Tour the retro-cool lighted decorations in Bayfront Festival Park, including a tree that dances to music, Dinosaurland and Penguin Park, and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. There's free hot chocolate, cookies, popcorn and marshmallows to roast over fire pits. Bring cash or food to donate to food shelves.
The free display in Olin Park is open from dusk to dawn. Candy canes are handed out till 10 p.m.
The season-long lights festival includes more than 500,000 lights throughout downtown's parks and streets.
This is the most authentic Old World Christmas market, with many German vendors who bring over toys, ornaments and sweets. There's a Children's Lantern Parade, appearances by the Christkind and entertainment most days. In Daley Plaza in the Loop.
This satellite of the famous Chicago market is in RiverEdge Park on the Fox River, with more than 50 vendors from around the world and daily entertainment.
This market on the grounds of the Corner of the Past Museum, a recreated pioneer homestead south of town, features local vendors and artisans, live music, and German dishes served inside a large barn.
This Christkindlmarkt in Union Depot features choirs, dancers, hot mulled wine, holiday beers, European-inspired food and artisan goods.
This open-air European Christmas Market at the Eighth Street Market Place includes 18 timber booths offering Dutch imports, folk art, hand-knit apparel and other gifts.
In Riverside Park, see a holiday display of 3 million lights with music. It opens with a parade, and Santa and reindeer are there every night through Dec. 23, with a live Nativity some nights. There are also carriage rides, an ice rink with free use of skates, and free s'mores at fire pits.
This free light show on Lake Winnebago includes animated scenes and trees that dance to 20 minutes of music played on 87.9 FM (you can listen on your car radio).
Admission to the annual display of 2.5 million lights at the Lincoln Park Zoo is $7-$10 per person. Tickets are free on some Mondays. Reserve time slots in advance.
This town on the Illinois River kicks off its downtown festival with a parade, followed by fireworks.
This new outdoor European-style market on North Loop Green, near Target Field, features vendors and such German and Swiss favorites as Glühwein, raclette, pretzels and potato pancakes.
In this northwest Illinois town, Santa Lucia arrives in a horse-drawn carriage on Friday and hands out Swedish cookies, then Santa lights the Great Tree and opens his Gingerbread House. There's shopping amid strolling carolers. A tour of five houses is Friday and Saturday.
This Christmas market in Principal Park, on the river confluence downtown, features vendors and food plus many performances by bands, choirs, carolers, fiddlers and dance troupes.
In this Dutch town, there's an Old World open-air market and a tour of homes decorated for the holidays. On Saturday, Sinterklaas arrives in a wooden ship, wears a bishop's miter and has a Moorish servant as helper. He leads a parade from Scholte Church at 10 a.m.
This arty town on the Wisconsin River, home to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen as well as House on the Rock, offers a lighted parade at 6 p.m. on Jefferson Street, followed by a concert. On Saturday, there are fireworks at 6 p.m. in North Park.
In this Swiss town, the outdoor Christmas market downtown features decorated mini-chalets, food and music.
In the northeast Iowa bluffs, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum will have Scandinavian food, theater, music, folk-art demonstrations, singing around the Jule tree and appearances by Julenisse and Julebukker.
This lighted parade down Broad and Main streets starts at 5 p.m.
At this fun event at Old World Wisconsin, a complex of pioneer homesteads next to Kettle Moraine State Forest west of Milwaukee, you'll meet Father Christmas (and possibly Krampus), sip wassail, listen to brass carols and take a horse-drawn wagon ride.
This festival inside the La Crosse Center features cheese, sausage and craft beer from more than 40 breweries.
In this formerly communal village in eastern Iowa, visit the decorated Tannenbaum Forest, buy at the craft bazaar, go on a cookie walk and listen to Santa stories.
Get a free twinkle light in Lowell Park, listen to carolers, wait for Santa's arrival and watch the tree-lighting.
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