Dec 1 & Dec 2, 2023
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Friday, December 1
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Living Windows & Holiday Displays
Downtown West Dundee6:00 – 8:00 pm
Watch as the storefront windows in Downtown West Dundee come to life!
Numerous themed windows will be on display between First and Second Streets and along Main Street. Some will feature live actors, some traditional holiday decor, some will be adorned with handpainted designs, and some will invite you in for treats, fun or charitable giving, but ALL will fill you with the holiday spirit!
We strongly encourage you to start at Village Hall and make your way east on the south side of Main Street to Around the Corner Candy. Then cross Main at First Street and make your way back on the north side, ending at Emmett's.
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Warming House & Santa Claus
West Dundee Village Hall (2nd floor) - 102 S 2nd Street6:00 – 8:00 pm
Warm up at West Dundee Village Hall with a cup of hot chocolate and some yummy Christmas cookies, while you visit with Village officials and the kids discuss their Christmas wish list with the man in red.
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Shop with a Cop Raffle
West Dundee Village Hall (1st floor), 102 S 2nd Street6:00 – 8:00 pm
Shop With A Cop of Dundee Township works to build positive relationships between police officers and the children of our community. Each year, area police officers join area children in need on a shopping trip at Wal-Mart to select holiday gifts.
Drawing will be held on Friday, December 2 at approximately 7:45pm at the West Dundee Village Hall, and live streamed on the SWAC Facebook page. For more information, visit the SWAC website.
To purchase raffle ticket in advance of December 2, please visit any of the following police departments: Carpentersville, East Dundee, Gilberts, Pingree Grove Police Department - 1 Police Plaza, Pingree Grove, Sleepy Hollow, West Dundee, or visit https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/swacdt to purchase raffle tickets or make a donation.
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West Dundee Tree Lighting Ceremony
West Dundee Village Hall (south side of the building), 102 S 2nd Street7:00 PM
Join us in the south lawn of Village Hall to enjoy the glorious sounds of the Dundee-Crown Chamber Choir and Varsity Treble Chorus, and help us count down to the moment that the Village Christmas Tree is illuminated!
Thank you to the Dundee-Crown High School Music Department for sharing your student voices with the community!
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Saturday, December 2
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Ron Rhoades Festival of Trees Display
Grafelman Park - Main St between 4th & 5th9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Walk the gallery of unique and beautiful Christmas trees decorated by local school groups, churches, non-profits and clubs.
Trees are decorated on Friday between 12:30 and 5pm. The community is welcome to observe the decorating, have a cup of hot chocolate and drop off a donation for the FISH Food Pantry.
Viewing is on Friday until 7pm, Saturday from 9am-7pm, and again on Sunday from 9am-3pm.
Trees are judged for "Creativity", "Beauty" and "Holiday Spirit", with 3 Gold Awards and 3 Silver Awards given in each category. A People's Choice Award will be determined via Facebook. Vote by "liking" the photo of your favorite tree on the Dundee Lions Facebook Page.
If you represent a group that would like to decorate a tree, please contact Jim McClung; call (847) 567-7127 or email jimbarbmcclung75@gmail.com. The Festival of Trees is limited to 25 trees.
Sponsored by the Dundee Lions Club.
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Dickens of a Christmas Sale by Dundee Township Historical Society
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - 401 W Main St9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Bethlehem Lutheran Church is the place for one-stop shopping this holiday season.
Visit Dundee Township Historical Society's "Dickens of a Sale", featuring new and gently used Christmas items and other giftable items sold at reasonable prices.
Stop in for nourishment at the Bethlehem Lutheran Soup & Sandwich Lunch or to shop at the Bake Sale & Bazaar while you are there.
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Bake Sale & Bazaar
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - 401 W Main St9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Bethlehem Lutheran Church is the place for one-stop shopping during the Dickens weekend.
In addition to the Dundee Township Historical Society's "Dickens of a Sale", Bethlehem Lutheran hosts a Bazaar with local, handmade items, as well as a Bake Sale to satisfy your sweet tooth or load you up with tasty treats to bring along to your next holiday party.
Stop in for nourishment at the Soup & Sandwich Lunch while you are there.
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Soup & Sandwich Lunch
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - 401 W Main St10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Cold outside? Come warm up and enjoy delicous hot soup and sandwiches.
All proceeds from the luncheon will be donated to the FISH Food Pantry to assist local families in need this holiday season.
While you're there, stop across the hall to shop for vintage items at the Historical Society's "Dickens of a Sale".
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A Christmas Carol Revisited: Scrooges Reclamation
St. James Episcopal Church - 516 Washington Street11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Take a deeper look at Charles Dickens' classic tale A Christmas Carol with presenters Jim Gould and Ted Hazelgrove, professors of Ethics and Literature.
