Christmas

Morris Herald-News teams up with United Way of Grundy County to make it easy to brighten the lives of children, senior citizens and neighbors this holiday season.

Lake in the Hills residents can vote for their favorite holiday house through Friday.

Holiday light shows and shopping markets in Geneva, Aurora, Joliet, Lemont, Ottawa shine bright with festive fun this month.

Leave the cooking to someone else on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Enjoy a holiday meal at one of these restaurants.

Due to volunteer and committee conflicts, the village of Johnsburg officially cancelled the Holiday Magic Parade and event for 2024

More than 30 inflatable Santa Clause figures stand in front of homes on Ashland Avenue in La Grange and Countryside

The holiday spirit is alive and well in downtown Antioch! Local businesses and organizations are offering an array of shopping deals and festive activities for everyone to enjoy.

Audiences will find “everything’s better in threes” when The Irving Sisters take the stage, singing popular holiday tunes at Brushwood Center this December.

Here's a listing of some local retailers in northern Illinois that offer one-of-a-kind shopping experiences.

Tickets are still available for Lonestar's concert at Joliet's Rialto Square Theatre Sunday, Dec. 22.

The spirit of the holidays was alive and well over the weekend as Bourbonnais hosted its first Miracle at The Grove on Saturday

Oregon High School's Choir, Concert Band, and Jazz Band played Christmas selections in front of a packed house on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. The music department's annual Christmas Concert was held in OHS Music Room.

All the Catholics of Dixon would love for you to celebrate this year with them, however you wish. Local Catholic pastors welcome visitors to any and all of the Masses and devotions at St. Patrick’s and St. Anne’s.

A little rain didn’t keep Santa from spreading holiday cheer Saturday at the third annual Kankakee Christmas Parade

The Dixon Park District invited the public to have a cookie with Father Christmas himself, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, at The Facility.

Dixon police and Lee County sheriff's deputies treated 37 kids to a shopping spree Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, during the annual Shop with a Cop event at Dixon Walmart.

Sam Chellino of Crest Hill decorates trees in his yard each holiday season where he encourages residents to leave with their Christmas hopes and wishes.

Joliet police, fire and public works vehicles escort Santa Claus through Joliet before he heads off to the North Pole on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2024.

The city of Joliet will give Santa Claus an official send-off to the North Pole on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.  

Festive concerts to feature Elgin Master Chorale, Integrity School of Dance, Santa Claus Dec. 14-15.

Santa Claus, the North Pole superstar, was on hand to take requests and pictures along with his nemesis the Grinch, who sat nearby and growled at passing kids.

Hill’s Jyaire “Suga” Hill Foundation is hosting its inaugural Grinchmas Party and Toy Drive Dec. 23

Light shows, the festively decorated McCormick House and Taylor Swift-themed nights highlight Christmas at Cantigny in Wheaton.

The McHenry County Conservation District will hold a day of holiday fun Saturday, Dec. 14, at Glacial Park.

From 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 14, Hawthorn, a super-regional shopping center in Vernon Hills, will host a magical experience.

Hawthorn will host a Giving Tree in cooperation with Catholic Charities, an organization dedicated to providing food, clothing, shelter and counseling to the hopeless in Chicago and its suburbs.

Improv Playhouse Theatre joyfully returns to bring audiences an immersive live-staged radio play of Frank Capra’s timeless classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

The local Salvation Army needs bell ringers from now up until Dec. 24.

Enjoy family-friendly holiday events at Starved Rock Lodge in Oglesby.

The community is invited to attend Lucia Fest at the Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant in Crest Hill.

The new musical comedy cabaret gets creative with nostalgic inspiration from the television specials of those "happy golden days of yore."

Two local teens are delivering some holiday cheer to Christmas parties and get-togethers by entertaining the Grinch.

Oregon High School band and choir members presented their Madrigal dinners on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Brubaker Center at the Stronghold Camp & Retreat Center north of Oregon. The event included music, a whimsical story with jokes, and a meal.

The National Fire Protection Association said U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated average of 853 home structure fires per year that began with holiday decorations, excluding Christmas trees,

A trip to Tammen Treeberry Farm in Wilmington has been a holiday tradition for generations of Will County area families seeking that perfect Christmas tree.

Polo residents kicked off the holiday season Saturday, Dec. 7, with the community's annual Christmas festival.

Families gathered in downtown Genoa on Dec. 6 for the Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Celebrate the Season, with a parade, tree lighting and chances to meet with Santa Claus himself.

Mt. Morris' Christmas in the Village was held Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. Activities included a lighted parade and an appearance by Santa.

Festivities included wagon rides, singers and Santa.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20; 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at Emmanuel Church, 202 E. Morris St., Morrison.

A look back at some of the outtakes from recent assignment for the Northwest Herald.

The holiday season is in full swing, with weekend events that included the Marengo Christmas festivities on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, downtown and the Merry Cary parade on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024.

On Thursday, the fourth annual lighting of the village’s Christmas tree kicked off the season. This year Rockin’ Around the Tree Lighting was held at 6 p.m. for the first time at The Grove, the $18-million multifaceted park that opened in July and has drawn rave reviews from the community

Both Dixon and Sterling decked the halls Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 with their own Christmas celebrations.

If you’re hoping to celebrate this Christmas with the sweet smell of pine and citrus, you may need to shell out some extra cash.

Wish lists were checked and smiles were aplenty Tuesday morning as the village of Bradley hosted its annual Caring at Christmas program at Meijer

Here are the Forest Preserve District of Will County programs for the week of Dec. 2. Online registration is available on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org.

Tickets to the concert won’t be sold. They will be exchanged for a generous donation of non-perishable food and/or paper products, which will be donated to Daybreak Shelter in Joliet.

Sterling's Sights and Sounds and Dixon's Christmas Walk kicked off the holiday season Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

The musical program titled “We Need A Little Christmas” opens with popular Christmas classics, followed by a narration of the birth of Jesus interwoven with carols.