ticket to ride the Christmas Train, new this year. For the America 250 Celebration, we will be having a food drive to collect non-perishable items for local food banks. Stop by Traveling Tom's and Dirty Dough food trucks for warm drinks and treats. 

Silent Santa

• Saturday, December 6, 2025
• Time: 9 AM - 2 PM
• Public Safety Building 

Event Details

This is a time for people who may need adaptive accommodations to meet Santa Claus without all of the hustle and bustle that normally goes with the holiday season.

• Registration will be limited to Saratoga Springs residents through November 15th. After that, available time slots will be open to anyone.
• Participants will be able to sign up for an individual 10-minute time slot with Santa.
• Parents can add notes to their registration to let Santa know the best way to interact with their child or children.
• Parents with multiple children, please sign up for 1 time slot for everyone in your party (not per child) to visit with Santa.
• Parents can bring any extended family they would like to have there during their time slot.
• This event is for all individuals who may need adaptive accommodations to visit Santa in a no-stress environment. There is no age limit on this event. 

Registration opens November 3rd.  Register Here

Presented by the Miss Saratoga Springs Royalty

City Orchestra Holiday Concert

• Monday, December 8, 2025
• 7:30 PM (following Westlake's Stuff the Jar Night event)
• Westlake High School
• concert is Free

Come and enjoy holiday music, see our Visual Art Entries from our Holiday Art Contest and have some fun at the Westlake Stuff the Jar Night.  If you haven't dropped your letter to Santa in his mailbox  at the Police Station 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 Westlake Student Council

• Monday, December 8 
• 6-8:00 PM
• Westlake High School
• tickets are $5

Christmas Jars is the annual charitable fundraiser 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

Letters To Santa

Print your letter to Santa template from the city's website or write your own.  Drop it off in Santa's mailbox at it's new location at the Police station between December 1-15.

• You can also put it in Santa's mailbag at:
  • The Christmas Tree Lighting, December 1
  • Silent Santa - December 6
  • Holiday Orchestra Concert - December 8

*Please make sure your child's name and mailing address are CLEARLY PRINTED on the letter or envelope.                                                                              Santa will answer letters dropped off by December 15 that have a name and full mailing address. 

Printable Santa Letter Template