Which Saturday in December is the big one on Breidert Green this year? Last year it was the middle of the month. The Village of Frankfort ran its two-day Home For The Holidays on December 13 and 14, and the Chamber's Midnight Madness was the Friday before. In 2026 the calendar has two high points instead of one, nine days apart. The first starts on a Thursday night. The second is a Friday and Saturday pair downtown.
Most of the scheduling for both weekends happens before Thanksgiving.
The Two Weekends at a Glance
Everything below comes from the Frankfort Park District's special events page, the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce and the Village's events calendar.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Dec. 3 | Lighting of the Green | Breidert Green, 432 W. Nebraska St. | 6:30 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat, Dec. 5 | Santa Photos & Workshop | Founders Community Center | 11 to 11:45 a.m. or noon to 12:45 p.m. |
| Sun, Dec. 6 | Polar Express Storytime Train | Hickory Creek Metra Station, Mokena | 9:30 or 11:20 a.m. departure |
| Fri, Dec. 11 | Midnight Madness | Downtown Frankfort | 6 p.m. to midnight |
| Fri, Dec. 11 | Puzzle Mania, Holiday Edition | Founders Community Center | 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat, Dec. 12 | Holiday on the Green | Breidert Green | Details to come |
The first weekend is built for families and runs on Park District programming. The second belongs to downtown shopping and then the Village's Saturday event on the Green. Both depend on things that happen in November.
November Sets the Table
The season opens on Saturday, November 7, with two craft markets. The Park District's 33rd Annual Holiday Craft Show runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Founders Community Center, 140 Oak Street. That same day, the Friends of the Frankfort Public Library Art Market runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the library, 21119 S. Pfeiffer Road. Admission is free, and Patch's event listing says it focuses on handmade gifts.
The next morning brings the first Santa of the season. A community-submitted listing on Patch advertises Believe, A Santa Experience, at 10 a.m. Sunday, November 8, at The Ranch, 9436 W. Steger Road. The listing promises crafts, shopping, hot chocolate, family portraits, Santa in a decorated barn and The Ranch's donkeys standing in as "reindeer."
After that the Park District schedule starts setting deadlines:
- November 17: The Santa mailbox goes up at Founders Community Center.
- November 23: Candy Bar Bingo runs 11 a.m. to noon at Founders. It is free for ages 4 to 13, and players bring candy to play.
- December 1: Letters to Santa are due. The Park District's page lists two different weekdays for this date, so treat December 1 itself as the deadline.
- December 8: Holiday Cards for Seniors are due at Founders. The district takes handmade or store-bought cards for local care facilities.
One deadline has already passed. The resident-only lottery for the Polar Express Storytime Train took forms from October 28 through November 4, and the Park District processes them on November 5. Families hear back by email. That means the first weekend's most popular ticket was handed out a month ahead of time.
Weekend One: Thursday Lights It, Sunday Rides the Rails
The Lighting of the Green is on Thursday, December 3, a day earlier than last year's December 4. According to the Visit Chicago Southland listing, Mayor Keith Ogle and the Village Board host at 6:30 p.m. at Breidert Green. The evening includes festive music, the Grand Illumination of downtown Frankfort, Santa and Mrs. Claus, decorated public safety vehicles, and free hot cocoa and cookies, with the event running until 9 p.m. The Village's own event page still says more details are coming.
Starting on a Thursday leaves the whole weekend open. On Saturday, December 5, the Park District's Santa Photos & Workshop at Founders Community Center offers two 45-minute sessions, one at 11 a.m. and one at noon. Each includes crafts, holiday games, cookie decorating and a visit with Santa.
On Sunday, December 6, the Polar Express Storytime Train leaves from Hickory Creek Metra Station at 9430 Hickory Creek Drive, just over the line in Mokena, at 9:30 or 11:20 a.m. The fare is $25 for district residents. If seats remain after the resident lottery, nonresidents can buy them for $35. Families who missed the lottery should keep checking for leftover seats, since that is the only way left to get on the train.
That puts Santa on the schedule three times in four days, for anyone keeping count.
Weekend Two: Friday Night Downtown, Saturday on the Green
The second weekend is set up differently. On Friday, December 11, the Chamber holds its 31st annual Midnight Madness from 6 p.m. to midnight. The Chamber says more than 30 area businesses usually stay open late with deals, giveaways and refreshments. The Chamber's event-detail page lists an 11:55 p.m. end time in one field, so the last few minutes may vary by store.
The Chamber hasn't published its 2026 participant list yet. Patch's 2024 report gives a sense of the usual turnout. That year's list included Grounded Coffee Bar, Trail's Edge Brewing Company, Old Plank Pizza Company, Hammar's Mercantile, White Street Market, Redtail Market, Family Hearth General Store, Raffy's Candy Store, Kernel Sweetooth, The Candle Vault, Down Home Guitars, Amazing Fantasy Comics & Games, Bentley's Pet Stuff and the Frankfort Arts Association, along with boutiques such as Briosa, Azul, Lennox Rose and Parker James. Our guide to downtown Frankfort's dining shift covers where to sit down for dinner before the stores open late.
For anyone who'd rather stay in a heated room, the Park District runs Puzzle Mania, Holiday Edition, that same night from 6 to 9 p.m. at Founders. Teams of four race to finish the same 500-piece puzzle, and entry is $30 per team.
The next day, Saturday, December 12, the Village holds Holiday on the Green at Breidert Green. So far the Village has posted the date, the place and the line "Details coming soon."
Pairing a Friday of shopping with a Village weekend on the Green is a habit by now. In 2025, Midnight Madness fell on Friday, December 12, according to Patch. Home For The Holidays started the next day and ran noon to 5 p.m. on both December 13 and 14. Patch's preview said Saturday would have trackless train rides, real reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus, a lantern parade, horse and carriage rides, cookies and cocoa. Sunday added live performances on the Breidert Green stage and costumed characters walking through downtown. In 2024, Midnight Madness was on Friday, December 13.
Some of these traditions go back much further. In 2011, Patch called Frankfort's downtown Christkindl events annual. That year's schedule had St. Nicholas, a ticketed Cookie Walk, cookie decorating, wagon rides and a lantern parade. This year's Saturday event goes by a different name than last year's, and its program hasn't been posted. For now the Village's calendar shows one date, December 12, the day before last year's two-day event began.
After Both Weekends
Once the two weekends pass, the season winds down. On Thursday, December 31, the Park District's New Year's Countdown runs 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Founders Community Center, with a balloon drop at noon for 2027. The lantern parade, the Santa visits and the late shopping all fall within the nine days from December 3 to December 12. Our Frankfort neighborhood page has more on the village year-round.
Frankfort's December plans start taking shape in early November, and we're always glad to talk about the village where they happen. If you'd like a local's view on downtown Frankfort, the area around Breidert Green, or how this season fits the way you live, Jennifer Williams, Inc. is happy to help. Let's Connect.
