Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in West Chicago for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Jingle, Jangle Storytime (December 8) and A Grinchmas Gathering (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 West Chicago
- 2 Christmas events for kids in West Chicago
- Meet Santa: A Grinchmas Gathering (December 19)
- Season: December 8 (Jingle, Jangle Storytime) to December 19 (A Grinchmas Gathering)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 2 events
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in West Chicago
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday story time
Jingle, Jangle Storytime
- When: Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 10 to 10:30 am
- Where: West Chicago Public Library District (Program Room), 118 W Washington St, West Chicago, IL 60185 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page
- Ages: Ages 0 to 5 with an adult
Expand to see the parent tip
Miss Kelli leads a half hour of seasonal stories and songs in the library's Program Room, with a playful sleigh and snow theme meant to put little ones in a holiday mood. It is for children from birth to age 5, each with an adult.
The storytime is on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, from 10:00 to 10:30 AM at the West Chicago Public Library District, 118 W Washington St. The listing does not mention a price or registration. The library's standard notice says programs may include foods and treats containing common allergens.
Parent tip: At only 30 minutes and pitched at ages 0 to 5, this suits babies and toddlers with short attention spans, so arrive a few minutes early to get coats off before the first song. If your child has food allergies, tell staff beforehand, since the library's notice warns that treats may be present.
- Host
- West Chicago Public Library District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- West Chicago Public Library District (Program Room), 118 W Washington St, West Chicago, IL 60185 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New West Chicago events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in West Chicago daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in West Chicago.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more West Chicago 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 West Chicago.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in West Chicago 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 Crafts
- 1 Story time
- 1 Breakfast and treats
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in West Chicago every week.
Santa visit
A Grinchmas Gathering
- When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, noon to 2 pm
- Where: ARC Center, 201 W National St, West Chicago, IL 60185 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $25 per person at the door; lower pre-registration rate not listed on the page; under age 1 free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The West Chicago Park District's Grinchmas Gathering pairs a pizza lunch with a meet and greet featuring both the Grinch and Santa Claus, plus holiday crafts for kids. It takes place at the ARC Center and is open to all ages.
It runs on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Every participant, adult and child, must be registered, and children need a guardian with them. Signing up by November 26 earns a lower rate, pre-registration closes December 16, registration at the door is $25 per person, and children under age 1 are free.
Parent tip: Every adult needs a registration too, so count the whole family when you budget and sign up by November 26 for the lower rate. Pizza is part of the event, so there is no need to feed the kids lunch before you come.
- Host
- West Chicago Park District (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- ARC Center, 201 W National St, West Chicago, IL 60185 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New West Chicago events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in West Chicago daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in West Chicago.
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 West Chicago Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Jingle, Jangle Storytime in West Chicago on December 8; 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.
- Jingle, Jangle StorytimeWest Chicago · Dec 8
- A Grinchmas GatheringWest Chicago · Dec 19
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 Carol Stream, Wheaton, Bloomingdale 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.
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 Amazon2026 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 West Chicago
West Chicago grew up around the first junction of railroad lines in Illinois and was once simply called Junction. Trains still stop at its Metra station, and at Christmas families head for a holiday storytime at the downtown library and a Grinch-themed lunch with Santa at the Park District's ARC Center.
How West Chicago celebrates
Two public bodies run the listed events. The West Chicago Public Library District holds Jingle, Jangle Storytime on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, a half hour of seasonal tales and songs for ages 0 to 5 in its Program Room on West Washington Street. The West Chicago Park District follows on Saturday, December 19, with A Grinchmas Gathering at its ARC Center, a pizza lunch with crafts and a meet and greet with the Grinch and Santa Claus. The Park District's special events page also describes a holiday train ride to the North Pole from the West Chicago Metra station, with Santa boarding to hand each child a gift, a fitting outing for a city that began as a railroad junction.
Fun facts about Christmas in West Chicago
The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad reached the site in 1849, and a second line built in 1850 made it the first railroad junction point west of Chicago. Railroad president John B. Turner recorded the first plat in 1855 as the Town of Junction, and residents incorporated as the Village of Turner in 1873. The name changed to West Chicago in 1896 to help attract industry. The 2020 census counted 25,614 residents.
Traditions today
- Jingle, Jangle Storytime: The West Chicago Public Library District gathers children ages 0 to 5 and their adults for seasonal tales and songs on December 8, 2026.
- A Grinchmas Gathering: The West Chicago Park District serves a pizza lunch with crafts and a meet and greet with the Grinch and Santa Claus at the ARC Center on December 19, 2026.
- Holiday train to the North Pole: The Park District describes a ride aboard West Chicago's own holiday train from the Metra station, with music, stories, snacks and Santa climbing aboard.
