Santa Arrives in Cary Dec. 4 for Merry Cary Parade

Merry Cary Parade

Santa will arrive on a horse-drawn sleigh Dec. 4 in downtown Cary during the annual Merry Cary Holiday Parade & Festival. 

The festival attracts thousands for a holiday parade and host of other activities including sleigh rides, entertainment and more. 

The will kick off at 1 p.m. 

The parade winds down West Main Street and turns at Jandus Road through downtown Cary. With hundreds of participants, the parade is one of the largest Holiday parades in McHenry County.

Merry Cary Events

Following the parade residents are encouraged to stay downtown for horse-drawn sleigh rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, Holiday wagons rides, entertainment and more, all free thanks to generous local business sponsors.

Inside the BMO Harris Bank Cary lobby local youth bands will perform.  

Santa, who will be riding in the Merry Cary parade on a horse-drawn sleigh, will stop at , 9 Jandus Road, to visit with local children until 3:30 p.m. Christmas Elves Wally and Victor from “Those Funny Little People” will also perform downtown.

Back on West Main Street, there will be street music from Stax O Wax, and great food from The Tracks, Galati’s Pizza & Pasta, The Buddha Bean, Cary Pub and Orchard Prime Meats & Wine Shoppe Tapas Calpe. 

Merry Cary is coordinated by the and the Village of Cary.  Free parking is available in the Metra commuter lots. 

For information, go to www.carygrovechamber.com

Fox River Grove Lighting Festival

In Fox River Grove on Dec. 3 residents can enjoy some community spirit at the Fox River Grove Annual Tree Lighting Festival from 2 to 5 p.m.at Algonquin Road School, 975 Algonquin Rd. Santa will drive around town on a fire truck.  There will be horse and wagon rides, holiday cookie decorating, a candy walk, entertainment and games, all free thanks to the generosity of local sponsors including the Cary Grove Chamber, BMO Harris Bank Fox River Grove, the Village of Fox River Grove and others.

Santa Sightings in Fox River Grove 

Later in the month on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., residents can stop by the Stone Hill Shopping center at the intersection of Routes 14 and 22 in Fox River Grove for Santa Sightings. 

Santa will be roaming the center to visit with local children and hand out treats.  Listen for his jingle bells.

Information provided by Suzanne Corr, executive director of the Cary-Grove Chamber of Commerce