Happy Friday, Naperville. In today’s edition: Naperville’s Swiftmas house, Cookie & Sweets Walk, Festival of Lights and Christmas Tree Sale, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Holiday spectacle draws crowds: Naperville’s Swiftmas house returns for a third year with new Lover, Midnights and The Life of a Showgirl scenes, plus a kneeling Travis Kelce and QR codes supporting Little Friends — see what’s new this year.

Holiday stages light up: North Central College’s December lineup continues with The Skriker through Dec. 7, Chicago a cappella on Dec. 7, plus Chris Ryan, Naperville Chorus, DuPage Symphony, and Chicago Sinfonietta — check out the full lineup.

Employee-led holiday generosity: Waident Technology Solutions hosted its second Givemas on December 4, transforming its Naperville headquarters into a free pop-up shop for local nonprofits and volunteers, expanding participation and community impact — get all the details.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Workshop strengthens district MTSS implementation strategies
• Chorus and big band swing into Christmas
• Snap free pet photos with Santa Paws
• Experience holiday magic with DuPage Symphony Orchestra
• See why December’s the best time to try new hearing aids
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%

🫶 We got your back

One-stop wedding planning: Naper Settlement’s Wedding Showcase returns January 17, 2026, 10 am to 3 pm. Couples can meet 50+ vendors across the museum campus, sample catering, score exclusive discounts, and ride a limo between buildings. There’s also a prize drawing with goodies like gift cards and hotel stays. Tickets are free and available now. Register for free tickets.

A flurry of festivities: Westmont’s holidays kick off tonight, Dec. 5, with Snow Much Fun from 5 to 8 p.m. downtown: free activities, Santa photos, s’mores, a mule-drawn wagon, and a Husky dog-sled demo. Visit Santa at the Gregg House Museum celebrating 60 years of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Tomorrow: Holly Days Winter Festival and a 5 p.m. parade. Get all the details.

Post-work pint plan: Skip the overthinking and let Solemn Oath Brewery pour. This Naperville taproom keeps it simple: friends, fresh beer, relaxed vibes. No gimmicks, just solid pints that make conversation easy and time disappear. You’ll swear it’s one more… then somehow it’s two.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy that targets regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify your identity and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

❄️ Snow Much Fun @ Veterans Memorial Park | Friday (12/5) at 5:00pm – If winter won’t cooperate, this free, all-ages shindig still brings the frosty fun. Mule-drawn wagon rides, s’mores, rescue huskies doing a demo, Santa in the Gregg House with a nod to A Charlie Brown Christmas, twinkling trees, and plenty of grin-and-bear-it cheer.

🎁 Journey to Joy: JoyBox Workshop @ 1222 Private Events | Friday (12/5) at 6:30pm – Ready to swap holiday chaos for scissors and therapy with glue sticks? Settle in for a guided JoyBox workshop where you craft a personalized keepsake that actually sparks calm, not clutter. Forty bucks, all supplies included, and you leave calmer, heart full, box in hand.

This weekend

☕ First Light Pathways Holiday Pop-Up @ Pottery Bayou | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – Bring the kids or grandkids to Pottery Bayou for mug magic, where they paint, snack, and soundtrack their sugar highs, and you supervise with cocoa. Ten bucks covers supplies, supports First Light Pathways, and you leave with a lopsided heirloom. Advance registration required.

🌶️ Wild Spices Workshop with Shane Alden @ McDonald Farm | Saturday (12/6) at 1:30pm – Trade the spice aisle for the trail. The Conservation Foundation and Shane Alden, the Wild Dryad, will show you how to identify and prepare wild spices from right around here, taste a bunch, then put those flavors to work in your cooking, and baking.

🎼 Wheaton College Christmas Festival Matinee Concert: “All Ye Faithful” @ Edman Chapel Auditorium | Saturday (12/6) at 4:00pm – Think you know your carols? The Conservatory’s annual Christmas Festival packs Edman Memorial Chapel with choirs, lush harmonies, and hometown holiday glow, minus the mall soundtrack. Sit main floor if your knees negotiate, the balcony is stairs only, and tickets vanish early.

🍪 Cookie & Sweets Walk @ Downtown Naperville | Sunday (12/7) at 12:00pm – Holiday errands can wait, Downtown Naperville’s annual Cookie and Sweets Walk is back with sugar, nostalgia, and a perfectly respectable reason to wander Main Street like a kid. Collect treats from local shops, compare frosting strategies, then call it cardio, dessert, and small-business support.

🥞 Breakfast with Santa: Photos, Wishes & Holiday Dishes @ Hotel Arista | Sunday (12/7) at 1:00pm – Skip the mall chaos and do Breakfast with Santa at Hotel Arista’s Che Figata. The kids get photos and wish-list time, you get a chef-crafted brunch with seasonal indulgences, interactive stations, and an excuse to call dessert, festive research.

🎶 Naperville Men’s Glee Club Presents – Christmas Presence Concert @ Naperville Church of the Brethren | Sunday (12/7) at 3:00pm – Holiday shopping can wait. The Naperville Men’s Glee Club is serving up its Christmas Presence at Naperville Church of the Brethren, with fresh carols, cozy favorites, and an intermission bake sale so you can pretend you baked dessert, and support a good cause.

Next week

🎄 Festival of Lights and Christmas Tree Sale @ Cosley Zoo | Monday (12/8) at 9:00am – Winter at Cosley Zoo means twinkling lights, hot chocolate, and the rare joy of buying a tree where the proceeds help actual animals. Wander the glow, pick from real trees, wreaths, and greens, raid the gift shop, and feel smugly festive, free admission included.

🎀 Gift Tags & Bows @ Westmont Public Library | Tuesday (12/9) at 10:30am – Whether you hoard ribbon or panic-buy it every December, the library’s Silhouette Cameo cutting machine will have you making custom gift tags in no time. Craft bows from recycled materials, bring a gift to wrap, materials provided, and leave looking organized, charming, and mildly smug.

🎅 Dinner with Santa & Mrs. Clause @ Chick-fil-A Ogden & Iroquois | Tuesday (12/9) at 5:00pm – Skip the mall madness and let the kids burn off sugar at a cozy dinner where Santa, Mrs. Claus, and maybe Santa Cow crash the party. Free crafts, photos, and holiday cheer. Bring the grandkids, leave with your sanity, and a frame-worthy pic.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/5 Candlelight Carols @ Saint Michael Catholic Church – 7:30 pm
• 12/7 Holiday Potpourri @ Marmion Abbey Church – 2 pm
• 12/7 Reflections of Christmas @ Ray Morrill Community Center – 3 pm
• 12/8 A Christmas Carol @ Romeoville Branch Library – 7 pm
• 12/10 Percussion Ensemble @ McAninch Arts Center – 7:30 pm
• 12/12 Rock Steady @ Empire Burgers – 9:30 pm
• 12/14 Voctave @ McAninch Arts Center – 7 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Naperville edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Kris Maranda, CNC (@properties Christie's International Real Estate)

Fresh updates in Tall Grass include a 2023 roof, 2025 A/C, 3-car garage, and a finished basement with half bath. A two-story foyer and winding staircase open to vaulted living and a tray-ceiling dining room on hardwoods. The white kitchen adds granite, an island, and a butler’s pantry, flowing to a fireside sunroom. The family room pairs a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace with skylights. Main-floor office plus a primary suite with two walk-ins and a spa bath.

Landscaped yard and low-maintenance deck keep gatherings easy. Pools, tennis, trails, parks, clubhouse, top-rated schools, plus Route 59 access minutes to Downtown Naperville.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →