The holidays are here and there are plenty of free upcoming events for DeKalb and Sycamore residents to take part in.

Discover Sycamore will be host Winter Chocolate Walk from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 6. Residents will be able to enjoy a variety of chocolate desserts while visiting the different shops downtown.

Lauren Diehl, director of Discover Sycamore, hopes the Chocolate Walk will continue to gain popularity.

“It is our hope that with sweet treats and sweet deals, we can entice people to shop local this season,” Diehl said. “Supporting local businesses strengthens our local community.”

The Sycamore History Museum, 1730 N. Main St. in Sycamore, will host a free open house from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. There will be hot chocolate, cookies, and activities for children, like decorating cookies.

“It is set up as our thank you to the community for the donations and volunteers throughout the year,” said Michelle Donahoe, the museum’s executive director. This is the fourth year the museum has held a free open house to give thanks to the community.

Also, the Sycamore State Theater, 420 W. State St. in Sycamore, will show a holiday movie at 11 a.m. every Saturday in December free of charge to celebrate the holidays.

DeKalb will also be joining in the holiday spirit with free public events planned throughout the season.

Re:New DeKalb plans to give tours of downtown DeKalb. The tours will be given in horsedrawn carriages. Rides will be available 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in December. Carriages will leave from the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St.

The carriage rides are sponsored by National Bank and Trust Co., 2290 Sycamore Road. Re:New DeKalb has been providing free carriage rides during the holidays for more than ten years.

“It’s a great way to show people downtown as well as create family traditions,” said Lindsey Engelsman, marketing and special events coordinator for Re:New DeKalb.