At 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, the first lights of Crown Point's holiday season go on at the intersection of Goldsborough and Main streets, on an M-4 Sherman tank. The courthouse tree comes half an hour later, at 6:30 p.m., at the historic Lake County Courthouse.
Crown Point's 2026 holiday calendar starts at a war memorial. Over the next five weeks it moves to Pointe Plaza, a middle school, the public library, the courthouse's lower level and Bulldog Park, and it finishes at Clark and Main as the clock turns over to 2027. Most of it is free and open to anyone who shows up. A few pieces need a reservation or a ticket, and those are the ones a busy December tends to crowd out.
The Tank Was Here Before the Tradition
The tank at Main and Goldsborough is a World War II M-4 Sherman, dedicated as a memorial to Crown Point residents who served. According to the Historical Marker Database entry, its inscription says the City of Crown Point erected it in 1953, and the City still owns and maintains it. The Crown Point Community Library's list of local history facts adds that the tank was turned to face north in 1987.
That puts a seven-decade-old memorial at the start of every holiday season, ahead of the courthouse lawn. The City's Tank & Tree Lighting page lists the two ceremonies as one event, so plan on being at Goldsborough and Main by 6 p.m. if you want to see both.
Saturday Morning Splits in Two Directions
The day after the lighting, Saturday, Nov. 28, the calendar splits right away. Two City events start in different parts of town, and they overlap.
- 10 to 11 a.m., Santa Parade, Pointe Plaza. The City's listing says Santa arrives by helicopter with the Lake County Sheriff's Department, then heads toward the historic Lake County Courthouse.
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Winter Market, Wheeler Middle School, 401 W. Joliet St. The City hosts it.
With kids who want the helicopter, start at Pointe Plaza. The market runs six hours and the parade one, so you can still make the market after the parade.
Both events moved up a day compared with last year. In 2025 the tree lighting fell on Friday, Nov. 28, and the parade and market on Saturday, Nov. 29. The pattern is the same: lights the Friday after Thanksgiving, parade and market on Saturday. Only the dates changed. Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26 this year, so if you're hosting family from out of town, the whole opening weekend fits inside their visit.
The Courthouse Lower Level Becomes Santa's Address
Once the parade ends at the courthouse, that building stays the center of the season. A City-promoted listing for Photos with Santa puts them on the lower level of the historic Lake County Courthouse at 1 Courthouse Sq. They're free and run noon to 4 p.m.
The same listing gives two different schedules. One says Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 28 through Dec. 20, plus Tuesday, Dec. 22. The other lists only Dec. 12, 13, 19, 20 and 22. Dec. 12, 13, 19, 20 and 22 appear on both lists, so those are the safest days. Before planning around an early-December weekend, check with the City of Crown Point.
Tour of Lights Is the One That Fills Up
The Tour of Lights is the event in Crown Point's December calendar that rewards planning ahead. The City and the Crown Point Community Library run it together. Each outing starts with a holiday story time at the library, 122 N. Main St., that lasts about 30 minutes, followed by a guided trolley ride of about an hour.
The City's Tour of Lights page puts it plainly:
"This is a free event for all ages. Registration is required. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to 10 people per party."
The 2026 tour runs on three sets of nights:
- Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 and 12: tours from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 14 and 15: tours from 5 to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 16 and 17: tours from 5 to 7 p.m.
The two weekend nights have the longest tour window, and those are the slots that a first-come system rewards. A Town Planner event listing says registration opens Dec. 1. That is the Tuesday after the lighting weekend, and it's an easy date to miss when the opening weekend has only just ended.
Households that decorate for the holidays can sign up to be on the route. The City says it will contact you if your home is selected, and it picks homes based on the route. Signing up doesn't guarantee a spot, because the route decides which homes are chosen.
The Rink at Bulldog Park, Using Last Season as the Baseline
For 2026–27 opening dates, hours and prices at the Timothy Grzych Ice Rink at Bulldog Park, check the City's Ice Skating page.
Last season gives a reasonable baseline. Great News Life reported in November 2025 that the rink opened Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, weather permitting. Opening-weekend hours were noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission was $5, and skate rental was another $5. Those are 2025–26 figures, not this season's.
Great News Life also described how the rink worked last winter. Skaters registered at a kiosk and signed a waiver there, and an ID was required. Payment was cashless, by card, gift card, Google Pay or Apple Pay. Skaters with their own skates could buy admission without waiting in the rental line. If those rules carry over, bringing your own skates is the easy way to skip the rental line on a busy afternoon.
Last year the rink opened the same day as the tree lighting. If it follows that pattern again, the day after Thanksgiving becomes the busiest single day of the season. That would put the rink, the tank, the tree and the courthouse all within the same evening.
Dec. 31 Has Two Shifts
New Year's Eve in Crown Point splits into two events, one for kids in the afternoon and one at night downtown.
The Kid's New Year's Eve Party is at Bulldog Park, 183 S. West St. Tickets are required and cost $5 per person, and children 2 and younger get in free. The City's event page lists the time two ways. The event details say 1 to 4 p.m., and the description says noon to 4 p.m. Plan for the earlier start until the City settles it.
The New Year's Eve Ball Drop takes over Clark and Main streets from 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, to 1 a.m. The City's ball drop page promises a countdown, a DJ, fireworks, a beer garden, and glow and beverage vendors. It's free and family friendly, and it's held outdoors with heaters, "rain, snow or shine." Like the opening weekend, the season's last night is a walk-up event.
The Season at a Glance
| Date | Event | Location | What to do ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 27, 6 p.m. | Tank Lighting | Goldsborough and Main | Nothing, just arrive by 6 |
| Fri., Nov. 27, 6:30 p.m. | Tree Lighting | Historic Lake County Courthouse | Nothing |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 10 to 11 a.m. | Santa Parade | Pointe Plaza | Nothing |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Winter Market | Wheeler Middle School, 401 W. Joliet St. | Nothing |
| Late Nov. to Dec. 22 | Photos with Santa | Courthouse lower level | Confirm dates with the City |
| Tues., Dec. 1, per Town Planner | Tour of Lights registration | Online | Register early for weekend slots |
| Dec. 11 to 17 | Tour of Lights | Crown Point Community Library, 122 N. Main St. | Reservation required |
| Thurs., Dec. 31, afternoon | Kid's New Year's Eve Party | Bulldog Park | Buy tickets |
| Thurs., Dec. 31, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. | Ball Drop | Clark and Main | Nothing |
Two items on this table need you to act ahead, the Tour of Lights reservation and the Kid's New Year's Eve tickets. For the rink's opening day, watch the City's Ice Skating page.
At Matt Evans and RE/MAX Lifestyles, we keep track of how Crown Point's calendar moves around the square year to year, and we're happy to talk through which corner of the city puts you closest to the events you care about. If you're curious what your home near the courthouse or along the Tour of Lights route is worth this season, get your free home valuation.
