With all this beautiful weather we have had, fall sure is showing off this year – and I’m loving it! But believe it or not, soon the fallen leaves will have been collected by our friends at the city and the temperature and snowflakes will begin to fall. Just as the cold air gusts in, so does the holiday season and there is no better place to celebrate than in Geneva.
In the next few weeks, garlands, trees and wreaths will frame our downtown. Thousands of lights and hundreds of ornaments that were handmade by our Girl Scouts will be put on our grand tree on the courthouse lawn. We thank Geneva Public Works for its immense help hanging lights and ornaments so that we can bring festive cheer to all.
Santa’s post office will be set up at the base of the tree and the Geneva Visitor Center will be prepped and ready for the jolly old elf to visit with children in our beloved town.
On Friday, Dec. 6, almost as if brought by Frosty himself, magic comes to town. The Christmas Walk is not only a wonderful tradition, but it is Geneva’s official start of the season. The evening begins with Bob’s Candy Cane Parade to present the first candy cane of the season to the mayor with great fanfare. Santa Lucia, the Swedish symbol of the season, and her attendants arrive and assist the mayor in lighting the courthouse lawn and tree. As they pass out traditional Swedish “wish” cookies called pepparkakor, the familiar welcome song for Santa can be heard amid the crowd. Santa lands at the Geneva History Museum and appears, as if by magic, on the roof. Guided by police escort – thank you, Geneva Police Department – Santa makes his way to the stage and holiday joy radiates through the crowd with the young and young at heart. It is officially the holiday season in Geneva.
The evening festivities continue with shop doors open late and restaurants serving tasty treats. Enjoy the beauty of the night with a live nativity and twinkling lights all around as the sounds of carols fill the air. Taste a chestnut roasted over an open fire and whisper Santa your wishes (reservations required in advance at genevachamber.com). Top off the night with a horse-drawn carriage ride.
Dec. 6 and 7 is the Holiday House Tour. Five exquisite homes, aglow with holiday decorations, open their doors to visitors for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The personality of each home will shine after local decorators and landscapers worked to create enchanting holiday masterpieces. This year, we are pleased to have Haven Design Group, Intentional Spaces, Little Red Barn Door, SG Geneva /Scentimental Gardens, Staged, Plandscape, Heinz Brothers Greenhouse, All Chocolate Kitchen and Town & Country Gardens bringing holiday splendor to the interior and exterior of the homes.
You will not only enjoy the Christmas decor, but also the architecture, the unique collections and interior design, which reveal the personalities of the families residing in the homes. And the homes are spectacular this year.
Tickets can be bought at the Geneva Chamber office, online and at several locations around town. Visit genevachamber.com or call 630-232-6060 for more information on the house tour.
A Holiday Tea at the First Congregational Church in Geneva and the Scent of the Season from Inluro are included in the $42 price of the ticket.
Proceeds from the Holiday House Tour are used to decorate Geneva for the holiday season.
Tickets sell out, so get yours early.
Downtown magic continues all through December in Geneva. Find all the details at genevachamber.com.
Don’t forget to shop small Geneva businesses for a BIG Geneva experience all season long, beginning this month.
Make Geneva part of your holiday memories in 2024. We’re proud to be your hometown.