Seasonal & Holidays
Your Guide To Tree Lighting Ceremonies, Parades Near Grayslake
We've got a roundup of top holiday events happening on Friday and Saturday in and around Grayslake as well as events happening soon.
GRAYSLAKE, IL â It's Thanksgiving week, which means the holidays will soon be in full swing
With that in mind, we've included a roundup below of holiday events that will be happening in and around Grayslake in the coming days and weeks:
| Date/Time | ||
| Nov. 29, 1 to 5 p.m. | The 40th Annual Lake Forest Tree Lighting Holiday Celebration in Lake Forest returns to historic Market Square on Friday, November 29. Enjoy an afternoon and evening of kidsâ activities, food and beverages, carolers, Lake Forest Dance Academy dancers, Santa Claus, and more at this beloved Lake Forest tradition. 1 p.m.: Holiday movie at Gorton Community Center 3 p.m.: Kids Activities Area: Cookies courtesy of Lake Forest Bank and Trust Arts and crafts activity for kids courtesy of Sage Explorers Donuts and coffee provided by the Oertel Group Hot Dogs courtesy of Left Bank and Rotary 3:15 to 6 p.m.: Visit with Santa 3:30 to 4:15 p.m.: Lake Forest Civic Orchestra and Lake Forest High School Festival Brass Ensemble 4:40 p.m.: Caroling concert by the Lake Forest High School Choristers 5 p.m.: Lake Forest Dance Academy performance begins, and just after, the lights will be set aglow! | |
| Nov. 29, 6:30 p.m. | Village of Antioch Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting in downtown Antioch: More information if available here. | |
| Nov. 29, 3 to 8 p.m. | Festival of Lights and Holiday Market in Grayslake: The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum opens at 12 to 7 p.m. with their annual Grayslake Giving Trees Display. Learn more here. The Festival of Lights begins at 2 p.m. with the following activities: Photos with Santa (2 to 4 p.m.) Reindeer (2 to 4 p.m.) Holiday Street Market (2 to 7 p.m.) Food Vendors 2 to 7 p.m.). Food trucks at the Hawley & North Whitney Streets Parking Lot (DogânâSuds, 3Legged Coffee Brewery, and The Lumpia Lady) Food/Beverage Vendors including Yhana Boba Cafe, Tasty Vending, and Glunz Family Winery & Cellars Local bars/restaurants including Charlieâs, Emilâs Tavern on Center and The Vine Martini & Wine Bar out on Center Street Parade featuring area high school marching band (4:30 pm) Tree lighting directly following the parade Grayslake Arts Alliance Holiday Fine Arts Show & Sale (5 to 8 p.m.) at Village Hall including a kidsâ craft Horse Drawn Carriage Rides at Village Hall (5 to 7 p.m.) | |
| Nov. 29, 7 to 9 p.m. | Festival of Lights Parade, Crystal Lake: This year's theme is "Wish You Were Here: An Island Christmas." Downtown Santa House opens at 9 p.m. | |
| Nov. 29, 6:30 to 8 p.m. | Village tree lighting and downtown holiday walk in Libertyville: Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with music, singing and other holiday themed entertainment. A special invitation has been sent to Santa Claus to help with the official countdown for the lighting of the Village Holiday Tree at 7:00 p.m. sharp, according to the village's website. There will be a special area set up for photos with Santa. Afterward you can âShop Libertyvilleâ as downtown merchants will offer extended hours for evening shopping and dining at one of Libertyvilleâs nearly 100 eateries. | |
| Nov. 30, 9 to 11 a.m. | Cary Park District PJs and Pancakes with Santa at the community center in Cary. More info and to register. $22 residents/$32 non-residents. | |
| Nov. 30, 12 to 2 p.m. | Cary Park District PJs and Pizza With Santa at the community center in Cary. More info and to register.$22 residents/$32 non-residents. | |
| Nov. 30, 4:30 p.m. | Village tree, menorah and kwanzaa display lighting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. at Century Park. You can join the Village of Vernon Hills, Vernon Hills Park District, Countryside Fire Protection District, Vernon Hills Police Department and the the entire community on Saturday, November 30, as they light the village holiday light displays. They will gather outside near the corner of Lakeview and Hawthorn Parkways to count down and flip the switch. Santa is planning to be on hand and light refreshments are anticipated. | |
| Dec. 1, 2 to 3 p.m. | The Woodstock Christmas Parade starts at the Woodstock Water Works parking lot and will travel down Jackson Street through the Square and out Cass Street. If your vehicle needs to return to the Woodstock Water Works. Free cookies and churros with Santa immediately following the Christmas Parade. | |
| Dec. 1, 9 to 10:30 a.m. | McHenry County Santa Run For the Kids in downtown Crystal Lake: 5K, 1 mile walk/run and a 50 yard dash kids race. Some runners get Santa suits. | |
| Dec. 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Visit with Santa at Foxford Hills Golf Club, 6800 S. Rawson Bridge Road. Free. More info. | |
| Dec. 8, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. | Merry Cary Parade in downtown Cary: The Merry Cary Holiday Parade & Festival will run from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. This festive family celebration brings the holiday spirit to life with pony rides, horse-drawn sleigh rides, a petting zoo, and caroling by Caring Hearts & Voices. Warm up with a hot chocolate bar and enjoy activities like face painting, cookie decorating, and board game fun. Make sure to visit Santa, meet the âChristmas Belle & Ariel,â and catch a glimpse of the âHoliday Grouch!â | |
| Dec. 4-7 | Luminaria Walk at Vetaran Acres Park, 431 N. Walkup Avenue in Crystal Lake. Trail lit up through Veteran Acres Park. Dec. 7: Campfires, Hot Cocoa, Cookies, Candy Cane Forest and Mrs. Claus. Donations appreciated. More info. | |
| Dec. 7, 9 a.m. | Bass Pro Shop/Cabela's Yuletide Breakfast, registration required seven days in advance: Hoffman Estates, Gurnee | |
| Dec. 7, 4 to 7 p.m. | Miracle on Main, Algonquin: Holiday Magic begins with live music and holiday performances followed by the arrival of Santa Claus and the lighting of the tree. There will be live reindeer, annual tree lighting with Santa, trackless train rides, ice sculptures, live musical performances, and more. | |
| Dec. 7 | Jaycee Hoilday Tree Walk opens for the holiday season at Jaycee Park in Cary. | |
| Dec. 7, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. | MainStreet Libertyville Dickens of a Holiday: Photos with Santa in Cook Park, the Children's Holiday Shoppe at Petranekâs Pharmacy and Victorian Tea are among the events happening. More info here. | |
| Dec. 8 | Deadline to drop off/mail letters to Santa at the Crystal Lake Park District, 1 E. Crystal Lake Avenue, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 | |
| Dec. 14, 2 to 4 p.m. | The Christmas Tree Ship Holiday Tea at Colonel Palmer House, 660 Terra Cotta Ave., Crystal Lake: Registration required. More information here. | |
| Dec. 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | MainStreet Libertyville Dickens of a Holiday: Photos with Santa in Cook Park, the Children's Holiday Shoppe at Petranekâs Pharmacy and Victorian Tea are among the events happening. More info here. | |
| Dec. 17, 5 p.m. | Bass Pro Shop/Cabela's Yuletide Breakfast, registration required seven days in advance: Hoffman Estates, Gurnee |
This list is a work in progress. Please add your favorite holiday events and places to visits to the Google Form below and we will update this article with more info through the holiday season!
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