The Barrington Hills Observer

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Spectacular performances are this weekend

By Luke Zurawski | Daily Herald

Friday, Dec. 13

International Gem & Jewelry Show: Noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Shop directly from wholesalers, manufacturers and designers in a marketplace setting. Kids younger than 9 not permitted. $6 online, $8 at the door. intergem.com.

“Nutcracker All Jazzed Up”: Noon, 3 and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14, at the Bartlett Community Center, 700 S. Bartlett Road, Bartlett. Presented by the Bartlett Park District and Lisa’s School of Dance, the production includes local dancers performing to Tchaikovsky’s musical score reorchestrated into a modern, up-tempo, family-friendly experience. Tickets required. bartlettparkdistrict.com.

Sons of Serendip Christmas — Beyond the Lights: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at ECC Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. A finalist on Season 9 of “America’s Got Talent,” this classical crossover quartet includes a harpist, cellist, pianist and lead vocalist. $37. eccartscenter.org/events/centerstage.

Electric Illumination: 8:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14, at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. A special late-night experience when ages 18 and older can enjoy a curated playlist of Diva Anthems synchronized to the light displays. A DJ will be stationed in Arbor Court. Hot chocolate, snacks, alcoholic beverages and s’more kits can be purchased in concession tents and enjoyed by the bonfires. Tickets start at $30 at mortonarb.org.

Saturday, Dec. 14

Algonquin Breakfast with Santa: Seatings every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 14, at Cucina Bella, 220 S. Main St., Algonquin. All you-can-eat breakfast buffet, crafts and a visit with Santa. $32 for residents, $42 for nonresidents 13 and older; $25/$35 for kids 3-12; free for kids 2 and younger. rec.algonquin.org.

Lambs Farm Breakfast with Santa: 9 and 10:30 a.m. and noon Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15, at Lambs Farm, 14245 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville. Brunch at the Magnolia Café & Bakery, kids’ crafts and a goody bag. $18.95, $7.95 for kids younger than 2. For reservations, call (847) 362-5050. lambsfarm.org.

Doggy Grinchmas: 9:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Sheila Ray Adult Center, 225 E. Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove Village. Bring your dog and participate in a variety of activities. All participants will receive a souvenir picture with the Grinch. Dogs must be leashed; retractable leashes are not allowed. Registration deadline is Dec 11. elkgroveparks.org.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit with kids in Cook Park during MainStreet Libertyville’s Dickens of a Holiday on Saturday, Dec. 14. | Courtesy of MainStreet Libertyville

Dickens of a Holiday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, in downtown Libertyville. Photos with Santa in Cook Park, Children’s Holiday Shoppe at Petranek’s Pharmacy and Victorian Tea from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Libertyville Civic Center. Free; donations of nonperishable food items appreciated. mainstreetlibertyville.org.

Santa Paws: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 14, at Clayson House Museum & Library, 224 E. Palatine Road, Palatine. Price includes a souvenir photo of your pet with Santa, a stocking full of treats and a craft activity for your dog. For dogs only. Registration is required. $10-$15. palatineparks.org.

Winter Frostival: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 W. Fremont St., Arlington Heights. Meet a real Ice Princess and Ice Queen, plus strolling carolers, winter animals, Santa Claus, storytime, crafts, cookies and cocoa. Free. ahpd.org/event/winter-frostival-2.

Ice Sculpture Cocoa Crawl: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, around the Huntley Town Square. Custom-carved holiday animation-themed ice sculptures will be on display on the sidewalks. Tickets are for sale on the Huntley Area Chamber Facebook page and website for $18 for mug and s’mores, $15 for mug only and $5 for s’mores only. Mugs will not be sold on the day of the event. huntley.il.us.

LeeWards Style Ornaments: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Elgin History Museum, 360 Park St., Elgin. For decades, LeeWards sold craft supplies and decorations from their flagship store on State Street. Kids 6 or older can make their own LeeWards-style sequin ornament to take home. $5 per ornament. elginhistory.org.

Jingle Bell Zumba: 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Birchwood Recreation Center, 435 W. Illinois Ave., Palatine. Dress in Christmas attire for this Jingle Bell Zumba party. $10-$15. palatineparks.org/event/jingle-bell-zumba-2.

Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Spectacular: 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Spectacular includes carols, new spins on modern favorites and an appearance by Santa Claus. $20-$65. elginsymphony.org.

The Arlingtones will perform Saturday, Dec. 14, at First United Methodist Church in Arlington Heights. | Courtesy of Arlington Heights Historical Society

Arlingtones Christmas Concert: 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at First United Methodist Church, 1903 E. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights. $5.20-$12.75. arlingtones.net.

Green Oaks Holiday Chorus concert: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1151 N. St. Mary’s Road, Libertyville. Choral selections, carols and popular Christmas songs. Free. Monetary donations go to PADS. (847) 362-3809.

