Santa is "in search of 'sweets and treats' elves for the 27th Christmas Tree Lighting Festival in TownCenter Park on Saturday, November 28, 2026," according to the City of Kennedale's volunteer form. Kennedale's holiday season gets assembled by the people who live here, and almost all of it happens in one park. This year that matters a little more, because a second gathering place opens on Kennedale Parkway in January.
The tree lighting runs on volunteer elves
The city is asking local churches, organizations and individuals to hand out treats at Kennedale Hometown Christmas, and anyone can sign up through the Sweets and Treats Elf page. Elf shifts run from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Nov. 28. Every treat has to be pre-packaged and ready to hand out, and the form encourages volunteers to "decorate your table or dress up. The more festive, the better!"
A Sunday school class, a scout troop, a family with a folding table, or a business that wants to say hello without a sales pitch can all take part in what the city calls its Christmas Tree Lighting Festival.
The city hasn't posted the full 2026 lineup yet. For reference, its October 2024 announcement described live music, family activities, Santa, treats, s'mores and fireworks for that year's event. Watch the city's Hometown Christmas page for this year's schedule before you plan your evening around any one of those.
The market comes in under neighbors' canopies
The Hometown Christmas Market works the same way. On Oct. 21, 2026, the city posted that vendor applications were open. Cottage and food products are not allowed. The 2026 vendor interest form lists the requirements:
- Booths need a canopy or tent
- Booths have to be decorated for Christmas
- Vendors put down a refundable $50 deposit
- Submitting the form shows interest and does not guarantee a spot
With the no-food rule in place, the market leans toward handmade goods, gifts and decor. Since every booth has to be decorated, the vendors themselves end up decorating much of TownCenter Park. If you make wreaths, ornaments or candles in your garage, this is the closest thing Kennedale has to a holiday storefront, and you can walk to it.
The calendar, Nov. 5 through Dec. 12
Most of the season happens at two addresses, TownCenter at 405 Municipal Drive and the Kennedale Public Library. Here is everything with a confirmed 2026 date:
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 9:00 a.m. Veterans' Day Celebration, TownCenter Plaza, 405 Municipal Drive.
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Ugly Sweater Workshop at the library. All ages, supplies provided, no registration.
- Saturday, Nov. 14 Last day to order and pay for Goldee's Bar-B-Q Thanksgiving brisket and turkey breast.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. "Safe for the Holidays," a Tarrant County Public Health presentation at the library.
- Wednesday, Nov. 25, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Goldee's Thanksgiving pickup.
- Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27 City offices, the library and the Senior Center are closed.
- Saturday, Nov. 28 The 27th Christmas Tree Lighting Festival and Hometown Christmas Market, TownCenter Park.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Children's Christmas Tea Party at the library, with refreshments and activities. Registration required.
Every date is on the city calendar except the barbecue. Almost everything is free, and the tea party is the only event that needs registration.
Veterans' Day starts the season in the same plaza
The Nov. 11 ceremony is a different kind of event from the tree lighting, but it happens on the same ground. The city's invitation asks people to come "celebrate all of the Veterans in our lives and community" at TownCenter Plaza at 9:00 a.m. More details are on the city's Veterans Day page.
That puts two city gatherings at the same address, 17 days apart. If you only come to TownCenter once a year for the lights, a weekday morning in mid-November is a quieter way to see it in use.
The library is the indoor half of the season
The library calendar handles everything that doesn't fit outdoors. The Nov. 14 Ugly Sweater Workshop has supplies on hand, so you can show up with a plain sweater and nothing else. It's also timed well if you need a sweater before the Nov. 28 lights. The library also had a session on the calendar for Tuesday, Nov. 3, which leaves the Saturday workshop as the one still coming up.
On Nov. 18, Tarrant County Public Health is at the library for "Safe for the Holidays," an hour-long evening presentation right before Thanksgiving week. On Dec. 12, the Children's Christmas Tea Party closes out the library's holiday calendar. It's the only event on this list that requires registration, so sign up early.
Thanksgiving week has two dates to plan around
The tree lighting is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so Thanksgiving week and the festival run together. The library and Senior Center close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27. The city's closure notice ends with "Hometown Christmas is November 28. We hope to see you there!" If you want library books or a craft for the kids over the long weekend, get them by Wednesday.
Wednesday is also pickup day at Goldee's Bar-B-Q, which sits just over the line at 4645 Dick Price Road in Fort Worth. Goldee's Thanksgiving menu is pre-order only and isn't sold in line.
| Item | Price | Size | Feeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Brisket | $225 | 5 to 6 lb | 10 to 12 |
| Turkey Breast | $75 | 2.5 to 3 lb | 5 to 6 |
Both come fully cooked with reheating instructions. You pay online by Saturday, Nov. 14, and pick up any time between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Nov. 25, with no time slots. For a table of 10 to 12, two turkey breasts come to $150, and one whole brisket feeding the same number of people costs $225. The Nov. 14 order deadline is the same day as the library's sweater workshop, so put both on your calendar together.
In January, Kennedale gets a second gathering place
The city's holiday season comes together in TownCenter partly because Kennedale hasn't had many other places for a crowd. That changes after the holidays. On Oct. 13, 2026, the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA announced a new Kennedale YMCA opening in January 2027 at 113 W. Kennedale Parkway, in partnership with the City of Kennedale and Kennedale ISD. The YMCA's release describes the new location as a "welcoming gathering place."
"The YMCA is a place where community comes together," said Eric Tucker, CEO of the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA, in the YMCA's announcement.
According to the release, the planned amenities include:
- A fitness center, indoor track and sauna
- Group exercise classes, functional training and personal training
- Hydromassage and massage chairs
- Summer camps, a Lego STEM program, Child Watch and a music studio
- Community events and a café
- Youth soccer, flag football, baseball and other sports at the Kennedale Sports Complex, starting spring 2027
The release also credits support from community groups such as the Kennedale Rotary Club. It says the Y will build on programs it already runs with Kennedale ISD, the Kennedale Library and the Kennedale Senior Center. Membership information, program schedules and grand-opening details will be announced as opening day gets closer. In its own Oct. 13 news post, the city summed it up as "The Kennedale YMCA is almost open!"
Next year's elves and vendors will have a café and a music studio a short drive up Kennedale Parkway. This year, the whole season fits into TownCenter Park and the library, and the next sign-up deadline is the treat table you volunteer for.
At Niles Realty Group, we're neighbors here too, and we keep track of what's changing around Kennedale, from new spots like the YMCA to the long-running traditions in TownCenter Park. If you've been wondering how the new YMCA and the town's growth might affect your home's value, request a free home valuation and we'll go through the numbers with you over coffee, maybe after the tree lighting.
