Woodstock, Illinois – On November 24th, 2023, I had the opportunity to attend a Christmas Tree Lighting Festival in Woodstock, Illinois. Initially, I wasn’t interested in attending. Being over 2 hours away from my grandparents house, this was not initially on my radar. Yet this all changed as soon as I walked into the town square. I had expected there to be maybe 300 people there, tops. Yet to my surprise, what looked like somewhere in the ballpark of two thousand people were in attendance. The atmosphere, even though cold, was absolutely fantastic. There were people singing carols, a band playing Christmas music, and countless shops to walk through. As a bonus mini review, my uncle happens to own a model train store that operates a shop in that very town square. Walking through the shop with strewn model trains, tracks, and miniature display pieces was extremely nostalgic. We also had pizza at a local bar, which was an easy 10/10. Even with 40 people in a building that could maybe hold 15, it was done quickly and tasted fantastic. We walked around the square a bit more, until it became time for the lights to turn on. This was the most hit or miss part of the entire experience: because it was a small town, I personally thought it would be underwhelming. Yet once again, as the countdown hit zero and the lights came on, I was in awe as to what the small town of Woodstock was able to put together. All in all, I would highly recommend this event to anyone who’s willing to make the drive from Chicago. It embodies the small town experience, supports small businesses (like my Uncle’s), and is truly a fantastic atmosphere to be around.