All over the world towns and cities have their own unique ceremonies for the holiday season. From markets, to tree lightings, parades, and trains, there are many towns you can visit to make a holiday memory in Lake County. Many towns hold events the weekend after Thanksgiving, but there are still celebrations to come in Gurnee, Lake Zurich and Mundelein for a fun holiday time.
This year in Gurnee there are two different days of holiday events; Holiday Lights on December 5th and the Holiday Train on December 7th. The 4th Annual Holiday Lights festivities are on Thursday, December 5th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Welton Plaza on Old Grand Avenue. This event is free to the public, but attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Warren Township Food Pantry. The webpage states that this event will include, “fire pits and s’mores to keep you warm, craft stations to keep you busy, and much more! Special guests include everyone’s favorite holiday duo Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood and more!”
On December 7th, the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Holiday Train will be stopping in Gurnee. According to the CPKC website, “the 2024 CPKC Holiday Train will tour Canada and the U.S. Nov. 21 through Dec. 20, raising money, food and awareness to support food banks across our network.” The Village of Gurnee webpage states that the “The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train is nearly 1,000 feet long with 14 rail cars, each decorated with hundreds of thousands of technology-leading LED lights and holiday designs.” The Holiday Train event is scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the train estimated to arrive at 5:00 p.m. and a holiday concert performed on the train at 5:15 p.m. The Village of Gurnee website states, “the Holiday Train is anticipated to arrive on the east side of the railroad tracks near Depot Road.” In addition to viewing the train and enjoying the concert, attendees can enjoy “Free pictures with Santa Claus, Patch 22 Petting Zoo, DJ Frank Wright playing holiday Music, and a complimentary snack tent.” The Holiday Concert will consist of performances from The Lone Bellow and Tiera. If attending this free event, it is suggested that you park at one of these locations: Viking Park 4374 Old Grand Ave, Viking Middle School 4460 Old Grand Ave, or Warren Township High School – 500 N. O’Plaine Rd.” Additional information on these events can be found at https://www.gurnee.il.us/residents/special-events-list/holiday-train-holiday-lights
Visit Lake Zurich on Saturday, December 7th between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for “Miracle on Main Street.” The free event will be held in downtown Lake Zurich at Rotary Park, 7 E. Main Street. Attendees are offered the opportunity to make a craft, take a sleigh ride or visit with reindeer. There will be adult beverage and food vendors. The website highlights “Hot cocoa provided by the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce and hot cider provided by the Lions Club.” The Village of Lake Zurich’s website describes the event by stating “a beautiful 24-foot tree that will be on display for the holiday season, an opportunity to meet Santa and his reindeer along with entertainment by Lake Zurich High School’s Bare Voices & Blue Notes Show Choir, Peace Lutheran Bell Choir, a DJ and the Academy of Performing Arts.” To see the performances, visit the entertainment stage located at the interaction of Old Rand Road and Main Street. The schedule for this stage is as follows, “3:15 pm – Peace Lutheran Bell Choir, 3:45 pm – Cricket Theatre, 4:00 pm – Academy of Performing Arts, 4:30 pm – D95 Elementary Schools, 5:00 pm – LZHS Blue Notes, 5:45 pm – LZHS Bare Voices, 6:00 pm – Mayor’s welcome, arrival of Santa & Tree Lighting.” If any of this sounds exciting to you, consider paying a visit to Lake Zurich on December 7th. For more information, visit lakezurich.org/585/Miracle-on-Main-Street.
If you would prefer to stay closer to MHS, Mundelein will be holding its first “Winter Tree Lighting Festival” on Saturday, December 7th from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Courtland Commons on Courtland and Seymour Streets. This new event, per the Village of Mundelein’s website, “is a combination of the Village’s Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony which has been held on the first Friday of December for over 20 years, and Winterfest started by MCC in December 2022, on the day after the Tree Lighting.” The website states that, “The Winter Tree Lighting Festival opens with Santa’s Cottage at 2 pm.” Beginning at 3:00 p.m., there will be musical entertainment from the Mundelein High School, Carmel High School, Mechanics Grove and Fremont Middle School Choirs plus numerous local musicians. Other activities include a kids holiday train, live ice sculpting, visit from Disney Princesses, story-time, letters to Santa, a Kris Kringle Market. There will be food vendors, plus complimentary hot chocolate and treats provided by the Mundelein Park and Recreation District. The tree lighting will be at 6:15 p.m. followed by a fireworks display. As you can see this year’s event has a variety of pieces of entertainment that suit whatever your family is looking for. With the new event being bigger and better than ever it is highly suggested that you take a visit to Courtland Commons Park on December 7th to experience the magic of the new and improved Winter Tree Lighting Festival. More information on this event can be found at mundeleincommunityconnection.org/community-events/winterfest.
Whether it’s heading to Lake Zurich to take it’s vast performers, going to Gurnee to view the holiday train, or staying right here in Mundelein to experience the new Winter Tree Lighting Festival, there is no doubt that in Lake County you’ll be able to enjoy any of the holiday festivities you please.
