Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Bloomingdale for 2026, and here is what he found: 10 family events, 2 of them free. The magic runs from November 28 (Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony) through December 22, with Ho Ho Home Visits (December 13) along the way. 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 Bloomingdale
- 10 Christmas events for kids in Bloomingdale
- 2 free events, including Jingle Bells and Yarn Wrapped Mini Reindeer Wreaths
- Meet Santa: 4 chances, including Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony (November 28) and Santa Paws (December 9)
- Parades and tree lightings: Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony (November 28)
- Also on the list: 1 Christmas light display, 1 Christmas market, 3 story times and 5 craft workshops
- Season: November 28 (Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony) to December 22 (Gingerbread Man Storytime)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Free Christmas events for kids in Bloomingdale
Holiday craftsFree
Jingle Bells
- When: Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 5 to 6 pm (Registration opens November 23 at 9 a.m.)
- Where: Bloomingdale Public Library, Room C/Makerspace, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, registration required
- Ages: Grades K-2
Expand to see the parent tip
Children in kindergarten through second grade spend an hour in the library's Room C/Makerspace welcoming the winter holidays. The session mixes jingle bells and snowflakes with crafts and music.
It meets Wednesday, December 2, 2026, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Bloomingdale Public Library, 101 Fairfield Way. Registration is required and opens November 23 at 9 a.m. The library's listing shows no charge.
Parent tip: Sign-up opens the morning of November 23, so set a reminder if your child is in kindergarten through second grade. The 5 p.m. start lands close to dinner, so a snack on the way over helps.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Bloomingdale Public Library, Room C/Makerspace, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bloomingdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bloomingdale.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 9 more Bloomingdale events 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 Bloomingdale.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Bloomingdale 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.
Coming up on this page
- 5 Crafts
- 4 Santa
- 4 Zoos and museums
- 3 Story time
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Bloomingdale every week.
Holiday craftsFree
Yarn Wrapped Mini Reindeer Wreaths
- When: Thursday, December 17, 2026, 5 to 6 pm (Registration opens November 23 at 9 a.m.)
- Where: Bloomingdale Public Library, Room C, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, registration required
- Ages: Grades K-2
Expand to see the parent tip
Kindergarten through second graders wrap yarn into a mini reindeer wreath, small enough to hang on a door at home for the holidays. The hour-long craft meets in the library's Room C.
It is held Thursday, December 17, 2026, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Bloomingdale Public Library, 101 Fairfield Way. Registration is required and opens November 23 at 9 a.m. The library's listing shows no charge.
Parent tip: The craft ends at 6 p.m., just as the park district's Family Caroling group sets off from the museum, so plan on one or the other that evening. Registration opens the same morning as the library's Jingle Bells program, so you can book both at once.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Bloomingdale Public Library, Room C, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bloomingdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bloomingdale.
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Bloomingdale
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Tree lighting
Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 3 to 7 pm (Santa until 5:30 p.m.; drone show and tree lighting at 6 p.m.)
- Where: Old Town Park, 111 Third Street, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Old Town Bloomingdale becomes the Winter Festival of Fun for an afternoon, with a Kris Kringle Market of local vendors selling food, crafts, gifts, pet items and holiday decor, festive kiddie train rides and the Charles Dickens Carolers. Santa greets children at the Pan American Bank open house, which also has a snow globe, and the Park District Museum opens its holiday show with a Gingerbread Village. A drone show at 6 p.m. leads straight into the lighting of the tree and the park.
The festival runs Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Old Town Park. Santa and the Chamber of Commerce open house both wrap up at 5:30 p.m., while the market, museum show, snow globe and train rides keep going until 7. Parking is in the Old Town Bloomingdale lot at Schick and 3rd Street and at the Roosters Bar & Grill lot, with handicap parking available; the page does not list an admission price.
