With all we’ve been through this pandemic year, it’s no surprise that “what’s open, what’s closed” will be more than a little different this holiday season in Kane County, IL.

The most important “open/closed” advice, of course, is coming from the Kane County Health Department and other public health officials, who are asking residents to avoid big celebrations and get-togethers, reduce in-person holiday shopping and do all we can to stop the spread.

Perhaps the biggest changes from previous years’ holiday-season “open/closed” articles on Kane County Connects is the hours you’ll find at big box stores and the holiday travel deals you’d usually find on Metra and other mass transit options. Scroll down for details.

Because the Christmas and New Year’s holidays fall on Friday this year, there are some changes in some folks’ garbage pick-up schedules.

As usual, the stock exchanges are closed on Christmas Day.

Some municipal government offices are closed altogether due to the pandemic. Those that are open to the public have a variety of holiday “days off.”

Kane County non-emergency offices are closed on Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The Kane County Connects daily e-newsletters will take those days off, as well.

Banks

• The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is closed Christmas Day but open on Christmas Eve Day on Thursday, Dec. 24.
• Local banks are closed for the Christmas holiday, as well. Hours for Christmas Eve Day vary, so consult your local bank before you go.

Businesses

• Many local businesses are closed Christmas Day, but consult your local chambers of commerce for more information. Some local restaurants — and most of the big-name fast-food chains — are open for carry-out.
• Many big-name retail stores close between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Target and Walmart are closed on Christmas Day.
• Many pharmacies will be open, including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid, but the hours may vary. Call ahead before making the trip.

Cities And Villages

All municipalities’ non-emergency offices, including public works facilities, are closed Dec. 25, in observance of the Christmas holiday. Many are closed due to the state’s Tier 3 mitigations for COVID-19. Be sure to check out the links below for updated information and specifics.

Waste and recycling collection services generally operate a holiday schedule, and that usually means a one-day delay, if your usual garbage collection day is Friday.

Click on the following links to find out more about what’s happening in your community.

• Village of Algonquin — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day, according to the calendar.
• City of Aurora— Offices are closed Christmas Day. Since the week of Nov. 30, Aurora City Hall and other general city buildings are open to the public on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. due to Tier 3 mitigations. The first hour is reserved for senior citizens.
• City of Batavia — Except for the Police Department lobby, all other areas of City Hall are closed to the public.
• Village of Big Rock — Offices are closed due to pandemic.
• Village of Burlington — Holiday hours not listed on website, but Village Hall is always closed on Fridays.
• Village of Campton Hills — Offices are closed to the public due to the pandemic.
• Village of Carpentersville —  Closed Christmas Day. (Check the website for updates on the COVID-19 situation.)
• Village of East Dundee — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
• Village of Elburn — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.
• City of Elgin — Closed. (The city’s non-essential offices are closed to the public during Tier 3 mitigations.)
• City of Geneva — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day. (The city’s non-essential offices are closed to the public during Tier 3 mitigations.)
• Village of Gilberts — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.
• Village of Hampshire — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.
• Village of Huntley — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day. (Offices are closed due to pandemic.)
  
• Village of Lily Lake — Closed Christmas Day.
  
• Village of Maple Park — Offices are closed. (Village Hall is closed due to Tier 3.)
• Village of Montgomery  — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.  
  
• Village of North Aurora — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day. (Offices remain open on non-holidays.)
  
• Village of Pingree Grove — Closed Christmas Day and day after Christmas.  (The Municipal Center lobby is presently closed due to Tier 3.)
  
• Village of Sleepy Hollow  — Closed Christmas Day.  
  
• Village of South Elgin — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.  
  
• City of St. Charles — Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  (City buildings are closed due to Tier 3.)
• Village of Sugar Grove — Closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day. 
  
• Village of West Dundee — Closed Christmas Day.

Kane County

• Kane County non-emergency offices are closed Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.
• Kane County Connects daily e-newsletter will be off those days. (Click here to sign up for the daily or weekly e-newsletter!)

Kane County Courts

• Kane County’s 16th Judicial Circuit Court are closed on Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day. From Nov 30, 2020, until Jan 31, 2021, ALL Kane County court appearances and related services will be by remote access only.

Libraries and Park Districts

• Most libraries are closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day during other years.  Some are closed to in-person visits during the pandemic.
• Park districts in past years have closed early on Christmas Eve Day. They are closed during Tier 3 mitigations.
• Click here for links to Kane County library district and park district websites!

Post Offices

• Postal offices are closed Christmas Day but have usual hours Christmas Eve.

Schools

• Local schools are closed for the holiday break. Schools’ winter breaks vary, but many have off Monday, Dec. 23, through Friday, Jan. 3, 2019.
• Waubonsee Community College fall semester ends at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. The spring 2020 semester starts Jan. 21. Waubonsee’s Small Business Development Center office is closed for winter holiday break and will re-open on Thursday, Jan. 2.
• Elgin Community College winter break starts Monday, Dec. 23, and offices reopen Thursday, Jan. 2. The spring 2020 semester begins Monday, Jan. 13.
• Click here for links to Kane County schools and school districts.

State Government

• The great state of Illinois observes Christmas Day as the holiday, but not Christmas Eve. The Secretary of State’s facilities are closed during the pandemic.

Transportation

METRA

• Metra trains are operating on alternate weekday and weekend schedules posted here, with no weekend service on the North Central Service, Southwest Service, Heritage Corridor and the Blue Island Branch of the Metra Electric Line. For all other information relating to Metra’s response to the pandemic, click here.

PACE BUS

• Click here for Kane Dial-A-Ride information.
• See Pace’s full holiday service notice for more information.

Links To Kane County Chambers of Commerce

• Algonquin / Lake-in-the-Hills Chamber of Commerce
• Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Batavia Chamber of Commerce
• Elburn Chamber of Commerce
• Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
• Geneva Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce
• Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
• Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce
• Huntley Chamber of Commerce
• Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce
• Quad County African America Chamber of Commerce​
• St. Charles Chamber of Commerce
• Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce​