Fresh air beats another afternoon on the sofa. This list follows the city's open-air calendar as it turns: street fairs and parades in the Old Town, Halloween trails through the parks, the Christmas market and outdoor ice rink, kids' races and the big summer festivals. It updates itself, so the next outdoor plan is always at the top. Dress for the weather and go.
Lumina is an evening light trail through the Vilnius University Botanical Garden in Kairėnai, with more than 200 light installations. This year's theme is cinema: kids meet Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, James Bond, Star Wars characters and Mr. Bean, and pass scenes from Cinderella and The Jungle Book, with music and sound effects made for the park.
Kids can also play a phone game and win prizes.
The lighting of the Christmas tree in Cathedral Square is how Vilnius opens its winter season, and the tree has become a symbol of Christmas across Lithuania. Kids get to see the lights come on in the middle of the Old Town.
Missed lighting night? The tree stays up through the holidays, so it still makes an easy stroll with kids on any visit to the Old Town.
Christmas Town is the Christmas market in Cathedral Square, in the heart of Vilnius Old Town. Kids browse the stalls with the city Christmas tree and a carousel on the same square.
It works as a come-and-go outing: drop in after school or after dark, walk the stalls, and head home when the kids get cold. Everything is outdoors, so dress for a Vilnius winter.
Vilnius Ice Rink (Vilniaus ledas) is the open-air Christmas skating rink set up in Town Hall Square, in the heart of the Old Town. Kids skate in timed sessions under the open sky.
Best for kids who have skated before, or who are happy holding a grown-up's hand on the ice.
Vilnius's Christmas Run is one of Lithuania's oldest running events, and the 2025 edition was its 50th. Thousands of runners, many in Christmas costumes, follow a route through the Old Town.
The schedule was moved later so runners go after dark, and the youngest kids get an Elves' Run of their own. It suits families after a festive outing that gets everyone moving.
Vilnius Light Festival turns the Old Town into a walk of light installations, digital art and moving light on the buildings. Families follow the installations through streets, squares and courtyards, including undiscovered places in the Old Town.
It suits kids who are happy to walk outdoors in winter. Come for a few installations or make a longer loop.
Kaziukas Fair is Vilnius's big spring fair, held on the streets of the Old Town. Stalls fill with handcrafted goods, local treats and farmers' produce.
It's an easy come-and-go outing: wander, snack, browse and head home when the kids have had enough. It suits families who enjoy markets more than kids who need a set activity to follow.
Every April 1st, Užupis, an artists' neighborhood across the Vilnelė River, marks its independence as a self-declared republic. Border guards, many of them students from Užupis Gymnasium, set up on the bridges and stamp visitors in. Forgot your passport? A smile counts.
Later, a festive procession walks to Angel Square for a family photo of all Užupis residents. It suits kids who enjoy street parades and a bit of silliness.
Street Music Day turns Vilnius into one big stage, with 5,000 performers playing on the city's streets in all genres. Families can walk from one spot to the next and stop wherever a band catches a kid's ear.
It is music, not words, so kids need no Lithuanian to enjoy it. Busy, loud streets suit kids who like a crowd more than those who need quiet.
One night a year, museums across Vilnius open their doors for free. Inside there are exhibits, workshops, stories and educational events, and more of the program happens throughout the city.
It suits school-age kids who like exploring museums and families happy to make an evening of it. Toddlers who fade at bedtime may find it a stretch.
Vilnius Culture Night packs about a hundred events into one evening across the city: exhibitions, concerts, theater, cinema and performances. Families move between venues and choose what catches a kid's eye.
It suits kids who enjoy a busy evening out and can manage a later night. With younger children, pick one or two stops ahead of time rather than trying to see everything.
The Marsiečiai Children's Run is the kids' race of the Swedbank Vilnius Marathon: a 200 m dash from Cathedral Square in the Old Town, with kids starting in age groups. Each runner wears a bib with a timing chip, and results go up on the race website.
It suits kids who want to race on marathon day. The youngest can have a parent run beside them.
