2024 Holiday Lights

The holidays are here!  So, pack the kids in the car, let them wear their p.j.'s, pack a hot chocolate for all, and thoroughly enjoy the wonder of the holiday season with your family and loved ones! 

These events are current as of 11/13/24. I will do my best to keep them up-to-date. But, remember, dates can be changed or canceled at any time. Have a great time!!

Dates: November 22, 2024

Time: 6:00 pm

Cost: Free Reserved Tickets for the event can be selected through our website. 

Address: Downer Place, from Water Street to River Street, in downtown Aurora

Parking: Free parking available in all public Downtown lots

Website: https://www.aurora-il.org/1247/Winter-Lights

As the City of Aurora's official kick-off to the holiday season, this free family-friendly event will be filled with merry-making moments and a sleigh full of fun for the entire family.
Stepping off at 6:30 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will usher in the holiday season with an illuminated parade filled with reindeer, elves, special guests and other holiday favorites!
Following the Parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with Mayor Irvin will lead the crowd in a countdown to flip the magic switch and illuminate the City's holiday tree!
After the tree lighting, the downtown Aurora sky will be brightened by a drone show along the banks of the Fox River, sponsored by the Chicago Premium Outlets!
After the drone show, Stolp Avenue, between Downer Place and Galena Boulevard, will be filled with food vendors, roaming costumed characters, and musical entertainment at Millennium Plaza!
Join us for photos with Santa! This year Santa will be at a NEW LOCATION: Paramount School of the Arts (20 S. Stolp Avenue). He will be there ready for photos immediately following the drone show.

Dates: November 16, 2024

Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Cost: Free

Address: 631 E Boughton Rd, Bolingbrook, IL 60440

Website:

Welcome the Holiday Season with our Free Celebration!
It’s time to begin celebrating the holiday season, and we have a wonderful event that’s perfect for the entire family.
Enjoy Holiday Magic in Motion displays throughout the center. Visit Santa and snap a photo for memories that will last a lifetime (located inside the former American Eagle space across the breezeway from Hot Rags). Enjoy a Mistletoe Market and hot chocolate & treats featuring Sugar Bee’s and the Kettle Kabin. Explore the stores and find all sorts of surprises:
Face Painters – Master Axe & Krafted Burger Bar
Balloon Twisters – Barnes & Noble & LOFT
A Mini Magic Show – H&M & Macy’s
Make a card for a veteran – inside K9s for Veterans
Dance Party – inside Hip Hop Fit with Gene Hicks
Pick up a take-home ornament – inside Kids Empire
Spirit of Giving Toy Drive – Tent near Prince Arcades (bring a new, unwrapped toy to benefit the United Way of Will County – Spirit of Giving, donate this evening or at the Spirit of Giving Event on December 7)
Visit with Your Favorite Characters
Plus, visit with Cindy Lou Who, the Grinch, and a Toy Soldier on Stilts at various points around the center!
Entertainment on stage:
6:00pm-6:30pm – Bolingbrook HS Madrigals
6:30pm-7:00pm – Bolingbrook HS VIBE
7:00pm-7:30pm – Dance Force
7:45pm-8:15pm – Dance Dimensions
8:30pm-9:00pm – Ballet Folklorico Infinity
Santa is sponsored by The Village of Bolingbrook – Beautification Commission and the CCA Commission. Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a $500 gift card! Scan the QR codes at the Holiday Magic in Motion displays and bring your checked map to K9s for Veterans for your chance to win a $500.00 gift card!
See you there!
Our Holiday in Motion celebration will be held one day only, Saturday, November 16, 2024. However, the interactive displays are up all season through January 6, 2025. Visit the center for more details. Chance of winning a gift card depends on the number of entries.

Date: November 22-24, 29-30 and December 1, 5-8, 12-15, 19-22, 26-31, 2024.

Times: 3:00 - 9:00 pm

Cost: Adults: $29.95, Children: $20.95, Seniors: $24.95, Parking: $17–$20.

Address: 8400 W 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513

Website:

Step into a wonderland of Holiday Magic, where enchanting scenes come to life with giant illuminated animals, a dazzling tunnel show, Santa, and captivating walkthrough displays! Marvel at over 900 beautifully decorated trees that illuminate the night, each adorned by local community groups and organizations. Take a leisurely stroll through our NEW immersive displays, Candy Cane Lane and Sparkling Coast, and enjoy the festive atmosphere. It’s a magical experience filled with joy and wonder for the whole family!
NEW! Two New Themed Lighting Areas
Experience two new immersive lighting areas at the zoo! The Wild Encounters pathway will be transformed into Candy Cane Lane, where you can drop off letters to Santa and the animals. Keep an eye out for reindeer in Wild Encounters; they might just know where Santa is! This enchanting pathway will lead you to the East Mall Holiday Market.
Living Coast will be transformed into the Sparkling Coast, adorned with wintery blue moving light patterns and magical underwater light statues. Feel a deep connection to the sea as you stroll beneath the radiant waters.
Meet Santa!
Meet Santa this holiday season at the Zoo! Visit him from November 22 to December 22, between 5-8 p.m. Before you enter Santa’s Workshop, send your letters to Santa using our North Pole Express mailbox. Don’t forget to take a stroll down Candy Cane Lane to share holiday messages with your favorite animals at our Letters to Animals mailbox. It’s a magical experience for the whole family!
NEW! Holiday Market
Embrace the winter spirit at our NEW Holiday Market! Enjoy unique shopping alongside seasonal food and beverages that will warm your heart. Visit the Cranberry Bar for craft holiday cocktails, cozy winter apparel, and delicious funnel cakes. Don’t forget to stop by The Nut Hut for custom ornaments and handmade gifts that are perfect for the holidays!

