The “Peanuts Christmas Experience with Santa” returns to Fox Valley Mall this year.
Starting November 12, Santa himself will be on hand for visits and photos near Macy’s inside the mall, in the midst of his Peanuts themed holiday home. Visitors will be able to walk through a special interactive Peanuts set before meeting the man in red. They can either sit with Santa for their photo-op, or have a socially distanced photo snapped. Guests are encouraged to pre-register through the Fox Valley Mall website, though walk-up visitors will be accommodated on a space-available basis. You can visit with Santa up to Christmas Eve.
The Peanuts gang will officially welcome Santa with a special celebration featuring Snoopy and his friends on Saturday, November 13, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. There will be giveaways, kids activities, and music. Social distancing protocols will be followed, and extra cleaning on high-touch surfaces will take place. Registration is required for this event to comply with Illinois occupancy requirements.
Sensory-Friendly Santa Visits
Those with special needs can have some quieter, private time with Santa during sensory-friendly events on December 5 and 12. Those visits will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., before the mall opens. Advanced registration is required for this event through Eventbrite.
Pet Nights
And pets can have their own “purr-ivate” time with Santa during “Santa Paws” Pet Night events. Those take place November 18, December 2 and December 9 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Any well-behaved, leashed or kenneled pets can pose for the pup-arrazi for a photo with Santa. Animals must be brought in through Entrance #1 near Macy’s on the lower level and must stay in the “Peanuts Christmas Experience with Santa” area. Those without pets are also welcome to get a photo with Santa during these time slots.
Live Music
There’s also more holiday fun to be found in the mall, with free music performances in its Center Park. Local musicians will provide entertainment on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, starting on Black Friday, as well as the entire week leading up to Christmas.
Drive-Thru Light Show
And outside of the mall, guests can check out the holiday themed light show, “Let It Shine.” This is a drive-thru event that runs from November 12 through January 9 near Round 1 and Entrance #3 in the mall’s upper level parking lot. Over 1 million LED lights synced to music through the radio will create a holiday display. Tickets are required and can be purchased through the Let It Shine light show website.
Naperville News 17’s Kim Pirc reports.
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