Christmas

Winter is coming to downtown Wheaton and everyone’s seasonal favorites are back. Celebrate the season with this slate of upcoming events.

Festivals happening in St. Charles, Woodstock, Elburn, Aurora and many more communities around northern Illinois.

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.

The Warehouse on Park in Genoa will host the festive event, featuring new cocktails each weekend, on three Saturdays during the holiday season.

The Friends of the Villa Park Library will host St. Nick’s Mart Dec. 7

The beloved film, now a musical, is a heartwarming family show that entertains all ages.

The Fox Valley Brass Band will perform Dec. 7 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora.

The annual online auction items, featuring decorated trees, wreaths and centerpieces, as well as a Christmas Boutique and raffle prizes help set the holiday mood inside the Museum of the Grundy County Historical Society at 510 W. Illinois Ave. in Morris.

What will start with a great day of supporting local small businesses on Shop Small Saturday will continue into December this year, as Discover Dixon’s Support Local promotion offers shoppers a chance to win $500 or a loaded prize basket.

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

At the Goodman, the 8-year-old impressed audiences last summer playing 4-year-old Tommy in the Broadway-bound “The Who’s Tommy” rock opera.

A suspect described as a "Grinch" by the Joliet Slammers stole Christmas reindeer decor valued at $45,000 from a baseball stadium in Joliet, police said. The Slammers are seeking help in finding the decor.

The Joliet Symphony Orchestra will present “Pictures” on Saturday, Nov. 23, and Sunday, Nov. 24, at the University of St. Francis. Joliet Junior College instrumental and vocal ensembles will perform on several dates in December.

The Salvation Army and Menards are calling on the community to help brighten the holidays for children in need this Christmas. Through the end of November, Menards home improvement stores will be collecting new and unwrapped presents for local children in need.

State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel's Crest Hill office will serve as a location for the Toys for Tots collection for children across Will County through Dec. 12.

The Lockport Chamber of Commerce is offering a drawing for local business shoppers to win a PlayStation 5 or cash gift cards as part of Small Business Saturday and Christmas on the Square.

“Sandwiches with Santa” is a free event from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the WCSC, 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling. Executive Director Emily Hammer said this is the center’s first year hosting the event.

The Promenade Bolingbrook outdoor mall will celebrate the start of the holiday season with “Holiday Magic in Motion” on Saturday.

The Dec. 8 event takes place across four historic churches, each hosting a 20-minute musical performance.

The Festival Of Trees can be viewed at Northland Mall, 2900 E. Lincolnway, Sterling, from Nov. 18 through Nov. 24.

Goodfellows of Lee County was presented a $3,000 donation Thursday morning to aid the charity in providing assistance to families during the holiday season.

This event transforms the traditional Santa meet and greet and Christmas light show into a "one-of-a-kind experience" that includes professional actors, photo opportunities, full-sized trolleys and trackless trains, audio-visual enhancements, parody songs and more.

St. Joseph’s Holiday Craft Fair and Market will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., on Saturday at, St. Joseph’s Park, 700 Theodore St., Joliet. Free parking and admission.

This pet- and family-friendly event is Sunday, Dec. 1.

The Rialto Square Theatre's holiday performance lineup is filled with music, film and theatre events for the whole family in downtown Joliet.

The Irving Berlin musical is a nostalgic treat performed by a superlative cast and ensemble.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas will be at the Rialto Square Theatre in downtown Joliet on Thursday, Nov. 14.

Start making your holiday season plans. The Rialto's "Home for the Holidays" lineup includes family-friendly holiday shows and films, concerts, social gatherings and a variety of special events.

Jarrett Payton, the son of Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton, and his family will be Grand Marshals for the St. Charles Electric Christmas Parade on Saturday, Nov. 30.

Music, food and cocktails will spice a show featuring 130 exhibitors’ vintage and handcrafted goods.

Rock Falls is inviting Sauk Valley residents to experience the magic of its 37th annual Hometown Holidays from Nov. 21-23.

Glow Holiday Festival will be shown at Joliet Slammers Stadium from Nov. 27 through Jan. 5. Show owner says festival is an event for all ages and will be 'selfies galore."

Harmon church's soup supper is next week, Rock Falls' Love Lights the Way to Hometown Holidays set for Nov. 21-23

The Mega Music Rummage Sale at the University of St. Francis in Joliet will include used and collectible music and memorability, including vinyl LPs and 45s, cassettes, 8-tracks, reel-to-reel tapes, VHS tapes, Blu Rays, 4Ks and DVDs, sheet music, music books and. comic books.

The Lincoln-way Area Business Women’s Organization honored Judy Niemann for her "tireless support" as well as chairing the organization’s Christmas Auction for more than 30 years

Got a spare Christmas tree standing around? Woodstock wants it for the middle of a roundabout for a holiday display.

The Fulton City Council has agreed to judge a competition to name the “Christmas nutcracker” that was purchased two years ago for the holiday season, but was never named.

Santa is coming early this year to the Volo Museum, and the public is invited to share in what surely will be a most magical, memorable experience.

The one-of-a-kind advent calendar features 24 of Illinois’ finest craft breweries from across the state, and is available exclusively for pre-sale now until July 31.

Some Will County municipalities collect Christmas trees for recycling and composting as part of their curbside garbage collection services, while others offer drop-offs for trees.

When and where to take your trees and lights now that January is nearly upon us

The Associated Clubs of Will County arranged for a last-minute Christmas gift for a Joliet family who lost their home in a fire on Nov. 30.

Don’t send your holiday tree to the landfill. Donate it to the Lake County Forest Preserves, and they’ll recycle it into wood chips for trails and landscaping in your forest preserves.

Whether those who have live Christmas trees take them down immediately after the holidays or like to enjoy them for weeks to come, the tree care experts at The Morton Arboretum recommend planning ahead for when it’s time to dispose of them.

DeKalb residents will have a convenient way of disposing their Christmas trees early next month, according to a city of DeKalb news release. Here's how to prep your tree for pickup:

Also as part of the event, DeKalb County area first responders and their families enjoyed cookies and met a real reindeer.

For some families, going around Sycamore, DeKalb and Cortland delivering gifts to others on Christmas Eve as part of nonprofit organization Goodfellows is as much a Christmas tradition as chopping down a Christmas tree.

Here's a look at Christmas through the years in DeKalb County including the front page of the Christmas Eve editions of the DeKalb Daily Chronicle from 100 years ago in 1923 and from 50 years ago in 1973.

Devon Nicklaus and Emily Juist are planning to deliver lasagna meals to 32 families on Christmas Day.

A look at people and places from events held this holiday season across the Grundy County area.