Start your holiday season off right by attending a Christmas parade!
Parades are a great way to have some family fun this Christmas.
Click on a parade below to get the details. Remember, 2020 is unpredictable so double check that the parade you plan to attend is still a “GO” before you head out.
Date: November 27, 2020 Time: 9 - 10 a.m.
Date: December 5, 2020 Time: 2 - 4 p.m.
Date: December 7, 2020 Time: 4:30 p.m.
Downtown Christmas Parade (Springfield)
Date: December 12, 2020 Time: 2:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
See Christmas lights all over Illinois with your family!
One of our favorite things about the holiday season is Christmas lights. With not as many events this year, why don't we go off the beaten path this season.
Festival of Lights, East Peoria (About 5 minutes from Peoria)
Welcome to the 36th annual East Peoria Festival of Lights, happening Thursday, November 26, 2020 through Sunday, January 3, 2021! The Parade of Lights will occur on Saturday, November 21.
Marking 36 years of holiday cheer, the festival begins with the Parade of Lights and continues through the month of December with the Folepi’s Winter Wonderland drive-through display.
Christmas Light Display at Dooley Park, Downs (About 1 hour from Peoria)
A park in Downs turns into a holiday wonderland. This is not nearly as elaborate as some of the others on this list, but still fun and not a far drive.
Mattoon Lightworks, Mattoon (About 2 hours from Peoria)
Drive through Mattoon’s beautiful Peterson Park to see a vast array of standard and animated holiday light displays. Over 15,000 visitors each year see this great display of holiday lights vividly reflecting off the winter’s snow. Local Churches will host a live nativity each Friday in December.
Free Admission with donations accepted.
McFerran Park Christmas Light Show, Hoopeston (About 2 hours from Peoria)
City of Hoopeston presents the annual Light Up McFerren Park. Over 25 displays and tens of thousands of lights.
Aurora Festival of Lights, Aurora (About 2 hours from Peoria)
One of the largest free outdoor drive-through holiday light displays in Northern Illinois, the Aurora Festival of Lights, returns for its 14th year in 2020 with even more dazzling displays that will delight both adults and children.
Bethalto Christmas Village, Bethalto (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
Enjoy lighted trees and colorfully decorated cottages as you casually stroll through the Central Park to the sounds of live Christmas music. Look for special features like a petting zoo and live nativity scene. Relive moments in Bethalto history with venues dedicated to farming, mining, milling, trains and planes. The event begins the day after Thanksgiving and continues each Friday and Saturday from 5-8 p.m. through December 16.
Christmas Wonderland, Alton (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
Begin your holiday celebration escaping from the chaos of the season and experiencing the enchantment of Christmas at the "Christmas Wonderland" holiday light display. The "Grandpa Gang" has been at it again transforming Rock Springs Park in Alton, Illinois into a Winter Wonderland. Visitors can drive through the park to view more than 4 million lights, cascading waterfalls of lights, lighted trees and displays, and visit Santa Claus in the Enchanted Forest.
Annual Holiday Lights at Mooseheart (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
Join us for our 11th Annual Holiday Lights display, opening on Friday, November 27th and running 5:00PM-9:00PM nightly through Thursday, December 31st. Holiday Lights at Mooseheart is one of Chicagoland’s largest light displays! The lighted route is approximately 1.8 miles and has more than 80 lighted displays to view.
Lincoln Park Zoo ZooLights (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
ZooLights will feature hundreds of luminous displays and incredible seasonal activities, all under the glow of millions of illuminated lights, plus reduced capacity admission to keep your family safe.
Illumination: Tree Lights at Morton Arboretum, Lisle (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
See trees in a different light at a reimagined Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum. Designed with your safety in mind, this year’s new driving experience (30–40 minutes long) features an unparalleled spectacle of color, light, and music you won’t experience anywhere else.
Brookfield Zoo's Holiday Magic, Brookfield (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
Now in our 39th year, get ready to visit Chicagoland’s largest and longest-running lights festival featuring over a million twinkling LED lights!
Holiday Lights at Lilacia Park, Lombard (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
Join Lombard Park District’s annual lighting celebration in Lilacia Park! Charming holiday displays light up Lilacia Park with a magical array of animated light shows, decorated trees, a gingerbread house, and much more.
Geneva Christmas Walk, Geneva (About 2.5 hours from Peoria)
If it’s good enough for The Ellen Show then it’s certainly good enough for us! Kick off your festivities by watching the glorious tree lighting in early December. Enjoy carolers, roasted chestnuts and a free carriage ride through the town. Don’t miss the Holiday House Tour on December 6th and 7th and enjoy five of the most beautiful homes that have certainly come alive with the Christmas spirit. It might even inspire some unique decorating ideas for your own home this season.
Chicago Around the World and Holiday Lights, Chicago (About 3 hours from Peoria)
It began in 1942 with a single tree. Today, the Museum’s beloved annual celebration features a four-story, floor-to-dome Grand Tree, surrounded by a forest of 40 trees and displays decorated by volunteers to represent the holiday traditions from cultures around the globe. It’s the one-of-a-kind experience that brings a whole world of holiday joy under one roof.
Rosemont Holiday Light Display, Rosemont (About 3 hours from Peoria)
Starting Friday, November 27th, 2015 - multiple parks will light up with holiday lights.
