Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Aurora: Parades, Tree Lighting, More

AURORA, IL — There is no shortage of things to do in Aurora 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.

In Aurora, activities to kick-start the holiday season, including the Winter Lights Celebration featuring a parade and tree-lighting ceremony, happened Nov. 18. But with December here, there's no shortage of other holiday happenings.

• Christkindlmarket has landed in Aurora this season, making the commute to spend time at the traditional German market — with two locations in Chicago — much shorter. The market will be open through Dec. 24.
• Aurora Festival of Lights, open Nov. 25 through Dec. 25 at Phillips Park, 1000 Ray Moses Drive in Aurora.
• Jingle All the Way Holiday Market, happening Dec. 3-4 at Warehouse 55, 55 S. Lake St.
• Cocoa Crawl, bringing almost 40 shops together Dec. 2 to serve various types of hot chocolate.
• Holiday Express at Blackberry Farm, scheduled Thursday through Sunday throughout December. The winter wonderland features twinkling lights, festive decorations and a holiday train.

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.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in Illinois are:

• Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo, happening Nov. 30, Dec. 1-4, 7-11, 14-18 and 26-31.
• Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum, open Nov. 19 through Jan. 7.
• Light Up the Lake, an indoor light experience at Navy Pier, runs through Jan. 7. It features a skating rink, tree maze, visits with Santa and interactive light displays.