5 things to do in DeKalb County: IHSA championship football, shop local, Santa headed to town and more

1. State high school football championship games at NIU’s Huskie Stadium Friday, Nov. 26, and Saturday, Nov. 27

Check out a game as 16 Illinois teams face off for the championships in eight games, with Class 1A through Class 4A playing Friday, Nov. 26, and Class 5A through Class 8A playing Saturday, Nov. 27.

Thousands of fans are expected to descend upon the community this weekend as DeKalb County hosts the state high school football championship games for the fifth time.

Ticket prices are $15 each and can be bought online or at the gate. Parking is free in NIU’s Convocation Center parking lot.

Volunteers are needed for the event; anyone 18 or older not a currently high school student can volunteer. For information about volunteering, visit www.ihsadestinationdekalb.com/volunteer/.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.ihsadestinationdekalb.com.

2. Get in the Christmas spirit by watching a free showing of “Elf” Friday, Nov. 26, or grab tickets for “It’s A Wonderful Life” showing Sunday, Nov. 28 on 35-mm film at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St. in DeKalb.

The free showing of Elf is at 11 a.m. Friday, no ticket or RSVP required.

Tickets for the 35-mm screening of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ are on sale now.

Released in 1946, the film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams in order to help others, and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community would be had he never been born.

The showings are sponsored by Thrivent Financial.

For tickets, go to www.egyptiantheatre.showare.com.

3. Shop local business deals on Small Business Saturday with a countywide Shop Small Crawl hosted by Sycamore’s Blumen Gardens from Friday, Nov. 26 through Monday, Nov. 29.

An elongated shopping spree awaits families looking for early holiday gifts and fun, local deals through the weekend with the Shop Small Crawl.

Participants can pick up a punch card first Blumen Gardens, 403 E. State St., which will list all participating businesses in DeKalb, Sycamore, Genoa and surrounding areas. Every time you go to a business, get your card punched.

For every five business visited, shoppers will get their name entered to win a $25 gift card from one of the participating shops. After you’re done shopping, be sure you drop off your punch card at Blumen Gardens. Blumen Gardens will call the winner.

4. Crafts and Drafts: Art Show and Marketplace at Byers Brewing Company, 230 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27.

Grab a beverage and browse through local art vendors to find a unique holiday gift.

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/events.

5. Welcome Santa to town during DeKalb’s annual holiday parade Lights on Lincoln Thursday, Dec. 2.

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce hosts the city’s annual holiday parade, Lights on Lincoln and Santa Comes to Town, from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 2.

Enjoy holiday lights that line the streets and wave to Santa as he rides through downtown DeKalb. Santa’s route starts at 6 p.m. A Christmas tree lighting with hot chocolate and caroling in Van Buer Plaza will commence once Santa arrives at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St.

Santa will also be available for visits in his house in Van Buer Plaza after the tree lighting. The DeKalb Public Transit system will run a special but route that evening to take families to the even, and will service approximately 50 stops throughout DeKalb, which will be marked with fliers so passengers know where to go.

For more information on the bus route and Santa’s route, visit www.dekalb.org/events.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Daily Chronicle’s community calendar at https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature. Submissions to the community calendar are also printed in the Thursday edition of the Daily Chronicle.