Buffalo Grove Christmas, Hanukkah Events: Meet Santa, Tree Lightings

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — There is no shortage of things to do in Buffalo Grove to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Tree and menorah lightings near Buffalo Grove include:

• 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 — Lincolnshire Lights, Village Green. From lighting the 40-foot holiday tree and caroling performances to DIY crafts and pictures with Santa, Lincolnshire Lights is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season with your family.
• Dec. 24 — Chanukah Party, Bay Shul, 314 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove. Find out more here.

For kids wanting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas, head on over to the Chevy Chase Country Club, 1000 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 3. Enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast while carolers entertain you. All children have the opportunity to meet with Santa and have photos taken with. Find out more here.

If kids want to ice skate with Santa, an event is planned from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 18, at Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion, 1500 Abbott Court, Buffalo Grove. Tickets start at $20. Skate with Santa and his elves. Find out more here.

Christmas parades — often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands — are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally.

Several big parades are taking place this year, including the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Baltimore City, Maryland, and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

In Chicago, thousands of attendees were on hand earlier this month at the 31st annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Michigan Avenue.

And the Light Up the Lake indoor light experience runs through Jan. 7 at Navy Pier. It features a skating rink, tree maze, visits with Santa and interactive light displays.

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