Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Bensenville for 2026, both on the ice at the village’s Edge Ice Arena. Kids skate alongside Santa at a public session on Saturday, December 12, and young local skaters put on the 27th Annual Holiday Ice Show on Sunday, December 13. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Bensenville
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Bensenville
- Skate with Santa: Saturday, December 12, 1:30 to 2:40 pm
- Holiday Ice Show: Sunday, December 13, 1 pm
- Both at the Edge Ice Arena
- Every date checked on the Village of Bensenville website on Nov 11
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Bensenville
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
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Public skate with Santa
Skate with Santa
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 1:30 to 2:40 pm
- Where: Edge Ice Arena, 545 John St, Bensenville, IL 60106 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Kids $4 residents, $5 nonresidents; adults $5 residents, $7 nonresidents; skate rental $3
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa laces up and joins a holiday public skate at Bensenville’s Edge Ice Arena, so kids can glide a lap or two next to him with holiday music playing.
The concession stand is open during the session, which makes it an easy hour-plus outing on a December Saturday.
Parent tip: Bring a few dollars for skate rental if your kids do not have their own, and arrive early to get skates on before the 1:30 pm start.
- Host
- Village of Bensenville (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Edge Ice Arena, 545 John St, Bensenville, IL 60106 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bensenville events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bensenville daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bensenville.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Bensenville 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 Bensenville.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Bensenville 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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Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Bensenville every week.
Young skaters’ holiday show
27th Annual Holiday Ice Show
- When: Sunday, December 13, 2026, 1 pm
- Where: Edge Ice Arena, 735 E. Jefferson Street, Bensenville, IL 60106 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Call 630-766-8888 for details
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Skaters from the Edge Ice Arena’s Learn to Skate and competitive figure skating programs put on their 27th holiday show, with routines set to seasonal music.
Many of the performers are kids themselves, so young fans can watch other children on the ice and maybe get the itch to sign up for lessons.
Parent tip: Arrive before 1 pm to find seats near the glass, and bring a warm layer since rinks stay cold.
- Host
- Village of Bensenville (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Edge Ice Arena, 735 E. Jefferson Street, Bensenville, IL 60106 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bensenville events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bensenville daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bensenville.
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 Bensenville Christmas event for kids happens
Make it an ice weekend: skate with Santa on Saturday afternoon, then come back Sunday at 1 pm to cheer on the young skaters in the Holiday Ice Show.
- Skate with SantaBensenville · Dec 12
- 27th Annual Holiday Ice ShowBensenville · Dec 13
Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Elmhurst, Glendale Heights, Mount Prospect and Niles. 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 AmazonThe story of Christmas in Bensenville
Bensenville's Santa has a habit of arriving by rail. In 2016 he rode into the village's Holiday Magic festival on the Yuletide Express, and in December 2019 the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train stopped downtown with live music for the local food pantry.
Santa on the Yuletide Express and Frosty the reindeer at Holiday Magic in 2016
Holiday Magic is Bensenville's tree lighting and the official start of its Christmas season, held downtown near Green and Center Streets on a Sunday around Thanksgiving. On a Sunday evening in November 2016, the Daily Herald found a three-hour party with music, reindeer, face painting, sleigh rides, commemorative ornaments, hot chocolate and free holiday movies at the Bensenville Theater. Santa arrived riding the Yuletide Express, posed for pictures and stayed for the tree lighting that ended the night.
That year a five-year-old named Nicky Kmiecik handed Santa a long Christmas list, and four-year-old Kara Krazinski petted a reindeer named Frosty. The festival doubled as a giving drive, with families asked to bring a new unwrapped toy, a gently used coat, a new hat or canned food. In 2019 Holiday Magic fell on December 1, Santa arrived at 3 pm, and children got a free Bensenville ornament and a sleigh ride around downtown.
