Get Ready for Lights of Lisle, Once Upon a Christmas

from the Village of Lisle

, the , and the have announced the dates for the annual holiday festivities in downtown Lisle.

The annual Santa Parade, featuring the official arrival of Santa, starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 and works its way from Ogden Avenue south on Main Street through downtown Lisle; turning east on Burlington Avenue and ending at the . Santa’s final destination is the where he will take requests from good little boys and girls.

Enjoy holiday performances by students in the Board Room at Village Hall all afternoon and after the tree lighting ceremony.

Saturday, Dec. 3 will feature the traditional Lights of Lisle when at dusk approximately 2,500 luminarias line the streets of Lisle and at 6 p.m. the official tree lighting ceremony begins at the Village Hall.  The Lisle Community Band will perform and cookies and hot chocolate will be served.

Christmas song books will be available for all to enjoy community caroling. The holiday theme is “Lights of Lisle—Showcasing beautiful Downtown Lisle”. The 2011 bears theme will find local merchants decorating their storefronts and Main Street streetscape planters and trees will be decorated to light up downtown Lisle.  A festively-decorated Holiday Trolley, complete with Christmas music, will be available from 3:00 – 5:30 p.m. for free trolley rides to view the holiday decorations.  Riders can get on and off at various Trolley Stops from Village Hall, where there will be ice carving demonstrations, refreshments and an opportunity to visit with Santa at the Depot Museum, not to mention all the merchants in-between.

Free hayrack rides will also be available from 4-8 p.m. and run between the Lisle Village Hall and the Museums at Lisle Station Park.

The annual Heritage Society Christmas celebration, “Once Upon a Christmas”, is Saturday, December 3 from 3 - 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Museums at Lisle Station Park.  Highlighting this year’s event will be an 1800’s era holiday celebration complete with period costumes, demonstrations, children’s crafts, music, brick oven baking, model train displays, hay rides, black-smithing and of course, Santa.

The ever-popular “Polar Express Santa Train” is Sunday, Dec. 4.

The train runs from Lisle Metra Station to Chicago Union Station and back for a 75-minute ride with Santa and his helpers reminiscent of the Caldecott award-winning children’s book and movie, “The Polar Express”.  Advanced tickets are required for either the 9:45 a.m. or 1:45 p.m. rides. Tickets are $16 per person.

For more information contact the Lisle Convention & Visitors Bureau at 630-769-1000, 800-733-9811 or visit www.StayInLisle.com.