Look at the addresses on Schererville's holiday calendar this year and nearly all of them are on East Joliet Street. The Community Center at 500 E. Joliet St. hosts both craft shows and Santa's North Pole Breakfast. Homan School at 210 E. Joliet St. takes the overflow from November's craft show. Town Hall at 10 E. Joliet St. holds the tree.
Until now, those buildings worked as separate stops. On Friday, November 27, the Schererville Chamber of Commerce, Schererville Parks & Recreation and the Town of Schererville will hold the 1st Annual Schererville Tree Lighting Parade. It starts at the Community Center and ends at Town Hall, so the season's two main venues become the start and finish of one route.
Three addresses, one street
Here's the season as it plays out along Joliet Street:
- 500 E. Joliet St., Schererville Community Center: the Holiday Craft Show, the parade start, Santa's North Pole Breakfast and Crafts at the Crossroads
- 210 E. Joliet St., Homan School: the second venue for the Holiday Craft Show
- 10 E. Joliet St., Town Hall: the parade finish, the tree lighting and the Chamber's sponsored trees
The Parks Department's craft show listing calls the Community Center and Homan School "just a short walk apart." The new parade adds the last piece, from 500 E. Joliet down to Town Hall. It also ends the season's biggest night at the end of Joliet Street where the restaurants are.
November 7 starts it, and Saturday ends earlier than last year
The season opens with the first weekend of November. Parks & Recreation's 2026 Holiday Craft Show runs Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, at the Community Center and Homan School. Parks calls it the longest-running craft show in the department's history and its most attended show of the year. The listing promises 200-plus crafters, food trucks, free admission, free parking and free raffles.
The hours have changed since last year. The Town's 2025 listing had Saturday open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year Saturday closes at 3 p.m., the same as Sunday. If you used to show up late Saturday afternoon, plan to come earlier.
Food vendors set up at the Homan School site, which has no water or electric hookups, and the vendor application sends most vendor vehicles to park at Redar Park. Those rules cover vendors only. Visitors get the free parking the listing promises.
November 27: what the parade adds
Last year's lighting was a single gathering at Town Hall. The Town's 2025 event page described "a beloved Schererville tradition" brought back for Black Friday, November 28, 2025. The tree was lit "promptly at 7pm," followed by cookies, hot cocoa and pictures with Santa inside.
The organizers pitch this year's addition this way:
"Businesses, schools, churches, community groups, organizations, and other local participants are invited to join us as we kick off the holiday season with this brand-new community tradition."
That's from the organizers' own parade page. Here's how the evening runs:
- 6:00 p.m. All parade entries must be in place and ready, with staging details emailed to approved entrants.
- 6:30 p.m. The parade starts at the Schererville Community Center and heads west along Joliet Street to Town Hall.
- At Town Hall the parade ends and the annual Tree Lighting begins. A PanoramaNOW listing puts the lighting at 7 p.m. and lists Santa and Mrs. Claus, free cocoa and treats, crafts and a Toys for Tots collection.
Moving the start to the Community Center changes where you'll want to stand. Last year everyone gathered in one place. This year you can catch the step-off near 500 E. Joliet or wait at Town Hall for the finish and the lighting. Families with small kids at the Town Hall end get the parade's arrival and the tree within the same half hour.
Want to march in it?
Businesses, churches, schools and community groups can join for free. The participant application closes at 11:59 p.m. on November 20. Approved entries get lineup, staging, parking and arrival details by email later. If you're just watching, Schererville Parks & Recreation is the place to check for spectator parking and street details as the date gets closer.
The Town Hall end is where the food is
The parade finishes at the Town Hall end of Joliet Street, and that's also where downtown's places to eat and drink are. Within a few doors of 10 E. Joliet:
- OAX Haus, at 13 W. Joliet St., describes itself as a locally owned coffee shop serving coffee, pastries and food. The Times of Northwest Indiana reported that address when the shop was announced.
- Greg's Place, at 21 E. Joliet St., serves food and drinks and lists daily hours on its site.
- The Schererville Lounge, at 48 E. Joliet St., lists daily hours of 3 to 10 p.m.
A coffee before the parade, dinner after the lighting, or a drink once the kids are home: all of it is close to Town Hall. If you're going on a holiday Friday, check each spot's hours directly before you go.
The trees stay up until January 8
The lighting kicks off a display that lasts much longer. The Schererville Chamber of Commerce's sponsored tree program puts trees from local sponsors around Town Hall for the November 27 lighting and keeps them up through the holidays. The display ends January 8, 2027. The deadline to buy a tree was October 1, so this year's lineup is already set.
So after the parade crowd goes home, the Town Hall end of Joliet Street stays decorated for about six more weeks. You can walk past the trees on a quiet December evening as well as on parade night.
December goes back to the Community Center
After the lighting, the season's other events return to the Community Center end of the street.
Santa's North Pole Breakfast is on the 2026 Schererville Town Planner calendar for December 5 and 6 at the Community Center. Event listings describe a 9 to 11 a.m. morning with Santa, Mr. Grinch and Elf on the Shelf, a hot cocoa bar, a candy cane hunt outside, a themed craft and DIY reindeer food. They also say everyone, adults included, has to register. Get the current price and registration details from Schererville Parks & Recreation before you plan around it.
Crafts at the Crossroads, the 8th annual Handmade Christmas Craft Show, is Saturday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Community Center. The Parks listing promises more than 100 handmade vendors, indoor and outdoor booths, food trucks, free admission, free parking and free raffles. Direct sellers aren't allowed. The November show is the bigger of the two, at 200-plus crafters. The December show is smaller and handmade-only, which makes it the one for last-minute gifts you won't find in a store.
The season, stop by stop
| Date | Event | Joliet Street address | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat–Sun, Nov 7–8 | Holiday Craft Show | 500 E. and 210 E. | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. both days |
| Fri, Nov 20 | Parade entry deadline | Online | 11:59 p.m. |
| Fri, Nov 27 | 1st Annual Tree Lighting Parade | 500 E. to 10 E. | Entries ready 6 p.m., step-off 6:30 p.m. |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Tree Lighting | 10 E. | Follows the parade |
| Sat–Sun, Dec 5–6 | Santa's North Pole Breakfast | 500 E. | Register through Parks |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Crafts at the Crossroads | 500 E. | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. |
| Through Jan 8, 2027 | Chamber sponsored trees | 10 E. | Displayed through the holidays |
The local agents at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Connections follow Schererville's calendar all year, from the November craft show to the last Chamber tree on Joliet Street. If you're thinking about a move nearby this winter, we're happy to tell you what those blocks are like the rest of the year, not just on parade night. Let us guide you home.