Parent tip: Santa leaves at 5:30 p.m., half an hour before the drone show, so visit him first and then find a spot in the park for the 6 p.m. lighting. It is four hours outdoors in late November, so layer up the little ones.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Old Town Park, 111 Third Street, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
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Santa visit
Santa Paws
- When: Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 6 to 9 pm (Assigned photo time slots within this window)
- Where: Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Fee charged, amount not listed on the organizer's page; preregistration required
Expand to see the parent tip
This one is for the family dog. Dress up your pup for a photo on Santa's lap, taken by his elves, and bring your own camera for a few extra shots. The fee covers refreshments for the people, a treat for the dog and a souvenir photo.
Santa Paws is Wednesday, December 9, 2026, between 6 and 9 p.m., and preregistration is required. Each family is sent a photo time slot before December 4, and the souvenir photo can be collected at the front desk on December 14. The event page does not show the fee amount or name the building, so confirm both when you register.
Parent tip: You are given a time slot rather than choosing one, and it could fall as late as 9 p.m., so think about bedtime before signing up with young kids. Bring a phone or camera, since the official photo is not ready until December 14.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
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Holiday lights
Holiday Trolley Rides
- When: Thursday, December 10, 2026, 4:40 to 8 pm (Trolley leaves from and returns to the Johnston Recreation Center)
- Where: Johnston Recreation Center, 172 S. Circle Avenue, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Fee per person, amount not listed on the organizer's page; registration required
Expand to see the parent tip
Families climb aboard a holiday trolley at the Johnston Recreation Center and ride to Old Town Park to take in the Old Town Bloomingdale light displays, with a conductor leading stories and songs on the way. Back at the center, each family gets a treat bag, kids make a holiday craft, light refreshments are set out and Santa visits with the children.
Rides are Thursday, December 10, 2026, within a 4:40 to 8 p.m. window, starting and ending at the Johnston Recreation Center, 172 S. Circle Avenue. Every member of the family has to be registered, and the fee is charged per person. The event page does not list the fee amount.
Parent tip: The fee is per person, so register every rider, adults included. Santa, the craft and the treat bags come after the ride, so leave time to stay once the trolley is back.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Johnston Recreation Center, 172 S. Circle Avenue, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
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Holiday event
Holly Jolly Train
- When: Friday, December 11, 2026, 7 to 9 pm (The page lists Friday, December 11 and also names December 11 and 12 as tentative dates; confirm when registering)
- Where: Roselle Metra Station, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Ticket required for every rider, amount not listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Families meet at the Roselle Metra Station, pick up boarding passes at check-in and set off on a holiday train ride together. On board there is a story, caroling, milk and cookies, and a visit from a special guest the park district is keeping under wraps.
The page lists Friday, December 11, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. It also names December 11 and 12 as tentative dates tied to Metra scheduling, so confirm your date when you register. Every rider of any age needs a ticket, pre-registration is required, space is limited and refunds are not given; the ticket price is not shown on the event page.
Parent tip: The station building may not be open, so dress everyone for waiting outside on a December night. The ride runs 7 to 9 p.m. and tickets cannot be refunded, so be sure the late evening works for your kids before you book.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Roselle Metra Station, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bloomingdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bloomingdale.
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Santa visit
Ho Ho Home Visits
- When: Sunday, December 13, 2026, 9 am to 6 pm (Each family is assigned a time frame by December 8; register by November 28)
- Where: At your home (Bloomingdale Park District residents only), Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required by November 28
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa comes to your own front door, pulling up on the Holly Jolly Bus for a personal five-minute visit. Parents can leave a present at the Johnston Recreation Center ahead of time, labeled with a tag from the front desk, and Santa hands it over himself.
Visits take place Sunday, December 13, 2026, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and staff tell each family its time frame by December 8. Registration closes November 28, presents must be dropped off by December 4, and the program is open only to Bloomingdale Park District residents. No fee is listed on the event page.
Parent tip: You do not choose the time, so keep the whole Sunday flexible until your window arrives by December 8. The visit lasts only five minutes, so have the camera out and the kids at the door before the bus pulls up.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- At your home (Bloomingdale Park District residents only), Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bloomingdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bloomingdale.
