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Holiday Tree Lightings 2026: Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Wheeling

Tree lighting dates for Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Wheeling, each linked to the listing it came from.

Arlington Heights Friday, November 27, 4:30–6:30 PM, North School Park

Des Plaines Not yet posted for 2026 — check the town's page

Mount Prospect Not yet posted for 2026 — check the town's page

Palatine Saturday, November 21, 4–7 PM, Towne Square

Wheeling Not yet posted for 2026 — check the town's page

Breakfast with Santa & Santa visits, all five towns →

Towns usually post their tree lighting in the fall. A date appears here once the town's own 2026 listing names it, and each one links to that listing. A town showing "not yet posted" has no 2026 announcement we could confirm, so check its page directly. We never show a date from a previous year.

Holiday events, town by town

Arlington Heights

Fri, Nov 27 Holiday Tree Lighting
Sat, Dec 12 Frostival
Fri, Dec 18 Family Gingerbread House Decorating

Des Plaines

Thu, Dec 3 Holiday Wrap & Write Workshop
Tue, Dec 8 Christmas in a Cup
Fri, Dec 11 Holiday Bell Concert
Sat, Dec 12 Des Plaines Youth Commission Holiday Hoopla
Tue, Dec 22 Holiday Wrap & Write Workshop

Mount Prospect

Thu, Nov 12 Ladies Night Out: Harvest & Holiday
Sat, Nov 14 Friends Holiday Book Sale
Wed, Nov 18 Drop-In Gift Wrap Supplies and Holiday Decor Swap
Thu, Dec 3 Spinning Snowflake Workshop
Sat, Dec 5 Family Photos with Santa
Sat, Dec 5 Winter Makers Market
Sat, Dec 5 MPCB The Joy of Christmas
Fri, Dec 11 Winter Wonderland
Tue, Dec 15 Holiday Concert: The Saddle Shoe Sisters
Mon, Dec 21 Holiday Hunt

Palatine

Sat, Nov 7 PHS Pirate Boosters Present: Fall Craft Fair
Sat, Nov 7 Palatine High School Pirates Boosters Fall Craft Fair
Sat, Nov 21 Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
Thu, Dec 24 Christmas Eve (Village Offices Closed)
Fri, Dec 25 Christmas Day (Village Offices Closed)

Wheeling

Mon, Nov 16 Holiday Print Cards
Sun, Nov 22 Lights Around Wheeling
Wed, Nov 25 EARLY CLOSING - Thanksgiving Holiday
Thu, Nov 26 Thanksgiving Day Holiday - Village Offices are Closed for Thanksgiv
Mon, Dec 7 Holiday Napkins
Mon, Dec 14 Holiday Napkins
Fri, Dec 18 Holiday Cookie Decorating | At the Branch
Tue, Dec 22 Leslie Goddard presents Marshall Field's at Christmas
Thu, Dec 24 CLOSED - Christmas Eve
Fri, Dec 25 Village Offices are closed for the Christmas Day Holiday

Every event above comes from that town's library, park district, or village calendar, and links to its listing on the town's page.

Local shop? Get listed in the holiday guide, $20 until Nov 15. A "Local business listing" on your town's holiday page, live through Dec 31. The price rises to $50 on Nov 16.
Get listed, $20 →