Christmas Events for Kids in Gurnee (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 3 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Gurnee for 2026, and both of them are free from the Gurnee Park District. Holiday Lights switches on at Welton Plaza on Friday, November 20, with Santa, a horse-drawn trolley and s’mores, and Breakfast with Santa fills the Viking Park Dance Hall on Saturday, December 5. 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 Gurnee

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Gurnee
  • Both are free, and Santa is at both
  • Holiday Lights: Friday, November 20, 5:30 pm, Welton Plaza
  • Breakfast with Santa: Saturday, December 5, three sessions, registration required
  • Every date checked on the Gurnee Park District site on Nov 11

Free Christmas events for kids in Gurnee

Tree lightingFree

Holiday Lights at Welton Plaza

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Gurnee kicks off the season the Friday before Thanksgiving week by switching on the holiday light display at Welton Plaza on Old Grand Avenue. The Park District runs it with the Village of Gurnee, the Gurnee Chamber of Commerce and Gurnee Community Church.

There is a horse-drawn trolley ride, a turn on the carousel, firepits for s’mores, free pizza, craft stations and photo spots. Santa is the guest of honor, alongside the mayor and the Park District’s dance team.

Parent tip: Bundle up for the firepits and head to Santa first: in past years the first families to visit him took home a commemorative mug.

Host
Gurnee Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Welton Plaza, 4343 Old Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Gurnee Park District (opens in a new tab)

New Gurnee events every week

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Gurnee 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 Gurnee.
  • Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Gurnee before they fill up.
  • Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
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Coming up on this page

  • 2 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Crafts
  • 2 Free

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Breakfast with SantaFree

Breakfast with Santa at Viking Park

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The Gurnee Park District turns the Viking Park Dance Hall into a winter wonderland for a free breakfast with Santa, with three sessions to pick from.

Pancakes, sausage and holiday music set the scene, and then Santa arrives to hear wishes and pose for pictures. In past years each child has gone home with a small holiday gift.

Parent tip: Register early on the Park District site, since everyone 2 and older needs a spot. Bring your own camera, and note there are no highchairs.

Host
Gurnee Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Viking Park Community Center, Dance Hall, 4374 Old Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Gurnee Park District (opens in a new tab)

New Gurnee events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Gurnee daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Gurnee.

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 Gurnee Christmas event for kids happens

Holiday Lights is the evening of Friday, November 20. Breakfast with Santa follows on the morning of Saturday, December 5, with sessions at 8, 9:30 and 11 am. Both are on Old Grand Avenue, a few doors apart.

Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Lake Zurich, South Barrington, Arlington Heights and Schaumburg. 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.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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 Amazon (opens in a new tab)

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.

Gurnee Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Gurnee this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Gurnee for 2026: Holiday Lights at Welton Plaza on Friday, November 20, and Breakfast with Santa at Viking Park on Saturday, December 5. Both are free.

When is Gurnee Holiday Lights in 2026?

Friday, November 20, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Welton Plaza, 4343 Old Grand Avenue, with Santa, trolley rides, a carousel, s’mores and free pizza.

Is Breakfast with Santa in Gurnee free?

Yes. It is free, but everyone age 2 and older must register with the Gurnee Park District. Pick from three sessions on December 5, 2026.

Where can kids meet Santa in Gurnee?

At Holiday Lights on November 20 and at Breakfast with Santa on December 5.

Who runs these events?

The Gurnee Park District. Holiday Lights is presented with the Village of Gurnee, the Gurnee Chamber of Commerce and Gurnee Community Church.

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 Gurnee 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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