Christmas Events for Kids in Schaumburg (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 Schaumburg for 2026, and here is what he found: 6 family events. The magic runs from December 5 (Santa's Flight to Schaumburg) through December 18, with Christmas in the Valley (December 6) and Brunch with the Grinch (December 13) along the way. 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 Schaumburg

  • 6 Christmas events for kids in Schaumburg
  • Meet Santa: 3 chances, including Santa's Flight to Schaumburg (from December 5) and Christmas in the Valley (December 6)
  • Also on the list: 5 craft workshops
  • Season: December 5 (Santa's Flight to Schaumburg) to December 18 (Pizza & PJs with Santa)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Schaumburg

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

Santa visit

Santa's Flight to Schaumburg

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Families gather inside a hangar at Schaumburg Regional Airport and wait for Santa to fly in by helicopter. A buffet breakfast or lunch, depending on the session, is served alongside holiday music and crafts, and the hangar doors open as he approaches so everyone can watch the landing. Santa then comes inside to greet children and pose for photos.

There is a lunch session on Saturday, December 5, 2026 from 1 to 3 p.m., then a breakfast session (9 to 11 a.m.) and a lunch session (1 to 3 p.m.) on Sunday, December 6. The cost is $35 for residents and $40 for non-residents, children 2 and younger are free, and every child and adult must register. Resident registration opened October 5 and non-resident registration October 12.

Parent tip: The entry line usually stretches outdoors and seating is first come, first served, so dress for the weather and aim to arrive when doors open, 8:30 a.m. for breakfast or 12:30 p.m. for lunch. Photos with Santa are taken on your own phone or camera.

Host
Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Schaumburg Regional Airport, 905 W. Irving Park Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 5 more Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg.
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  • Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
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Coming up on this page

  • 5 Crafts
  • 5 Breakfast and treats
  • 3 Santa
  • 3 Zoos and museums

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Holiday event

Christmas in the Valley

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Heritage Farm at Spring Valley steps back to the 1880s to show how the season was kept in early Schaumburg. Children make crafts and sample old-fashioned holiday treats, families toast marshmallows and sip warm drinks beside a bonfire, and Father Christmas receives visitors at Merkle Cabin.

The open house runs Sunday, December 6, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $3 per person or $12 per family, with children 2 and younger free, and you pay when you arrive. Parking is at St. Matthew Church, with signs pointing the way to the farm.

Parent tip: You park at the church and follow the signs to the farm, and the bonfire is an outdoor affair, so warm layers and shoes that can handle a farm in December are worth it. Since admission is paid on arrival, you can decide that morning based on the weather.

Host
Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Heritage Farm at Spring Valley, 201 S. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)

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Holiday event

Jolly Holiday Calls from the North Pole

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This one happens from your own living room. Jolly the Elf joins each family on a five-minute Zoom call from the North Pole and passes along advice on staying on the nice list this year.

Calls are offered on Wednesday, December 9 and Thursday, December 10, 2026, between 5 and 7 p.m., for $10. After you register, a questionnaire arrives by email, and once it is returned the Park District sends a Zoom link with your exact time inside that window. Registration opens November 9 for residents and November 16 for non-residents.

Parent tip: The call lasts only five minutes and your exact time arrives by email after you return the questionnaire, so send it back quickly and test Zoom before your slot. Have your child settled at the screen a few minutes early.

Host
Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Virtual (Zoom), 505 N Springinsguth Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60194 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)

New Schaumburg events every week

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Holiday crafts

Santa's Workshop

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Kids spend the evening at the Community Recreation Center decorating Christmas cookies, writing letters to Santa, making crafts and playing holiday games. Snacks are provided to keep everyone going.

The workshop is on Friday, December 11, 2026 from 6 to 8 p.m. It costs $20 for residents and $25 for non-residents. Children must have an adult with them the whole time, and both children and adults must register. Resident registration opened October 5 and non-resident registration October 12.

Parent tip: The Park District's page lists cookies, letters, crafts and games but does not mention Santa appearing in person, so set expectations with your child beforehand. Adults register as well, so count a grown-up in when you sign up.

Host
Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg, IL 60194 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)

New Schaumburg events every week

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

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Holiday event

Brunch with the Grinch

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The Grinch is the guest of honor at this buffet meal at the Community Recreation Center. Children work on crafts, spend time with him and pose for a photo, and each guest goes home with a goody bag.

It takes place Sunday, December 13, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $25 for residents and $30 for non-residents, and children 2 and younger are free. Adults and children both register, and children must stay with an adult throughout. Resident registration opened October 5 and non-resident registration October 12.

Parent tip: A green, grumpy character up close can unsettle toddlers, so show little ones a picture of the Grinch before you go. Photos are taken on your own phone or camera, so charge it.

Host
Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg, IL 60194 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)

New Schaumburg events every week

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

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

Santa visit

Pizza & PJs with Santa

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Families turn up in their comfiest pajamas for a relaxed evening of pizza, ornament making and letters to Santa, plus a picture with Santa himself. The night also includes a screening of the movie A Christmas Story.

