
Performances of “The Nutcracker” begin tonight
“The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at Barrington High School, 616 W. Northwest Hwy., Barrington. Barrington Dance Ensemble presents “The Nutcracker.” $25-$35. barringtondance.org.
Barrington Holiday Festival Tree Lighting: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Park Avenue and Cook Street, Barrington. Santa visits and cookies and refreshments from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Barrington’s White House, petting zoo, trackless train rides, letters to Santa, holiday music, ornament decorating, tree lighting at 5 p.m., Barrington High School Madrigals and more. barrington-il.gov/visitors/special_events/holiday_events.php or barringtonswhitehouse.com.
Community Holiday Tea: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at Barrington’s White House, 145 W. Main St., Barrington. This 21-and-older holiday afternoon tea features hot tea, scones and finger sandwiches, plus champagne, wine and more. $85. barringtonswhitehouse.com/event/the-inaugural-community-holiday-tea.
ESO Holiday Brass & Percussion: 3-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at St. Anne Catholic Community, 120 Ela St., Barrington. Elgin Symphony Orchestra will kick off the holiday season with a free concert. Reservations at elginsymphony.org.
Crystal Lake Luminaria Walk: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, through Friday, Dec. 3, at Veteran Acres, 431 N. Walkup, Crystal Lake. Take a stroll along the lighted 0.4-mile pond trail or 1-mile full trail. On Saturday, there will be a campfire, hot cocoa, cookies, Candy Cane Forest and Mrs. Claus. $1 per person, $5 per family donation appreciated. Donations go to nature center education programs. crystallakeparks.org/special-events.
Long Grove Vintage Holidays: Weekends through Dec. 18 in downtown Long Grove. Visit Santa and his elves from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Horse-drawn carriage rides are available on weekends for $15 per person and require reservations. longgrove.org.
Dickens in Dundee-West Dundee: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in West Dundee. Starts Friday with the lighting of the Christmas tree at 5:45 p.m. and visits with Santa at village hall. Plus, Living Windows, where storefronts on Main Street come to life with portrayals of holiday scenes, horse-drawn carriage rides and a live reindeer display. On Saturday, there’s a petting zoo, treats, kids’ crafts and visits with Santa at Grafelman Park. Inaugural Riverside Parade of Lights at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. dickensindundee.org.
Algonquin Miracle on Main: 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, on Main Street, Algonquin. Annual event includes ice sculpting, a visit with Santa’s reindeer, live performances by local groups, and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Free. algonquin.org/recreation.
Voices in Harmony Sing-Along Messiah: 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at First United Methodist Church, 236 W. Crystal Lake Ave., Crystal Lake. Voices in Harmony with professional soloists, accompanied by a full orchestra made up of professional community musicians. $15-$20; free for kids with a paid adult. encoremusicacademy.org/event/sing-along-messiah/.
Merry Cary Holiday Parade & Festival: 12:30-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. Parade steps off at 1 p.m. on Wulff Street and ends in downtown on Main Street. Santa visits, petting zoo, pony rides, sleigh rides, carolers, activities, music and more. carygrovechamber.com.
Many more opportunities can be found here.
Leave a Reply