Christmas Events for Kids in Lemont (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Lemont for 2026, and here is what he found: 3 family events, 1 of them free. They are Sensory Santa (November 14), Homeschool: Christmas S.T.E.M (December 18) and Polar Express Reading (December 19). 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 Lemont

  • 3 Christmas events for kids in Lemont
  • 1 free event, including Polar Express Reading
  • Meet Santa: Sensory Santa (November 14)
  • Also on the list: 1 story time and 3 craft workshops
  • Season: November 14 (Sensory Santa) to December 19 (Polar Express Reading)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in Lemont

Holiday story timeFree

Polar Express Reading

Expand to see the parent tip

Children arrive in pajamas with blankets and slippers for a cozy read-aloud of The Polar Express. Every registered child gets a craft, and the hosts hint that you might hear the Polar Express pass by while the story is being read.

The reading is on Saturday, December 19, 2026, and the sign-up form offers two sessions back to back, 2:00 to 3:00 pm and 3:00 to 4:00 pm. It is free, but registration is required. The form asks you to enter only the number of children attending, up to four per sign-up, and to list any allergies.

Parent tip: The form labels the sessions 2:00 and 3:00 pm while its description also mentions a 1:00 pm reading, so go by the session you select and confirm the time with the host. Count only the children when you reserve, because each child's spot comes with a craft.

Host
Three Stories Books (opens in a new tab)
Address
Three Stories Books, 310 Canal St, Lemont, IL 60439 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Three Stories Books (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 2 more Lemont events researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 3 Crafts
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Story time
  • 1 Trains
  • 1 Free

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Lemont

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Santa visit

Sensory Santa

  • When: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 4 to 5 pm (Families book a 5-minute appointment; slots start at 4:00 pm.)
  • Where: Three Stories Books, 310 Canal St, Lemont, IL 60439 (opens in maps)
  • Cost: $5 donation per family, reservation required
  • Ages: Children with sensory sensitivities, autism, Down syndrome or anxiety, or any child who does better in a quiet setting
Expand to see the parent tip

Now in its third year, Sensory Santa gives each family a private five-minute visit with Santa in a calm room. It is planned for children with sensory sensitivities, autism, Down syndrome or anxiety, and for any child who simply does better somewhere quiet. Crafts and activities are set up outside the room, and the hosts promise a surprise for families.

Visits take place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, booked as five-minute slots that begin at 4:00 pm. The hosts shortened the hours this year and added a $5 donation per family after a run of no-shows. Slots are first come, first served on the online form, groups are limited to five people, and families are asked to arrive 10 minutes ahead of their time.

Parent tip: The sign-up page warns that a Polar Express activity will be going on nearby, so pack headphones if extra noise unsettles your child. Getting there the requested 10 minutes early gives your child time to settle before a visit that lasts only five minutes.

Host
Three Stories Books (opens in a new tab)
Address
Three Stories Books, 310 Canal St, Lemont, IL 60439 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Three Stories Books (opens in a new tab)

New Lemont events every week

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

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Holiday crafts

Homeschool: Christmas S.T.E.M

Expand to see the parent tip

This homeschool class pairs science with art around a Christmas theme. Students make Santa parachutes, build engineering projects out of edible materials and mix up a snow lava lamp, working with markers and other art supplies along the way.

The class is listed for December 18, 2026 on the host's sign-up form at $20 per spot, and you reserve by adding it to the form. The form text does not print the class hours or an age range, so ask about both when you book.

Parent tip: The edible engineering project means food is part of the lesson, so raise any allergies when you sign up. Because the form shows no start time, get the hours confirmed before you plan the rest of your homeschool day around it.

Host
Three Stories Books (opens in a new tab)
Address
Three Stories Books, 310 Canal St, Lemont, IL 60439 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Three Stories Books (opens in a new tab)

New Lemont events every week

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

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 Lemont Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Sensory Santa in Lemont on November 14; the last runs to December 19. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

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 La Grange, IL, Naperville, Wheaton and Glen Ellyn. 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.

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2026 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 Lemont

Lemont's name means 'the mountain' in French, a fitting choice made in 1850 for a village that sits on a hillside above the Des Plaines River and had already been called Keepataw, Athens and Palmyra. At Christmas, the listings for families here point to Canal Street, with a quiet Santa visit, a holiday science class and a pajama reading of The Polar Express.

How Lemont celebrates

The Christmas listings found for Lemont all come from one host, Three Stories Books, listed at 310 Canal Street. Its sign-up forms open the season on November 14 with what it calls its Third Annual Sensory Santa, a quiet, appointment-based visit that it says North Pole Santa, LLC and Kim & Co Event have supported for three years. A Christmas science and art class for homeschoolers follows on December 18, a free pajama reading of The Polar Express on December 19, and a Gingerbread Making Party on the evening of December 20. The address puts these events in a village that the Illinois and Michigan Canal helped build.

Fun facts about Christmas in Lemont

Lemont was established in 1836, which makes it one of the oldest American communities in northeastern Illinois, and it was incorporated as a village on June 9, 1873. Workers digging the Illinois and Michigan Canal, begun in 1837 and finished in 1848, struck a yellow dolomite that started a quarrying industry, and Lemont limestone was later used for the Chicago Water Tower. The Lemont Downtown Historic District joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, and the 2020 census counted 17,629 residents.