The evening is Friday, December 18, 2026 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Recreation Center. It costs $20 for residents and $25 for non-residents. Children must be with an adult for the whole event, and both need to register. Resident registration opened October 5 and non-resident registration October 12.

Parent tip: Pizza, an ornament, a Santa photo and a movie all share a two-hour window, so get the Santa picture and the craft done early before younger kids fade. Arriving in pajamas makes bedtime easy when it wraps up at 8 p.m.

Host
Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)
Address
Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg, IL 60194 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Schaumburg Park District (opens in a new tab)

New Schaumburg events every week

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

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 Schaumburg Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Santa's Flight to Schaumburg in Schaumburg on December 5; the last runs to December 18. 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 Streamwood, Arlington Heights, South Barrington and Bloomingdale. 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)

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 Schaumburg

Santa has two ways of getting to Schaumburg, and neither is a sleigh. He rides a village fire truck to the tree lighting outside the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, and he lands by helicopter at Schaumburg Regional Airport for the Park District's Santa's Flight.

How Schaumburg celebrates

The village tree lighting falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, in the plaza beside the Prairie Center for the Arts on Schaumburg Court. Newspaper reports going back to 2013 describe the same pattern: carols at 6 p.m. led by village officials and local choirs, then Santa pulling up on a Schaumburg Fire Department truck at 6:30 p.m. to switch on the tree, followed by visits with children in the Maggie Atcher Theatre. The tree carries ornaments made by area youth groups, and visitors bring donations for the food pantry. The coverage does not say what year the ceremony began. The Schaumburg Park District adds its own events, including Christmas in the Valley, an 1880s-style celebration at Heritage Farm.

Christmas last year in Schaumburg

The 2025 ceremony was set for Friday, November 28, with caroling at 6 p.m. and Santa lighting a 30-foot tree at 6:30 p.m., according to the Daily Herald's preview. Construction of a new village hall had taken away some parking, so the village pointed drivers to the east end of the Prairie Center and to overflow spaces at the School District 54 Administration Building. Horse-drawn carriage rides were new that year, at $5 per person for a ride of about 10 minutes, and they sold out in advance. Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked were booked to appear, along with balloon twisters, a craft activity and a coffee and hot chocolate truck.

Fun facts about Christmas in Schaumburg

The village tree was listed at 22 feet in 2024 and 30 feet in 2025. In 2015, Mayor Al Larson flipped the switch together with Santa, and the arts center beside the plaza now carries Larson's name. Coop, the mascot of the Schaumburg Boomers baseball team, greeted the crowd at the 2013 lighting, where Santa heard wishes from hundreds of children. The 2015 ceremony was co-sponsored by the Schaumburg Jaycees.

Traditions today

  • Village Tree Lighting: Held on the Friday after Thanksgiving beside the Prairie Center for the Arts, with caroling at 6 p.m. and the lights switched on at 6:30 p.m.
  • Santa on the fire truck: The Schaumburg Fire Department escorts Santa to the plaza on a fire truck before he helps light the tree.
  • Youth-made ornaments: The plaza tree is decorated with ornaments made by area youth groups and organizations.
  • Food pantry drive: Visitors to the tree lighting are asked to bring nonperishable food and household items for the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry.
  • Santa's Flight to Schaumburg: Santa arrives by helicopter at Schaumburg Regional Airport while families watch from the hangar.
  • Christmas in the Valley: Heritage Farm at Spring Valley recreates an 1880s Schaumburg holiday with a bonfire, crafts and Father Christmas at Merkle Cabin.

A fact for kids

Santa does not need a sleigh in Schaumburg. He rides a fire truck to the tree lighting and lands in a helicopter at the airport.

Questions about Christmas in Schaumburg

When is the Schaumburg tree lighting held?

In every year covered by the reports we found, the Village of Schaumburg lit its tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving. In 2025 that was Friday, November 28, with caroling at 6 p.m. and the tree lit at 6:30 p.m. Check the village's announcement for the 2026 schedule.

Where does the Schaumburg tree lighting take place?

The tree stands in Jack Siegel Memorial Plaza, just west of the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts at 201 Schaumburg Court. Caroling and Santa's visits with children have been held inside the Prairie Center, in the Maggie Atcher Theatre, with the lighting itself outdoors on the plaza.

How does Santa arrive at the Schaumburg tree lighting?

Santa comes to the plaza on a fire truck with an escort from the Schaumburg Fire Department. Daily Herald reports from 2013, 2015 and 2024 all describe that arrival, as does a 2022 CBS Chicago report, and he then helps village officials switch on the tree at 6:30 p.m.

Can children meet Santa after the tree is lit?

Yes. After the lighting, Santa has met children inside the Prairie Center's Maggie Atcher Theatre, where parents can take photos. The 2024 schedule had him available from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m., and reports from 2013 and 2015 say hundreds of children lined up to share their wishes.

How tall is Schaumburg's holiday tree?

