Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Aurora, IL for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Santa Photos: Peanuts Christmas Experience (from November 6) and Baby's First Christmas with Santa (from November 12). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Aurora
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Aurora
- Meet Santa: Santa Photos: Peanuts Christmas Experience (from November 6) and Baby's First Christmas with Santa (from November 12)
- Season: November 6 (Santa Photos: Peanuts Christmas Experience) to December 24 (Santa Photos: Peanuts Christmas Experience)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 2 events
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Aurora
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Santa visit
Santa Photos: Peanuts Christmas Experience
- When: Friday, November 6, 2026 to Thursday, December 24, 2026 (Runs November 6 to December 24, closed Thanksgiving Day; see the mall's Santa Hours for daily times)
- Where: Fox Valley Mall, Macy's Court, Lower Level, 195 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora, IL 60504 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Photo packages for purchase; no prices listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa's set at Fox Valley Mall has a Peanuts theme this season, with Snoopy and friends, festive decor and twinkling lights around the photo spot in Macy's Court. The calendar also has themed visits, including a Pajama Party with Santa on November 24, Ugly Sweaters with Santa on November 27 and Sensory-Friendly Santa on December 6.
Santa is at the mall from November 6 through December 24, 2026, and takes Thanksgiving Day off. Reservations are encouraged but not required, and walk-ups are fitted in as availability allows. Families who book ahead get a free video message from Santa, and a private 15-minute Signature Santa Experience with story time is offered in limited numbers.
Parent tip: Reserve a time if you are aiming for one of the themed days, since walk-ups are only taken as space allows. If your child finds noise and queues hard, look at the Sensory-Friendly Santa session on December 6.
- Host
- Fox Valley Mall (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Fox Valley Mall, Macy's Court, Lower Level, 195 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora, IL 60504 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Aurora events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Aurora daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Aurora.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Aurora event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Aurora.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Aurora before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
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- 2 Santa
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Santa visit
Baby's First Christmas with Santa
- When: Thu November 12, Thu November 19 and Thu December 3, 2026, 10 am to 3 pm (Three Thursdays only)
- Where: Fox Valley Mall, Macy's Court, Lower Level, 195 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora, IL 60504 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Photo packages for purchase; no prices listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Babies under 12 months and their families
Expand to see the parent tip
Three Thursdays at Fox Valley Mall are set aside for families marking a baby's first Christmas with a first Santa photo. Families with a baby under 12 months who buy a qualifying photo package receive a My First Christmas photo ornament and a $20 H&M Fox Valley gift card while supplies last.
The dates are Thursday, November 12, Thursday, November 19 and Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Macy's Court on the lower level. Reservations are encouraged, though walk-ups are welcome as availability allows. The gift offer is limited to one per photo package, and the baby must be under 12 months old on the day.
Parent tip: The ornament and gift card last only while supplies do, so an earlier Thursday or an early slot gives you the best odds. The 10:00 am to 3:00 pm window leaves room to work around naps, and a reservation means less waiting with a tired baby.
- Host
- Fox Valley Mall (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Fox Valley Mall, Macy's Court, Lower Level, 195 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora, IL 60504 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Aurora events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Aurora daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Aurora.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Illinois Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Aurora Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Santa Photos: Peanuts Christmas Experience in Aurora on November 6; the last runs to December 24. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Santa Photos: Peanuts Christmas ExperienceAurora · Nov 6 to Dec 24
- Baby's First Christmas with SantaAurora · Nov 12 to Dec 3
Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Naperville, West Chicago, Wheaton and Carol Stream. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.
A story for the drive home
A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Aurora
Aurora adopted the nickname City of Lights in 1908, because in 1881 it had been one of the first cities in the United States to put in an all-electric street lighting system. The lights families look for now are the twinkling ones around Santa's Peanuts-themed set at Fox Valley Mall, open from November 6 through Christmas Eve.
How Aurora celebrates
The confirmed holiday listings for Aurora in 2026 center on Fox Valley Mall, which shares its name with the Fox Valley region that Aurora grew up anchoring along the Fox River. The mall hosts Santa in Macy's Court on the lower level from November 6 to December 24, inside a Peanuts Christmas Experience with Snoopy and friends. It builds a calendar of themed visits around him: Baby's First Christmas on three Thursdays, pet photos on select Mondays, a Pajama Party on November 24, Ugly Sweaters on November 27 and Sensory-Friendly Santa on December 6. Reservations are encouraged, and walk-ups are welcome.
Fun facts about Christmas in Aurora
Aurora was established with the building of a post office in 1837 and began as two villages, East Aurora and West Aurora, which joined as one city in 1857. The two sides could not agree on where to put the public buildings, so most went up on or around Stolp Island in the middle of the Fox River. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad put its roundhouse and locomotive shop here and was the town's largest employer until the 1960s. With 180,542 residents at the 2020 census, Aurora is the second-most populous city in Illinois.
Traditions today
- Santa photos at Fox Valley Mall: Santa sits for photos in Macy's Court on the mall's lower level from November 6 through December 24, this year inside a Peanuts Christmas Experience.
