11/29, Mistletoe & Martinis – A Festive Christmas Market (Family Friendly), Lakemoor

11/29, Lighting of the Square, Woodstock

11/29, Grinch ‘n Greet, Woodstock

11/29, 2024 Festival of Lights Parade, Crystal Lake

11/29, Light up the Holidays/Tree Lighting, McHenry

11/29, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

11/29, Cocoa, Carols & Christmas Tales, Woodstock

11/29-12/1, Happy Holiday Railway, Union

11/30, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

11/30, Small Business Saturday Vendor Fair, Woodstock

11/30, PJs and Pancakes with Santa, Cary 

11/30, PJs and Pizza with Santa, Cary

11/30, Festival of Lights Parade, Fox Lake

11/30, Hebron Holiday Lighting, Hebron

12/1, McHenry County Santa Run, Crystal Lake

12/1, Kids Ornament Workshop, McHenry

12/1, Annual Woodstock Christmas Parade, Woodstock

12/1, Cookies and Churros with Santa, Woodstock

12/2, Parent/Child Holiday Gift Making Memories, Crystal Lake

12/4, Visit with Santa, Cary

12/4, Christmas Wreath Workshop, McHenry

12/4, Meet Santa at Nick’s Pizza & Pub, Crystal Lake

12/5, Meet Santa at Nick’s Pizza & Pub, Crystal Lake

12/5, Annual Craft & Vendor Fair, Johnsburg

12/5, Holiday Robotics Workshop, McHenry

12/5, Ladies Night Out 2024, Woodstock

12/5, Evergreen Elegance – Create a Holiday Centerpiece, Harvard

12/5, Holiday Music with Seniors, Fox River Grove

12/5, Santa’s Workshop at Cary Apothecary, Cary

12/6, Christmas Themed Painting Party, Bull Valley

12/6, Tree Lighting 2024 FRG, Fox River Grove

12/6, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

12/6, 2nd Annual Merry Makers at More Brewing Co, Huntley

12/7, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

12/7, Stories with Santa, Johnsburg

12/7, Holiday Photos with Santa, Woodstock

12/7, 2024 Photos with Santa, Huntley

12/7, A Very Merry Huntley, Huntley

12/7, Christmas in Harvard, Harvard

12/7, Annual Craft & Vendor Fair – McHenry, McHenry

12/7, 2024 Donuts & Cocoa with Santa, Huntley

12/7, Santa’s Candy Cane Hunt, McHenry

12/7, Breakfast with Santa, Algonquin

12/7-12/8, Downtown Cocoa Walk, Richmond

12/7, Cookies with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Lake in the Hills

