Gurnee Mills, Westfield Hawthorn to Welcome Santa Claus Nov. 15

Santa Claus is coming to town! 

Both Gurnee Mills and Westfield Hawthorn Malls will welcome Santa this week with special events. 

Gurnee Mills

At Gurnee Mills, Santa will arrive Nov. 15 and will stay through Dec. 24. Gurnee Mills will feature a special Santa display made from more than 25,000 colorful holiday balloons in Grange Hall. The display will include Santa and his reindeer, a 400-foot Christmas garland, Christmas trees and presents, ornaments, candy canes, 10-foot-high balloon arches, and more.

Santa will be at Gurnee Mills during the following hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with "milk and cookie breaks" from 1-1:30 p.m. and 4:30-5:15 p.m.; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, with a break from 2:15-2:45 p.m.; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 22 and 23, with breaks from 1-1:30 p.m. and 4:30-5:15 p.m.; and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 24, with a break from 1-11:45 p.m.

Westfield Hawthorn

Santa will arrive at Westfield Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills on Nov. 15. Santa will arrive on an all-terrain vehicle from the Countryside Fire Protection District around 7 p.m. Then, Santa will present a check for $200,000 to Fire Chief Jeff Steingart. The donation is expected to be used to supplement the cost to replace a fire department vehicle, according to mall officials.

The kick-off event, which will take place from 7-8 p.m., will also feature a performance from "Those Funny Little People," the distribution of holiday fire safety information and refreshments.