Update, Dec. 1, 2021 / Santa Claus started visiting neighborhoods a little early this year with visits beginning on Nov. 27, the day after he arrived in Naperville during the Holiday Parade of Lights.
For the link to the 2021 tour of neighborhood visits, click here.
Update, Dec. 21, 2020 / Thanks to everyone who has been visiting this post! As pictured above, Friday night, Dec. 11, 2020, Santa was joined by one of his familiar elves on the second of 12 tours throughout Naperville neighborhoods, a bright idea to spread a little comfort and joy in the spirit of the season. This evening, Dec. 21, the Santa neighborhood tours wrap up for 2020. The tour begins from 95th and Book Road, then winds and winds around Ashbury Park, Frontier Park, Wheatland South, Whispering Lakes, Harmony Grove, High Meadow, Saddle Creek & Clow Creek until it ends near 104th Street.
Original Post, Dec. 12, 2020 / Earlier this year, joyful Matt Doyle arranged for Santa Claus to visit Naperville.
Doyle, his wife and others had conjured up a plan to give the jolly old elf a seat in a sleigh that would sit atop a flatbed truck. They knew their invitation was a long shot for Santa to consider with so many commitments and toy requests to complete in December; yet, much to their surprise, Santa accepted their invitation for 12 nights, Dec. 10 through Dec. 21, mindful of the large number of good little boys and girls in Naperville.
Next up Doyle began involving other individuals who volunteered to serve as drivers behind the wheel of his truck. Decked out with antlers and a red nose on the grill, his truck would serve as Rudolph, “pulling Santa on his Naper sleigh,” Doyle explained. Each of the neighborhood routes would be predetermined with turn-by-turn directions. Doyle advised that each volunteer driver also have a navigator “elf” riding shotgun to advise on the twists, turns and close calls of the “magical rides.”
“I can’t tell you how heartwarming it is to see so many volunteer drivers stepping up to help bring Santa Claus to the families and kids of Naperville,” said Doyle when he checked his list twice. “It’s truly the spirit of the season shining through. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank everybody so much for being a part of Team Doyle Hulsey’s (TDH) 12 Nights of #TDHSanta Claus.”
Thursday evening, Dec. 10, Santa kicked off the 12-day adventure by touring Brookdale, Cress Creek, Saybook, Naperville Heights and other streets north of Ogden, with Scott Hulsey at the wheel. The DuPage Children’s Museum was the nonprofit charity of choice.
On Night 2 of the tours of Naperville neighborhoods, one of Santa’s elves (aka Ray Kinney) invited PN for a ride-along and to serve as navigator. With the temperature hovering around 40 degrees, the misty Friday night turned soggier by the minute as Santa anticipated his scheduled departure at 5:30PM from 605 E. Ogden Avenue. A few degrees colder, snowflakes would have contributed to a perfect holiday scene as Doyle’s pick-up truck adorned in Rudolph’s antlers pulled Santa from neighborhood to neighborhood. With the charitable spotlight on Little Friends, Inc., Friday night’s tour went throughout Brush Hill, Wil-O-Way, Westside, Pilgram’s Addition, 5th Avenue, Columbia Estates, downtown and the historic district.
Neighborhoods were and will be notified in advance of Santa’s arrival.
Sometimes under umbrellas Friday evening, families waited in driveways, on street corners, along the curb and on front porches with enthusiastic jumps, friendly waves and generous cheers of “Thanks, Santa!” Some folks waited in vans and SUVs and expressed season’s greetings with “beep-beeps.”
Riding along, listening to Santa’s favorite holiday tunes blaring on his boombox as well as everybody’s cheering “Happy Holidays” and “Merry Christmas,” created a once-in-a-lifetime experience, no matter where you were sitting or standing. Just imagine the memories kids will have of seeing Santa Claus’ being pulled down their street, past their home or through their neighborhood when looking back at 2020.
“Add to that the joy parents will have knowing their kids still get to see Santa this year—in a year of so many challenges and disappointment,” noted Doyle, who owns Team Doyle Hulsey CrossCountry Mortgage with Scott Hulsey.
Oh! What fun it was!
Find out when Santa Claus will visit your neighborhood
Night 3 begins at 5:30PM Sat., Dec. 12, 2020. Santa will be driven by volunteers Bianca Morin and Jason Morin who happen to live in one of the neighborhoods where they’ll pull Santa’s sleigh.
Santa will hit the trails near May Watts Elementary School and throughout Wild Flower, Ivy Ridge, Lakewood Crossing, West Wind, Springbrook Estates, Lawn Meadow and Buttonwood, all located in the heart of School District 204. The “Nonprofit Spotlight” will be Indian Prairie Educational Foundation.
More than likely, Santa will be in awe of many of the brightly illuminated homes throughout West Wind and other neighborhoods on Saturday’s tour.
Listen for tell-tale sounds of Santa’s “Ho, ho, ho!” and his favorite songs of the season as he turns the corner from one neighborhood to the next.
Find a list of destinations for all 12 nights on the link below. The day-by-day schedules for the two-hour tours include the charity of choice, volunteer drivers and reminders to follow safety protocols and wear masks to help keep everybody healthy.
Countdown here & watch for Santa this weekend in these neighborhoods…
Day 9, Dec. 18 / The Meadows, Maple Brook East, Green Ridge Estates, University Heights, Signal Point, Hunters Woods & Oak Creek
Day 10, Dec. 19 / Cedar Glen, Brook Wood Trace, Breckenridge, Timber Creek, Rivercrest Estates, Knoch Knolls, Prairie Ridge & Chestnut Creek
Day 11, Dec. 20 / Summer Field, Stillwater, Wood Lake, Glenmuir, Wheatland West, Springbrook Crossing & Brook Crossing
Day 12, Dec. 21 / Ashbury Park, Frontier Park, Wheatland South, Whispering Lakes, Harmony Grove, High Meadow, Saddle Creek & Clow Creek
Bonus Day, Dec. 22 / A special bonus run is anticipated to depart at 5:30PM from Naperville Country Club along Chicago Avenue toward downtown Naperville to retrace some of the tour that took place during slightly misty weather on Dec. 11. Stay tuned.
Click here to Team+Doyle Hulsey+CrossCountry+Mortgage%2C+Inc. Naperville
