Where To See Santa In Oswego This Christmas Season

OSWEGO, IL — Santa Claus will be back in Oswego this holiday season after a couple of years of COVID-19 restrictions that made it difficult for kids to crawl up on his lap and make their case that they’ve been good boys and girls over the last year.

Visits and pictures with Santa are at the heart of many families’ holiday traditions, but the coronavirus pandemic gave them a lump of coal. Malls and other places took social distancing measures in both 2020 and 2021 to help contain the spread of the virus, moving Santa meet-ups largely online.

Virtual visits are still an option in many places, but there’s nothing quite like seeing jolly old St. Nick live and in person. In and near Oswego, kids have several chances:

• At Christmas Walk on Christmas Walk on Main Street Dec. 3.
• At the Oswego Holiday Express, departing Santa Station, 810 Preston Lane, for the North Pole Dec. 9-11.
• At Christmas at the Farm, taking place Dec. 4 at the Kendall County Historical Society in Yorkville.
• At Santa's Secret Workshop Dec. 4 at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet.

For adults, SantaCon is coming to downtown Plainfield at 5 p.m. Dec. 17. Santa costumes and festive wear are encouraged at the event, where organizers are partnering with Toys for Tots to gather donations for children.

Santa arrived Nov. 12 at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Santa’s Wonderland and will hold court through Christmas Eve. Reservations are encouraged.

Santa will be at Macy’s stores in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston and Orlando. In Chicago, Santa will be at Macy's State Street, 111 N. State St., until Dec. 24. Reservations are required.

JCPenney stores, including in Joliet, Mokena and Orland Park, are offering professional portraits with Santa through Dec. 18.

Know of other places Santa will be stopping? Reach out to [email protected] with information, and we'll include it in the article.