Burr Ridge starts its holiday season twice this year. On Friday, November 20, the Burr Ridge Village Center lights the tree on its Village Green, the event it calls "our annual tree lighting." Twelve days later, on Wednesday, December 2, Pleasant Dale Park District holds its first Santa's Merry Tree Lighting at Walker Recreation Center on Wolf Road, an event the district describes as "first-soon to be annual."
The second lighting has a clear reason behind it. Burr Ridge doesn't run its own parks and recreation department, so the village's public holiday calendar is split between the Village Center and two separate park districts. The two lightings fall on either side of that split, and the weeks between them fill in from both sides.
Why One Village Ends Up With Two Lightings
The Village of Burr Ridge says it "does not operate its own parks and recreation department." Two independent park districts serve residents instead. Burr Ridge Park District mainly serves the DuPage County part of the village, and Pleasant Dale Park District mainly serves the Cook County part. The village notes that the boundaries follow individual property parcels, not just the county line. If you're not sure which district covers your home, it suggests checking the "Taxing Bodies" section of your latest property tax bill.
Pleasant Dale also reaches beyond Burr Ridge. It serves parts of Countryside, Indian Head Park and Willow Springs, plus unincorporated areas of LaGrange and Hinsdale. Its home base, Walker Park and Walker Recreation Center at 7425 S. Wolf Road, is inside Burr Ridge.
So the Village Center has the long-running lighting, and the park district on Wolf Road is starting its own this year. All the events below are listed as free unless noted. Each one is a different organization's take on the season, and the calendar runs most smoothly if you plan around both.
November 7: Walker Park Clears Out October
Pleasant Dale is out first. Its annual Pumpkin Smash runs Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Rec Center parking lot, and it's free. Bring carved or uncarved pumpkins and gourds and break them up with the district's smashing tools. With support from GROOT and help from the Boy Scouts, everything gets hauled away for composting, and every participant is entered in a prize raffle.
That same parking lot becomes the setting for the December lighting. The district's two biggest dates of the season are a month apart at the same address.
November 20 and 21: The Village Center Weekend
Deck the Green runs Friday, November 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. outdoors on the Village Green at the Burr Ridge Village Center, held with the Village of Burr Ridge. It's free. One date mix-up to watch for: at least one regional events listing shows November 21, which appears to be carried over from last year. The Village Center's own event page gives Friday, November 20, 2026.
The lighting falls inside a two-day Winter Market with Chicago Street Markets. Local vendors set up in the Entertainment District, and the center's restaurants serve food and drinks.
| Day | Winter Market | Deck the Green |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, November 20 | 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. | 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, November 21 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | None |
On Friday, the market opens an hour before the lighting and stays open an hour after it ends. Arriving at 4 gives you time to shop before the crowd gathers on the Green, and staying past 7 gives you time to eat. Saturday is the daytime version, with the market running from mid-morning to late afternoon.
A Breakfast Option for Saturday Morning
Before this fall, a Saturday morning at the Village Center had no obvious place for breakfast. Patch reported that the Yolk location there closed in 2025 after two and a half years. Aria's Kitchen has since opened at 590 Village Center Drive, in the space Wok n Fire held for 16 years before closing in April.
Aria's serves breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Owner Bryan Sord told Patch, "My food is 100 percent freshly made." The breakfast menu includes stuffed French toast and several Benedicts. Lunch includes burgers, and there's a cocktail list. The restaurant held its grand opening on October 24. Because it opens at 8, you can eat there and still be at the market when it opens at 10 on Saturday, November 21.
November 24 to 30: The Walker Park Trees Go Up
After the Village Center weekend, the calendar moves back to Wolf Road. Pleasant Dale is selling community trees to families, groups and businesses for $75. Each one comes with a 5- to 6-foot tree, a stand, electricity for lights and a name sign. The trees stand in front of the Walker Park Rec Center, and $10 from each sale goes to Toys for Tots.
Decorating runs November 24 through 30, the week of Thanksgiving, and every tree gets lit with the main tree on December 2. The trees then stay up at the park district through the holidays. The district's events page lists two different registration deadlines, so if you want a tree, confirm the cutoff with Pleasant Dale Park District soon.
Children can take part another way. The district's free Thanksgiving Turkey Coloring Contest is open to ages 2 to 10, in three age groups. Coloring sheets can be printed from the district's website, extra copies are available at the Rec Center starting November 2, and entries are due Friday, November 20. Every entry goes on display at the Rec Center. The entry deadline is the same day as Deck the Green, so if your family is going to both, drop off the entry before heading to the Village Center that evening.
December 2: A First-Year Lighting on Wolf Road
Santa's Merry Tree Lighting runs Wednesday, December 2, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Walker Recreation Center, and it's free. Santa arrives first and helps light the district's big tree along with all the community trees decorated the week before. Afterward, families go inside to visit Santa and take photos, and each child gets a holiday treat. There's hot chocolate, and cookie-decorating kits go home with families while supplies last.
The schedule works for families who can't get there early. The district calls it a come-and-go event, with Santa available until 8 p.m. The line to see him closes at about 7:45 p.m. so everyone already in line gets a turn.
The two lightings are set up differently. Deck the Green is a two-hour outdoor event on a Friday night, surrounded by a market and restaurants. Santa's Merry Tree Lighting is on a weeknight, centered on a recreation building, and built around trees that local families and businesses decorated themselves.
Into December: Santa at the Village Center and a Kitchen Class
The season goes back and forth between hosts once more. The Village Center's calendar lists Photos with Santa on Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Hampton Social. Two days later, Burr Ridge Park District, which serves the DuPage side of the village, offers Mrs. Claus' Bakery, a cooking program on Monday, December 7, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in the district's kitchen. It's a registration program, so check details through the Burr Ridge Park District.
The Season in Date Order
- Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to noon: Pumpkin Smash, Walker Rec Center parking lot, free.
- Friday, November 20: Turkey Coloring Contest entries due at Walker Recreation Center.
- Friday, November 20, 4 to 8 p.m.: Winter Market, Burr Ridge Village Center.
- Friday, November 20, 5 to 7 p.m.: Deck the Green tree lighting, Village Green, free.
- Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Winter Market, day two.
- November 24 to 30: Community tree decorating, Walker Park.
- Wednesday, December 2, 5:30 to 8 p.m.: Santa's Merry Tree Lighting, Walker Recreation Center, free.
- Saturday, December 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Photos with Santa at The Hampton Social.
- Monday, December 7, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.: Mrs. Claus' Bakery, Burr Ridge Park District, registration required.
If you're getting to know which park district covers your street, or you'd like to talk about how Burr Ridge's two halves differ beyond the holiday calendar, Afrouz Kameli is happy to walk through it with you. Let's Connect.
