Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in McHenry for 2026, both from the City of McHenry. Themed trees fill the McHenry Recreation Center for the Festival of Trees through December 27, and Santa’s mailbox at Neuman Park takes letters until December 12. Both are free. 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 McHenry
- 2 free Christmas events for kids in McHenry
- Festival of Trees: November 20 to December 27, McHenry Recreation Center
- Letters to Santa: mailbox at Neuman Park through December 12
- Bring a stamped return envelope for Santa’s reply
- Every date checked in the City of McHenry Fall/Winter 2026 newsletter on Nov 11
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All 2 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more McHenry event researched for you.
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Free Christmas events for kids in McHenry
Decorated tree displayFree
Festival of Trees
- When: November 20 to December 27, 2026, during Recreation Center hours
- Where: McHenry Recreation Center, 3636 Municipal Drive, McHenry, IL 60050 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free; canned food or toiletries welcome as votes
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The McHenry Recreation Center fills with themed Christmas trees for the season, each one sponsored and decorated by a local business or civic group.
Visitors vote for a favorite by leaving canned food or toiletries under it, and every donation goes to Veteran’s Path to Hope.
Parent tip: Let each child pick a favorite tree and bring a can to place underneath. Weekend hours are 7 am to 6 pm, and holiday hours end at 1 pm.
- Host
- City of McHenry Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- McHenry Recreation Center, 3636 Municipal Drive, McHenry, IL 60050 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New McHenry events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in McHenry daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in McHenry.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more McHenry 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 McHenry.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in McHenry 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
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in McHenry every week.
Mail a letter to SantaFree
Letters to Santa Mailbox
- When: November 20 to December 12, 2026
- Where: Neuman Park, 1246 N Green Street, McHenry, IL 60050 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free; include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply
- Ages: Kids
Expand to see the parent tip
A magical mailbox in Neuman Park on Green Street sends kids’ letters straight to the North Pole from November 20 through December 12.
Tuck in a self-addressed stamped envelope and Santa writes back; the mailbox is sponsored by the Northwest Herald.
Parent tip: Do not forget the stamped return envelope, or Santa cannot reply. Mail by December 12 to hear back before Christmas.
- Host
- City of McHenry (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Neuman Park, 1246 N Green Street, McHenry, IL 60050 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New McHenry events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in McHenry daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in McHenry.
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 McHenry Christmas event for kids happens
Write the Santa letters early in December and drop them at Neuman Park by December 12. Then stop at the Recreation Center to vote for a favorite tree with a canned-food donation.
- Festival of TreesMcHenry · Nov 20 to Dec 27
- Letters to Santa MailboxMcHenry · Nov 20 to Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Crystal Lake, Lake Zurich, South Barrington and West Dundee. 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.
McHenry Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in McHenry this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 free Christmas events for kids in McHenry for 2026, both from the City of McHenry: the Festival of Trees and the Letters to Santa mailbox.
When is the McHenry Festival of Trees in 2026?
November 20 to December 27, 2026, during regular hours at the McHenry Recreation Center, 3636 Municipal Drive. It is free.
How do kids vote at the Festival of Trees?
By leaving canned non-perishable food or toiletries under their favorite tree. Donations go to Veteran’s Path to Hope.
Where is Santa’s mailbox in McHenry?
In Neuman Park, 1246 N Green Street, from November 20 to December 12, 2026. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and Santa will write back.
Who do I contact about McHenry holiday events?
The McHenry Recreation Center at recinfo@cityofmchenry.org or (815) 363-2160.
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 McHenry 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.