"A whole generation grew up with Toys R Us, and its return to Springfield Town Center is so exciting because now, they're bringing their own kids to experience it in person," Mikia Ross Wilson, the mall's senior marketing director, told FFXnow in October.
That return is one of two new things at the mall this season. The other is an art installation that stays well past the holidays. The rest of the 2026 calendar follows the days of the week. Santa photos start Friday. A Saturday morning parade brings Santa in. Pets get Mondays. The Holiday Market is open only on four Friday-through-Sunday weekends. Two trips to the same Grand Court on two different days can look quite different, so it helps to know the pattern before you pick a day.
Saturday Morning, Santa Arrives With the Fire Department
The season starts in earnest on Saturday, November 14, with "Welcome Santa!" in Grand Court from 10 a.m. to noon. Santa will be escorted in by the Greater Springfield Volunteer Fire Department, joined by Mickey and Minnie. The morning also has face painting, balloons, holiday crafts and games.
It's a two-hour morning event, not an all-day festival. If the fire department's arrival is the moment your family wants to see, plan to be in Grand Court when it opens at 10 a.m.
Santa's chair actually opens a day earlier. Santa photos begin Friday, November 13, and run through December 24 in Grand Court. The booking page places the set at the main entrance between Yard House and Maggiano's, which is the easiest landmark to give a grandparent meeting you there.
How Booking Santa Works This Year
Santa visits run through a reservation system at Where Is Santa. The mall recommends booking online. Walk-ups are accepted if slots are open. Here are the costs as the mall lists them for 2026:
- Time slot: $19.99 to reserve.
- Photo packages: starting at $44.99.
- Walk-ups: accepted until closing, subject to availability.
The booking page offers two kinds of appointments, a regular visit and a "Signature Santa: Extended Experience." Both are scheduled in 15-minute intervals. Its schedule for opening day, November 13, starts at 11 a.m. The mall doesn't post one fixed set of daily Santa hours. Instead, it sends visitors to the booking page for each day's hours and prices. Check that page before you leave the house, especially on a weekday.
Mondays Belong to the Pets
Family Pet Photos with Santa run on Mondays only, from November 16 through December 14. That's five chances on the calendar:
- Monday, November 16
- Monday, November 23
- Monday, November 30
- Monday, December 7
- Monday, December 14
The pet session is $20 with no package purchase required. Packages start at $44.99, and pet hours vary. Animals must be leashed, in a carrier or held at all times, and owners sign a release. The pet reservations use the same Where Is Santa page as the regular visits.
The pet photos and the Holiday Market never fall on the same day. The market's weekends end on Sunday, and pet Mondays begin the next day. If your family wants both a dog portrait and an afternoon of vendor browsing, those are two separate trips.
The Holiday Market Runs Only on Weekends
The Holiday Market Series comes to Grand Court with more than 30 vendors selling everything from arts and crafts to health and beauty products. It runs during mall hours, but only on four weekends.
| Weekend | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 27–29 | 9 a.m.–9 p.m. | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 4–6 | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 11–13 | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 18–20 | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 9 a.m.–9 p.m. | 9 a.m.–9 p.m. |
The first run opens on Black Friday, so the busiest shopping day of the year is also the market's first day. If you'd rather browse at an easier pace, the two middle weekends in December have standard mall hours. The final weekend gets the longest Sunday of the season, open until 9 p.m. on December 20.
The organizer is still signing up sellers through its vendor registration page. The mall's own Holiday Market listing has the official dates.
Thanksgiving Week and the Late-December Hours
The mall is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 2026. It reopens at 9 a.m. on Black Friday and stays open until 9 p.m. That early Friday start is also the market's first morning, so a family coming in on Black Friday can line up gift shopping, the market and a Santa visit on one trip.
The rest of the season's posted changes are on the mall's hours page:
- Saturday, Dec. 19, and Sunday, Dec. 20: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 24: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the last day of Santa photos.
- Friday, Dec. 25: Closed.
- Thursday, Dec. 31: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Christmas Eve is the last day for Santa photos, and the mall closes at 6 p.m. If a December 24 portrait is a family tradition, book that slot early.
Two New Things That Stay After the Holidays
The weekly pattern ends on Christmas Eve. Two additions this year don't depend on the calendar at all.
The first is Toys "R" Us. According to FFXnow, the Springfield store at 6677 Springfield Mall, Space 22049, opened September 23 in a space recently used by Go! Toys and Games. Go! Retail Group, which operates Go! Toys and Games, has partnered with Toys "R" Us on the brand's expansion. A spokesperson for the brand confirmed to the outlet that the store is permanent, not a pop-up.
The store is smaller than the big Toys "R" Us stores of the 1980s and '90s. It's part of a national plan to open 120 standalone stores in time for this holiday season. FFXnow reports that 160 locations nationwide will be open for the holidays, including 40 pop-ups inside Macy's stores. The shelves carry brands and tie-ins like Pokemon, LEGO and "K-Pop Demon Hunters." The same report notes that the Fair Lakes Toys "R" Us closed nearly a decade ago. A second Fairfax County store is planned at Fair Oaks Mall.
The second is an art installation near Dave & Buster's. ArtsFairfax and Springfield Town Center are presenting "Through Me: Where Wonder Finds a Way" by Precious Burger, a Fairfax-based contemporary mixed-media artist. Her work layers collage, expressive marks, color and texture to suggest movement. Its themes include joy, wonder, connection and possibility. The mall's events listing dates the installation from October 21, 2026, and ArtsFairfax's announcement says it stays on view through March 31, 2027.
Grand Court changes by the day of the week until December 24. The toy store and the installation are there whenever you go, including the quiet weekday mornings of January when the market tables are gone. The mall also lists a Morning Mall Walk among its regular events. Pairing that with a stop at the Precious Burger installation makes a calm winter routine once the holiday crowds leave.
Holiday visits often get relatives talking about Springfield and what's changing nearby. If yours raise questions about the area, from new businesses to what's next for your own home, Pam Morgan and our team are glad to talk them through with you. Contact Us whenever you're ready, even if it's after the last market weekend.