Record crowds, holiday train rides and Santa and Mrs. Claus on November 23, 2025
The 2025 Holiday Magic and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, November 23, 2025, drew record attendance, the Village of Bensenville reported. The evening opened with a countdown to the annual tree lighting, which switched on the village's signature holiday tree and the light displays across downtown. Families took holiday train rides, listened to music, shared treats from community partners and visited Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Village President Frank DeSimone called Holiday Magic one of the village's most cherished traditions. In 2026 it is Sunday, November 22, from 5 to 7 pm, with free commemorative ornaments while supplies last. On the ice, Skate with Santa is December 12 and the 27th Annual Holiday Ice Show is December 13 at the Edge Ice Arena.
A 25th Holiday Ice Show in 2024 and a 2023 season of Santa trains and Fischer Farm hayrides
The Edge Ice Arena on East Jefferson Street has its own Christmas tradition. In December 2024 the village celebrated its 25th Annual Holiday Ice Show, with skaters from the Learn to Skate and Competitive Skating programs performing holiday routines before a packed arena, from beginners to seasoned competitors. Skate with Santa follows the same season, so kids can take a lap next to him.
The village's 2023 holiday flyer shows how many groups share Bensenville's Christmas. The library hosted a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, ornament making and Cookies for Santa, where kids decorated a dozen cookies to put out for Santa. Fischer Farm held a free Farmside Christmas with hayrides, music and hot chocolate, the Bensenville Theatre showed It's a Wonderful Life for free, and the Deer Grove Leisure Center took pictures with Santa for children and then for pets.
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train downtown in 2019 and a Santa Train Ride from the Metra station
Bensenville has a Metra commuter station, and its Christmas season has leaned on trains. On Monday, December 2, 2019, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train stopped at 12 South Center Street from 3 to 4:30 pm. The lighted train raises awareness of hunger, and the free stop brought live music, giveaways and a check for the Bensenville-Wood Dale Food Pantry, with families asked to bring canned food.
In 2023 the season added two more trains. A Santa Train Ride left the Bensenville Train Station on December 10 and 16 at 11:04 am, with Santa's helpers reading a story, playing games and singing carols, and a gift for every child. The Historic Holiday Express Train at Veterans Park invited kids aboard the Black Chicago Gravel Steam Locomotive for a pretend trip to the North Pole with a movie, hot chocolate, cookies and popcorn. For a real trolley with Santa aboard, the Fox River Trolley Museum is a short drive west.
- Fox River Trolley Museum: Santa's Trolley Express runs weekends November 28 to December 20, 2026, plus Friday evenings, on a decorated 1950s trolley with Santa visiting each family.
- Illinois Railway Museum: The largest railway museum in the US, whose Happy Holiday Railway brings holiday trains to Union on December 20, 2026.
Traditions today
- Holiday Magic and Tree Lighting: Bensenville's downtown tree lighting on a Sunday around Thanksgiving, with Santa, free commemorative ornaments and treats.
- Commemorative ornaments: Each year the village hands out a free Bensenville ornament at Holiday Magic, while supplies last.
- Holiday Ice Show: Young skaters from the Edge Ice Arena's programs perform holiday routines each December, a show in its 27th year in 2026.
- Skate with Santa: A December public skate at the Edge Ice Arena where kids can glide next to Santa.
- Pictures with Santa for kids and pets: The park district's Deer Grove Leisure Center has offered Santa photos for children, then a separate hour for pets.
A fact for kids
In Bensenville, Santa once rode into town on a train called the Yuletide Express, and a reindeer named Frosty came to the party too.
Questions about Christmas in Bensenville
When is Bensenville Holiday Magic in 2026?
The Holiday Magic and Tree Lighting Ceremony is Sunday, November 22, 2026, from 5 to 7 pm in downtown Bensenville at Green and Center Streets. Santa greets visitors, and free commemorative ornaments and refreshments are handed out while supplies last. It is the village's official start to the Christmas season.
How long has Bensenville held Holiday Magic?
