Light Festivals
Woodstock Square Tree Lighting
The Woodstock Tree Lighting will take place on November 24th, 2023 in the Woodstock Square Historic District Woodstock, Illinois. The event goes from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm with numerous activities every hour. It will start at 4:00 with a Christmas Tree and Gingerbread walk and a visit from Santa at 5:00, and the lighting of the square will happen at 7:00. Several choirs and Christmas carolers will stroll the square in between.
Antioch Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting
The Antioch Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting is on November 24, 2023 in Antioch, Illinois. The parade is from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm along Main Street in downtown Antioch. The tree lighting ceremony will begin right after the parade in front of the Antioch Village Hall.
Waukegan Main Street Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
The Waukegan Tree Lighting Ceremony is on December 3, 2023 at the Jack Benny Plaza in downtown Waukegan, Illinois. The ceremony starts at 5:00 pm and will be attended by representatives of the community such as Mayor Ann Taylor and Congressman Brad Schneider.
Grayslake Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival
The Grayslake Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival will take place on November 24, 2023 in downtown Grayslake, Illinois. The event will have vendors on Center Street and a chance to have a visit with Santa starting at 3:00 pm. The GCHS band will perform at 5:15 and Santa will come through town in a fire truck. The tree lighting will happen at 5:30 pm and the event will conclude with horse drawn carriage rides from 6:00 until 8:00.
Libertyville Village Tree Lighting and Downtown Holiday Walk
The Libertyville Village tree lighting and holiday walk will take place on November 24, 2023 at Cook Memorial Park in downtown Libertyville, Illinois. The entertainment is from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm and the tree lighting will happen at 7:00 sharp. There will also be options to take pictures with Santa and downtown merchants and restaurants will have extended hours.
Gurnee World of Illumination drive thru
The World of Illumination drive thru takes place at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois from November 17, 2023 to December 31, 2023. The lights will be open to driving through from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The World of Illumination drive thru is located in the north/visitor parking lot of the amusement park.
Grayslake drive thru light show
Santa’s Rock n’ Lights Drive through Animated Light Show takes place at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois from November 17 to December 31, 2023. The drive thru light show contains over a mile of lights and 1000 feet of light tunnels. The lights are also synchronized with music.
Lincoln Park Zoo Lights
The Zoo Lights is a light show set up in the Lincoln Park Zoo in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The Zoo Lights are open every day from November 17, 2023 to January 7, 2024 except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. The light setup will have interactive and exciting displays which adds to the sentimental holiday cheer.
Light Up The Lake Navy Pier
Light Up the Lake is a light display located in the Streeterville neighborhood in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Light Up the Lake is open from November 24 to December 31, 2023. It is the largest light display in Chicago. It consists of indoor and outdoor light setups on Navy Pier along Lake Michigan. There will also be live music and fireworks on Saturdays, a market, workshops, and outdoor ice skating.
Chicago Botanic Garden Lightscape
The Chicago Botanic Garden Lightscape is located in the Chicago Botanical Gardens in Glencoe, Illinois. Although the botanic gardens are open year round, you can only see the spectacular light show from November 1, 2023 to January 7, 2024. The gardens are full of immersive music, color, and lights for a glorious holiday experience.
Wintrust Winterland at Gallagher Way and Wrigleyville Christkindlmarket
Winterland at Gallagher way is located near Wrigley Field in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The Wintrust Winterland is from November 21, 2023 through January 7, 2024. The Wrigleyville Christkindlmarket is from November 17 to December 31, 2023. The Wrigleyville Christkindlmarket consists of vendors with food and drink as well as holiday gifts. The Winterland consists of numerous rides such as the carousel, train ride, tilt-a-whirl, swings, an outdoor skating rink, and much more. There are also holiday themed games that are fun for the whole family.
Chicago Loop Christkindlmarket
The Chicago Christkindlmarket is located at the Richard J, Daley Plaza in The Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Christkindlmarket also runs from November 17 to December 31, 2023. The market will also consist of food and drink vendors as well as ones with holiday gifts.
