Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Wilmette Area: Tree Lightings And More

WILMETTE, IL — There is no shortage of things to do in the Wilmette area to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

A tree lighting ceremony at Wilmette Village Hall is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday as part of the village's Holiday Happenings.

In Kenilworth, Saturday's holiday festivities include photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Kenilworth Assembly Hall from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Tree lighting and caroling around the Kenilworth Fountain is set for 6:15 p.m.

Congregation Sukkat Shalom is hosting a Hanukkah a capella performance at 4 p.m. on Dec. 11.

On Dec. 18 in Wilmette, a community gathering is planned on the lawn of Village Hall, where a 9-foot menorah will be lit. Performances from the Wilmette Junior High School Choir and fire-juggling dancer are set to entertain the crowd.

The Village of Kenilworth is hosting a public 6-ft menorah lighting Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. with holiday donuts, a 7-foot LED Robot dance performance and greetings from local officials at Green Bay Road and Kenilworth Avenue.

And the Lightscape experience at the Chicago Botanic Garden runs until Jan. 8. A mile of light-filled installations includes the Winter Cathedral, a fire garden and more. Tickets to the event are sold in timeslots between 4:30 and 9:15 p.m.

Find more events or post your own on the Wilmette-Kenilworth Patch calendar.

Related: JCC Chicago Hosts '8 Nights Of Hanukkah' Events In Chicago, Suburbs

Christmas parades — often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands — are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally.

Several big parades are taking place this year, including the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Baltimore City, Maryland, and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

In Chicago, thousands of attendees were on hand earlier this month at the 31st annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Michigan Avenue.

And the Light Up the Lake indoor light experience runs through Jan. 7 at Navy Pier. It features a skating rink, tree maze, visits with Santa and interactive light displays.

Related: Where To Buy Your Own Fresh Christmas Tree Near Wilmette, Kenilworth