Evanston has two official holiday tree lightings this year. Central Street lights its tree on Saturday, Nov. 14, and Downtown Evanston lights its tree at Fountain Square on Saturday, Dec. 5. Each business district association sets its own calendar, so the holidays start on Central Street and work their way south over about six weeks.
The order matters if you live here. Whether a weekend has a tree lighting, a trolley, a market or nothing at all depends on which district you count as your own and which week it is. Nov. 28 is the one Saturday when two of these calendars land on the same day.
Central Street Goes First, and Early on Purpose
The Central Street Holiday Stroll & Tree Lighting runs Saturday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The district lists shopping and dining specials, free trolley rides, pop-up entertainment and holiday festivities along the street. The tree is lit at 5 p.m. in Independence Park.
The early date is intentional. When the Evanston RoundTable covered last year's lighting, Angela Shaffer, community director of the Central Street Evanston Business District, told the paper, "We want to kick off holiday joy." The RoundTable reported that hundreds of people filled Independence Park to sing carols and watch 5,000 small bulbs come on.
The tree in that park is temporary. The same RoundTable piece called it unconventional and said it will serve as the official Central Street tree until a nearby spruce grows up. The district is waiting on a tree that hasn't reached full size yet.
Last year's stroll gives a sense of the day. Evanston Now reported street performers, trolley rides, kids' art activities, Santa, LED candles at the lighting and about 25 participating businesses, including Follow Your Nose and MilleFiori. The 2026 listing hasn't published a full list of participating businesses.
Central Street Stays Busy After the Lights Go On
Central Street's calendar keeps going after the stroll. One week later, the Evanston Art Center's Winter Arts & Crafts Expo opens for general shopping. It runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 20 with work from more than 150 selected artisans. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, and the expo is closed on Thanksgiving. The Art Center is at 1717 Central St., which keeps a month-long shopping draw on the street the Holiday Stroll just lit.
Ryan Field, at 1501 Central St., has two home games left. Northwestern's schedule lists Iowa on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 28. As of late October, kickoff times for both were listed as TBA. The Nov. 7 game is the Saturday before the stroll, so the street's two busiest November weekends come back to back. For a fuller look at how game days change this part of town, see our earlier post on Ryan Field's first season on Central Street.
The concourses carry some Central Street flavor of their own. The RoundTable's guide to Ryan Field food lists nine "Local Favorites" stands chosen by Levy Restaurants. Hecky's Barbecue, Mustard's Last Stand, Bluestone, The Fat Shallot, Double Clutch Brewing Company, Spice Jamaican Cuisine, Soul & Smoke and La Cocinita come from Evanston, and Pizza by Sal comes from Wilmette. The stadium is cashless and takes only debit, credit and mobile payments.
Nov. 28 Is the One Saturday Two Calendars Share
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the only date this season when two districts' events land on the same day. Downtown Evanston holds Small Business Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 28, and Northwestern hosts Illinois at Ryan Field that same day.
Downtown's offer that day comes with a specific return. With the district's Holiday Shopping Passport, spending $100 or more at participating Downtown Evanston businesses earns a $20 Evanston Gift Card. Free trolleys will also run between Downtown Evanston and the Main-Dempster Mile. That trolley is the one link between two districts anywhere on this year's calendar. The district says more details are coming.
For the game, the City's guidance for the Oct. 24 home game is the most recent example. It recommended public transit, including free Metra rides with a game-day ticket, extra travel time and avoiding the area from 9 a.m. It also described road closures, turn restrictions and District 6 parking enforcement starting two hours before the game and ending one hour after. That notice covered Oct. 24 only. Check the City of Evanston's news page for the Nov. 7 and Nov. 28 notices before planning a drive across the north end of town on either Saturday.
Downtown Takes Over in December
Downtown's tree lighting comes three weeks after Central Street's. The Holiday Light Celebration is Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Fountain Square. Evanston's Children's Choir starts at 4:30, the tree lights at 5 p.m. and more music follows. From 5:30 to 7 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus pose for free photos in the Crystal Ballroom at The Merion, 1615 Chicago Ave., with hot cocoa and treats. Evanston council members also attend.
