Christmas in the Village

Magical holiday experience in Peoria, Illinois featuring the largest live Christmas tree in the area, Santa, local vendors, festive food & drinks, and tons of holiday cheer!

Fourth Annual Christmas in the Village

Christmas in the Village is an annual holiday experience that takes places at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Tickets are available for both individuals and families of up to 6.

Christmas in the Village 2025 is Friday, December 5th from 4-8pm & Saturday, December 6th from 12-8pm.

All tickets include admission for BOTH days of the event!

Holiday Experience in Peoria, IL

We are excited to present the fourth annual Christmas in the Village in Peoria, IL! This special event continues to grow each year, featuring an exciting line up of local food trucks & vendors, hot chocolate and holiday cocktails, horse-drawn carriage rides, Laser Holiday Magic, carolers, live animals, the Peoria Ballet Nutcracker ballerinas, holidays movies in the Giant Screen Theater, museum exhibitions, some special exciting surprises, and Peoria’s LARGEST live Christmas tree!

Our Purpose

Christmas in the Village was born in 2022 by Peoria native, Alison Unkovich. Her vision was to create a magical Christmas event that would provide an opportunity to bring the community together during the holiday season. This top notch, family-friendly event embodies all the holiday feels of a storybook Christmas experience and is sure to be a family tradition in Peoria for years to come. Alison is grateful for the amazing community and sponsors whose support helps raise up this Village and bring this wonderful event to life on the Peoria Riverfront.

Alison worked as an educator in Chicago for a decade, and was passionate about creating an opportunity to give back to the students of our region by raising resources for the museum’s Every Student Initiative. This initiative was established with the goal of engaging students from every public, private and homeschool organization in Central Illinois with a curriculum-connected visit to the Peoria Riverfront Museum every year.

Village GALLERY