Santa is rolling into Sunbury with a sleigh-full of free holiday cheer this Friday. Tanger Outlets Columbus has announced that its full lineup of holiday events is returning in November, kicking things off with the Santa's Wonderland celebration at the center courtyard, located at 400 S. Wilson Road.
According to Fox 28, the celebration takes place Friday, Nov. 13, starting at 5 p.m., and it is free and open to the public. Families can expect free photos with Santa, live reindeer, holiday crafts and live music, with Santa and the reindeer on site for family photos after their grand entrance. The event is sponsored by Destination Delaware and J. Crew Factory.
Tanger Columbus describes the center as a community gathering space for seasonal celebrations, memory-making and experiences beyond typical shopping, per the same report. The mall's Tanger Deal Days promotion is also underway, giving shoppers an extra incentive to swing by the courtyard before or after meeting Santa.
A Longstanding Holiday Tradition in Delaware County
This isn't Tanger's first rodeo with reindeer. A page from Destination Delaware County Ohio previously described Santa's Wonderland as the unofficial kickoff for Tanger's holiday season and called it the center's longest-running event. That same page detailed an earlier edition of the celebration, the eighth annual Santa's Wonderland, which was scheduled for a Friday in November from 5 to 7 p.m. at the same Sunbury address.
That prior write-up painted a vivid picture of what the courtyard celebration can look like, with a 36-foot Christmas tree serving as a backdrop and a parade arrival featuring Santa alongside Tanger's reindeer and penguin mascots and the Supafun Band. It also described free hot cocoa and professional family photos, plus a toy and coat drive held in partnership with the nonprofit People in Need of Delaware County. Those specific activity details come from that earlier event listing rather than confirmed 2026 plans.
Holiday Hours for Shoppers Planning Ahead
Beyond Friday's festivities, Tanger Outlets Columbus has released its holiday shopping schedule through the New Year. The center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, before reopening for Black Friday, Nov. 27, with extended hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Shoppers can also plan around a pair of Saturdays in December, with the outlets open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both Dec. 12 and Dec. 19. On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, hours run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the center will close entirely on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
To close out the year, Tanger Outlets Columbus will be open on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For Sunbury-area families looking to blend a Santa visit with some early holiday shopping, Friday's Santa's Wonderland offers a free, low-key way to start the season before the Black Friday rush arrives.
