# Holiday Light Celebration and Tree Lighting at Fountain Square — Evanston > Event for families in the Chicago–Naperville–Elgin area (IL / IN). Times are Central Time. - When: Sat, Dec 5 · 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM - Where: Fountain Square, downtown Evanston (Santa photos at The Merion), Fountain Square, downtown Evanston; The Merion, 1611 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, IL - Ages: All families - Price: Free; free photo ops with Santa - Organizer: Downtown Evanston - Official page: https://downtownevanston.org/ - Last checked: Sat, Oct 24 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 32 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/chicago/activities/holiday-light-celebration-and-tree-lighting-at-fountain-square-evansto--listing-91cbab4e968f21508f00e709 ## About Downtown Evanston's annual Holiday Light Celebration gathers families at Fountain Square for live holiday music from local singing groups, starting with the Evanston Children's Choir at 4:30 p.m. A short tree-lighting ceremony with elected officials and Santa and Mrs. Claus follows at about 5 p.m., with more entertainment on the square and hot cocoa from Colectivo. From 5:30 to 7 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus offer free photos in The Crystal Ballroom at The Merion (1611 Chicago Avenue), where warm drinks and sweet treats are also free and the children's choir sings again from 5:30 to 6. Families can bring donations for the Mayor's Holiday Toy, Food & Book Drive. Free metered holiday parking and the Sherman Plaza Self Park garage, a block away, make driving in easy. ## Similar picks in Chicago - [Tree Lighting in Wilder Park — Elmhurst](https://grassyknees.com/chicago/activities/tree-lighting-in-wilder-park-elmhurst--listing-187bcf814297452189f438ed) — Thu, Dec 3 · 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM · Wilder Park, Elmhurst · Free · checked Oct 24. 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