It has varied. The Daily Herald described a 22-foot tree for the 2024 ceremony and a 30-foot tree for 2025. In both years the plaza also had a gold sleigh, a large decorated picture frame and lighted gift boxes set out as backdrops for family photos.

Who decorates the Schaumburg village tree?

The ornaments are made by area youth groups and other local organizations. That detail appears in Daily Herald coverage from 2013, 2015 and 2024, so it is one of the longest-running parts of the ceremony that the newspaper reports mention.

Is there a food drive at the tree lighting?

Yes. People attending are asked to bring nonperishable food and household items for the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry. In 2024 the requested items included food, paper goods, personal care items, baby formula and diapers, and donation boxes were placed at each entrance of the Prairie Center.

How long has Schaumburg held its tree lighting?

The sources we read call it an annual ceremony but none gives a starting year. The earliest report we opened is from November 2013, and it already describes the format still used today: carols, Santa on a fire truck and visits with children at the Prairie Center.

What was new at the 2025 tree lighting?

Horse-drawn carriage rides were added in 2025. Each ride lasted about 10 minutes, held up to six people and cost $5 per person, and the rides sold out ahead of time. Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked were also scheduled to appear from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Is the Schaumburg tree lighting free?

The village described the 2024 ceremony as free and open to the public, with refreshments and entertainment provided. In 2025 the only listed charge was $5 per person for the optional carriage rides. Parking at the east end of the Prairie Center was free but limited by construction.

What is Christmas in the Valley?

It is a Schaumburg Park District open house at Heritage Farm at Spring Valley that shows the holiday season as it was in 1880s Schaumburg. Visitors find traditional treats, children's crafts, a bonfire with marshmallows and Father Christmas at Merkle Cabin. In 2026 it is on Sunday, December 6.

Where does Santa land his helicopter in Schaumburg?

At Schaumburg Regional Airport on Irving Park Road. The Park District's Santa's Flight to Schaumburg seats families in the airport hangar for a buffet meal, and the hangar doors open so they can watch the landing. The 2026 sessions are on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6.

Sources

  1. Schaumburg and Bartlett tree lighting preview (Nov. 19, 2025), Daily Herald
  2. Village of Schaumburg Tree Lighting Ceremony announcement (Nov. 19, 2024), Daily Herald
  3. Schaumburg lights holiday tree Nov. 27, Daily Herald
  4. Schaumburg welcomes Santa, start of holidays, Daily Herald
  5. Santa hears wish lists in Schaumburg, Daily Herald
  6. Arlington Hts., Schaumburg and Elk Grove flip the switch, Daily Herald
  7. Santa to make an appearance during Schaumburg's annual tree lighting ceremony, CBS Chicago
  8. 2025 Tree Lighting Ceremony, Village of Schaumburg (Eventeny listing)
  9. Christmas in the Valley, Schaumburg Park District
  10. Santa's Flight to Schaumburg, Schaumburg Park District

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.

Schaumburg Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

Which Christmas events in Schaumburg are best to start with for young kids?

Christmas in the Valley on Sunday, December 6, 2026 is the easiest first outing: an 1880s-style open house at Heritage Farm with crafts, a bonfire and Father Christmas, paid at the gate with no sign-up. For a bigger thrill, Santa's Flight to Schaumburg on December 5 and 6 lets children watch Santa land in a helicopter.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Schaumburg?

None of the Schaumburg Park District events listed here is free. The lowest cost is Christmas in the Valley on December 6, 2026, at $3 per person or $12 per family, and children 2 and younger get in free. Santa's Flight and Brunch with the Grinch also admit children 2 and younger at no charge.

Where can kids meet Santa in Schaumburg in 2026?

Santa greets children and poses for photos at Santa's Flight to Schaumburg at the airport on December 5 and 6, and again at Pizza & PJs with Santa at the Community Recreation Center on December 18. Father Christmas visits Merkle Cabin during Christmas in the Valley on December 6. Jolly the Elf takes Zoom calls on December 9 and 10.

Does Santa really arrive by helicopter in Schaumburg?

Yes. At Santa's Flight to Schaumburg, held at Schaumburg Regional Airport on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6, 2026, families eat a buffet breakfast or lunch in the hangar. When Santa's helicopter approaches, the hangar doors open so everyone can watch it land, and he then comes inside for photos.

Which Schaumburg holiday events need registration?

Santa's Flight, Santa's Workshop on December 11, Brunch with the Grinch on December 13 and Pizza & PJs with Santa on December 18 all require registration for both children and adults through the Schaumburg Park District. Jolly Holiday Calls need registration too. Christmas in the Valley on December 6 is the exception, with admission paid at the event.

Is there a holiday event in Schaumburg for kids who prefer the Grinch to Santa?

Brunch with the Grinch is on Sunday, December 13, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Community Recreation Center on Springinsguth Road. It includes a buffet, crafts, time with the Grinch for photos and a goody bag for each guest. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and both register.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Schaumburg?

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