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

BATAVIA, IL — There is no shortage of things to do in Batavia 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 Batavia, activities to kick-start the holiday season, including Batavia Park District's Celebration of Lights, happened Nov. 27. But with December here, there's no shortage of other holiday happenings.

• Visits with Santa, happening from noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 3 at Sturdy Shelter Brewing, 10 Shumway Ave. and from 11 a.m. to noon Dec. 10 at Red Hive Market.
• Breakfast with Santa, scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 10 at Batavia Park District's Shannon Hall.
• Drive-Thru Christmas Nativity, happening from 4-6 p.m. Dec. 11 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 950 Hart Road.
• "A Christmas Carol," showing at Albright Community Theatre Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 9-11.
• Holiday House Decorating Contest, open for submissions until 4 p.m. Dec. 12.
• Holiday Garland Making Workshop, happening from 1-2:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at Sturdy Shelter Brewing.

Plus, 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.

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:

• Aurora Festival of Lights, open Nov. 25 through Dec. 25 at Phillips Park, 1000 Ray Moses Drive in Aurora.
• 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.