Dates: November 15, 2024 - January 5, 2025

Times: Varies

Cost:
Adult $30-$33 member / $34-$37 nonmember
Child Ages (3-12) $17-$19 member / $19-$21 nonmember
Children 2 and under free

Website: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/lightscape

The popular event that sells out each year!
The brightest spot for holiday cheer
Embrace the season’s beauty and make spirits bright at Lightscape, returning to transform new parts of the Garden—including Evening Island—into dazzling landscapes you’ve never seen before. From radiant first-time installations to beloved classics like the Winter Cathedral, this year’s reimagined trail takes our fifth annual holiday celebration to the next level. Bring your nearest and dearest, enjoy festive food and drink, and immerse yourself in a world of music, color, and light.
Visit chicagobotanic.org/lightscape for more information and to purchase tickets.

Dates: ZooLights runs from  Nov. 15, 2024, thru Jan. 5, 2025.

Times: Sunday–Thursday: 4:30–9:00 p.m. and Friday–Saturday: 4:30–10:00 p.m.

Cost: Tickets for ZooLights are $7-$10 per person (guests of all ages, including infants, require a ticket) and are now available for purchase at lpzoo.org/zoolights.

Website: https://www.lpzoo.org/event/zoolights/

Celebrate both the new and the nostalgic with 30 years of ZooLights!
Join us in a milestone year for Chicagoland’s favorite holiday tradition, back with new artistic, interactive displays and programming! ZooLights will feature more than 3 million lights, including hundreds of luminous LED displays and festive seasonal experiences.
Check out the thrilling holiday light tunnel or ride the iconic Ferris wheel—with incredible views of the skyline and all the twinkling lights. Indulge in hot chocolate or roast s’mores on an open fire. On select nights, sing alongside carolers or be amazed by professional ice carvers. New this year, bask in the holiday spirit in the light lounge.

Date: November 16, 2024 – January 4, 2025

Time: Varies

Cost: Tickets range between $16.80-$31.200 for members, and $19.50-$39.00 for guests. Advance purchase is recommended as many nights will sell out.

Address: 4100 IL-53, Lisle, IL 60532

Website: https://mortonarb.org/explore/activities/exhibitions/illumination/

The 2024 exhibition features 17 displays of lights and music that highlight the beauty of trees in winter.
A secluded glade is strung with fairy lights, kinetic LED tall grasses honor a Midwest native species, and trees light up with a hug. New this year, Celebration Circle is an interactive light display in The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden featuring four sets of illuminated tree-shaped installations, each synced to the music of a different instrument.
The Arboretum Store is open late for holiday shopping during Illumination and Electric Illumination.
Plan Ahead and Save on Tickets
With plan-ahead pricing for Illumination and Electric Illumination, choose the price, date, and time that best fit your budget and schedule. The further in advance you purchase your tickets, the more you save!
Buy tickets for 2024’s Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum experience online.
Arboretum members receive the lowest ticket prices, with a 20% discount on all tickets. Become a member to get the best pricing for Illumination tickets.
If you have questions about purchasing tickets, please email tickets@mortonarb.org or call 630-725-2066.

IllumiBrew
Craft beer lovers won’t want to miss IllumiBrew. At this event for adults 21 and older on Friday, November 15, enjoy a first look at the newest version of Illumination while sampling local brews along the trail.
Electric Illumination
Electric Illumination offers a special late-night experience from 8:30 to 10:00 p.m. on three special weekends in November and December, each with a unique theme. Adults 18 and older will enjoy a curated playlist of music synchronized to breathtaking light displays.
Illumination Sensory Evening
New for 2024 is an Illumination sensory evening on Tuesday, December 3, from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; last entry is at 8:00 p.m. This modified experience will feature static lights and music at low volume. Tickets are available in a limited capacity for the event on this night to provide a sensory-sensitive environment.

Date: Thanksgiving November 23, 2023, through New Year’s Day January 1, 2024

Time: 4 PM – 10 PM

Cost: FREE but donations are welcome

Address: At Water Street Downtown Naperville

Website: https://naperlights.com/

Enjoy this free dazzling display of holiday lights and sound as you stroll down Water Street, Foyo Plaza, Jaycees Park and the Riverwalk in Downtown Naperville!  
Visit Naper Lights to get your 3D Viewing glasses!
At Water Street Downtown Naperville Thanksgiving through New Year  4 PM – 10 PM
Live Santa by the big tree on December 6, 8 and 13th from 5:30-8:30 pm.

Date: November 29, 2024 - December 30, 2024

Time: 9:00 am-9:00 pm.  Lights turn on at 3:00 pm.  Closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Cosley Zoo is open from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Cost: Donations appreciated.

Address: 1356 N Gary Ave, Wheaton, IL

Website: https://cosleyzoo.org/event-calendar/festival-of-lights-and-tree-sales/

A winter visit to Cosley Zoo has become a favorite family tradition. Cosley Zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland with thousands of twinkling lights, an amazing selection of Christmas trees, wreaths and greenery, hot chocolate, and a unique assortment of holiday gifts in the Wild Side Gift Shop.
Cosley Zoo has four varieties of trees ranging from 3’ to 12’! Wreaths, greens, and garlands are also available for purchase.
Hot Chocolate is available weekdays 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm; weekends 9:00 am-9:00 pm
No reservations/ticketing required.