Holiday Magic has been an annual Bensenville Christmas tradition for years. The Daily Herald covered it in November 2016, when Santa arrived on the Yuletide Express, and listed it on December 1, 2019, at 12 South Center Street. In 2025 Village President Frank DeSimone called it one of the village's most cherished traditions.
What happened at Bensenville Holiday Magic in 2025?
The 2025 Holiday Magic and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, November 23, 2025, set a record for attendance, according to the Village of Bensenville. A countdown lit the village's signature Christmas tree and downtown light displays, and families enjoyed holiday train rides, music, treats and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
How did Santa arrive at Bensenville Holiday Magic?
At the 2016 Holiday Magic festival, Santa arrived riding the Yuletide Express, then posed for pictures with children and stayed for the Christmas tree lighting that closed the evening, the Daily Herald reported. In 2019 the village announced that Santa would arrive at 3 pm. Check the 2026 flyer for this year's arrival.
Does Bensenville give out free Christmas ornaments?
Yes. Free commemorative Bensenville ornaments are a Holiday Magic tradition. The Daily Herald mentioned them in 2016, the village promised a free Bensenville ornament in 2019, and the 2026 event page again lists free commemorative ornaments and refreshments while supplies last, so arrive early if you want one.
Are there sleigh rides in Bensenville at Christmas?
Sleigh rides have been part of Bensenville's Holiday Magic festival. In 2016 the Daily Herald listed sleigh rides among the evening's activities, and in 2019 the village promised a sleigh ride around downtown along with photos with Santa and a free ornament. In 2025 the festival offered holiday train rides instead.
Is there a toy drive at Bensenville Holiday Magic?
In 2016 Holiday Magic doubled as a giving drive, with families asked to bring a new unwrapped toy, a gently used coat, a new hat or nonperishable food for neighbors in need. Bensenville's Christmas events have often supported the Bensenville-Wood Dale Food Pantry, so check the 2026 flyer for any donation drive.
Did the CPKC Holiday Train stop in Bensenville?
Yes. The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, now run by CPKC, stopped in Bensenville on Monday, December 2, 2019, from 3 to 4:30 pm at 12 South Center Street. The free Christmas stop included live music, giveaways and a check presentation to the Bensenville-Wood Dale Food Pantry, and families were asked to bring nonperishable food.
Is there a Santa train ride from the Bensenville train station?
In 2023 the Bensenville holiday flyer listed a Santa Train Ride from the Bensenville Train Station on December 10 and December 16 at 11:04 am, with a second trip at 3:04 pm on the 16th. Santa's helpers read a story, played games and sang carols, and each child received a holiday gift. Registration was through the Deer Grove Leisure Center.
What was the Historic Holiday Express Train in Bensenville?
The Historic Holiday Express Train was a 2023 Christmas event at Veterans Park, run by the park district. Kids climbed aboard the Black Chicago Gravel Steam Locomotive and headed for the North Pole in their imaginations, then watched a movie with hot chocolate, cookies and popcorn. It ran December 8 and 17, with registration at Deer Grove Leisure Center.
When did the Bensenville Holiday Ice Show start?
The village celebrated the 25th Annual Holiday Ice Show at the Edge Ice Arena in December 2024 and lists the 2026 show as the 27th, which puts the first show in the late 1990s. Skaters from the arena's Learn to Skate and competitive figure skating programs perform Christmas and winter routines for families.
When is the 2026 Bensenville Holiday Ice Show?
The 27th Annual Holiday Ice Show is Sunday, December 13, 2026, at 1 pm at the Edge Ice Arena, 735 East Jefferson Street. Skaters from the Learn to Skate and competitive figure skating programs perform holiday routines. For more information, the village lists the arena at 630-766-8888.
How was the 2024 Bensenville Holiday Ice Show?
