The holiday season is soon upon us and Kendall County communities are ready to help you get into the spirit. Yorkville is first up this weekend,

The holiday season is in full swing all over Ogle County as residents and businesses are decorating and preparing for all of the festivities that lie ahead. Choose from some of these ideas to go green this holiday season and reduce your waste footprint.

The 27th annual Light Up the Holidays Festival & Parade will immediately follow The tree lighting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 28 at Joliet's new City Square.

The annual Higley Light Extravaganza will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, at 309 W. Front St. in Mt Morris.

Registration is officially open, and residents are invited to nominate their own property—or a neighbor’s. Nominations are being accepted through Sunday, Dec. 14.

This year's Jeeps on the Run, one of the largest area contributors toward Toys for Tots, takes place Sunday, Dec. 7 and will be the 13th annual event.

Kankakee County's Salvation Army kettle campaign, which has a goal of $75,000, is undeway in 10 locations throughout the area.

Column: Holiday magic is coming to DeKalb! writes the chamber's resident festive elf, Elfie. Local magic is real — and you’re part of it. Let’s make this holiday season shine brighter than ever.

Darra Glavan, 86, donates Norway spruce that will be first Christmas tree lit in new City Square for annual Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade.

Forreston is celebrating the Christmas season with a Candy Cane Christmas. Here's a list of all the planned activities, which include a luncheon, cookie sale and parade.

The United Methodist Church Choir and Bells will host a cookie walk from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the church, 421 E. Court. St., Hennepin.

Fans of the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” are in for a double treat when the Morrison Music Theater Association performs the radio version at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at Crossroads Community Church, 300 W. South St. in Morrison.

Streator rang in the Christmas season on Saturday, Nov.15, 2025, with the Mistletoe Market. Visitors enjoyed local shops and holiday displays.

Visitors got a jump start to their holiday season on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, with a visit to Spring Valley's annual Christmas in the Valley celebration. Check out these photos by MaKade Rios.

The Earl D. Schoeffner Farm Museum in Momence has opened a Charles Dickens Christmas exhibit, which runs every Friday and Saturday through December from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The sale will be from from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22 and feature a variety of Christmas decorations.

With the holiday shopping season approaching, Oswego-based environmental Diane Osgood, will talk about how consumers can use their purchasing power to reduce waste and support the environment.

The Byron Museum invites businesses, civic organizations, churches and other groups to register for the Festival of Trees.

Joliet resident Darra Glavan, 86, donated a Norway spruce from her yard that will be the first Christmas tree lit in new City Square for the annual Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade.

Unique trees and colorful table settings are once again on display for the annual Rock River Hospice and Home Festival of Trees.

For the 38th consecutive year, the Putnam County Food Pantry is teaming up with Toys in the Pantry, local organizations, businesses, churches and schools to deliver Christmas baskets to families struggling this holiday season.

The Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce welcomes the community to this three-day celebration from Nov. 20-22, 2025. Activities include Holiday Bingo, Christmas Walk, Love Light Reading, $1,000 Giveaway and Grinch Dodgeball.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days in the Prouty Building on Main St. in Princeton.

The St. Charles Business Alliance has announced who will be the Community Guest of Honor for the Electric Christmas Parade’s 25th anniversary.

Joliet resident Darra Galvan is donating a Norway spruce to decorate the newly built City Square for the holidays.

La Salle's Celebration of Lights runs from early November through New Year's Day at Rotary Park. The free drive-through display is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Donations are welcome. With over 400 unique and original displays, the Celebration of Lights at Rotary Park is one of the biggest and brightest Christmas light celebrations in North Central Illinois.

Community members are invited to sponsor a gift card to provide a holiday meal for families in need — $30 for a family of four or $50 for a family of six.

The Rochelle Community Action Network will host its annual Christmas shopping trip for families in need in the community on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. The event will include a coat drive.

Mark Friday, Dec. 5, on the calendar. The annual Christmas Walk is one of Discover Dixon’s premier holiday traditions, celebrating over 35 years of bringing festive cheer to the community.

The Polo Christmas Festival is back for its seventh year on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, bringing a full day of festive fun for all ages.

Don’t miss Jingle Fest 2025, Lanark’s holiday craft and vendor fair, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, in Eastland’s Jr./Sr. High gym and cafeteria.

Recycle holiday lights in Wheaton through the end of January

Check out photos from the Frosty on First event by MaKade Rios.

The city of Rochelle will hold its annual Old Fashioned Christmas Walk on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in downtown Rochelle.

Check out aerial photos from the inaugural Frosty on First event on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 downtown La Salle.

The St. Charles Business Alliance has extended the application deadline to Nov. 12 for the annual Electric Christmas Parade.

The 36th annual Festival of Trees celebration will begin this weeekend at the McCormick Event Center in Rock Falls. The celebration will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Nov. 9-15.

With the warm, dry conditions, harvest is almost complete at Riskedal Farms, where some corn and sunflowers remain to be picked.

Rock Falls Tourism is excited to announce the evolution of its beloved Tour of Lights House Decorating Contest into a bigger and brighter community celebration – the Winter Wonderland House and Business Window Decorating Contests.

The Polo Christmas Festival Committee is excited to announce the return of the annual craft and vendor show, taking place on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.

The Lombard Historical Society announces the 2025 Gingerbread House Contest.

Drop-off boxes will be available starting Nov. 17, 2025, at the following fire departments: Rochelle, Byron, Stillman Valley and Mt. Morris. They will be located at the village halls in Polo, Forreston, and Davis Junction and Creston.

Through a ComEd grant, the 4th annual Kankakee Christmas Parade has sharply increased the prizes for the top three floats in the Dec. 13 event.

The annual Polo Christmas Festival will be Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.

The Polo Christmas Festival is once again spreading holiday cheer through its annual Santa’s Helper Food Drive, running from Nov. 1 through Nov. 29, 2025.

Open Roads ABATE of IL, Inc. members participated in the 22nd annual Trunk or Treat event held at the Plano Methodist Church in Plano.

Turkey for Tots benefit events to help local youth in need readies for upcoming Christmas holiday with benefit events set for the annual program in Kankakee County.

The city of Sterling is hosting an outdoor Christmas decorating contest. Entry dates are Nov. 15 to Dec. 6.

Byron Bank is proud to once again participate and be a drop-off location for the Ogle County Toys for Tots program during the 2025 holiday season.

Bradley has set the date and time for its upcoming 40th annual Christmas parade along West Broadway Street.