Traditions today

  • Sensory Santa: The hosts call the November 14, 2026 event their Third Annual Sensory Santa, with private five-minute visits in a calm room.
  • Polar Express Reading: Children come in pajamas with blankets and slippers on December 19, 2026 to hear The Polar Express read aloud.
  • Gingerbread Making Party: The host's form lists an evening of decorating mini gingerbread houses on Sunday, December 20, 2026, with a decorating station of candies for each house.
  • Homeschool Christmas S.T.E.M class: A December 18, 2026 class for homeschoolers builds Santa parachutes, edible engineering projects and a snow lava lamp.

A fact for kids

Stone dug out of the ground in Lemont was used to build the Chicago Water Tower, one of the few buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. People once called that stone Athens Marble, because Athens was an early name for Lemont.

Questions about Christmas in Lemont

When was Lemont, Illinois founded?

Lemont was established in 1836, and its Wikipedia article describes it as one of the oldest American communities in northeastern Illinois. A post office opened in 1840 under the name Keepatau, and the village was formally incorporated on June 9, 1873, after it had grown into a railroad community.

How did Lemont get its name?

The village was first known as Keepataw, after a Potawatomi chief, and was later called Athens and then Palmyra. The name Lemont, which means 'the mountain' in French, was chosen in 1850 at the suggestion of postmaster Lemuel Brown, or possibly his brother Nathaniel Brown.

What does the Illinois and Michigan Canal have to do with Lemont?

Construction of the canal began in 1837 and finished in 1848, and immigrant workers, mostly Irish, settled in Lemont to dig it. The canal carried cargo and passengers until the early 20th century. All use ended in 1933, and in 1984 the canal corridor became the nation's first National Heritage Corridor.

Why is Lemont known for limestone?

Canal diggers uncovered Lemont yellow dolomite, a harder, finer grained kind of limestone, and quarrying became the main local industry by the mid-19th century. The stone faced the town's major buildings, 38 of which remain downtown, and it was used to build the Chicago Water Tower.

What is the oldest building in Lemont?

The Old Stone Church, built of limestone in 1861, is the oldest building in Lemont. It served as a Union Army recruiting depot during the Civil War and as a Methodist Episcopal church until 1970. It is now a museum and home to the Lemont Area Historical Society.

Does Lemont have a train station?

Yes. Lemont has a station on Metra's Heritage Corridor, which runs weekday rail service between Joliet and Chicago Union Station. The article notes that by 1854 railroads were moving goods faster than the canal could, and Lemont evolved into a railroad community before it incorporated in 1873.

What happens at Christmas for kids in Lemont?

The sign-up forms used for this guide list four holiday activities from one host: Sensory Santa on November 14, 2026, a Homeschool Christmas S.T.E.M class on December 18, a Polar Express Reading on December 19, and a Gingerbread Making Party on the evening of December 20.

Who organizes these Lemont Christmas events?

The events are listed under Three Stories Books at 310 Canal Street and are booked through its online forms. For Sensory Santa, the hosts thank North Pole Santa, LLC and Kim & Co Event for supporting the event over the last three years.

What is free at Christmas in Lemont?

The Polar Express Reading on December 19, 2026 is free, though registration is required and each registered child gets a craft. Sensory Santa asks for a $5 donation per family. At the Gingerbread Making Party on December 20, parents join free and families pay for each gingerbread house they decorate.

How many people live in Lemont?

The 2020 census counted 17,629 people in Lemont, in 6,565 households. The village lies in Cook, DuPage and Will counties as a southwest suburb of Chicago, on a hillside along the south bank of the Des Plaines River. Argonne National Laboratory is in the Lemont area.

Sources

  1. Lemont, Illinois, Wikipedia
  2. Class and event sign-up form (Sensory Santa, Homeschool: Christmas S.T.E.M, Gingerbread Making Party), Three Stories Books
  3. Event Invitation (FREE) RSVP: Polar Express Reading, Three Stories Books

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.

Lemont Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Lemont, Illinois to start with?

The free Polar Express Reading on Saturday, December 19, 2026 is an easy first pick, with pajamas, blankets and a craft for each registered child. Families who need a calmer Santa visit can book Sensory Santa on November 14, and a Gingerbread Making Party is listed for the evening of Sunday, December 20.

Where can kids meet Santa in Lemont?

Sensory Santa takes place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with appointments starting at 4:00 pm. Each family gets a private five-minute visit in a quiet room, and the event is meant for children with sensory sensitivities, autism, Down syndrome or anxiety. The host asks for a $5 donation per family and limits groups to five people.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Lemont?

Yes. The Polar Express Reading on December 19, 2026 is listed as free on its sign-up form, with sessions at 2:00 and 3:00 pm. You still have to register, and the form asks you to enter only the number of children coming. Each registered child receives a craft.

Which Lemont holiday events need tickets or sign-up?

All of them are booked through the host's online forms. Sensory Santa on November 14 uses first come, first served time slots with a $5 donation per family. The Homeschool Christmas S.T.E.M class on December 18 is $20 per spot. The Polar Express Reading on December 19 is free but registration is required.

Is there a sensory-friendly Santa visit in Lemont?

Yes. The Third Annual Sensory Santa on November 14, 2026 offers one-on-one visits in a calm setting, with a five-minute slot for each family to cut down on overstimulation. The hosts suggest bringing headphones because a Polar Express activity will be nearby, and ask families to arrive 10 minutes before their appointment.

Is there a Polar Express or train-themed Christmas event in Lemont?

The Polar Express Reading on Saturday, December 19, 2026 invites children to come in pajamas for a read-aloud of the book, and the hosts say you might hear the Polar Express pass by. Lemont is a railroad town too, with a Metra station on the Heritage Corridor line between Joliet and Chicago.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Lemont?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Illinois Christmas train rides guide. This Lemont 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.

Kelsey Cecil
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