Where To See Santa In Lake Forest This Christmas Season

LAKE FOREST, IL — Santa Claus will be back in the Lake Forest area this holiday season after a couple of years of COVID-19 restrictions that made it difficult for kids to crawl up on his lap and make their case that they’ve been good boys and girls over the last year.

Visits and pictures with Santa are at the heart of many families’ holiday traditions, but the coronavirus pandemic gave them a lump of coal. Malls and other places took social distancing measures in both 2020 and 2021 to help contain the spread of the virus, moving Santa meet-ups largely online.

Virtual visits are still an option in many places, but there’s nothing quite like seeing jolly old St. Nick live and in person.

Families have several chances this December in the Lake Forest area:

It's A Wonderful Life In Lake Bluff
Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, Downtown Lake Bluff
Two days of events kicks off Saturday morning with a breakfast with Santa at the Grace United Methodist Church. Santa and Mrs. Claus are set to visit the Lake Bluff History Museum from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ahead of a lighting ceremony scheduled for 5 p.m. A holiday home tour is scheduled for Sunday.

Dinner With Santa
4 p.m. or 6 p.m. Dec. 7, Northcroft Park Pavilion, 1365 S. Ridge Road, Lake Forest
The heated park pavilion becomes Santa's workshop for an event with cookie decoration, crafting toys and listening to a Christmas story with Santa Claus, who will take special time to visit each family.

Meet & Greet with Santa
10 a.m. Dec. 10, Lake Bluff Recreation Center, 355 W. Washington Ave.
Santa will be available for photos with kids at the rec center through noon on Dec. 10. The event is free but registration is required.

Breakfast with Santa
8 a.m.-noon, Dec. 10, American Legion Post 771, 749 Milwaukee Ave., Gurnee
Pictures with Santa are included with the price of breakfast, with a dollar off in exchange for a donation of a wrapped toy donation.

Santa Claus is Coming to Lake Bluff
10 a.m. Dec. 11, around Lake Bluff
Santa Claus is expected to make a visit to every residential address Lake Bluff accompanied by Lake Bluff firefighters.

Oaken Breakfast with Santa
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 11, The Forester, 200 N. Field Drive, Lake Forest
All reservations for an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet with Santa include one framed photo, with additional photos available for photos and a kid's holiday craft table also included.

Santa's Drive-Thru Visit
10 a.m. Dec. 17, Dickinson Hall, 100 E. Old Mill Road, Lake Forest
Santa and elves will be on hand at Dickinson Hall to spread holiday cheer and hand out goodie bags in a physically distanced environment. The event is open only to Lake Forest residents and one registration per family is required.

Photos with a Christmas Story Santa
Through Dec. 24, Hawthorn Mall, 122 Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills
Santa will be available for photos at Hawthorn Mall through Christmas Eve, usually from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a lunch break from 2 to 3 p.m. Special pet nights are planned Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 and a sensory-friendly Santa is scheduled for Dec. 4.

Photos with Santa at Northbrook Court
Through Dec. 24, Northbrook Court, 1515 Lake Cook Road, Northbrook
Santa Claus will be stationed neat the Neiman Marcus for photos by appointment.

Santa's Rock N' Lights
Through Jan. 1, Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Peterson Road, Grayslake
The pop-up event includes about 1,000 feet of dancing light tunnels, including dinosaurs, reindeer, polar bears, an obstacle course, ornament-making, ax-throwing and photos with Santa.

Santa’s Wonderland arrived last month at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, including the Gurnee Mills location at 6112 W. Grand Ave. in Gurnee, and lasts through Christmas Eve. Reservations are encouraged.

Santa will be at Macy’s stores in New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Orlando and Chicago, where reservations are available through Christmas Eve.

Santa is also coming to Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores in Seattle and New York City. Customers elsewhere can purchase a personalized video message from a Nordstrom Santa.

JC Penney stores, including stores in Vernon Hills, Algonquin, Niles and Schaumburg, are offering professional portraits with Santa through Dec. 18.