- The downtown library: The West Chicago Public Library sits downtown, and its Program Room hosts the holiday storytime.
- The railroad junction: West Chicago was established around the first junction of railroad lines in Illinois and is still served by Metra's Union Pacific West Line.
A fact for kids
West Chicago used to be called Junction, because it grew up at the spot where railroad lines met. A one-room schoolhouse built near town in 1835 stayed open until 1991.
Questions about Christmas in West Chicago
When was West Chicago founded?
Railroads arrived first, in 1849 and 1850. John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, recorded the first plat in 1855 as the Town of Junction. Residents incorporated as the Village of Turner in 1873, the year Wikipedia lists for the city's establishment.
How did West Chicago get its name?
The community was first called Junction, then Turner after railroad president John B. Turner. In 1896 it became the Village of West Chicago. Local businessmen, particularly Charles Bolles, reasoned that the new name sounded more cosmopolitan and would help draw factory owners to town.
Why are railroads so important to West Chicago's history?
The city formed around the first junction of railroad lines in Illinois. So many trains passed through that water and fuel facilities, a roundhouse, an eating-house and a hotel were built, and railroad workers and their families settled here. Metra still stops at West Chicago station.
What happens at Christmas for kids in West Chicago?
This season's listings include Jingle, Jangle Storytime at the West Chicago Public Library District on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, from 10:00 to 10:30 AM, and A Grinchmas Gathering with the Grinch and Santa Claus at the Park District's ARC Center on Saturday, December 19, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM.
Where do West Chicago's Christmas events take place?
The storytime is in the Program Room of the West Chicago Public Library District at 118 W Washington Street, which Wikipedia places downtown. The Grinchmas Gathering is at the West Chicago Park District's ARC Center. The Park District's holiday train ride leaves from the West Chicago Metra station.
Who organizes West Chicago's Christmas events for kids?
The West Chicago Public Library District runs Jingle, Jangle Storytime, presented by Miss Kelli. The West Chicago Park District runs A Grinchmas Gathering and the holiday train ride to the North Pole, and takes registrations for both through its special events page.
What is free at Christmas in West Chicago?
The library's Jingle, Jangle Storytime listing for December 8, 2026 shows no price or registration, although it does not state that it is free. At the Park District's Grinchmas Gathering on December 19, participants under age 1 are free, while registration at the door is $25 per person.
How many people live in West Chicago?
The 2020 census counted 25,614 residents in West Chicago, a city in DuPage County, Illinois. Back in 1910 the population was 2,378, at a time when new industries such as a milk condensing plant, a cabinet company and a brick company had moved in.
What historic places can families visit in West Chicago?
The city is home to Kline Creek Farm, an 1890s living history farm, and the West Chicago City Museum, housed in a historic building that once served as Town Hall. The Illinois Prairie Path's Geneva Spur follows the route of an old electric interurban railway.
Sources
- West Chicago, Illinois, Wikipedia
- Jingle, Jangle Storytime, West Chicago Public Library District
- Special Events, West Chicago 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.
West Chicago Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in West Chicago?
For the youngest children, start with Jingle, Jangle Storytime at the West Chicago Public Library District on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, from 10:00 to 10:30 AM. For the whole family, the Park District's Grinchmas Gathering on Saturday, December 19, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM, brings lunch, crafts, the Grinch and Santa to the ARC Center.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in West Chicago?
The library's listing for Jingle, Jangle Storytime on December 8, 2026 shows no price and no registration, though it does not use the word free. The Grinchmas Gathering on December 19 is a paid event, but the Park District notes that participants under age 1 are free.
Where can kids meet Santa in West Chicago?
Santa Claus appears alongside the Grinch at A Grinchmas Gathering on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM at the West Chicago Park District's ARC Center. The meet and greet comes with a pizza lunch and holiday crafts, and everyone attending must be registered.
Which West Chicago holiday events need registration?
A Grinchmas Gathering does. All participants, adults and children, must register; pre-registration closes December 16, 2026, and signing up by November 26 saves money. At the door the cost is $25 per person. The library's Jingle, Jangle Storytime listing does not mention sign-up.
Is there a holiday storytime for babies and toddlers in West Chicago?
Yes. Jingle, Jangle Storytime is for ages 0 to 5 with an adult, and features seasonal tales and songs led by Miss Kelli in the library's Program Room at 118 W Washington Street. It takes place on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, from 10:00 to 10:30 AM.
Does West Chicago have a holiday train ride?
The West Chicago Park District's special events page describes a holiday train ride to the North Pole from the West Chicago Metra station, where Santa boards and gives each child a gift. Every rider must be pre-registered and space is limited. Check the Park District's page for this season's date.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near West Chicago?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Illinois Christmas train rides guide. This West Chicago 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.