Mr. Gould and Mr. Hazelgrove will use role play, film and discussion to examine Ebenezer Scrooge's change from closed-hearted miser to open-hearted philantropist, and how this story challenges us to think about moral duty, human happiness and personal transformation.
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Santa’s Workshop Kids Craft & Treats
VILLAGE HALL (location change)12:00 am – 3:00 pm
Bring the kids and make some fun holiday crafts to decorate your home or gift to loved ones, while enjoying complementary Clyde's Donuts donut holes, coffee donated by Starbucks, and of course, hot cocoa!
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Reading of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
The Mansion Bed & Breakfast, 305 Oregon Avenue1:30 PM
Cozy into the Victorian elegance of The Mansion Bed & Breakfast to hear Victoria Wilbrandt read a shortened version of Charles Dickens' classic tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, whose cold and embittered heart is warmed by the joys and rewards of love.
Unable to attend in person? Click here to view the Reading of A Christmas Carol two-part video from 2020.
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Riverside Parade of Lights
Beginning at Lincoln Ave at 6th St in West Dundee, crossing the Fox River at Main St in Carpentersvile, and ending at Railroad St in East Dundee6:30 – 7:30 pm
Gather with friends and neighbors along the banks of the Fox River for the 2nd annual Riverside Parade of Lights!
Join us for a magical and unforgettable evening along the banks of the Fox River. This spectacular holiday parade features beautifully decorated floats and stunning light displays that will bring the magic of the season to life.
Invite your friends and family to join us for a night of lights, joy, and community spirit. Get into the holiday spirit and share in the magic with us at the Riverside Parade of Lights!
For more infomation, visit the Riverside Parade of Lights Facebook event page.
Businesses, municipal organizations and not-for-profits are invited to register to participate in the parade. Please register by November 25.
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Throughout the Season
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“Toys for Tots” Toy Drive
Public Safety Center No. 1 - 551 S. 8th StreetOctober 17 - December 4
The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve "Toys for Tots" Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys to distribute as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted, thereby providing a message of hope to these youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.
Toys for Tots donations will be collected at West Dundee Public Safety Center No. 1 again this holiday season. A collection box is available within the front entry of the West Dundee Police Department, 555 S. Eighth Street, for contactless toy drop-off 7 days per week, 24 hours per day, until December 4, 2023.
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Lions Club Christmas Tree Sales
Grafelman Park Tennis Court - 5th & WashingtonNovember 19 - December 10, while supplies last
Purchase your Christmas tree from the Dundee Lions Club! Sales will begin on November 19. The tree sale schedule will be as follows, while supplies last:
- Sun 11/19, Fri 11/24, Sat 11/25 & Sun 11/26 from 10am-6pm br>
- Thereafter, Thursdays & Fridays from 6-8pm and Saturdays & Sundays from 10am-6pm br>
Tree sales will end on or about December 10 or when all trees are sold out - So shop early!.
In addition to trees, wreathes and garland are also available for purchase. All profits from sales go to support community charities.
Thank you to the Lions Club and all who volunteer to assist for your community spirit!
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Celebrating Dundee's
Community Spirit
During the Holiday Season
2023 marks the 36th year of our annual Dickens in Dundee event to kick off the Christmas season. We invite all area residents to come out and join in the fun!
Dickens in Dundee was formed in 1988. It began as a small community gathering, with caroling and the search for Tiny Tim's crutch in local stores. With the financial support of local businesses and the Villages of East Dundee and West Dundee, it has grown into a weekend holiday festival which attracts a people from all over the Dundee area.
The former Dundee Jaycees organized Dickens in Dundee from 1995 until 2005. The Villages of East and West Dundee and a committee of community volunteers took the reigns in 2006 to keep the event alive.
The Dundee Lions Club, Dundee Historical Society, Northern Kane County Chamber and other organizations have also been instrumental in the success of Dickens in Dundee throughout the years. Local churches and businesses traditionally support Dickens in Dundee by hosting holiday events and open houses to coincide with the weekend festivities.
The weekend kicks off each year on the first Friday in December, with tree lighting ceremonies in both East and West Dundee. Residents and visitors stroll through downtown East and West Dundee to see local merchant's windows "come alive" during Living Windows.
Saturday offers a variety of activities, including the Riverside Parade of Lights in the evening, which travels along the Fox River from West Dundee to Carpentersville and ending in West Dundee.
Dickens Committee Contacts
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Village of West Dundee
Village Hall
(847) 551-3800
Email West Dundee
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Living Windows
Kim Tibbetts
(847) 551-3806
Email the Living Windows Coordinator
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Riverside Parade of Lights
Northern Kane County Chamber
Melissa Hernandez
(847) 426-8565
Email the Parade Coordinator
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Christmas Tree Sales
Dundee Lions Club
Mike Buhrmann
(847) 204-2532
Email Mr. Buhrmann
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Ron Rhoades Festival of Trees
Dundee Lions Club
Jim McClung
(847) 567-7127
Email Mr. McClung