Holiday Musical Productions
Goodman Theater
The Goodman Theater is a historic theater located in The Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The Goodman Theater will be showing the classic production A Christmas Carol from November 18 to December 31, 2023.
Woodstock Opera House
The Woodstock Opera House is another historic theater located in Woodstock, Illinois and part of the Woodstock Square Historic District. This year the opera house will be showing the productions White Christmas from November 17 through December 3, 2023 and The Nutcracker on December 8,9, and 10, 2023.
PML Theater
The Palette, Masque, and Lyre, Inc. Theater is a small theater located in downtown Antioch, Illinois. They are celebrating their 60th season and are showing the production Miracle on 34th Street on weekends from December 1-17, 2023.
Genesee Theater
The Genesee Theater is another historic theater located in downtown Waukegan, Illinois. This year the Genesee will be showing the productions Charlie Brown Christmas on November 19, 2023, Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland on December 2, 2023, and Magic of The Nutcracker on December 21-22, 2023.
Three Brothers Theater
The Three Brothers Theater is another small theater and is also located in downtown Waukegan, Illinois, right next to the Genesee Theater. This season the Three Brothers Theater will be showing the production Karaoke Christmas from December 1-16, 2023.
Rhodes Theater
The Rhodes Theater is another historic theater and it is located in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin. This year the Rhodes is showing Charlie Brown Christmas from December 1-16, 2023.
Marriott Theater
The Marriott Theater is a very famous and well-known theater located in Lincolnshire, Illinois. The Marriott Theater this year is showing Jingle Bell Rock on December 4-5, 2023.
Citadel Theater
The Citadel Theater is another small but well-known theater located in Lake Forest, Illinois. This holiday season the Citadel Theater is showing the production Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish from December 20-31, 2023.
Sports/Outdoor athletic activities
Villa Olivia
Villa Olivia is located in Bartlett, Illinois. It is a golf course with great hills for skiing, tubing, and snowboarding in the winter.
Wilmot Mountain
Wilmot Mountain is a ski resort located in Wilmot, Wisconsin. The resort has skiing and tubing options in the winter.
Chestnut Mountain
Chestnut Mountain is a ski resort located in Galena, Illinois. In the winter the resort has winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. The summer months have available bike rentals, river cruises, mini golf, and riding the famous alpine slide.
Old School Forest Preserve
Old School Forest Preserve is a forest preserve located in Libertyville, Illinois. In the preserve there is the Old School Sledding Hill which is one of the busiest sled hills in the area.
Warren Township Park
The Warren Township Park is located in Gurnee, Illinois. The Warren Township Park has the Warren Township Sled Hill which is another popular sledding hill in the close vicinity.
Caboose Park
Caboose Park is located in Lake Villa, Illinois. Caboose Park has the Lake Villa sled hill which is another popular sledding place in the area.
Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon
Maggie Daley Park is a large and famous park located in The Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The ice rink inside Maggie Daley Park has a quarter-mile long outdoor skating rink and 40-foot climbing wall with the picturesque Chicago skyline in the background. The skating rink is open from November 17, 2023 to March 3, 2024.
McCormick Tribune Ice Rink
The McCormick Ice Rink is located in the McCormick Tribune Plaza in Millennium Park in The Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The McCormick Ice Rink is in operation from November 17, 2023 to March 3, 2024.
Independence Grove Forest Preserve
Independence Grove Forest Preserve is located in Libertyville, Illinois. The forest preserve has a 129-acre lake which is frozen during the winter months and open to ice skating. The forest preserve is open every day from 6:30 am to sunset.
Lake Aldo Leopold
Lake Aldo Leopold is a lake located in the Prairie Crossing neighborhood in Grayslake, Illinois. Lake Leopold is 20 acres in size and only around 18-20 feet deep at the lowest point, so the lake freezes over relatively quickly in the winter. The lake is open for ice skating and hockey.
Lake Geneva Ice Castles
The Lake Geneva Ice Castles are man-made ice sculptures created by 5,000-12,000 hand-grown icicles. The icicles are then combined to make abstract sculptures made of ice. Weather permitting, these sculptures are open all winter to the public for observation.
