The Chicago area has 13 Christmas events for kids we could confirm for the 2026 season, from Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light in Chicago on November 7 to ZooLights Presented by Invesco and ComEd in Chicago, which runs through January 3. 6 of them are free, and every listing links straight to the host. It is one stop on our guide to Christmas events for kids in Illinois, part of our guide for every state.