"High cost of producing the event relative to its return." That was the reason the city passed along in February, when NCTV17 reported that the Rotary Club of Naperville had canceled its 2026 Holiday Parade of Lights. City communications director Linda LaCloche added that "no other information was provided."
The parade had a long history. It started as the Friends of Little Friends Hometown Holidays Parade, a partnership between the Downtown Naperville Alliance and Little Friends, Inc. The Rotary Club took over organizing it in 2021, and for more than two decades it served as the city's signature start of the holiday season, moving through downtown on the day after Thanksgiving. Last year it stepped off on Friday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.
No other group has announced a replacement. The season will still open, but it now happens one piece at a time across November, run by organizers who each kept their own dates. For anyone planning family visits, a skate night or a downtown evening, the calendar works differently this year.
Where the Parade Money Went
Part of the parade's funding came from Naperville's 1% food and beverage tax. The Special Events and Community Arts Commission, known as SECA, recommends how that money is divided. For 2026, the Rotary Club asked for $26,773 and the commission recommended $22,300. According to the city staff report, the canceled allocation goes back to the Food and Beverage Fund unless City Council directs otherwise. The council approved the 2026 SECA allocations on Feb. 17. We found no record of that $22,300 being moved to a new event.
Downtown Naperville Alliance executive director Katie Wood said she was "saddened" by the news and that the Alliance remains "committed to preserving the warmth and holiday spirit downtown for children and families alike." The events posted so far suggest that commitment will play out over many dates instead of one big night.
October First, Briefly
Before the holiday dates arrive, two weekends of fall events fill the rest of October:
- Howlin' at the Moon, Oct. 23 and 24, 5 to 10 p.m. at Naper Settlement. Ages 21 and up, with a costume contest, live music, food and drinks. The Oct. 24 listing shows $25 adult tickets.
- Family Spooktacular, Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Naper Settlement. Trick-or-treating across the campus and a Disney tribute-band concert. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for ages 4 to 12, and free for children under 4.
- Halloween Happening, Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 to 4 p.m. at the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion, 912 Sindt Court. Free for children 10 and under.
- Harvest Market & More, also Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the green between Yard House and The Cheesecake Factory at Block 59.
- Pumpkin Smash, Saturday, Nov. 7, at Ron Ory Community Garden Plots, 811 S. West St.
Two deadlines fall in this stretch. Presale tickets for the Block 59 rink go on sale Oct. 15, and Holiday Wine Walk tickets are due to go on sale Oct. 26.
The Season Now Opens on a Monday in Early November
Downtown's holiday lights come on before Pumpkin Smash. The Downtown Naperville Alliance lists Downtown Lights Up for the Holidays for Monday, Nov. 2, at 5 p.m., with decorated storefronts and lights across the district. The date itself follows last year's pattern. In 2025 the lights came on Monday, Nov. 3. The Alliance's guide said there would be no ceremony and that the lights would come on gradually starting at 5 p.m.
The difference this year is what happens after that Monday. In past seasons, the quiet lighting in early November led up to the parade at the end of the month. This year there is no parade at the end. Downtown's first organized weekend is the Holiday Open House Weekend, Nov. 14 and 15.
Three Openings in Three Parts of Town
The other big November openings belong to two separate venues, each on its own schedule.
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 2, 5 p.m. | Downtown Lights Up for the Holidays | Downtown Naperville | Not listed |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | The Rink at Block 59 opens | Block 59, Route 59 | $14 with own skates, $5 rental |
| Sat.–Sun., Nov. 14–15 | Holiday Open House Weekend | Downtown Naperville | Not listed |
| Wed., Nov. 18, 5–7 p.m. | Holiday Tree Lighting | Naper Settlement | Free with registration |
The Rink at Block 59 is back for its second season. NCTV17 covered its grand opening in November 2025, and the developer said then that the rink would return each holiday season. Its 2026 schedule adds a Grinch visit Nov. 22, Cocoa with Mrs. Claus Dec. 13, Skate with Santa Dec. 20 and a Glow Night Dec. 30. On a calendar with no parade, Skate with Santa on Dec. 20 is one of the few dated Santa events, and it takes place out on Route 59 instead of downtown.
Naper Settlement's Holiday Tree Lighting is on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. It's free with registration, and the ceremony starts at 5:15 p.m. The listing describes lights on the historic buildings and grounds, refreshments and visits with Santa. It's a weeknight event, and for families it may come closest to the parade's role. It has a start time, a moment when the lights come on, and Santa.
The city's 2026 special-events calendar also lists a new entry, "Lights at Naper Settlement," for Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. The City Council report describes it only as a "community event with lighted attractions." No organizer, hours, ticket price or opening night has been published. Until Naper Settlement announces more, treat it as a listed event with no details yet. It's a separate entry from the one-night Tree Lighting.
The Friday After Thanksgiving, as It Stands
This is the date that changed most. Thanksgiving falls on Nov. 26, so the parade's usual night would have been Friday, Nov. 27.
Naper Lights is now the main event confirmed for that Friday. The city calendar lists it on Water Street from Nov. 27 to 30 and through December. Naperville Sunrise Rotary presents it as a free display of lights and sound along Water Street, Foyo Plaza, Jaycees Park and the Riverwalk, and hands out free 3D viewing glasses. Sunrise Rotary's page lists 4 to 10 p.m., Thanksgiving through New Year. That page is undated and links to 2025 photos, and the Alliance's 2025 guide gave the hours as dusk to 10 p.m. Expect a similar evening window this year, but check for a 2026 update before planning around an exact start time.
There is one calendar conflict to watch. The city's 2026 special-events calendar still shows a "Rotary Holiday Parade of Lights" on Nov. 27. The council approved that calendar in January as a preliminary schedule, with individual events to be reviewed later. The February cancellation came after it. The Nov. 27 entry is left over from that earlier schedule and doesn't mean the parade is back.
That leaves a different kind of Friday night. In past years, crowds lined the curbs for a parade with a 7 p.m. start time. This year it's an open-ended walk under the Water Street lights, which run every night for more than a month.
December Fills In Downtown
Once the November openings are done, downtown returns to the lineup of smaller, ticketed and seasonal events it already runs:
- Holiday Wine Walk, Thursday, Dec. 3, 4 to 8 p.m.
- Holiday Family Painting Night at Pottery Bayou, the same evening, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
- Cookie & Sweets Walk, Sunday, Dec. 6, noon to 4 p.m.
- Annual Holiday High Tea, Dec. 9 to 13 and Dec. 16 to 20, noon to 2:30 p.m.
- Holly Jolly Days at Naper Settlement, Dec. 11 from 4 to 8 p.m. and Dec. 12 and 13 from 1 to 6 p.m. Expect crafts, stories, a blacksmith demonstration and a Victorian Christmas photo stop. Admission is $6, free for children under 4.
The Alliance's holiday roundup also lists teas, brunches and seasonal programs from Nov. 6 through Jan. 1, 2027, including a Dec. 13 Tea & Cookies event with reservations through a "Tea with Santa" link. That puts two holiday visits on Dec. 13 at either end of town: tea downtown and Cocoa with Mrs. Claus at Block 59.
Without the parade, Naperville's holiday season runs on a set of separate dates: Nov. 2 downtown, Nov. 13 at Block 59, Nov. 18 at Naper Settlement, Nov. 27 on Water Street and early December back downtown. Planning around any one of them means booking that event on its own.
When family visits for the holidays, Jill Clark can share which evenings and venues are worth planning around, from the Water Street lights to the Settlement grounds. Request a Private Consultation, and we'll fit your plans around the dates as each organizer confirms them.