12/7, Merry and Bright, Spring Grove

12/7, Merry Market on Main, Algonquin

12/7, Miracle on Main, Algonquin

12/7, Holiday Housewalk Craft Fair, Marengo/Union

12/7, Marengo Christmas Parade, Marengo

12/7-12/8, 4th Annual Art, Craft, Vintage Fair, Harvard

12/7-12/8, Happy Holiday Railway, Union

12/7, Kids Shopping with Santa’s Elves, Harvard

12/7, Holiday Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Algonquin

12/7, Carols and Cheer, Huntley

12/7, Christmas by the Lake, Wonder Lake

12/7, Island Lake Tree Lighting & Spaghetti Supper, Island Lake

12/8, Holiday Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Algonquin

12/8, Kids Shopping with Santa’s Elves, Harvard

12/8, Carriage Rides on the Historic Square, Woodstock

12/8, Holiday Housewalk Craft Fair, Marengo/Union

12/8, Breakfast with St. Nick, Woodstock

12/8, 2nd Annual Jingle & Mingle Event, Huntley

12/8, Merry Cary Holiday Parade & Festival 2024, Cary

12/8, 2024 Winter Pops Concert, Crystal Lake

12/8, Breakfast with Santa, Woodstock

12/8, 2nd Annual Grinch Breakfast, Union

12/9, Holiday Sing-a-long with WHS Music Students, Woodstock

12/10, Meet the Grinch, Woodstock

12/11, Christmas Tree Bucket Workshop, McHenry

12/11, Paint & Sip Family Night, Marengo

12/12, Merry and Bright Ladies Night, Algonquin

12/12, Meet the Grinch, Huntley

12/12, Ladies Night Out Holiday Edition, Huntley

12/12, An Evening with Santa, Huntley

12/13-12/14, Santa’s Workshop, Cary

12/13, Flurry Fest – Let it Snow, Lake in the Hills

12/13, Holiday Workshop – Snapology, Spring Grove

12/13, Santa’s Workshop, Huntley

12/13, Social Outing: Cookie Decorating, McHenry

12/13, Huntley High School Holiday Music Concert, Huntley

12/13, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

12/14, JABA Cocoa Crawl, Johnsburg

12/14, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

12/14-12/15, Happy Holiday Railway, Union

12/14, Merry Little Market & Bake Shoppe 2024, Woodstock

12/14, Holiday Craft Show, Lake in the Hills

12/14, 2024 Ice Sculpture Cocoa Crawl, Huntley

12/14, Cookies with Santa Claus, Crystal Lake

12/14, Holiday Cookies & Cocktails, Lakemoor

12/14, The Christmas Tree Ship – A Holiday Tea, Crystal Lake

12/14, Holiday Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Algonquin

12/14, Powers-Walker House: Holiday at Grandma’s, Ringwood

12/14 Nature’s Ornaments, Ringwood

12/14, Santa & The Grinch, Marengo

12/14, Swings with Santa, Woodstock

12/14, 6th Annual Holiday Magic Parade and Event, Johnsburg

12/14, Ornament Creations with Santa, Algonquin

12/14, Storytime with Santa, Crystal Lake

12/15, Santa Paws Fundraiser, Marengo

12/15, Pony Rides with Santa, Island Lake

12/15, Holiday Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Algonquin

12/15, The Christmas Tree Ship – A Holiday Tea, Crystal Lake

12/15, Pancakes with Santa, Huntley

12/15, Stay Frosty Holiday Market, Algonquin

12/15, Jolly Jingles: A Santa Sing-a-Long Celebration, Woodstock

12/15, Kids Ornament Workshop, McHenry

12/15, Children’s Holiday Party, Fox Lake

12/15, Carriage Rides on the Historic Square, Woodstock

12/16, Holiday Glass Etching Workshop, Harvard

12/19, Merry Jane’s 3rd Annual Market, Marengo

12/19, Christmas Fun with Santa Cow, Crystal Lake

12/20, How the Grinch Stole Christmas Experience, Woodstock

12/20, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

12/21, Elf and Aerial Christmas Adventure, Harvard

12/21, Christmas Movies at the Outdoor Theatre, McHenry

12/21-12/23, Happy Holiday Railway, Union

12/22, Carriage Rides on the Historic Square, Woodstock

12/22, Santa Parade and Party, Port Barrington

12/23, Little Elves Christmas Party, Algonquin

12/29, Carriage Rides on the Historic Square, Woodstock

Candy Cane Lane

Dates: Opens 11/29 at 7pm

Address: 665 Krenz Ave, Cary, IL 60013 (Residential)

Email: candycanewaycary@gmail.com

Website: https://www.facebook.com/candycanewaycary

Christmas Tree Lane

Dates: 11/29/24 – 12/31-24

Address: 90 E Woodstock Ave, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 (Downtown Crystal Lake)

Phone: (815) 479-0835

Website: https://downtowncl.org/holidays/

Christmas Tree Walk

Dates: 11/29/24 – 12/28/24 – see website for times

Address: 121 W Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098 (Opera House)

Phone: (815) 338-5300

Website: https://www.woodstockil.gov/1055/2024-Christmas-Tree-Walk

Festival of Trees

Dates: 11/22/24 – 12/29/24

Address: 3636 Memorial Drive, McHenry, IL 60050 (McHenry Recreation Center)

Phone: (815) 363-2160

Website: https://mchenrychamber.com/festival-of-trees/

Goebbert’s Farm Pingree Grove

Dates: Begins 11/28

Address: 42W813 Reinking Rd, Pingree Grove, IL 60140

Phone: (847) 464-5952

Website: https://www.goebberts.com/

Happy Holiday Railway

Dates: Nov 29, 30, Dec 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 & 22 / Time slots: 11:30am, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 4, 5, 6 pm

Address: 7000 Olson Rd Union, IL 60180 (Illinois Railway Museum)

Phone: (815) 923-4000

Website: https://www.irm.org/

Jaycee Park Tree Walk

Dates: 12/7/24 – 1/4/25

Address: 700 Silver Lake Rd, Cary, IL 60013

Phone: (847) 639-6100

Website: https://www.carypark.com/rccms/

Luminary Nights

Dates: Thursdays: Dec 5, 12 & 19, 5-8pm

Address: 25 W. Crystal Lake Avenue, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 (Downtown Crystal Lake)

Phone: (815) 479-0835

Website: https://downtowncl.org/holidays/

Santa’s Village

Dates: 11/29/2024 – 12/29/24

Address: 601 Dundee Ave, East Dundee, IL 60118

Phone: (847) 426-6751

Website: https://santasvillagedundee.com/

Veteran’s Park Lights Display

Dates: Begins 11/23

Address: 3400 Pearl St, McHenry, IL 60050

Phone: N/A

Website: https://cityofmchenry.org/

Village Square Lights Display

Dates: TBD

Address: 11700 Main St, Huntley, IL 60142 (Huntley Town Square)

Phone: N/A

Website: https://www.huntley.il.us/departments/village_managers_office/special_events.php

Woodstock Square

Dates: 11/29/24 – 12/31/24

Address: 121 W Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098 (Woodstock Square)

Phone: N/A

Website: https://www.woodstockil.gov/435/Annual-Events

Below are the Santas with multiple dates and times; there are many more opportunities to see Santa listed on our events page or under the events tab in this directory.

Santa House

Dates: 11/30-12/22

Thursdays 5-8pm

Fridays, 5-8pm

Saturdays 10am-3pm

Sundays 12-3pm

Address: 40 N Williams St F, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 (Brink Street Market)

Website: https://downtowncl.org/holidays/

Santa Hut

Dates: 12/2-12/23,

Monday-Friday, 5-7pm

Saturdays, 10am-12pm & 1-5pm

Sundays, 1-5pm

Address: 121 W Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098 (Woodstock Square)

Website: https://rotaryclubofwoodstock.com/

Santa’s Cottage

Dates: Saturdays until Christmas.

Visiting Hours will be 3-5pm on 12/7 and 12/21

Address: 71 Nippersink Rd, Fox Lake, IL 60020 (Lakefront Park/Village of Fox Lake)

Website: https://www.foxlake.org/389/Festival-of-Lights

Santa Visits

Dates: 11/29, 11/30, 12/1, 12/7, 12/8 & 12/14, from 10am – 2pm

Address: 2461 N Richmond Rd, McHenry, IL 60051 (McHenry Home Depot)

Website: https://www.homedepot.com/l/Mchenry/IL/Mchenry/60051/1969