Fresh air beats another afternoon on the sofa. This list follows the city's open-air calendar as it turns: street fairs and parades in the Old Town, Halloween trails through the parks, the Christmas market and outdoor ice rink, kids' races and the big summer festivals. It updates itself, so the next outdoor plan is always at the top. Dress for the weather and go.
Lumina is an evening light trail through the Vilnius University Botanical Garden in Kairėnai, with more than 200 light installations. This year's theme is cinema: kids meet Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, James Bond, Star Wars characters and Mr. Bean, and pass scenes from Cinderella and The Jungle Book, with music and sound effects made for the park.
Kids can also play a phone game and win prizes.
The lighting of the Christmas tree in Cathedral Square is how Vilnius opens its winter season, and the tree has become a symbol of Christmas across Lithuania. Kids get to see the lights come on in the middle of the Old Town.
Missed lighting night? The tree stays up through the holidays, so it still makes an easy stroll with kids on any visit to the Old Town.
Christmas Town is the Christmas market in Cathedral Square, in the heart of Vilnius Old Town. Kids browse the stalls with the city Christmas tree and a carousel on the same square.
It works as a come-and-go outing: drop in after school or after dark, walk the stalls, and head home when the kids get cold. Everything is outdoors, so dress for a Vilnius winter.
Vilnius Ice Rink (Vilniaus ledas) is the open-air Christmas skating rink set up in Town Hall Square, in the heart of the Old Town. Kids skate in timed sessions under the open sky.
Best for kids who have skated before, or who are happy holding a grown-up's hand on the ice.
Vilnius's Christmas Run is one of Lithuania's oldest running events, and the 2025 edition was its 50th. Thousands of runners, many in Christmas costumes, follow a route through the Old Town.
The schedule was moved later so runners go after dark, and the youngest kids get an Elves' Run of their own. It suits families after a festive outing that gets everyone moving.
Vilnius Light Festival turns the Old Town into a walk of light installations, digital art and moving light on the buildings. Families follow the installations through streets, squares and courtyards, including undiscovered places in the Old Town.
It suits kids who are happy to walk outdoors in winter. Come for a few installations or make a longer loop.
Kaziukas Fair is Vilnius's big spring fair, held on the streets of the Old Town. Stalls fill with handcrafted goods, local treats and farmers' produce.
It's an easy come-and-go outing: wander, snack, browse and head home when the kids have had enough. It suits families who enjoy markets more than kids who need a set activity to follow.
Every April 1st, Užupis, an artists' neighborhood across the Vilnelė River, marks its independence as a self-declared republic. Border guards, many of them students from Užupis Gymnasium, set up on the bridges and stamp visitors in. Forgot your passport? A smile counts.
Later, a festive procession walks to Angel Square for a family photo of all Užupis residents. It suits kids who enjoy street parades and a bit of silliness.
Street Music Day turns Vilnius into one big stage, with 5,000 performers playing on the city's streets in all genres. Families can walk from one spot to the next and stop wherever a band catches a kid's ear.
It is music, not words, so kids need no Lithuanian to enjoy it. Busy, loud streets suit kids who like a crowd more than those who need quiet.
One night a year, museums across Vilnius open their doors for free. Inside there are exhibits, workshops, stories and educational events, and more of the program happens throughout the city.
It suits school-age kids who like exploring museums and families happy to make an evening of it. Toddlers who fade at bedtime may find it a stretch.
Vilnius Culture Night packs about a hundred events into one evening across the city: exhibitions, concerts, theater, cinema and performances. Families move between venues and choose what catches a kid's eye.
It suits kids who enjoy a busy evening out and can manage a later night. With younger children, pick one or two stops ahead of time rather than trying to see everything.
The Marsiečiai Children's Run is the kids' race of the Swedbank Vilnius Marathon: a 200 m dash from Cathedral Square in the Old Town, with kids starting in age groups. Each runner wears a bib with a timing chip, and results go up on the race website.
It suits kids who want to race on marathon day. The youngest can have a parent run beside them.
