See Santa this weekend at Mooseheart's annual Holiday Lights Show

Posted December 17, 2015 10:00 pm

Mooseheart

Santa Claus returns to Mooseheart's Holiday Lights show Dec. 18-20. Santa's visits run from 5:30-8:30 p.m. each night. Courtesy of Mooseheart

Bring the kids to see Santa at the Mooseheart Holiday Lights Show on Friday, Dec. 18, to Sunday, Dec. 20.

The admission price includes not only the Holiday Lights show, but also a chance to see Santa Claus at the Mooseheart Fieldhouse, off Route 31 and Mooseheart Road, just south of Batavia.

Santa will sit for free photos from 5:30 p.m. and the line will be shut at 8:30 p.m., with those in line still allowed to see Santa.

Mooseheart's Holiday Lights celebration ends, as always, on New Year's Eve.

Last year, more than 10,000 vehicles drove the 1.8-mile route that winds through Mooseheart's campus and past more than dozens of lights displays in what is one of the Chicago area's largest holiday light shows. The show runs from 5 to 9 p.m. every night through Dec. 31. The cost remains $10 per car. 3-D glasses are available for $3.

"We have always said it was a family tradition, and I think it's starting to become just that," Mooseheart Executive Director Gary Urwiler said. "We've seen our numbers increase in recent years, and I think that's because this is something for the entire family to enjoy. Grandparents, grandchildren, sons, daughters - everyone, can cut out the hustle and bustle of the holidays and enjoy something like this."

In addition to Santa Claus, the field house will also be a place where children can enjoy a bounce house, crafts, holiday music and even a Christmas cookie.

"One of the highlights of the show is when we open the field house and have Santa," Urwiler said. "It brings another element to the show. I love to go into the field house and see the children having a good time, doing crafts, enjoying the bounce house or having cookies and hot chocolate. And our Santa is remarkable, a great Santa."

As with each previous year, Urwiler said changes have been made and the show is different.

"Changes in the show occur each year so the show will look fresh and different from the previous year. Our goal is to enhance the show with a percentage of newer displays," Urwiler said.

For details, visit www.mooseheart.org. Mooseheart is a residential child care facility, located on a 1,000-acre campus, south of Batavia. The Child City is a home for children and teens in need, from infancy through high school.

Drive through Mooseheart's 1.8-mile holiday lights celebration featuring dozens of lights displays. The show continues through Dec. 31. Courtesy of Mooseheart

Mooseheart's sixth annual Holiday Lights show runs through Dec. 31. The show is open from 5-9 p.m. each night and the cost is $10 per vehicle. Courtesy of Mooseheart

Tommy Moose, the Mooseheart mascot, welcomes Santa this weekend to the annual holiday lights show. Courtesy of Mooseheart

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