Since yesterday, Santa's Mailbox has been at Township Hall Park on East Orange Road. It's the first sign of the season in Orange Township, and it will stay put for most of the next month, except for one day. On Sunday, Dec. 6, it moves to North Orange Park for the township's Holiday Event, then goes back to Township Hall Park the next morning.
That one-day move shows how the Lewis Center season works. The biggest free events don't spread across December. They come in a row: the Evans Farm tree lighting on Saturday, Dec. 5, then a sensory-friendly Santa morning at Polaris Fashion Place and the Orange Township Holiday Event on Sunday, Dec. 6. If you plan around that weekend, the rest of the calendar mostly sorts itself out.
The Mailbox Opened First
Santa's Mailbox is at Township Hall Park, 1680 East Orange Road, from Nov. 18 through Dec. 5. On Dec. 6 it's at North Orange Park, and from Dec. 7 through Dec. 18 it's back at Township Hall Park.
Friday, Dec. 18, is the last day to mail a letter. The township asks families to write a legible name and a complete mailing address on each letter so Santa can send a reply.
That gives you a full month of drop-off days. Families who want to write a letter before seeing Santa in person have about two and a half weeks before the big weekend. Kids who think of something after the visit still have twelve more days to add it.
Thanksgiving Morning at Evans Farm
The next date is a week from today. The Annual Evans Farm Turkey Trot is Thursday, Nov. 26, from 9 a.m. to noon, hosted by Standardized Brewing.
Evans Farm calls it a community fun run and walk through the neighborhood's streets, for people racing the clock and for families taking it slow. The listing invites the kids and the dog too. It also says more details are coming, so watch the event page in the days before Thanksgiving for the start point and any sign-up steps.
The three-hour window keeps the morning loose. Your household can be home in time to get the turkey in the oven without anyone rushing.
Between the Turkey Trot and the first weekend of December, the Evans Farm community calendar lists nothing else. Those nine days are the quiet stretch before everything happens at once.
Saturday, Dec. 5: Evans Farm Lights the Tree
Light the Night, Evans Farm's annual tree lighting, is Saturday, Dec. 5, from 3 to 6:30 p.m., and it's free. The plan includes hot cocoa, a visit with Santa and caroling, then the community tree lighting up for the season. The event flyer places it at the Evans Farm Market and lists vendors and family activities with the tree lighting.
A 3 p.m. start matters in early December. Sunset comes early, so families arriving at the start get some daylight for the vendors and the cocoa line, and the lights go on against a dark sky well before the 6:30 end. Evans Farm calls the lighting the official start of the season in the neighborhood.
If you go Saturday, this is the first Santa visit of the weekend. Two more come the next day.
Sunday, Dec. 6, Holds Two Santa Visits
Sunday is the busiest day of the season, and the events are spaced so one household can do both:
- 10 to 11:30 a.m., Polaris Fashion Place. Sensory Santa sets up in Center Court with sensory-friendly activities and a calmer Santa visit "before the hustle and bustle of regular mall hours," as the mall's listing puts it.
- Midday through midafternoon, open time. Nothing official is scheduled. Families who need a nap, a lunch or a break from crowds can take one here.
- 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., North Orange Park. The Orange Township Holiday Event brings performances by Olentangy Schools, train rides, and visits from the Grinch, Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with hot chocolate, coffee and cookies.
The morning session is a good fit for kids who do better without crowds and noise, because it's built around a quieter visit before the mall opens to everyone. By evening the township event is the louder one, with school performers, train rides and a costumed Grinch.
The township has kept this event in a steady spot. In 2024 it was held on Sunday, Dec. 8, at North Orange Park, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This year it's the same park, the same two hours, and once again the Sunday after Thanksgiving weekend. If your family went two years ago, the routine hasn't changed.
Two details make Sunday evening different from Saturday at Evans Farm.
The mailbox moves to the park. Dec. 6 is the only day Santa's Mailbox isn't at Township Hall Park. Kids who bring a letter to the Holiday Event can mail it there.
The township collects toys. The event is a drop-off point for the People In Need, Inc. Toy Drive, so bring a new toy with your coat and mittens.
Counting Saturday afternoon, that's Santa at Evans Farm, at Polaris and at North Orange Park in about 30 hours. Most families will pick one. Families with relatives in town that weekend can choose whichever visit suits each kid.
After the Weekend, the Calendar Thins Out
The weekend after the tree lighting is much calmer. On Saturday, Dec. 12, Polaris Fashion Place has Breakfast with Santa at California Pizza Kitchen from 9 to 10 a.m. It's a sit-down hour with Santa for anyone who missed the Dec. 5 and 6 events or wants another visit with a meal.
After that, the township's only date left is Friday, Dec. 18, the last day to mail a letter at Township Hall Park.
The Season in Order
Here's the full list for your fridge:
| Date | What | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 18 to Dec. 5 | Santa's Mailbox | Township Hall Park, 1680 E. Orange Rd. | |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Annual Evans Farm Turkey Trot | Evans Farm | 9 a.m. to noon |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Light the Night tree lighting | Evans Farm Market | 3 to 6:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Sensory Santa | Polaris Fashion Place, Center Court | 10 to 11:30 a.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Orange Township Holiday Event, plus Santa's Mailbox | North Orange Park | 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 7 to Dec. 18 | Santa's Mailbox returns | Township Hall Park | |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Breakfast with Santa | California Pizza Kitchen, Polaris Fashion Place | 9 to 10 a.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 18 | Last day to mail a letter to Santa | Township Hall Park |
Three of these eight entries fall between the Saturday afternoon tree lighting and the Sunday evening train rides. If you only have one free weekend in December, make it Dec. 5 and 6.
We live and work in these neighborhoods too, and the team at MORE Ohio keeps track of this calendar along with everyone else in Orange Township. If you're having family in for that first December weekend and want to talk through what's changing around Evans Farm and the Orange Road corridor, reach out. We're always glad to compare notes. Work With Us.