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Holiday crafts
Pool Santa Ornament Decorations
- When: Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 6 to 7:30 pm
- Where: Johnston Recreation Center, 172 S. Circle Avenue, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
Expand to see the parent tip
The theme is Santa on vacation, relaxing by the pool. Kids decorate a pool Santa ornament, try a game of pool limbo and listen to summer music over poolside-style snacks and drinks, a small taste of July in the middle of December.
It takes place Tuesday, December 15, 2026, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Johnston Recreation Center, 172 S. Circle Avenue. The event page links to online registration but lists neither a fee nor an age range, so check both with the park district before you go.
Parent tip: No age range is given, so ask whether the ornament craft suits your child before signing up. It runs 90 minutes on a school night, which fits kids who can settle into a craft and a game or two after dinner.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Johnston Recreation Center, 172 S. Circle Avenue, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bloomingdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bloomingdale.
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Holiday event
Family Caroling
- When: Thursday, December 17, 2026, 6 to 7:30 pm (Meet at the museum around 5:50 p.m.; the group departs at 6 p.m.)
- Where: Bloomingdale Park District Museum, 108 S. Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Families gather at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum and then set off as a group to sing holiday carols around the neighborhood. It is a simple evening of bundling up and singing together, with no stage and no audience seats.
Caroling is Thursday, December 17, 2026, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Carolers meet at the museum, 108 S. Bloomingdale Road, at about 5:50 p.m. and head out at 6. One person registers for the family and lists the names and ages of everyone else taking part; the page does not list a fee.
Parent tip: The group sets off right at 6 p.m., so aim for the 5:50 meeting time or you may be chasing the singing down the street. Much of the 90 minutes is outdoors after dark, so bundle up small carolers.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Bloomingdale Park District Museum, 108 S. Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bloomingdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bloomingdale.
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Holiday story time
Gingerbread Man Storytime
- When: Tuesday, December 22, 2026, 10:30 to 11:15 am (Drop-in)
- Where: Bloomingdale Public Library, Room C/Makerspace, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; drop-in
- Ages: Families
Expand to see the parent tip
This family storytime is all about the Gingerbread Man and his friends, with stories followed by a craft on the same theme. It meets in Room C/Makerspace at the library.
Storytime is Tuesday, December 22, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. at Bloomingdale Public Library, 101 Fairfield Way. It is listed as a drop-in program for families, so no registration is needed. The page does not list a price.
Parent tip: No sign-up is needed, and at 45 minutes with a craft built in it suits short attention spans. It falls three days before Christmas, a calm morning outing in a busy week.
- Host
- Bloomingdale Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Bloomingdale Public Library, Room C/Makerspace, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Bloomingdale events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Bloomingdale daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Bloomingdale.
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 Bloomingdale Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony in Bloomingdale on November 28; the last runs to December 22. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Bloomingdale Tree Lighting CeremonyBloomingdale · Nov 28
- Jingle BellsBloomingdale · Dec 2
- Santa PawsBloomingdale · Dec 9
- Holiday Trolley RidesBloomingdale · Dec 10
- Holly Jolly TrainBloomingdale · Dec 11
- Ho Ho Home VisitsBloomingdale · Dec 13
- Pool Santa Ornament DecorationsBloomingdale · Dec 15
- Yarn Wrapped Mini Reindeer WreathsBloomingdale · Dec 17
- Family CarolingBloomingdale · Dec 17
- Gingerbread Man StorytimeBloomingdale · Dec 22
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 Glen Ellyn, Carol Stream, Wheaton and West Chicago. 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 Bloomingdale
Bloomingdale's holiday season gathers around a building the park district bought for one dollar: an 1849 church, later a town hall with a jail cell, that is now the Park District Museum across from Old Town Park. Each year the village tree and the whole park are lit there while a Kris Kringle Market fills Old Town.
How Bloomingdale celebrates
The Village of Bloomingdale and the Bloomingdale Park District launched the Festival of Lights in 2013 as a new holiday tradition, stringing lights through Old Town and adding a tree and park lighting ceremony, carolers and a holiday exhibit at the museum. By 2018 the Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce had joined as a presenter, and opening night offered a Kris Kringle Market, children's train rides, horse-drawn carriage rides and a Santa visit with live reindeer. In recent seasons the celebration has landed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, pairing the market and the museum's holiday show with a tree lighting at about 6 p.m.