The 25th Annual Holiday Ice Show in December 2024 drew an enthusiastic crowd to a packed Edge Ice Arena, according to the Village of Bensenville. Skaters from beginners to seasoned competitors performed holiday routines, and Village President Frank DeSimone called it nothing short of spectacular.
Can kids skate with Santa in Bensenville?
Yes. Skate with Santa is a holiday public skate at the Edge Ice Arena, where kids can take a lap or two next to Santa with Christmas music playing. In 2023 it followed the Holiday Ice Show on December 17, and in 2026 it is Saturday, December 12, from 1:30 to 2:40 pm, the day before the ice show.
Can I get pet photos with Santa in Bensenville?
The Bensenville Park District's Deer Grove Leisure Center has offered Pictures with Santa with a separate time for pets. In 2023 children's photos were 6 to 7:30 pm and pets 7:30 to 9 pm on December 5, with pre-registration and a $7 fee. Check the park district for 2026 dates.
Does the Bensenville library have Christmas events for kids?
Yes. In 2023 the Bensenville Community Public Library held a Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus with ornament making and cookie decorating for kids 10 and under, a Holiday Open House, holiday card making and Cookies for Santa, where kids ages 4 to 10 decorated a dozen cookies to put out for Santa.
What is Farmside Christmas at Fischer Farm?
Farmside Christmas is an old-fashioned Christmas at Fischer Farm in Bensenville. In 2023 it was a free event on Saturday, December 2, from 2 to 5 pm, with music, hayrides, hot chocolate and desserts. Check the Bensenville Park District for whether it returns for the 2026 season.
Does the Bensenville Theatre show Christmas movies?
Yes. Free holiday movies at the Bensenville Theater were part of Holiday Magic in 2016, and in 2023 the theatre showed the Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life for free on Saturday, December 16, at 1 pm. It is a cozy way to spend a cold December afternoon downtown.
Is there a Santa trolley near Bensenville?
Yes. The Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin runs Santa's Trolley Express on weekends from November 28 to December 20, 2026, plus Friday evenings December 4, 11 and 18. Riders board a decorated 1950s trolley with hot chocolate, cookies and story time, and Santa comes aboard to visit each family. Tickets are booked ahead online.
Does the Illinois Railway Museum have a Christmas train near Bensenville?
Yes. The Illinois Railway Museum in Union, the largest railway museum in the United States, holds its Happy Holiday Railway in December, with a 2026 date listed for December 20. The museum is otherwise closed for the regular season after late October, so the holiday train is the main winter reason to visit.
Sources
- Bensenville Celebrates the Season with Holiday Magic & Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 12, 2025), Village of Bensenville
- Bensenville Celebrates a Spectacular 25th Annual Holiday Ice Show (December 19, 2024), Village of Bensenville
- Bensenville Holiday Events flyer (2023), Village of Bensenville
- Holiday Magic & Tree Lighting, Village of Bensenville
- Holiday Ice Show, Village of Bensenville
- Holiday Magic in Bensenville (November 20, 2016), Daily Herald
- Holiday happenings (November 29, 2019), Daily Herald
- Fox River Trolley Museum, Rally Takes the Train
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.
Bensenville Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Bensenville this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Bensenville for 2026, both at the Edge Ice Arena: Skate with Santa and the 27th Annual Holiday Ice Show.
When is Skate with Santa in Bensenville?
Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 1:30 to 2:40 pm at Edge Ice Arena, 545 John St.
How much is Skate with Santa?
Kids are $4 for residents and $5 for nonresidents, adults are $5 and $7, and skate rental is $3.
When is the Bensenville Holiday Ice Show?
Sunday, December 13, 2026, at 1 pm at Edge Ice Arena, 735 E. Jefferson Street. Call 630-766-8888 for details.
Who do I contact about Bensenville holiday events?
Victoria Myhre, the Village of Bensenville’s Special Events and Communications Coordinator, at vmyhre@bensenville.gov.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Illinois?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Illinois Christmas train rides page.
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 Bensenville on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.
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.