- Baby's First Christmas Thursdays: On November 12, November 19 and December 3, the mall sets aside 10:00 am to 3:00 pm for babies under 12 months to have a first photo with Santa.
- Pajama Party with Santa: The mall lists a Pajama Party with Santa on November 24 among its special Santa events.
- Sensory-Friendly Santa: A Sensory-Friendly Santa session is on the mall's calendar for December 6.
- Story time in the Signature Santa Experience: A private 15-minute visit that the mall introduced as new includes story time with Santa along with posed and candid photos.
A fact for kids
When Aurora's two halves joined together in 1857, people could not agree which side of the Fox River should get the public buildings. So most of them were built on an island in the middle of the river.
Questions about Christmas in Aurora
When was Aurora, Illinois founded?
The McCarty brothers settled on both sides of the Fox River in 1834, and Aurora was established with the building of a post office in 1837. East Aurora was incorporated in 1845, West Aurora was organized in 1854, and the two joined as the city of Aurora in 1857.
Why is Aurora called the City of Lights?
Aurora adopted the nickname City of Lights in 1908. It refers to 1881, when Aurora was one of the first cities in the United States to implement an all-electric street lighting system. The name still suits a town whose holiday season includes twinkling lights around Santa's set.
What is Stolp Island?
Stolp Island sits in the middle of the Fox River and is the center of Aurora's historic downtown. When East and West Aurora merged in 1857, neither side would give up the public buildings, so most were built on or around the island.
What part did railroads play in Aurora's history?
The Aurora Branch Railroad was chartered in 1849 and was reorganized in 1855 into the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The CB&Q placed its roundhouse and locomotive shop in Aurora and became the town's largest employer until the 1960s.
How big is Aurora?
Aurora had 180,542 residents at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Illinois after Chicago. It was founded within Kane County, and its city limits have since expanded into DuPage, Kendall and Will counties, so it now spans four counties.
Where do kids meet Santa at Christmas in Aurora?
The confirmed 2026 Santa visit is at Fox Valley Mall, in Macy's Court on the lower level. Santa is there from November 6 through December 24, except Thanksgiving Day, inside a Peanuts Christmas Experience decorated with Snoopy and friends, festive decor and twinkling lights.
Who organizes the Santa events?
Fox Valley Mall runs them and lists each one on its events pages. Besides regular photos, the mall schedules Baby's First Christmas on three Thursdays, pet photos on select Mondays, a Pajama Party on November 24, Ugly Sweaters on November 27 and Sensory-Friendly Santa on December 6.
Do families need to book ahead for Santa in Aurora?
Booking is optional. Fox Valley Mall encourages reservations to make the visit easier, and walk-ups are welcome as availability allows. Families who reserve in advance receive a free video message from Santa, and the limited Signature Santa Experience should be reserved ahead.
Was a movie set in Aurora?
Yes. The 1992 comedy Wayne's World is set in Aurora, and so is its sequel, Wayne's World 2. Most of the first film was shot elsewhere, but some sections were filmed on location in Aurora, including a scene showing the local White Castle.
Sources
- Aurora, Illinois, Wikipedia
- Santa Photos | Peanuts Christmas Experience, Fox Valley Mall
- Baby's First Christmas with Santa, Fox Valley Mall
Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Illinois city.
Aurora Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
Where can kids meet Santa in Aurora, IL in 2026?
Santa is at Fox Valley Mall from November 6 through December 24, 2026, in Macy's Court on the lower level. His set this year is the Peanuts Christmas Experience, decorated with Snoopy and friends. He is not there on Thanksgiving Day, and the mall posts his daily hours on its website.
Do you need a reservation to see Santa at Fox Valley Mall?
No. The mall encourages reservations but does not require them, and walk-ups are accommodated as availability allows. Booking ahead has one extra perk: families who reserve their Santa visit in advance receive a free video message from Santa after booking.
Is there a Santa event for babies in Aurora?
Yes. Baby's First Christmas with Santa runs on three Thursdays at Fox Valley Mall: November 12, November 19 and December 3, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Families with a baby under 12 months who buy a qualifying photo package receive a My First Christmas ornament and a $20 H&M Fox Valley gift card while supplies last.
Is there a sensory-friendly Santa visit in Aurora?
Fox Valley Mall lists a Sensory-Friendly Santa session on December 6, 2026, as one of its special Santa events during the Peanuts Christmas Experience. The mall's event page gives the date only, so check its Santa hours or reservation page for the time before you go.
What themed Santa days does Fox Valley Mall have?
Alongside regular photos from November 6 to December 24, the mall lists Baby's First Christmas on select Thursdays, Pet Photos with Santa on select Mondays, a Pajama Party with Santa on November 24, Ugly Sweaters with Santa on November 27 and Sensory-Friendly Santa on December 6.
Is visiting Santa at Fox Valley Mall free?
The mall's pages describe Santa photo packages for purchase and do not list prices or say whether a visit without photos is free. What is free is a video message from Santa for families who reserve ahead, and every visitor receives a message from the North Pole after the visit.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Aurora?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Illinois Christmas train rides guide. This Aurora guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.
How do you confirm these events?
We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.