Great Holiday Gift Experiences in the local Lake County Illinois Area for Holiday 2025 Season

Nov 13, 2025

If you’re shopping on a budget this year, or simply being more intentional about how you spend your holiday funds, we’ve got just the blog for you! Instead of giving your money to a corporation and purchasing “things” to fill up cabinets and closets, consider giving your pals and family an experience this year. From wine and brew tasting experiences to pizza and culinary tours to crafting and hands-on art classes and even an exhilarating experience like racing or flying, you’ll find something fun for everyone! Best of all, these are local area businesses and organizations offering special packages and opportunities, so your dollars are having direct real-world impact in our local economy. What’s not to love about this perfect combo of community and memory making!

First up on our list is Extreme Flight Simulations, located in Gurnee. You’ll get to have the virtual experience of being an official pilot, and rack up the frequent flyer miles in the airplane simulator! Participants can take off, coast, land, and soar without ever needing an official pilot’s license. It’s a one-of-a-kind memorable gift experience!

Enjoy a night out on the town at one of the local Lake County performing arts centers and concert venues. From comedians to musical artists to live bands and more, there are lots of large and small venues to choose from. We recommend:

Genessee Theater right here in Waukegan
Citadel Theater in Lake Forest
Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest
Improv Playhouse in Libertyville
James Lumber Center in Grayslake
Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire
PM&L Theater in Antioch
Ravnia Festival in Highland Park

Continuing our exploration of the arts we’re also including some live pottery classes, paint and sips, crafting courses and more, offered at these fine local studios and art workshops:

Dandelion Gallery & Studio in Waukegan
Perkowitz Art Studio in Grayslake
Ceramics for You in Gurnee
Rae’s Atelier de Vie in Libertyville
Creative Romance Date Night Art Class in Chicago via Class Pop
Pottery for Date Night in Chicago Lake View East via Class Pop
Discover Artistic Spinning Paint Classes in Chicago via Class Pop
Board & Brush Creative Studio in Libertyville
The Art Room in Mundelein
The Art Center Highland Park
Adler Arts Center in Libertyville

Schedule a friend-date with your besties and check out the Lake County Libation Trail or any of the local breweries! Get a taste of the local wineries, breweries and distilleries in the area and try out handcrafted specialty cocktails, vodka, whisky, gin and other special craft brews.

ZumBier in Waukegan
Prairie Krafts Brewing Company in Buffalo Grove
28 Mile Vodka and Distillery in Highwood
North Shore Distillery in Green Oaks
Copper Fiddle Distillery in Lake Zurich
Seven Daughters Wines in Lake Bluff
Terlato Family Vineyards in Lake Bluff
Lake Bluff Brewing Company in Lake Bluff
Tighthead Brewing Company in Mundelein
Half Day Brewing Company in Lincolnshire
Lynfred Winery in Wheeling
Glunz Family Winery and Cellars in Grayslake
Ravinia Brewing Company in Ravinia

Bring out the competitive spirit or a collaborative one by working together to solve the puzzle at a local escape room! From themed rooms to themed buildings, private sessions or group excursions with strangers, you can’t go wrong with a high-energy, highly entertaining escape experience.

Edge of Escape Rooms and Axe Throwing in Zion
Troubled Puzzles Escapes in Grayslake
60 to Escape at Gurnees Mills in Gurnee
Game Theory Escapes in Crystal Lake
Twisted Limits Escape Room in McHenry
Racetime Sim Racing and VR Escape Rooms in Volo

Break bread with friends and cheers to the new year together at a local cooking class. Give the gift of cooking lessons, a foodie tour, a culinary experience, or even consider ordering some premade baked goods and desserts as a present. Here are some great options:

The Joyful Gourmet in Libertyville
Cook, Cork, & Fork in Palatine
Taste Buds Kitchen in Bannockburn
Chicago Culinary Kitchen in Palatine
Yaya’s Sweet Treats in Kenosha
The Chopping Block in Ravenswood
Chicago Pizza Tours
Bikes, Bites and Brews: Chicago’s Signature Dishes
River North Food Walking Tour (Chicago)

Let us know your favorite places to bring your family and friends for a day out or a night on the town! They may make a future blog update for another local gift guide.