Celebrate Christmas with Winnie-the-Pooh and friends

ABILENE, TX – Put on your pajamas or your favorite Winnie-the-Pooh character costume and head to the Hundred Acre Woods to celebrate with Winnie and friends at Christmas in the Garden on Friday, December 5. Families can enjoy Winnie themed crafts, food and games in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden and train rides in the new Clear Fork Bank Storybook Garden. Both gardens are beautifully decorated with holiday lights and are located on the south side of the Abilene Convention Center.

Winnie and all his friends will be at the garden to greet families and take pictures, including Kanga with Roo, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet and Tigger. Other activities include face painting, balloon creations, a book reading and performance by Chorus Abilene’s BackBeat. Children will have the opportunity to share their wishes with Santa Claus. Seven and One Books will be selling books and gifts.

Families have two sessions to choose from – 5 to 6 p.m. or 6 to 7 p.m. The cost is $15 per family.

We will unveil a new addition to the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden during the first session. The bronze storybook sculpture based on Sophie Blackall’s illustration in “Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear” was installed during the 2022 Children’s Art + Literacy Festival and only the bear was featured. The book illustration pictured Christopher Robin on the bear’s back, and that addition has been created by artist Steve Neves and cast in bronze and will be unveiled during this special event!

You can purchase tickets at www.abilenecac.org while spots are available. About 400 people are expected this year.

Christmas in the Garden is presented by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. The theme of Christmas in the Garden was inspired by the 2026 Children’s Art + Literacy Festival, which will take place in June and celebrate “The Art of Winnie-the-Pooh.”