On Saturday, December 5, two groups start their holiday events in Lake Zurich at exactly 3 p.m. The Village of Lake Zurich runs Miracle on Main Street from 3 to 6:30 p.m. The Lions Club of Lake Zurich starts its 23rd annual Candy Cane Hunt at 3 p.m. too. Each group keeps its own schedule, and Santa is booked for both. According to the Lions, he takes a break at about 5:30 p.m. to light the Village tree.
If you know that ahead of time, it's much easier to plan the afternoon.
Two Organizers, One Santa
The Lions Club's Candy Cane Hunt page says the hunt is held on the first Saturday of December and lists December 5, 2026, as this year's date. The same page says Santa takes free photos at the event and steps away "to conduct the Villages tree lighting at approximately 5:30 PM," with a break of about 45 minutes.
That one note links the two events. Between 3 p.m. and about 5:30, Santa belongs to the Lions. At 5:30 he goes to the Village's tree lighting. If he's back in the photo line after his 45-minute break, that puts him there around 6:15, shortly before Miracle on Main Street ends at 6:30.
The two events also happen in different places. Visit Lake County listed Miracle on Main Street at Rotary Park, 7 E. Main St., in its December 2025 weekend roundup. Its 2023 coverage said the Candy Cane Hunt starts in Lions Park and gave Rotary Park as the location for the Village event. The 2026 locations haven't been posted yet. If this year follows that pattern, families splitting the afternoon between the two events will be moving between two parks.
The Day, From Street Closure to Last Call
Setup starts hours before the 3 p.m. opening. The Village's 2026 vendor guide gives this schedule:
- 10 a.m. Main Street closes to traffic.
- Noon Vendors arrive to set up.
- 2:30 p.m. Food vendors need to be set up and ready for inspection.
- 3 p.m. Miracle on Main Street opens to the public, and Round 1 of the Candy Cane Hunt begins.
- About 5:30 p.m. Santa leaves the Lions' photo line to light the Village tree.
- 6:30 p.m. Miracle on Main Street ends.
If you need to drive down Main Street that Saturday, it closes at 10 a.m., well before the festivities start. That leaves you most of a day to plan around it.
The Village is also signing up more than one kind of participant. It has separate applications for food vendors, artists selling handmade goods, and nonprofits. Food vendor applications were due November 1, and the guide says vendors will hear back by November 5. It also says food vendor spots are limited. That means the final food lineup should come together this week, and there's no list of confirmed vendors yet.
Five Rounds, and the Last One Is for Adults
The Candy Cane Hunt is set up for a mix of ages. The Lions split it into five age groups:
- Round 1: 3 and younger
- Round 2: ages 4 to 6
- Round 3: ages 7 to 12
- Round 4: ages 13 to 20
- Round 5: adults 21 and older
Round 1 starts at 3 p.m. Each round after that starts 15 minutes after the one before it ends. Because the start times depend on how quickly each round goes, there's no fixed time for any round after the first. If your child is in Round 3 or 4, plan to be there early and wait. The page also notes that there are prizes.
The Lions describe the hunt as "arguably our FAVOURITE event of the year," and the same page shows the event has been around long enough to span generations:
"Please come on down, many of you participated in this event as kids, and we are THRILLED to see you bringing your kids out!"
Santa photos are free, and Pet N Me Photography donates its time to take them. The Lions page currently gives two start times for photos. One section says 4:30 p.m., and another says "slightly after 3 PM." Either way, the 5:30 tree lighting break is the time that matters most. If you want a photo before dark, get in line before Santa leaves.
A Tree That Changes Height Every Year
On the Village's side, the main event is the tree. Its height has been different every year in recent coverage:
| Year | Tree height | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 35 feet | Visit Lake County |
| 2024 | 24 feet | Daily Herald |
| 2025 | 30 feet | Village of Lake Zurich |
That's an 11-foot difference over three years. The Village hasn't said how tall the 2026 tree will be or where it's coming from. Based on the last three years, it won't necessarily match last year's. The Village described the 2025 tree as one that "will be on display for the holiday season," so it stays up long after the event ends.
Who Pours the Cocoa
The Lions aren't the only group that helps run the Village's event. Last year's Village announcement, posted November 20, 2025, listed these performers:
- Lake Zurich High School's Bare Voices & Blue Notes Show Choir
- Peace Lutheran Bell Choir
- Academy of Performing Arts
- a DJ
It also listed Santa and his reindeer, children's crafts, sleigh rides, adult beverages, and food vendors. The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce provided hot cocoa, and the Lions Club provided hot cider. The Daily Herald's 2024 preview lists nearly the same program for that year, from the high school performers and Peace Lutheran Bell Choir to the Chamber's cocoa and the Lions' cider.
Two years in a row, the program was mostly the same groups. That helps explain the two-schedule setup. The Lions run their own event at 3 p.m., and they also serve cider at the Village's event and send Santa over for the tree lighting. The Village provides the street, the tree, and the stage, and local groups handle much of the rest.
These are the 2024 and 2025 lineups, not a confirmed 2026 program. The Village's 2026 nonprofit application set an October 15 deadline for local groups that wanted to take part. Based on the last two years, it's reasonable to expect choirs, crafts, and hot drinks served by local groups.
One Errand Before the Fifth
One Village deadline falls a few days before the event. Lake Zurich started vacuuming leaves the week of October 11 and plans to continue into the first week of December. For the final collection week, the Village asks residents to rake leaves to within five feet of the curb by Monday, November 30, according to the Village's news page. That's five days before the tree lighting, so it's easy to get the yard done before the first Saturday of December.
For the event itself, here's the simple plan. Expect Main Street to close at 10 a.m. Get the kids to the Candy Cane Hunt by 3, and figure the older age groups will start later. Get Santa photos before 5:30, then head to the tree lighting, which was held at Rotary Park the last two years. Then stay until 6:30.
Our team lives and works in these Lake County towns, and we enjoy watching weekends like this one come together. If you're starting to think about how your own home would show in the photos of a future holiday season, Gina Shad would be glad to talk it through. Request your complimentary home valuation & marketing plan.
