Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Evanston for 2026, and Evanston lights not one tree but two. Central Street goes first with its Holiday Stroll and Tree Lighting on Saturday, November 14, and downtown follows at Fountain Square on Saturday, December 5, with free photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus. 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 Evanston
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Evanston
- Both are free tree lightings
- Central Street Holiday Stroll: Saturday, November 14, tree lighting about 5 pm, Independence Park
- Downtown Holiday Light Celebration: Saturday, December 5, 4:30 to 7 pm, Fountain Square
- Every date checked on the organizers’ sites on Nov 11
What are you looking for?
All 2 events
Nothing matches yet. Try another kind of event, or .
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Evanston 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 Evanston.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Evanston before they fill up.
- Start your magical Christmas season now Every event appears the moment you enter your email.
- 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.
Waiting inside
- 2 Santa
- 2 Lights
- 2 Free
Enter your email and all will appear instantly.
The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 1 Christmas event in Evanston.
- New events in Evanston every week
- Exclusive access to free events
- Your magical Christmas season starts now
- Christmas Eve Express and free advent calendar
- One-tap add to calendar
Free Christmas events for kids in Evanston
Tree lightingFree
Central Street Holiday Stroll and Tree Lighting
- When: Saturday, November 14, 2026; strolling entertainment from 2:30 pm, tree lighting about 5 pm
- Where: Independence Park and Central Street, 2627 Stewart Ave, Evanston, IL 60201 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Central Street in north Evanston opens the holiday season early with an afternoon of free trolley rides, strolling carolers, holiday mimes and an alphorn duo moving in and out of the shops.
Everyone gathers in Independence Park around 5 pm for a Santa countdown and the tree lighting, with a mini children’s choir from the Music Conservatory of Illinois.
Parent tip: Ride the holiday trolley between 2:30 and 4:30 pm, then grab cocoa and cookies at Foodstuffs (2106 Central St) before heading to the park for the 5 pm lighting.
- Host
- Central Street Evanston (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Independence Park and Central Street, 2627 Stewart Ave, Evanston, IL 60201 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Evanston events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Evanston daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Evanston.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Evanston 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 Evanston.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Evanston 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
- 2 Santa
- 2 Lights
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Evanston every week.
Tree lighting and Santa photosFree
Downtown Evanston Holiday Light Celebration
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 4:30 to 7 pm; tree lighting around 5 pm
- Where: Fountain Square, Sherman Ave and Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Downtown Evanston lights its tree at Fountain Square with the Evanston Children’s Choir opening the night at 4:30 pm and Santa and Mrs. Claus on hand for the 5 pm countdown.
From about 5:30 pm the Clauses move indoors for free photos in The Crystal Ballroom at The Merion, 1611 Chicago Avenue, where warm drinks and sweets are also on the house.
Parent tip: Head to The Merion right after the lighting to beat the photo line, and use the main entrance at 1611 Chicago Avenue.
- Host
- Downtown Evanston (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Fountain Square, Sherman Ave and Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Evanston events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Evanston daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Evanston.
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 Evanston Christmas event for kids happens
Start with the Central Street stroll on November 14 for trolley rides and the Independence Park lighting, then come back downtown on December 5 for the Fountain Square tree and Santa photos at The Merion.
- Central Street Holiday Stroll and Tree LightingEvanston · Nov 14
- Downtown Evanston Holiday Light CelebrationEvanston · 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 Chicago, Arlington Heights, Elmhurst and La Grange. 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.
Evanston Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Evanston this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 free Christmas events for kids in Evanston for 2026: the Central Street Holiday Stroll and Tree Lighting on November 14 and the Downtown Evanston Holiday Light Celebration on December 5.
When is the Evanston tree lighting in 2026?
There are two. Central Street lights its tree in Independence Park at about 5 pm on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Downtown Evanston lights the Fountain Square tree at about 5 pm on Saturday, December 5, 2026.
Where can kids meet Santa in Evanston?
Santa does the countdown on Central Street on November 14, and on December 5 Santa and Mrs. Claus offer free photos at The Merion, 1611 Chicago Avenue, from about 5:30 to 7 pm.
Are the Evanston tree lightings free?
Yes. Both are free. On Central Street the holiday trolley rides are free too.
Who runs these events?
Central Street Evanston (hello@centralstreet-evanston.com) runs the Holiday Stroll, and Downtown Evanston (info@DowntownEvanston.org) runs the Holiday Light Celebration.
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 Evanston 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.