In 2014 the Spurling Block at 40 DuPage Court was vacant and owned by a bank. Built in 1893 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it had once held the main office of the Elgin Daily Courier. This holiday season, the same building houses two of downtown's newest storefronts. It stands just steps from where the city will light its tree on Saturday, Nov. 28.
That puts Elgin's holiday season in one place more than in past years. The city tree goes up at DuPage Court. A craft-beer bar and a shop full of local makers are open in the restored building's ground floor. The Downtown Neighborhood Association's December markets take place at Elgin Artspace Lofts on the same stretch of Spring Street. If you plan your season around this block, most of the rest of downtown is a short walk away.
The Building Behind the Tree
Dan Strojny and Legend Partners bought the empty Spurling Block in 2014. The city approved its redevelopment in 2021 and put $3.9 million in tax increment financing toward the $11.3 million project. The building now holds 40 apartments over ground-floor commercial space, and it goes by the name Courtyard 40.
Its two newest ground-floor tenants opened within about two months of each other this year. This will be the first holiday season for both.
- Shops on Spring, 42 S. Spring St. This is a shared storefront run by the Made-In-Elgin incubator program. It held its grand opening in August, on the street level of the Courtyard at 40 apartments.
- The Bottle Department, 46 S. Spring St. This craft-beer bar stocks more than 250 beers. It has a Spring Street address but sits inside 40 DuPage Court.
Four Makers Behind One Counter
The Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin created Shops on Spring as a step for home-based makers who are ready for a real storefront. A $100,000 Small Business Accelerator Grant from The Hartford, in partnership with Main Street America, paid for it. At the opening, DNA board President Brian Piñon told the Daily Herald that the goal was "pathways to storefronts right here in downtown."
The first four makers cover a lot of gift categories:
- The Noble Soapery makes handcrafted bath, body and fragrance products.
- La Joya De Taxco is a family-run jewelry business that sells handcrafted .925 silver.
- TCreativ Designs makes jewelry and botanical art with real pressed flowers.
- Head to Toe Blessings makes nontoxic skin and hair care products.
Every product has its own SKU and is rung up at one shared counter. Each owner works that counter 15 hours a week, so the person who checks you out may have made what you're buying. Before her family joined the program, Natalia Monterroso of La Joya De Taxco had spent five years selling at farmers markets and pop-ups. She told the Daily Herald, "From here, we definitely want to have our own shop."
The shop is open Thursday through Sunday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. It is closed Monday through Wednesday. The Holly Days calendar counts Shops on Spring as part of the season for every one of those Thursday-to-Sunday stretches through the holidays.
A Bar Inside the Old Newspaper Office
Chris Pietrini, Matt Willis and Madison Rodriguez opened The Bottle Department this fall. The room seats 90 and has a separate space for private events. The coolers are organized by beer style, and there is no kitchen. Willis told the Courier-News that the space "at one time was the main office of the Elgin Daily Courier until its merger, when it became the Elgin Courier-News and relocated."
The owners met the building's developer through Jennifer Fukala, executive director of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. The same group runs Holly Days, so the bar and the season share the same downtown network.
Nov. 28 Is the Day the Block Fills Up
The Downtown Neighborhood Association timed Holly Days to start on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, and to run through December. The goal is to keep people shopping and eating downtown for the whole season. Downtown is already decorated. On Nov. 6 the city reported that Public Works crews had hung snowflake lights, banners and garland.
Here is what happens downtown on Nov. 28, plus one event the night before:
| Event | Where | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Pop-Up Market | Voice With Vee, 164 E. Highland Ave. | Fri. Nov. 27, 6 to 11 p.m.; Sat. Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Not listed |
| Holiday Cheers Beverage Crawl | Downtown Elgin | Sat. Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | $15 badge, or $30 with a 2026 commemorative cup |
| Holidays at The Haight, Small Business Saturday Market | The Haight, 166 Symphony Way | Sat. Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free |
| Tree Lighting Ceremony | DuPage Court | Sat. Nov. 28 | See city listing |
For the crawl, the deadline comes before the event. Anyone who wants the commemorative cup has to order it by Nov. 18, and ticket holders get pickup details by email. This year's tree was donated by Elgin resident Kevin Allison. Check the city's event listing for the ceremony schedule before you head to DuPage Court.
Krampus Weekend Moves to Artspace
The darker side of the season is also on Spring Street. Elgin Artspace Lofts, 51 S. Spring St., hosts the Krampusnacht Market of Shadows on Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 10 p.m. Admission is free, and the market features local artists and small businesses.
The next day, Dec. 5, is the Krampus Krawl. The DNA has said the Krawl will include stops, drink specials and shopping deals, pop-up vendors, Krampus pin locations and a costume contest. Pre-orders for exclusive Krampusnacht Elgin merch close Nov. 23 if you want your gear before that weekend.
Two weeks later, Artspace hosts the DNA's Holiday Gift Market on Saturday, Dec. 19, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Lofts lobby. Because of the date, it works for last-minute gifts. It also lands on a Saturday, when Shops on Spring is open until 7 p.m. on the same street.
A Short Walk Toward Symphony Way
Most of the other holiday events downtown are a short walk east, toward the Hemmens and The Centre of Elgin. They make a good second stop after a Spring Street afternoon:
- Gail Borden Public Library Holiday Book Sale, Meadows Community Rooms, 270 N. Grove Ave. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 28, noon to 4 p.m. on Nov. 29 and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 30. Purchases support the library foundation.
- Brews N' Views at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, on Nov. 29. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" starts at 2 p.m., with doors at 1 p.m., and "Elf" follows at 4:15 p.m.
- The Nutcracker 2026, presented by M3 Dance, at the Hemmens on Dec. 5 at noon.
- Holiday Tea with The Legend of St. Nicholas with Terry Lynch at the Elgin History Museum, 360 Park St., on Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. It's free for members and $10 for guests.
- The Elgin Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Spectacular at the Hemmens on Dec. 12 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and on Dec. 13 at 2:30 p.m.
State Rep. Anna Moeller's Holiday Toy Drive is collecting new, unwrapped toys through Nov. 30. Drop-off points include The Centre of Elgin at 100 Symphony Way and her office at 164 Division St.
Grove Avenue Is the Next Block to Watch
Spring Street is this year's center, and Grove Avenue looks like it could be next. In August, SUR Barrels & Boards opened as an Argentina- and Italy-inspired tapas and wine bar upstairs at Dream Hall, 51 S. Grove Ave., according to the Daily Herald. Just down the street at 31 S. Grove Ave., the City Council has given preliminary approval to a redevelopment plan that includes a fine-dining restaurant, a neighborhood market and a rooftop sports bar. The Daily Herald reports that the developers are aiming to close on the property March 1, 2027, and expect the project to take about 18 months.
That puts the Grove Avenue project's own holiday seasons a couple of years away. This year, the crawl badge, the Krampus market, the gift market and four local makers' shelves are all on the same short stretch of Spring Street.
At Holzl Homes, we follow details like these because a downtown that keeps finding new uses for its older buildings is part of what makes an Elgin address valuable. If you own near the Spring Street and DuPage Court blocks and want to know how this kind of change shows up in your home's value, request your free home valuation and we'll walk you through the local numbers.