Christmas last year in Bloomingdale
For the 2025 season, the Daily Herald's roundup of suburban tree lightings listed Bloomingdale's Kris Kringle Market and tree lighting ceremony for Saturday, November 29, from 3 to 7 p.m. in Old Town at 111 Third Street. The listing described local vendors selling food, crafts, gifts and holiday decor, along with Charles Dickens carolers, kiddie train rides, face painting, games, a Gingerbread Village display and the Park District Museum holiday show. A drone light show and the tree lighting were set for about 6 p.m.
Fun facts about Christmas in Bloomingdale
The museum that hosts the holiday show went up in 1849 as the First Baptist Church of Christ and is the oldest building in Bloomingdale. The tree lit in 2018 was reported to be more than 50 years old and was donated by Woodland Windows & Doors and the Mariotti family. In 2019 the museum hung ugly holiday sweaters from its ceiling and showed a Lego exhibit with nine freight and passenger trains. At the 2024 market, a Bloomingdale couple roasted 75 pounds of chestnuts over an open fire.
Traditions today
- Tree and park lighting: Since the Festival of Lights began in 2013, the season has opened with the lighting of the village tree and Old Town Park at 111 Third Street.
- Kris Kringle Market: Local vendors set up in Old Town with food, crafts, gifts and holiday decor, a market that newspaper coverage shows in place by 2018.
- Park District Museum holiday show: The 1849 museum across from the park stages a holiday exhibit each season, from Lego train displays to a Gingerbread Village.
- Kiddie train rides: Children's train rides have been part of the opening celebration since at least 2018, when they ran under the Old Town Park pavilion.
- Charles Dickens Carolers: The Charles Dickens Carolers have sung at the market in recent years, with two performances listed on the 2024 schedule.
- Santa and the snow globe: Santa greets children at the Pan American Bank open house in Old Town, where a giant snow globe has stood beside him since at least 2019.
A fact for kids
The museum where Bloomingdale holds its holiday show once had a jail cell inside, added in 1910. One Christmas its holiday display included nine Lego freight and passenger trains.
Questions about Christmas in Bloomingdale
When did Bloomingdale's Festival of Lights begin?
The Village of Bloomingdale and the Bloomingdale Park District started the Festival of Lights in 2013 as a new holiday tradition. The first season was planned to begin November 29, 2013, and run through New Year's Eve, with holiday lights in Old Town for people walking or driving past.
Where is the Bloomingdale Christmas tree lit?
The tree lighting takes place at Old Town Park, 111 Third Street, in Old Town Bloomingdale. The Bloomingdale Park District has leased the park from the village since 1997 under a 50-year agreement, and it also hosts a summer concert series there.
When is the 2026 Bloomingdale tree lighting?
The Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony is Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Old Town Park. The schedule puts a drone show at 6 p.m., followed by the tree and park lighting, with the Kris Kringle Market and kiddie train rides running all afternoon.
What is the Kris Kringle Market in Bloomingdale?
It is an outdoor holiday market in Old Town Bloomingdale held alongside the tree lighting. In 2018 it featured food and craft vendors on the Old Town piazza, and a 2019 report counted 30 local vendors. The 2026 schedule lists it from 3 to 7 p.m. on November 28.
Who switches on the lights in Bloomingdale?
In 2015 and 2018, the Daily Herald reported that Mayor Franco Coladipietro and park board President Buzz Puccio flipped the switch together. The 2019 ceremony was also led by the mayor and the park board president. The 2024 listing paired the lighting with Santa and the fire department.
What part does the Park District Museum play in the holidays?
The museum at 108 S. Bloomingdale Road, across from Old Town Park, puts on a holiday show each season. In 2015 it served hot chocolate and cookies and brought back a Lego Train City display. The 2026 festival schedule lists a museum holiday show with a Gingerbread Village.
How old is the building that hosts Bloomingdale's holiday show?
