Lights of Lisle kicks off holiday season

The annual Lights of Lisle Festival opens the holiday season with the Lisle Santa Parade, followed by musical performances, luminarias lining the streets, the village's official tree-lighting ceremony and - new this year - an outdoor holiday market.

Santa officially arrives in a parade that starts at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, from Ogden Avenue on Main Street and works its way south through downtown Lisle, turning east on Burlington Avenue and ending at the Lisle Village Hall, 825 Burlington Ave. Santa's final destination is the Museums at Lisle Station Park, 921 School St., where he will take requests from boys and girls.

Students will give holiday performances in the board room at village hall all afternoon and after the tree-lighting ceremony, which begins at 6 p.m. outside the village hall. The Lisle Community Band will perform, and cookies and hot chocolate will be served. Holiday song books will be available for all to enjoy community caroling. At dusk, approximately 2,000 luminarias line the streets of Lisle.

New this year is an outdoor Holiday Market with artisan vendors selling holiday gifts, decor and festive crafts. Local food trucks will offer items for diners to enjoy in a heated tent.

A Holiday Trolley, complete with holiday music, will give free rides to view the holiday decorations from 5 to 7 p.m. Riders get on and off at the village hall, where there will be an ice carving demonstration, refreshments and an opportunity to visit with Santa at the Depot Museum. Free wagon rides also will be available from 5 to 8 p.m. and run between the Lisle Village Hall and the Museums at Lisle Station Park.

Lise Heritage Society's annual "Once Upon a Christmas" takes place 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Museums at Lisle Station Park. The 1800s-era holiday celebration is complete with period costumes, demonstrations, children's crafts, music, brick oven baking, model train displays, hay rides, blacksmithing and - of course - Santa.

For information contact the Lisle Convention and Visitors Bureau at (630) 769-1000 or visit stayinlisle.com.