Why just settle for a quick lap photo op when you could pound back some pancakes with Santa? There are more than two dozen breakfasts, brunches and lunches (and one dinner!) with Santa Claus this season.
Breakfast with Santa at Lambs Farm
Enjoy brunch with Santa Claus. After brunch, kids will enjoy a variety of crafts and activities, and a photo with Santa. Reservations required. Call (847) 362-5050.
Enjoy a special holiday buffet and meet Mr. Claus. Young guests can have their picture taken with Santa, be entertained by a balloon artist and have their faces painted.
Breakfast with Santa – Morton Arboretum
Enjoy a special breakfast buffet in The Morton Arboretum’s scenic Ginkgo Restaurant and a visit from Santa! Children can interact with Santa and his helpers and leave with some sweet treats to take home.
All-you-can-eat brunch featuring an appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Claus, costumed characters and furry creatures, who will be available for photos. Reservations are required.
Includes picture opportunities with Santa and Mrs. Claus, brunch buffet and strolling carolers.
Patrons will have the opportunity to spend the day with Santa while munching on brunch favorites, including Buttermilk Pancakes, classic Eggs Benedict featuring house cured pork belly and more. Guests are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots, a non-profit organization that collects toys for children in need within the local community.
Guests can enjoy the full Shaw’s Crab House brunch experience, plus warm up at the build-your-own hot chocolate bar with many tasty toppings and enjoy a variety of homemade Christmas cookies. Santa and Mrs. Claus stop by to take photos and visit with families.
Breakfast With Santa at Brookfield Zoo
An all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet with Santa and Mrs. Claus and some special zoo costumed characters. Afterward, visit the zoo’s animals. Reservations are required.
Event includes a Swedish pancake breakfast, traditional crafts, dancing around the Christmas tree, and a special visit with Tomten. Prepaid reservations are required.
Breakfast with Santa at Chicago Botanic Garden
Event includes a buffet breakfast, visit with Santa, and Wonderland Express exhibition viewing before public hours. Visit the website for ticket information. Runs Dec. 17-18.
Young ones can personally deliver their Christmas wish lists and families have the opportunity to take their annual Christmas photos before or after a hand-crafted buffet of fluffy pancakes, made-to-order Belgian Waffles, fresh farm omelettes and much more. As an added treat, children will get the opportunity to try their hand at creating a one-of-a-kind gourmet gingerbread house with all the sugary trimmings that they can either bring home or eat on site.
Enjoy a buffet breakfast and holiday crafts in the historic Stanley Field Hall. After breakfast, you’ll get to share all of your holiday wishes when you take your picture with Santa and SUE.
Winnetka Community Houses Matz Hall has been magnificently transformed into a winter wonderland. While enjoying a buffet of bacon, eggs, donuts, milk, juice and more, families will have an opportunity to meet and greet Santa, enjoy a complimentary photo with Old St. Nick, create personalized holiday crafts, and then choose a book to take home from Mrs. Claus library. Guests are invited to bring an unwrapped toy for a girl or boy, which will be collected for Toys For Tots.
Breakfast with Santa at the Cafe
Enjoy breakfast with Santa himself while taking in the beautiful grounds of the renovated Glenview Park Golf Club course.
Enjoy cookies, hot cocoa, crafts, holiday music and face painting and get photos with Santa.
Choose the day and time that works best for your family to dine with the jolly old man himself. On Nov. 19, Santa will be at Pinecone Cottage Tea House & Catering (10:15-11:15 a.m.) or Ballydoyle Irish Pub (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) and Dec. 6 at Zest Bistro at Lemon Tree Grocer (10:15-11:15 a.m.) and Emmetts Ale House (11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.). Santa will be in his Gingerbread House afterward from 1-4 p.m.
While Sipping hot chocolate, parents and children decorate delicious donuts provided by Napervilles own DeEttas Bakery, participate in a holiday story told by Santa and take pictures with the man in red.
Enjoy a pancake breakfast and visit with Santa. Bring cameras to capture holiday memories.
Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus Storytelling
Parents and children will gather in the food court as Mrs. Claus prepares to read a holiday story. After story time is over, eager children will wake up Santa for a complimentary catered breakfast.
Bring the entire family to have breakfast with Santa Claus. Enjoy a meal that includes scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. Kids can take pictures and tell Santa whats on their list.
Enjoy a full breakfast buffet with Santa and his helpers. Children will have the opportunity to participate in holiday activities, such as storytelling and crafts. Nancy Gee, an award-winning childrens author, will make her book The Secret Drawer come to life as she reads it aloud to children and parents. Proceeds from this annual event benefit the young patients and families served by Advocate Childrens Hospital.
Enjoy breakfast, photos with Santa, a theater production by Resurrection College Prep High School students, Christmas arts and crafts, face painting and a special gift for each child.
Enjoy breakfast and hot chocolate, a screening of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Polar Express 4-D Experiences and a meet-and-greet with Santa. Afterward, explore Shedd’s children’s exhibit, Polar Play Zone, and finish your special day with reserved seats to the aquatic presentation, One World.
Visit and have a photo taken with Santa, join in holiday craft activities, and play games. The main buffet selections include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, baked French toast, breakfast casserole, fruit display and salad bar. The special kid-size buffet will have favorites such as pizza, pigs in a blanket, pancakes, macaroni and cheese, tator tots, and fruit salad. Teservations are required.
Julmiddag: Family Christmas Dinner
Festive and traditional Swedish Christmas Smörgåsbord is catered by Tre Kronor. Includes julklappar (gifts) for children from Tomten, a Lucia procession, and dancing around the tree.
Breakfast with Santa at Soldier Field
Families can feast on a fantastic holiday breakfast and visit with Santa to share some of their wishes. Plus, decorate holiday cookies, check out the “pocket-carnival” group and a train display from yesteryear, and bring a hand-made ornament to enter in the contest and place on the Stadium Holiday Tree. All hand-made ornaments will be judged by members of the Payton family. Bring an unwrapped gift for the Walter & Connie Peyton Foundation toy drive.
Breakfast includes lots of festivity, including songs and photos with the big guy in red. Outdoors, sleigh rides around the grounds will get everyone in the holiday spirit.