The museum was built in 1849 as the First Baptist Church of Christ and is the oldest building in Bloomingdale. It became Bloomingdale Academy in 1860 and was the township office and town hall by 1892. The park district bought it in 1965 for one dollar.
How many people come to the Bloomingdale tree lighting?
In 2018 the village administrator told the Daily Herald that the Festival of Lights usually drew between 600 and 1,000 visitors. A year later, the newspaper's photo captions from the seventh annual tree lighting in Old Town Park described a crowd in the thousands.
Did Bloomingdale's holiday festival have carriage rides and reindeer?
Yes. Plans for the first season in 2013 included horse-drawn carriage rides and live reindeer on Saturday evenings in December. In 2018, opening night offered free carriage rides without reservations, and Santa arrived with live reindeer. Neither appears on the 2026 schedule published by the park district.
Is there a drone show at the Bloomingdale tree lighting?
A drone light show was listed with the tree lighting at about 6 p.m. in the Daily Herald's 2025 roundup, and the park district's 2026 schedule again places a drone show at 6 p.m. on November 28, immediately before the tree and park lighting ceremony.
Sources
- Bloomingdale Parks partners with village for holiday lights festival, Daily Herald
- Bloomingdale festival illuminates village, Daily Herald
- Bloomingdale opens its Festival of Lights on Friday night, Daily Herald
- Ugly-sweater display joins Bloomingdale's Festival of Lights fun, Daily Herald
- Images: Holiday celebrations in the suburbs, Daily Herald
- Light up the night: Annual holiday tree lightings illuminate the suburbs, Daily Herald
- Holiday fun in Bloomingdale's Old Town, Daily Herald
- Shining bright: Holiday tree lightings around the suburbs, Daily Herald
- Bloomingdale Park District Museum, Bloomingdale Park District
- Old Town Park, Bloomingdale Park District
- Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony, Bloomingdale Park District
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.
Bloomingdale Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Bloomingdale to start with?
Start with the Bloomingdale Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 28, 2026, in Old Town Park, where a Kris Kringle Market, kiddie train rides, Santa and a drone show share one afternoon. After that, the Holiday Trolley Rides on December 10 combine a lights tour with a craft, treat bags and a Santa visit at the Johnston Recreation Center.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in Bloomingdale?
Bloomingdale Public Library lists two craft programs for grades K-2 at no charge: Jingle Bells on December 2 and Yarn Wrapped Mini Reindeer Wreaths on December 17, both with registration required. The Gingerbread Man Storytime on December 22 is drop-in, and the tree lighting festival on November 28 lists no admission price on its page.
Where can kids meet Santa in Bloomingdale?
On November 28, Santa is at the Pan American Bank open house in Old Town until 5:30 p.m. during the tree lighting festival. He also visits with children after the Holiday Trolley Rides on December 10, and park district residents can book a five-minute Ho Ho Home Visit for December 13. Families with dogs can try Santa Paws on December 9.
Where can we see Christmas lights in Bloomingdale?
The tree and Old Town Park are lit on Saturday, November 28, 2026, right after a 6 p.m. drone show. On December 10, the Holiday Trolley Rides carry families from the Johnston Recreation Center to Old Town Park to see the Old Town Bloomingdale light displays, with a conductor leading stories and songs along the way.
Which Bloomingdale holiday events need tickets or sign-up?
Most of them. Holiday Trolley Rides and the Holly Jolly Train need every rider registered, Santa Paws needs preregistration, and Ho Ho Home Visits close registration on November 28. Family Caroling asks one person to register the family. The library's K-2 crafts open registration November 23 at 9 a.m. Gingerbread Man Storytime on December 22 is drop-in.
Are there train-themed Christmas events for kids in Bloomingdale?
Yes, two. Festive kiddie train rides run from 3 to 7 p.m. at the tree lighting festival in Old Town Park on November 28, 2026. The park district's Holly Jolly Train, listed for Friday, December 11, meets at the Roselle Metra Station for an evening ride with a story, caroling, milk and cookies. Every rider needs a ticket.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Bloomingdale?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Illinois Christmas train rides guide. This Bloomingdale 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.