Geneva's Christmas Walk Weekend, From the Candy Cane Parade to the Steeple Walk

At 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, the Unitarian Universalist Church at 102 S. Second St. opens its 43rd annual Cookie Walk. For $20 you get an empty pastry box that holds two to three dozen cookies, and you fill it while supplies last. That is an hour and a half before the Christmas Walk officially begins, and it is a good clue to how the season works. The Geneva Chamber of Commerce lists a 6 p.m. start for the Walk, with Santa's arrival and the tree lighting between 6 and 6:30. The full schedule tells a longer story. Friday starts early, and the weekend continues for three more weeks after it.

Friday starts before the tree does

Some downtown events are already underway by midafternoon. Dancer's Dream, at 322 W. State St., Suite 104, serves free hot cocoa and cookies from noon to 6 p.m. The Little Traveler, at 404 S. Third St., keeps its doors open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Several authors sign books there in the afternoon and evening, including Maria Garnet Fewer from 3 to 8 p.m. and Margaret Philbrick from 4 to 8.

Here's how the hours before the official start fill in:

1. 4:30 p.m. The Geneva Public Library, at 227 S. Seventh St., holds its First Friday Holiday Walk Pre-Party until 5:30, with crafts, face painting and a drawing. Also at 4:30, the Unitarian Universalist church starts Cocoa on 3rd Street at the Third Street Gazebo beside the Geneva History Museum. It runs until 7:30, and proceeds support a youth Habitat for Humanity trip.
2. 5:30 p.m. Dancers from Midwest Dance Conservatory perform scenes from "The Nutcracker" until 7:30 in the State Street windows between Third and Second streets. You'll find them at INLURO, House of 423, Blinka Optical, Zazu Salons and Scout & Gem. INLURO is handing out a sweet treat, and Blinka Optical is giving away candy canes.
3. 5:45 p.m. Bob's Candy Cane Parade leaves Graham's Fine Chocolates & Ice Cream at 302 S. Third St. The Geneva High School drum and flag line leads more than 100 bell-ringing neighbors down Third Street, and they deliver the first candy cane of the season to Mayor Burns. The parade is named for Graham's founder Bob Untiedt, Geneva's "Chocolate Man." Bring a bell and anyone can join.
4. Shortly after 6 p.m. The Christmas tree and holiday lights come on downtown. State Street Jewelers sponsors the tree lighting. Santa Lucia's attendants walk through the crowd offering pepparkakor, the Swedish "wish" cookie. Then Santa Claus arrives.

The parade ends at the start of the main evening. From 6 to 9 p.m., Graham's 31st annual Candy Cane Pull fills the shop. Candymakers stretch, twist and shape peppermint candy by hand, and they give away every candy cane they make that night. State Street Jewelers, at 230 W. State St., roasts free chestnuts over an open fire. Two churches a block apart offer quieter options:

• Geneva Lutheran Church, 301 S. Third St. Middle school confirmation students present a Live Nativity on the front lawn at 6:30, 7, 7:30 and 8 p.m. Church members serve hot chocolate and cookies, and donations go to a local charity.
• St. Mark's Church, 320 Franklin St. The choir sings traditional carols in the historic chapel from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It's free, and the entrance faces Fourth Street.

Several shops on and around Third Street run their own events from 6 o'clock on. Harvey's Tales, at 216 James St., sells 8-ounce hot chocolates for $2 from 6 to 8 p.m. It's cash only, and all proceeds go to Anderson Humane. Local author Mike Hensel also reads from his new book, "Santa Go To Bed," during those same hours. The Atrium Cafe at The Little Traveler serves free cookies, cocoa and hot cider from 6 to 9. Midwest Nice, inside The Berry House at 227 S. Third St., hosts Rising Lights from 6 to 9. More than 100 local artists and makers sell their work there. Elements Massage, at 507 S. Third St., Suite C, offers free mini massages and hand facials during those hours. Ella's Italian Pub, at 407 S. Third St., serves s'mores from 4 to 9 p.m. Livia Italian Eatery and GIA MIA both have holiday drink specials all day Friday and Saturday.

