Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Downers Grove for 2026. The Village lights its tree beside the Main Street Train Station on Friday, November 27, and the Park District’s Whoville Holiday Bash brings the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who and Santa to Lincoln Center on Saturday, December 5. We check every date on the host’s own website or an official downtown calendar and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Downers Grove
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Downers Grove
- Main Street Tree Lighting: Friday, November 27, 4:30 pm, free, at the train station
- Whoville Holiday Bash: Saturday, December 5, 9 am to noon, Lincoln Center
- Grinch and Santa photos at the Whoville Bash
- Every date checked on official calendars on Nov 11
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All 2 events
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Rally the corgi has 1 more Downers Grove event researched for you.
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Free Christmas events for kids in Downers Grove
Tree lighting at the train stationFree
Main Street Tree Lighting Ceremony
- When: Friday, November 27, 2026, 4:30 pm
- Where: Main Street Train Station, 5001 Main St, Downers Grove, IL 60515 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
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The Village of Downers Grove lights its holiday tree beside the Main Street Metra station on the day after Thanksgiving, kicking off the downtown holiday weekend.
The tree is trimmed with big handmade ornaments made by local families, community groups and businesses, so kids can hunt for ones made by neighbors and classmates.
Parent tip: Trains roll through the station all evening, so train-loving kids get a bonus show. Stay downtown: Santa visits start the next afternoon, November 28, from 1 to 4 pm.
- Host
- Village of Downers Grove (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Main Street Train Station, 5001 Main St, Downers Grove, IL 60515 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Downers Grove events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Downers Grove daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Downers Grove.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Downers Grove 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 Downers Grove.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Downers Grove 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
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Downers Grove every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Downers Grove
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Event hosts: free events are listed first. The #1 spot puts your event at the top of this page.Inquire about the #1 spotAdd your event for free
Grinch and Santa party
Whoville Holiday Bash
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 9 am to noon, open house style
- Where: Lincoln Center, 935 Maple Ave, Downers Grove, IL 60515 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $22 resident, $33 nonresident per child; up to two adults free
- Ages: Ages 2.5 to 10.5
Expand to see the parent tip
The Downers Grove Park District turns Lincoln Center into Whoville for a morning of Grinchy games, festive crafts and holiday treats, with Cindy Lou Who on hand.
Kids can pose for photos with both the Grinch and Santa Claus and make Who-themed keepsakes, moving through the activities at their own pace.
Parent tip: Register each child, and plan for two adults at most per family. Younger siblings under 2.5 get in free with a registered family member.
- Host
- Downers Grove Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Lincoln Center, 935 Maple Ave, Downers Grove, IL 60515 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Downers Grove events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Downers Grove daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Downers Grove.
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 Downers Grove Christmas event for kids happens
Catch the tree lighting at the Main Street Train Station on the evening after Thanksgiving, then register the kids for the Whoville Holiday Bash on the morning of December 5.
- Main Street Tree Lighting CeremonyDowners Grove · Nov 27
- Whoville Holiday BashDowners Grove · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Bloomingdale and Elmhurst. 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 AmazonKeep 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.
Downers Grove Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Downers Grove this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Downers Grove for 2026: the Main Street Tree Lighting on November 27 and the Whoville Holiday Bash on December 5.
When is the Downers Grove tree lighting in 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026, at 4:30 pm at the Main Street Train Station, 5001 Main Street.
What is the Whoville Holiday Bash?
A Downers Grove Park District party for ages 2.5 to 10.5 at Lincoln Center on December 5, 2026, with Grinchy games, crafts, treats and photos with the Grinch and Santa. It is $22 per child for residents.
Where can kids meet Santa in Downers Grove?
At the Whoville Holiday Bash on December 5. Downtown Downers Grove also lists weekend Santa visits from November 28 through December 20.
Who do I contact about Downers Grove holiday events?
The Village of Downers Grove at events@downers.us for the tree lighting, and the Downers Grove Park District at ldurkin@dgparks.org for the Whoville Holiday Bash.
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 Downers Grove 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.