Seeking Santa? Where you can find him along Randall Road
The Christmastime fun is in full swing up and down the Randall Road corridor.
In anticipation of the holiday, there are happenings each weekend leading up to Christmas.
One of the most popular attractions is Santa himself, who seems to be visiting this area a lot these days.
Each weekend, from now through Dec. 20, he will be along the Randall Road corridor in Algonquin. You can spot him riding on the Santa Express trolley in Algonquin Commons from 1 to 4 p.m.
Kids of all ages can visit with him aboard the trolley as it drives throughout the mall.
The trolley runs every weekend through Christmas as well, bringing weary shoppers from one end of Algonquin Commons to the next for free. There are various stops along the way where you can get on and off to shop or rest. You can find the trolley locations by looking for the stop signs throughout the mall.
If you stop in the middle of the mall, you may want to duck into the office. Inside, they are offering free hot cocoa and coffee any time during office hours.
If you're looking to meet with the big elf himself a little further south along the Randall Road corridor, he also will be at Geneva Commons every Sunday through Dec. 20 strolling through the mall and handing out treats from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
After a short break, he will be back in his Santa station from 2 to 5 p.m. The station is near the Learning Express store.
Geneva Commons also is offering free transportation to shoppers. However, instead of riding around in a Santa trolley, shoppers get to ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The mall has free carriage rides from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 13.
Furry fun
There is even some fun scheduled this month along the Randall Road for your furry friends.
The PetSmart stores in Geneva, 1512 S. Randall Road, and Algonquin, 1808 S. Randall Road, are holding two weekends of special pet holiday fun.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 12 and 13 and Dec. 19 and 20, the stores are holding a Santa Paws Howliday Event. During those hours, the stores' employees will be helping you find the perfect gifts for your furry friend, as well as taking a photo for you to remember this holiday season.
Employees will take a digital image of your favorite pet with a holiday background, and then email you the photo, which you can print out at home.
For information, call (630) 232-6467 for the Geneva store or (847) 854-0694 for Algonquin.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.