Dec. 5 starts earlier in the day across town. The City's special events listing includes Flapjacks and Flannels from 9 a.m. to noon at the Levy Center, 300 Dodge Ave., with a pancake breakfast, winter crafts, Santa and a themed photo booth. Preregistration is required. A family could have breakfast with Santa on Dodge Avenue and see him again that evening at The Merion.
The following Thursday, Dec. 10, Downtown hosts the Warm Bevvy Walk from 4 to 7 p.m. It's a self-guided walk to shops, restaurants and other businesses offering warm drinks and shopping or dining specials. Check-in is at the Rotary International Visitors Center, 1560 Sherman Ave., with coffee, hot cider, doughnuts and the Rotary in Action exhibit. The 2026 list of participating businesses and the ticket details haven't been posted. Last year, the RoundTable reported $10 tickets for the self-guided walk.
Downtown has a new anchor this season. Northlight Theatre opened its inaugural season at its new home, 1012 Church St., with The Front Page. Its next production is Lauren Gunderson's world premiere, All the World, running Nov. 11 through Dec. 20. The run covers Downtown's whole holiday calendar, which gives evening crowds on Church Street a reason to visit beyond the district's scheduled nights. Our summer read on Downtown Evanston covered how the district has been reorganizing around Northlight's arrival.
Dempster and Main Run on a Longer Clock
The Dempster Street and Main Street corridors don't have one big tree lighting. Their holiday season is a long stretch of smaller events.
Shop Evanston Made, at 822 Dempster St., opens its 6th Annual Holiday Market on Nov. 20 and runs it through Dec. 23. That's the longest run of anything on this year's calendar. Hours are:
- Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 6 p.m.
- Friday, noon to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Main-Dempster Mile hasn't posted its 2026 holiday schedule yet. Its holiday calendar still shows the 2025 lineup and asks visitors to check back as activities are confirmed. Last December's lineup shows the district's style, built from small gatherings on weeknights and weekends:
- Late-night shopping, Dec. 10, 2025. Shops including Crafted, Evanston Pet Center, Luna Delgado Botanicals, niceLena & Friends, Passenger, Skylight Vintage, Space 900, Stumble & Relish and Windfree Solar Cafe stayed open from 4:30 to 7 p.m. with drinks and snacks.
- Frozen Robins carolers, Dec. 12, 2025. The carolers stopped along Main Street at Belgian Chocolatier Piron, 509 Main, Booked, 506 Main, and Cultivate Urban Rainforest, 704 Main, as well as the Junior League Thrift House, 920 Chicago.
- CTA Holiday Train gathering, Dec. 17, 2025. People met at the Main Street CTA station from 5 to 7 p.m., and food or cash donations for Evanston Community Fridges earned a Main-Dempster Mile gift.
- Firepits at Dempster and Chicago, Dec. 20, 2025. The noon-to-3 p.m. gathering included free mugs to fill with hot chocolate or coffee at nearby eateries.
These were last year's dates. The 2026 versions may change once the district posts them. The Small Business Saturday trolley from Downtown is the only confirmed 2026 link into this part of town so far.
The Evanston History Center is a few blocks from Main Street, at 225 Greenwood St. In 2025 it ran a Holiday Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House on Dec. 18. The one-hour, historian-led tour covered five period Christmas trees and Dawes family holiday stories, and it sold out. The 2026 date hasn't been announced, so it's worth watching the History Center's calendar.
The Lakefront Has Already Closed for the Season
The lakefront has already wound down. Café au Lake, at Arrington Lagoon in Dawes Park, 1647 Sheridan Road, closed for fall and winter after Oct. 31, with exceptions for weekend ice skating. Regular service returns in April 2027. The Fringe Bar & Grill, which opened Sept. 23 at The Evans at Canal Shores Golf Club, 1030 Central St., is seasonal from April through November.
For the next seven weeks, Evanston's holiday events are on its business streets. The order is Central Street on Nov. 14, Dempster Street from Nov. 20, Downtown and Ryan Field on Nov. 28, and Fountain Square on Dec. 5. Each district schedules its own events, and only one date overlaps.
At Spradling | Roberts, we follow Evanston one district at a time, from Central Street to Main-Dempster Mile, because each part of town keeps its own calendar. If you're thinking about which part of Evanston suits your routine, or how your home fits into the street it's on, we'd be glad to talk it through. Schedule a private consultation, and visit our Evanston neighborhood guide to get started.
