On Thanksgiving morning, streets along the Grove Express course start closing as early as 6:15 a.m. By 7:00, Main Street is shut between the tracks and 55th Street. The BNSF crossings at Washington, Main and Forest are closed to cars, and Maple Avenue is the only crossing still open. At 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 26, runners and walkers leave from Main and Grove.
That race starts the busiest four days on downtown Downers Grove's holiday calendar. The Downtown Downers Grove Management Corp.'s 2026 event list puts the 5K, the Village tree lighting, Small Business Saturday, the first Santa visits, the only wagonette rides of the year, and the start of both Candy Cane Cash and the Holiday Window Contest between Thursday and Sunday. After that weekend, the season runs on a simpler weekend schedule. If you plan for Thanksgiving weekend, the rest of December is easy to fit in.
Thursday: the morning the downtown street grid changes
If you live near downtown or have family coming in that morning, plan around the street closures.
The parking deck stays open until 8:00 a.m., and you can only get in from Washington Street. From 7:00 to 8:00 a.m., you can only reach the Washington Street entrance by taking westbound Maple Avenue and then northbound Washington. Race organizers ask people to walk, bike or take a rideshare because parking is tight. They list these parking areas:
- Commuter lots north and south of the BNSF tracks
- The Library parking lot
- Village Hall at 850 Curtiss Street
- The parking deck
- On-street spaces outside the course
The Grove Express site says to check back closer to race day for updates to the closures, and packet pickup details have not been announced yet.
The group behind the race is a fairly recent arrangement for a long-running Thanksgiving tradition. In 2021, the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58, the Rotary Club of Downers Grove and the Roadrunners Soccer Club joined forces to keep the event going. Together they formed the Grove Express Foundation, now a 501(c)(3). The race raises money for education and youth programs that support Elementary School District 58 and the Community District 99 high schools, Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South. The course is certified by USA Track and Field and runs through the center of the village.
Registration is open on RunSignup. The pricing shown there includes a crossed-out regular rate, group pricing and an early-bird discount, so check the current rate when you sign up.
Friday through Sunday: a headline event each day, all within a few blocks
Each of the next three days has its own headline event, and all of them are a short walk from the 5K start.
Friday, November 27: the Village Tree Lighting Ceremony. The 2026 downtown calendar gives the date but not yet a time or exact location. Last year, the Village's tree lighting page listed 4:30 p.m. at the Main Street Train Station, and that page still showed the 2025 details when this was written. The Downtown Downers Grove Management Corp.'s November 2025 announcement said Santa came to that year's lighting. Plan on a late-afternoon gathering near the station, and confirm the 2026 time once the Village posts it.
Friday is also the first day of two programs that continue through the holidays. Candy Cane Cash runs from November 27 to December 31, and the Holiday Window Contest runs from November 27 to December 13.
Saturday, November 28: Small Business Saturday and Santa's first afternoon. In last year's announcement, the downtown organization described Small Business Saturday as a day to shop local stores, salons and barbershops, and restaurants. Free visits with Santa begin that afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. In 2025, Santa was at the Gingerbread House at Main and Curtiss.
Sunday, November 29: the only wagonette rides of the season. Free wagonette rides run from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and board at 1028 Curtiss Street. They appear on the 2026 calendar only once. If your holiday weekend includes out-of-town guests, this is the day to bring them downtown, since Santa is also there from 1:00 to 4:00.
How the extended programs have worked in past years
Candy Cane Cash and the window contest both start that Friday and continue into December. Neither has posted its 2026 rules yet, so the most reliable guide is how they worked before.
In November 2025, the downtown organization offered $10 in Candy Cane Cash to shoppers who spent at least $100 at three different downtown businesses. A more detailed version of the rules ran in the Daily Herald in December 2024. That year, receipts had to come from a retailer, a restaurant and one other business, and each household could earn up to $50. Receipts could be emailed to [email protected] or dropped off at 933A Curtiss Street, and the rewards could be used through February 28, 2025.
In 2025, the window contest had more than 20 businesses competing in three categories: Traditional, Best Use of Product and Most Original. Public voting was open online through December 7. The organization also ran a separate holiday window hunt. Children could turn in completed forms for prizes, and adults could email a photo of a finished form for a chance to win a downtown gift card. For 2026, only the contest's run dates have been announced so far.
After Thanksgiving weekend, the calendar settles into weekends
The rest of the downtown calendar is mostly the same weekend routine, with a few other events around it. Here is everything confirmed between December 1 and December 20:
| Date | Event | Where / who | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Whoville Holiday Bash | Downers Grove Park District | 9 a.m. to noon |
| Sat. & Sun., Dec. 5–6 | Visits with Santa | Downtown | 1 to 4 p.m. |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | Community Giveback | Alter Brewing taproom, 2300 Wisconsin Ave. | Taproom hours |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Merry Madness | Downtown | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Merry & Bright: A Victorian Christmas | Downers Grove Park District | 3 to 6 p.m. |
| Sat. & Sun., Dec. 12–13 | Visits with Santa | Downtown | 1 to 4 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | Holiday Window Contest ends | Downtown | |
| Sat. & Sun., Dec. 19–20 | Visits with Santa, final weekend | Downtown | 1 to 4 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | "Holiday Treasures" concert | Downers Grove Public Library | 2 p.m. |
Merry Madness on December 10 is the only weeknight event on the downtown holiday list. The 2026 listing promises downtown shopping, dining and "festive fun" from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., with more details to come.
The Park District's December 12 event has a detailed 2025 version to go by. Last year, Merry & Bright was a free, drop-in event at the Downers Grove Museum Campus. It had decorated Blodgett houses, Santa, a luminary walk, holiday trees and a campfire with carolers in Victorian dress. The Park District's December 2026 calendar lists the event from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. but hasn't added program details yet, so the 2025 format is a guide, not a promise.
The December 20 concert closes out the season. The Downers Grove Music Club presents "Holiday Treasures" with the Library. The program features holiday music led by Joyce Tumea, guest performers and a sing-along. The club says its programs are free, except for its benefit house concerts. The concert falls on the same day as the last Santa afternoon downtown.
Two library givebacks bookend the season
The Downers Grove Public Library Foundation has scheduled two fundraisers, one before the season starts and one in the middle of it. On November 5, Gia Mia at 994 Warren Avenue will donate 20% of the bill when guests say "I'm here for the library." On December 7, the Alter Brewing taproom at 2300 Wisconsin Avenue will donate $1 for every drink. Gia Mia is three weeks before Thanksgiving. The Alter Brewing giveback falls on the Monday right after the first December Santa weekend.
The downtown organization's calendar says all events are subject to change. Expect the tree lighting time, the Merry Madness lineup, and the Candy Cane Cash and window contest rules to come out in November, after this guide was published.
At Team Baker, we keep track of what's happening on the blocks between Main and Grove and Curtiss Street because our clients live nearby. If you're hosting family over Thanksgiving and want to know which streets will be open on race morning, or which weekend is best for guests to see downtown, contact us and we'll help you plan.