“Jingle Moms”: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Comedy show featuring Ana Belaval, Jeanie Doogan and Chelsea Hood. $35-$45. rauecenter.org.

Sunday, Dec. 15

Christmas Concert: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at Faith Lutheran Church, 431 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights. “Carols Old and New: A Celebration in Song and Scripture” features a combined choir, handbells, organ, piano and a sing-along. Freewill offering. faithlutheran-ah.org.

“Welcome Christmas” by Lake County Symphony Orchestra: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at Village Hall Barn, 2 Lagoon Drive, Hawthorn Woods. Program features Barber Die Natalie and Alfred Reed Russian Christmas music. $40; $10 with student ID; free for kids 5 and younger. lakecountysymphonyorchestra.com.

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Elgin will hold its Living Nativity on Sunday, Dec. 15. | John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com

A Living Nativity: 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 40W720 Plank Road, Elgin. An outdoor Living Nativity with real people and live animals, followed by carolers, cookies, hot cocoa and coffee. Photo opportunities and seating is available for those with disabilities. Free. stpauluccelgin.org.

Northwest Choral Society — A Northwest Christmas: 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at Saint Raymond’s Catholic Church, Lincoln Street and Elmhurst Avenue, Mount Prospect. Holiday music and a Christmas bake sale. Cash or check only for tickets purchased at the door. $15-$20. nwchoralsociety.org/concerts/a-northwest-christmas.

Tuesday, Dec. 17

“White Christmas” sing-along: 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 17-18, at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock. Sing along with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen at these special screenings of the 1954 Christmas classic. Concessions open at 6 p.m. $10. woodstockoperahouse.com.

Wednesday, Dec. 18

Itasca Holiday Trolley Lights Tour: 5-7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 18-19, starting at the Itasca Waterpark, 100 N. Catalpa St., Itasca. Sip hot cocoa while traveling around town to see the light displays at the Winter Wonderland and other sites. $10. Register: itascaparkdistrict.com.

Itasca Pictures With Santa: 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Usher Park gazebo, 203 S. Walnut, Itasca. Take photos with Santa and pick up a holiday token. Donate a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots or a nonperishable food donation for the Itasca Food Pantry. itascaparkdistrict.com.

Ongoing

Long Grove Vintage Holidays: Through Tuesday, Dec. 24, in downtown Long Grove. Holiday walk, horse-drawn carriage rides on weekends, Santa in the village, caroling around town and more. longgrove.org/festival/holiday-season.

Happy Holiday Railway: 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 14-15 and 21-22, at Illinois Railway Museum, 7000 Olson Road, Union. Aboard the train you’ll meet Santa, see the light and music show, and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. Trips at 11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 4, 5 and 6 p.m. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled trip. $25. Tickets: irm.org/event/happy-holiday-railway.

Brookfield Zoo’s Holiday Magic: 3-9 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, Dec. 12-15 and 19-22, and Thursday through Tuesday, Dec. 26-31, at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Features over 2 million twinkling LED lights, themed lighting areas, Santa visits through Dec. 22, Holiday Market, treats and sips and seasonal attractions. Zoo admission and parking fees apply. Advance tickets are required. brookfieldzoo.org//HolidayMagic.

Illumination Tree Lights: 4:30-9:30 p.m. select days through Saturday, Jan. 4, at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. See 17 displays of lights set to music highlighting the beauty of trees in winter along a 1-mile, ADA-accessible, paved path. Roast marshmallows for s’mores and enjoy a hot seasonal beverage from the concession tents along the trail. The exhibition is closed select Mondays and Tuesdays and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tickets: mortonarb.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe hosts Lightscape through Jan. 5. | Courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden

Lightscape: 4:30-9:15 p.m. select dates through Jan. 5 at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Take a nighttime stroll through illuminated displays. $32 for members, $34 for nonmembers for adults; $17/$19 for kids 3-12 in advance; $37/$39 for adults, $22/$24 for kids the day of. chicagobotanic.org/lightscape.

Santa House: 5-8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays; and noon to 3 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 22, in the Brink Street Market, Crystal Lake. Visit with Santa Claus. downtowncl.org/events.

Joffrey Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 and 6 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 27; plus 2 p.m. Thursdays, Dec. 19 and 26, Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Saturday, Dec. 28, at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. $36-$187. joffrey.org.

“The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 12-13, and 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15, at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. Schaumburg Dance Ensemble performs Tchaikovsky’s timeless ballet. $30-$48. prairiecenter.org.

Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”: 8 p.m. Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 5 p.m. Sundays; 1 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, through Dec. 29, at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Showbiz buddies and military comrades Bob Wallace and Phil Davis stage a winter pageant to save a struggling Vermont inn owned by their old commanding officer. Ticket prices start at $63. marriotttheatre.com.

“A Christmas Carol”: Various times and dates through Dec. 23 at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Appropriate for ages 5 and older; kids 3 and younger will not be permitted. $20-$45. metropolisarts.com/event/christmas-carol-2024.

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