December 6 & 7, 2024

Culver Holiday Weekend kicks off December with family-oriented and locally-minded events and activities. Celebrate the holidays with cookie decorating, caroling, pictures with Santa and a community tree lighting on Friday evening with the Culver Park Department. Afterwards, wear your best, and ugliest holiday sweater to the Ugly Sweater party at the Lakehouse Grille on Friday night. Saturday morning, wake up with free yoga and shop local goods at the Farmers Market —both take place at the Culver Union Township Public Library. Saturday night, get all your holiday shopping done at the annual Holiday Hop & “Hoppy” Hour! Pick up a punch card at a participating business, shop & dine at, at least five of the participating businesses, then turn in your punch card for a chance to WIN at the Holiday Hop Drawing Saturday night for a local goods basket worth hundreds! All this and MORE to look forward to this December 6th and 7th at Culver’s Holiday Weekend. See you there!

Culver Holiday Weekend schedule

Friday, December 6

4:30-6:00 pm at the Culver Fire Station

  • Santa’s Workshop Presented by the Culver Fire Department Auxiliary

    • Make Christmas Ornaments

    • Write a Letter to Santa

      • refreshments and food will be available for purchase

5:00-6:30 pm at the Beach Lodge

  • Cookie Decorating

    • Please arrive no later than 6:15 pm for adequate time to decorate. We close this activity at 6:30 pm SHARP for the tree lighting.

    • Cookies to decorate are first come, first serve.

  • Craft Table

  • Holiday Goodie Bag Drawing: enter your name to win - adults only!

Sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Culver

6:45 pm at the Train Depot Tree

  • Community Holiday Music & Caroling

    • Performance by Culver Academies Choir & Jazz Band

  • Community Tree Lighting: Community Speaker - Hanna Croy, Executive Director of the Culver & Lake Maxinkuckee Visitor Center

    • Hot cocoa and marshmallows donated by the Culver Coffee Co. and served by St. Mary’s of the Lake Catholic Church

Sponsored by the Lions Club of Culver

7:30-8:30 pm at the Beach Lodge

  • Pictures with Santa

    • All are welcome to meet and take pictures with Santa inside the Beach Lodge in front of a beautifully decorated holiday backdrop designed and constructed by Heather Widner!

9:00 pm at the Lakehouse Grille

  • UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY hosted by the Lakehouse Grille

    • Holly Jolly Karaoke

    • Drink Specials

    • Prizes for the UGLIEST Christmas sweaters

Saturday, December 7

9:00 pm at the CUTPL (Carnegie Room)

  • Yoga at the Culver Union Township Public Library Carnegie Room sponsored by Culver Pediatrics and Civvies

10:00AM - 1:00PM at the CUTPL (North Meeting Room)

  • Farmers Market at the Culver Union Township Public Library North Meeting Room

10:30AM CUTPL (Carnegie Room)

  • “When Santa Rode the Fire Truck” a story presented by the Culver Historical Society at the Culver Union Township Public Library Carnegie Room

1:00PM - 5:00PM at the Culver VFW Post 6919

  • The VFW Chili Cook-Off

  • $5 to taste them all

  • Cash prize awarded to winner!

    • To enter your chili into the cook-off: sign up on Facebook Messenger by messaging @VFWPost6919

1:00PM - 3:00PM CUTPL (Carnegie Room)

  • Christmas Movie & Popcorn at the Culver Union Township Public Library Carnegie Room 

4:00PM - 5:00PM at participating local businesses

  • Holiday “Hoppy” Hour at participating restaurants - pick up a punch card and earn an early "punch" for the Holiday Hop!

Participating restaurants include: Lakehouse Grille, Culver Coffee Co., The Rolling Scone, Cafe Max, Lucrezia, Frida’s, & Park n’ Shop

5:00PM - 8:00PM at participating local businesses

  • Holiday Hop - at participating Culver businesses

1. pick up a punch card at a participating Culver business. 

2. Shop & dine at 5 businesses between 5pm and 8pm (bonus: Hoppy Hour from 4pm - 5pm at restaurants & coffee shop) 

3. Fill up your punch card 

4. Submit your completed card at Cafe Max by 8:30PM for a chance to WIN one of three drawing prizes. 

  • Participating businesses include:

    • Café Max

    • The Garden by Elizabeth

    • civvies

    • Lucrezia

    • Handmade Happenings

    • Three Bird Layne

    • Earthwerks

    • Legacy Salon

    • One11 (Flea Market Chic & Diva)

    • Culver Coffee Company

    • The Lakehouse Grille

    • The Hub Barber Shop

    • Lakeside Therapeutic Massage

    • The Rolling Scone

    • Park & Shop

    • Fridas

    • Culver Academies Museum

8:30PM at Cafe Max

  • Holiday Hop Drawing

Turn your punch card in at Café Max before the drawing, enjoy dinner/drinks for the drawing at Café Max at 8:30 pm!

The selected punch card winner will receive a basket full of goodies/gift cards from local businesses worth hundreds! Happy holidays with community and shopping local!

Stick around after the Holiday Hop Grand Prize for three additional drawings. You must be present for the three additional drawings to win. You DO NOT have to be present for the Holiday Hop Grande Prize drawing.

9:00PM - 10:30PM at the Culver VFW Post 6919

  • Christmas Jingle Karaoke Contest

    • Enter your best Christmas karaoke song into the contest for a chance to win!

    • Regular Karaoke to continue after the contest

    • Drink specials