There’s nothing quite like the twinkle in the eye when a child sees Santa, whether it’s the first time or the hundredth, whether they are 8 or 80…you know who you are. And who among us still doesn’t have memories, and in many cases, the photos to prove it, of our own visits to Santas village, Santas workshop, Santas house, or just a big red chair in the middle of the mall?
It’s easy to get caught up in all the noise this time of year. There seems to be so much that needs to be done, plans to be made, work to be done before we can even think about enjoying the holiday season.
Be sure to take a moment to just relax and take it all in. We wanted to help make this a moment of memories for you and your little ones, so we pulled together our Pictures with Santa around McHenry County to make things a little easier.
Below, you’ll find our Santa tracker arranged by city to help you with your plans to visit Santa this holiday season. Unlike times of past, many pictures with Santa opportunities are DIY when it comes to the actual photo, so be sure you have your camera.
As always, we recommend checking the respective websites for any changes. While some of these Pictures with Santa events are standalone, others may be combined with holiday parades, tree lightings, or other events, so be sure to factor that into your timing as well as your preparations…especially in dressing for the weather and extended time outdoors this time of year.
Check Our List Twice
There is an endless array of events during this holiday season. Sadly, finding information about them is not as easy as one might hope…that’s one of the reasons we’ve tried to pull it all together here!
If you are in charge of or connected with an event with the jolly man in the red suit that you feel should be on here, the best thing you can do is to just add it to our free community calendar so that we can add it here as well.
Or, if you know about an event that should be on here, please contact us and with the details (links to websites would be great) so we can get it added.
2021 Pictures With Santa Claus Guide
We’ve included some of the tree lightings and Christmas Parades that may include Santa. Some of these may have specific visitation and photo activities, while others might be more “in passing,” though still may present some general picture-taking opportunities. Be sure to check the specific events for more details. Also be aware that some of these might require pre-registration.
Algonquin
Miracle On Main
Date: Saturday, December 4th
Start Time: 5:00pm
Location: 2 S Main Street, Algonquin, IL 60102
Cary
Visit with Santa
Date: Sunday, December 1st
Start Time: 5:30pm
Location: 6800 S. Rawson Bridge Rd, Cary, IL 60013
Merry Cary Holiday Parade & Festival 2021
Date: Sunday, December 5th
Start Time: 2:00pm
Location: 111 W Main St, Cary, IL 60013
Drive Thru Visit with Santa
Date: Sunday, December 12th
Start Time: 10:00am
Location: 1200 Silver Lake Rd, Cary, IL 60013
Crystal Lake
Festival of Lights Parade
Date: Friday, November 26th
Start Time: 7:00pm
Location: N Williams St & E Crystal Lake Ave, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Santa House Visits
Date: November 27th & 28th, December 2nd – 5th, 9th – 12th, 16th – 19th, 23rd
Start Time: Varies by date
Location: 38 N Williams St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Fox Lake
Santa’s Cottage
Date: Saturday, November 27th
Start Time: 5:00pm
Fox River Grove
Tree Lighting 2.0
Date: Saturday, December 4th
Start Time: 2:00pm
Location: 975 Algonquin Rd, Fox River Grove, IL 60021
Harvard
Christmas In Harvard
Date: Saturday, December 4th
Start Time: 1:00pm
Location: 300 W Front St, Harvard, IL 60033
Huntley
A Very Merry Huntley
Date: Saturday, December 4th
Start Time: 5:00pm
Location: 11700 Main St, Huntley, IL 60142
Johnsburg
Holiday Magic Parade & Tree Lighting
Date: Saturday, December 11th
Start Time: 5:30pm
Location: 2315 W Church St, Johnsburg, IL 60051
Lakemoor
Lakemoor’s Operation Santa
Date: Saturday, December 4th
Start Time: 9:00am
Location: Various
Lakewood
Cocoa & Cookies with our Cops & Toys for Tots
Date: Saturday, December 4th
Start Time: 10:00am
Location: 2500 Lake Avenue, Lakewood, Illinois 600
Marengo
2021 Marengo Christkindlmarket & Tree Lighting Celebration
Date: Saturday, December 4th
Start Time: 6:00pm
Location: 132 E Prairie St, Marengo, IL 60152
Port Barrington
Annual Village Santa Parade & Party
Date: Sunday, December 19th
Start Time: 1:15pm
Location: 69 S Circle Ave, Port Barrington, IL 60010
Ringwood
Visit Santa at the Village Hall
Date: Saturday, November 27th
Start Time: 9:00am
Location: 6000 Barnard Mill Rd, Ringwood, IL 60072
Spring Grove
Holiday Light Display & Drive Thru Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus
Date: Saturday, December 4th & 11th
Start Time: 5:00pm
Location: 8105 Blivin St, Spring Grove, IL 60081
Woodstock
Lighting of the Square
Date: Friday, November 26th
Start Time: 7:00pm
Location: Van Buren St & Dean St, Woodstock, IL 60098
Annual Woodstock Christmas Parade
Date: Sunday, November 28th
Start Time: 2:00pm
Location: Van Buren St & Dean St, Woodstock, IL 60098
Cookies and Churros with Santa
Date: Sunday, November 28th
Start Time: 3:00pm
Location: 240 N Throop St, Woodstock, IL 60098
As always, all events are subject to change. Please be sure to check the event pages for the specific event for current information.
President and Founder of Identity Developments, LLC, the parent company of the McHenry Life website. My hope for McHenry Life is to create a resource and destination for the residents and businesses of McHenry County alike. A place where residents can discover new places to explore, fun events and ways to spend time, and then share those experiences with others. A place where businesses can connect with existing and potential customers, and not simply market their businesses, but share their own unique stories.
