Newburgh's 2026 holiday events fall on two weekends, Nov. 21–22 and Dec. 5–6, and each one follows the same pattern. Saturday stacks the events so that one trip downtown can run from morning into evening, and Sunday adds a single follow-up event. In November, the Grinch Fun Run and the Christkindlmarkt both open at 9 a.m., and the market's beer garden stays open until 8 p.m. In December, Newburgh Celebrates Christmas ends at 4 p.m., the same time the Historic Newburgh, Inc. Holiday Tour begins. Plan each weekend as one outing, built around those Saturday overlaps and handoffs.
Saturday, Nov. 21 starts on the French Island Trail
The first weekend falls just before Thanksgiving, and it begins early. The Grinch Fun Run, hosted by Historic Newburgh, Inc., runs on the French Island Trail with the start listed at 23 W. Jennings St. The 5K runs from 9 to 11 a.m. and the 1-mile walk/run from 9 to 10 a.m., and each costs $30. The Cindy Lou Who Kids Dash runs from 10 to 11 a.m. for $20. Fees go up after Nov. 19, so signing up by that Thursday saves money.
The race is new this year. In its 2026 calendar announcement, the Town of Newburgh said Historic Newburgh Inc. was adding two new 5K races, one in spring and one in fall. The Grinch Fun Run is the fall race, and it shares a morning with an event that has been building for four years.
The Newburgh Museum's 4th Annual Christkindlmarkt opens at 9 a.m. the same Saturday and runs until 4 p.m. The museum's events page lists a Beer & Wine Garden from noon to 8 p.m., so the garden stays open four hours after the vendor booths close. Under that schedule, a runner who finishes the 5K at mid-morning can shop the market and still have the evening for the garden without making a second trip downtown.
The market has gotten shorter. In 2025 it ran 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the beer garden ran noon to 8 p.m., with activity spread across the Museum, Zion UCC and Newburgh Elementary School, according to the Town's 2025 museum lineup. This year the booths close an hour earlier and the garden keeps the same hours. The museum's 2026 page gives the date and hours but no venue list. The three-building setup is from last year, so check the museum's page that week before planning a route around it. The museum is at 503 State St.
Residents who make and sell their own goods can still get in. Vendor registration is open through midnight on Nov. 1, and questions go to the museum at (812) 518-3533.
Sunday, Nov. 22 moves the crowd indoors, and earlier
The day after the market, Historic Newburgh, Inc. runs the Grinchmas Pub Crawl from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 plus a $0.25 service fee. A wristband is required for trolley rides, bar entry and the contests. The event address is 1 E. Water St., which HNI's food and drink directory lists as Marida, a restaurant.
The crawl starts two hours earlier than last year. The 2025 crawl ran from 2 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 23, and the ticket price was the same $10. With a noon start, the crawl now ends at 4 p.m. on a Sunday, which leaves the evening open and changes when a group would want to meet for lunch.
The 2026 listing doesn't name the participating bars yet. In 2025, HNI said ticket holders could start at Knob Hill Tavern, Haven's Bar, Cafe Arazu, Newburgh Tavern or Prime Sports. That list may be a useful reference, but this year's lineup will be on the HNI event page.
Saturday, Dec. 5 runs as one relay from noon to 7 p.m.
The December Saturday runs in sequence, with events following one another instead of overlapping. Here is the day in order:
- Noon to 4 p.m.: Newburgh Celebrates Christmas. The event is presented by Bertram Chiropractic and Wellness and offers free trolley rides, free photos with Santa, Grinch sightings, food trucks, free balloon inflatables and local shopping.
- During those hours at Old Lock and Dam: the gingerbread house contest. Old Lock and Dam Park is a 13.4-acre Town park at 525 East Highway 662 on the French Island Trail, next to the Ohio River. The park also holds Control Building No. 47, which served as the powerhouse for the old lock and dam and is now a Town event venue.
- During those hours at Preservation Hall: holiday vendors in and around the building. Preservation Hall, at 200 State St., was built in 1851 as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
- 4 to 7 p.m.: the Historic Newburgh, Inc. Holiday Tour. The tour is anchored at 23 W. Main St. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the event, and the online ticket page adds a $0.50 service fee.
HNI describes the afternoon this way on its event page:
"This year the spirited celebration will be filled with free trolley rides, free photo ops with Santa Claus, Grinch sightings, gingerbread house contest (Old Lock and Dam), food trucks, free balloon inflatables and vendors showcasing their holiday wares (in and around Preservation Hall)."
Buying tour tickets ahead saves $5, and it has a second benefit. According to the tour listing, HNI will send the tour-home addresses to advance buyers closer to the event. Advance buyers can map their route before the celebration ends at 4 p.m. Day-of buyers figure out the route at the start of a tour that runs only three hours.
Sunday, Dec. 6 ends the weekend at 5 p.m. on Jennings Street
The Newburgh Holiday Light Parade steps off at 5 p.m. from 510 W. Jennings St. It's free to watch. Entries are capped at the first 60, and HNI says a route map "will be released soon." The 2025 listing carried the same note about the map, so the route usually appears close to the date. Check the event page in the days before the parade before choosing a viewing spot.
This is the fourth annual parade. It follows the celebration and tour by one day, just as the pub crawl follows the market and race in November.
What moved since 2025
Most of the changes come from the calendar, since the same weekday slots fall one date earlier this year. The other changes are in times and additions.
| Event | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Grinch Fun Run | Not on the calendar | Sat., Nov. 21, 9–11 a.m. |
| Christkindlmarkt | Sat., Nov. 22, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; garden noon–8 p.m. | Sat., Nov. 21, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; garden noon–8 p.m. |
| Grinchmas Pub Crawl | Sun., Nov. 23, 2–6 p.m., $10 | Sun., Nov. 22, noon–4 p.m., $10 |
| Newburgh Celebrates Christmas | Sat., Dec. 6, noon–4 p.m. | Sat., Dec. 5, noon–4 p.m. |
| Holiday Tour | Sat., Dec. 6, 4–7 p.m., $20/$25 | Sat., Dec. 5, 4–7 p.m., $20/$25 |
| Holiday Light Parade | Sun., Dec. 7, 5 p.m. | Sun., Dec. 6, 5 p.m. |
| Museum year-end event | Fri., Dec. 12 | Fri., Dec. 11 |
The two pub crawl changes matter most for planning. The new noon start and the shorter market day both move the November weekend earlier, and the new 5K adds a reason to be downtown at 9 a.m. In 2025, the museum's December event was billed as "Museum Mingle: Celebrating the Newburgh Boomers Exhibit." This year it's the Merry Museum Mingle on Friday, Dec. 11, with a live half-pot drawing. The museum hasn't posted a time or venue yet.
None of the organizer pages show a publish date, and times and fees can change, so check the HNI and museum pages again before each weekend.
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