Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Niles for 2026. Holly Jolly Fest lights the tree and sets off fireworks at Golf Mill Park on Saturday, November 28, and Saturday, December 12, brings the Park District’s Santa Breakfast at Howard Leisure Center plus the first of two IceLand holiday ice shows. 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 Niles
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Niles
- Holly Jolly Fest: Saturday, November 28, 2 to 7 pm, free, fireworks at 5:30 pm
- Santa Breakfast: Saturday, December 12, three seatings
- IceLand ice show: December 12 at 6:30 pm and December 13 at 12:30 pm
- Every date checked on the Village and Park District sites on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Niles
Tree lighting and fireworksFree
Holly Jolly Fest and Tree Lighting
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 2 to 7 pm; kids activities 2 to 5 pm, tree lighting and fireworks 5:30 pm
- Where: Golf Mill Park, 9101 Greenwood Ave, Niles, IL 60714 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free admission and parking; food and drinks for sale
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The Village of Niles turns Golf Mill Park into a winter wonderland for Holly Jolly Fest, with horse-drawn sleigh rides, a petting zoo, fire pits and visits with Santa.
Kids activities run from 2 to 5 pm, and the night peaks at 5:30 pm when the tree lights up and fireworks go off overhead. Local food vendors and hot cocoa are on sale.
Parent tip: Park free in the nearby JC Penney lot and arrive by 3 pm so the kids get the sleigh ride and petting zoo in before the 5:30 pm lighting.
- Host
- Village of Niles (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Golf Mill Park, 9101 Greenwood Ave, Niles, IL 60714 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Niles events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Niles daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Niles.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Niles events 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 Niles.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Niles 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.
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- 3 Santa
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- 1 Shows
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Niles every week.
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Niles
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
Breakfast with Santa
Santa Breakfast at Howard Leisure Center
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, seatings 8:30 to 9:30 am, 10 to 11 am and 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
- Where: Howard Leisure Center, 6676 W Howard St, Niles, IL 60714 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Ages 3 and up $16 resident, $20 nonresident; ages 2 and under $6
- Ages: Families, ages 6 months and up
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa makes his yearly stop at the Niles Park District’s Howard Leisure Center to share breakfast, visit with each child and pose for pictures.
There are three one-hour seatings, every adult and child has to be registered, and the district warns it sells out.
Parent tip: Register every family member, adults included, and do it early. While you are at Howard Leisure Center, drop a letter in the Santa Mailbox; the reply deadline is December 14.
- Host
- Niles Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Howard Leisure Center, 6676 W Howard St, Niles, IL 60714 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Niles events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Niles daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Niles.
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Holiday ice show
IceLand Santa's Hollyday Follies Ice Show
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 6:30 pm and Sunday, December 13, at 12:30 pm
- Where: IceLand Skating Center, 8435 Ballard Rd, Niles, IL 60714 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $12 plus a food or toy donation
- Ages: Kids and families
Expand to see the parent tip
Skaters from the Niles Park District’s IceLand rink put on Santa’s Hollyday Follies, a holiday ice show with two performances.
Tickets are $12, and the rink collects food and toy donations at both shows, so bring something to give.
Parent tip: Tickets are sold at the IceLand front desk starting November 20. The Sunday matinee pairs well with a morning at Santa Breakfast the day before.
- Host
- Niles Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- IceLand Skating Center, 8435 Ballard Rd, Niles, IL 60714 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Niles events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Niles daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Niles.
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 Niles Christmas event for kids happens
Start the season at Holly Jolly Fest on November 28. Then make December 12 a full Niles day: Santa Breakfast in the morning and the IceLand ice show at 6:30 pm, or catch the Sunday matinee instead.
- Holly Jolly Fest and Tree LightingNiles · Nov 28
- Santa Breakfast at Howard Leisure CenterNiles · Dec 12
- IceLand Santa's Hollyday Follies Ice ShowNiles · Dec 12 to Dec 13
Looking further afield? Our Illinois Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, Chicago 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.
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.
Niles Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Niles this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Niles for 2026: Holly Jolly Fest and Tree Lighting on November 28, Santa Breakfast on December 12, and Santa’s Hollyday Follies ice show on December 12 and 13.
When is the Niles tree lighting in 2026?
Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 5:30 pm during Holly Jolly Fest at Golf Mill Park, with fireworks right after.
How much is Santa Breakfast in Niles?
Ages 3 and up are $16 for residents and $20 for nonresidents, and ages 2 and under are $6. Everyone attending must register.
Where can kids meet Santa in Niles?
At Holly Jolly Fest on November 28 and at Santa Breakfast at Howard Leisure Center on December 12.
Who do I contact about Niles holiday events?
The Village of Niles (ContactNiles@vniles.com) for Holly Jolly Fest, and the Niles Park District at (847) 967-6633 for Santa Breakfast and the IceLand show.
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 Niles 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.