Getting downtown and getting home

Friday evening is when downtown is most crowded, so plan your arrival first. In 2025, the City closed Third Street from State Street to South Street at 5 p.m. on Walk night. Temporary parking restrictions started at 3 p.m., and the roads reopened around 10 p.m. (City of Geneva, Nov. 2025). That was last year's plan. The 2026 arrangements will appear on the City's news page, and the City also keeps an interactive downtown parking map, which it linked in its October notice about the Third Street Commuter Parking Deck.

If you're coming out from the city, Dec. 4 is a Friday, so the weekday schedule applies. On Metra's current Union Pacific West weekday timetable, outbound trains stop at Geneva at 5:12, 5:26, 5:42, 5:56, 6:07 and 6:17 p.m. Later trains arrive through the evening, including 7:28, 8:09 and 8:50 p.m. Metra notes that schedules are subject to change. If you get Metra alerts, check that you're enrolled in its new alert system. Metra's Geneva station page says riders had to enroll starting Nov. 5 to keep receiving alerts.

Saturday and Sunday spread the crowd out

On Saturday, events move away from the courthouse lawn to a high school, a downtown market and a church stage. The Geneva Lions Club hosts a Pancake Breakfast with Santa from 7:30 to 11 a.m. at Geneva High School, 416 McKinley Ave. There's live music, photos and crafts. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for ages 4 to 12, and kids under 3 eat free. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, Preservation and the Atlas Crew run a Christkindlmarket at 513 S. Third St., with local artisans, lunch, warm drinks and live music. Geneva Girl Scout troops perform on the Courthouse Lawn Saturday morning.

There's plenty to do inside, too. The Friends of Geneva Library Book Sale at 227 S. Seventh St. runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Entry costs $5 during Friday's first two hours, and everything is half price on Sunday. Rozanne Priebe shows her holiday and winter artwork at The Little Traveler from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. At 6 p.m. Saturday, the St. Mark's Players perform Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at 320 Franklin St., complete with a set and Dickens-era costumes. Admission is free.

The Chamber's Holiday House Tour takes place during the same two days. Five homes are open for self-guided visits from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The Chamber describes the homes by style: Modern Transitional, Custom French Provincial, Stunning Modern Contemporary, Spanish Colonial Revival and Traditional Beauty. Tickets are $42. You can buy them online, by calling 630-232-6060 or at the Chamber office. The ticket includes a traditional tea at First Congregational Church, 327 Hamilton St., from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Pick up your tickets at the Chamber, 8 S. Third St., until 4 p.m. Dec. 4. After that, pickup moves to Little Red Barn Door, 21 S. Third St.

Sunday's main event is the Geneva Foundation for the Arts Steeple Walk, which runs from 2 to 4:10 p.m. on Dec. 6. Four churches each host a 20-minute concert: Geneva Lutheran Church, First Church of Christ, Scientist, Geneva, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva and United Methodist Church of Geneva. Plan to arrive by 1:45. Tickets are $20 through Sunday, Nov. 15, and $22 from Nov. 16 through Dec. 4, so the lower price ends this weekend. You'll start at either Geneva Lutheran or United Methodist, and the musicians play each set twice so both groups hear all four concerts.

The parts that outlast the weekend

All of this means that missing Friday doesn't mean missing the season. Santa sees children until 9:30 p.m. on Walk night at his Winter Wonderland in the Geneva Visitor Center, 10 S. Third St. His visits continue on Dec. 5 and 6, then on the next two weekends, with the last one on Saturday, Dec. 19. Each visit costs $12 and needs a reservation. Here's what continues after the weekend:

The crèche is the oldest piece in that lineup. It's an 18th-century Neapolitan nativity with 46 figures, first displayed in the 1930s by the founder of The Little Traveler. The Giving Trees are decorated by local charities. The North Pole Post Office on the Courthouse Lawn, built by Hogan Design & Construction, stays up all season as a drop-off for letters to Santa. The carriages take a short loop down Third Street and back to the Courthouse.

Winter Wonder Lights actually opens a week before the Walk. The Geneva Park District lights the paths at Peck Farm Park every night from Nov. 28, and you don't need to register or pay. If you're hosting family over Thanksgiving weekend, it's something you can do together before the Walk begins.

I live in Geneva, and this is a good time of year to show the town to people you care about. If friends or family are thinking about coming for the Walk and might take a look around town while they're here, or you're starting to wonder what your own home on one of these streets would be worth next spring, I'm glad to talk it through over a cup of cocoa. Joy Baez is happy to help. Work With Joy.