Celebrate Christmas with Winnie-the-Pooh and friends

OCT 23, 2025 – 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.”

Christmas in the Garden tickets on sale

ABILENE, TX (Nov. 5, 2019) - How do dinosaurs say Merry Christmas? Find out at this year’s 2nd Annual Christmas in the Garden: A Dino-Mite Christmas Night! Put on your pajamas and celebrate the holidays in the Storybook Capital of America with Santa Claus, train rides, crafts, a snow machine and more.

“Christmas in the Garden” is 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 and is part of the week-long City Sidewalks celebration downtown. Last year’s event was sold out with 700 people attending. The cost is $10 per family and $1 for train rides. Buy tickets at www.abilenecac.org.

The fun evening takes place in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden at the Abilene Convention Center. The garden’s storybook sculptures are decorated with twinkling Christmas lights and festive decorations. We will debut colorful tree canopy lighting at Christmas in the Garden. Be the first to see it!

Take a ride on the Storybook Capital Express for $1. Have your picture taken with costumed characters and make dinosaur-themed crafts. There’s also face painting and dino-bite snacks.

Children will have the opportunity to talk to Santa and share their Christmas wishes. Mrs. Claus will read “How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?” written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague, whose original artwork has exhibited in Abilene at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature. Have your photo taken in a special photo op area at the “Good Night Dinosaur” sculpture in the garden based on Teague’s artwork. The Abilene Community Band will play festive music and ACS New Song will perform. Bring a blanket and watch a short, animated holiday movie on the lawn.

This year’s lighting sponsors are Dr. William B. and Sadie L. Adamson Charities Inc., the Texas Commission on the Arts and Lowe’s Home Improvement.