The porch at 145 W. Main St. has fluted Corinthian columns. Inside are oak windows, oak trim, wainscoting and pocket doors. When John and Julia Robertson Jr. built the house in 1898, it had electricity, central heating and city water, which counted as the conveniences of the day. Between Nov. 21 and Dec. 19, the same house hosts Santa, two holiday teas and two holiday music shows. It also sits a short walk from the corner where the Village lights its tree.
Barrington's White House has become the place the village's holiday season is organized around. That role is only about eleven years old.
A Century Before It Became a Venue
The Robertsons were inspired by the 1893 Columbian Exposition and built in the Classical Revival style. Quintessential Barrington credits Fred Lines with designing and building the house. The couple were known as gracious hosts and community leaders, and they lived there until 1917 and 1918.
After that the house went through a long run of other uses. According to the venue's own history, it served as a makeshift hospital during the World War I-era flu pandemic. It was later a single-family home again, then a nursing home, then divided office space. The Village of Barrington bought it in 2007. A Village newsletter from February 2016 describes the purchase as part of downtown revitalization. The plan was to restore the house and run it as a self-sustaining community cultural resource. The restored house opened as a cultural and community center on July 4, 2015.
The renovation gave the house a third-floor ballroom, nonprofit offices on the second floor, a bride's room, and a first-floor meeting and events space with a catering area. The venue's current rental information lists a dining room, the ballroom and a main-floor event space.
Who Runs the Calendar
The Village owns and operates the mansion. A White House Advisory Board oversees operations, finances, fundraising and long-term care. A second board, Friends of Barrington's White House, is a 501(c)(3) that manages long-term investments for capital maintenance and cultural and community programming. Brian Coyle is the Village's Director of Cultural Affairs. When the Village announced the position in 2024, it said the job included directing the White House and working with the Cultural Commission.
The Barrington Cultural Commission coordinates and cross-promotes cultural activity across the village. It presents its own series at the White House, including 3rd Thursdays Art Night Out. The Village runs the downtown festival, owns the house, and staffs the cultural office that works with the Commission, so the season's Main Street events all sit on one municipal calendar.
November Opens the Season
The first lighting of the season happens two towns over. The Arboretum of South Barrington holds its Holiday Tree Lighting and Parade on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. The evening includes a parade, performances and the tree lighting.
The White House season starts a week later. Clara's Nutcracker Tea is on Saturday, Nov. 21, with seatings at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Barrington Cultural Commission organizes it, and Barrington Dance Ensemble is the presenting partner. The tea is a preview of the ensemble's own production two weeks later.
The Weekend of Dec. 4 to 6
Most of Barrington's December happens in these three days. The Nutcracker, the Village festival, the White House open house and the Holiday Tea all fall on the same weekend. Inverness adds its own event on the Friday evening.
| Day | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Dec. 4 | 5 to 6 p.m. | Inverness Park District Hometown Holiday, with Santa | North Park, 300 N. Highland Road, Inverness |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | 7 p.m. | Barrington Dance Ensemble, The Nutcracker | BHS Auditorium |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Holiday Open House with Santa, registration required | Barrington's White House |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. | The Nutcracker | BHS Auditorium |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | 3 to 6 p.m. | Village Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting | Cook and Station Streets |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Annual Holiday Tea | Barrington's White House |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | 2 p.m. | The Nutcracker | BHS Auditorium |
Barrington Dance Ensemble was founded in 1989. It is a nonprofit company of auditioned dance students ages 11 to 18. Its ticket listing says this year's run celebrates 33 years of The Nutcracker. Tickets are on sale through the ensemble's website.
Saturday, Dec. 5, From Main Street to Cook Street
The Saturday schedule is built so one stop leads into the next. Here is the order of the day, based on the Village's festival listing and the White House open house page:
- 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Holiday Open House with Santa runs at the White House. Registration is required, and the Village says registration details will be posted closer to the date.
- 2 p.m. The Nutcracker matinee starts at BHS Auditorium.
- 3 p.m. The festival opens downtown at Cook and Station Streets, with free hot chocolate, ice carving demonstrations and family activities.
- 4:30 p.m. The BHS Madrigals sing ahead of the lighting.
- 5 p.m. The tree lighting ceremony.
- After the lighting. Santa arrives on a firetruck, walks through the crowd, and visits with families at Santa's House on Cook Street until 6 p.m.
- 7 p.m. The evening Nutcracker performance.
For parking, the venue notes several public lots next to or directly across from the White House.
Between Events, on Foot
The downtown blocks between these events have more to stop at this year. The Village's development updates page lists Bell House Books, an independent bookstore, as open in the Ice House Mall. The Pepper Pot, a needlepoint shop and lounge, has opened there too. Fix Sandwich Shop has moved downtown to 113 S. Cook St., the same street as Santa's House.
Long Story Short Pub at 113 E. Main St. held its grand opening in April 2026. The Daily Herald described its menu as built on nostalgia. A few blocks away at 133 Park Ave., BOCADO Tapas is planned to serve Spanish Mediterranean dishes, and the Daily Herald has connected the project to chef Fabio Viviani. A second concept, Retoro Omakase, is planned downstairs for early 2027.
Two More December Bookings in the Ballroom
After the busy first weekend, the White House calendar moves to evening and late-afternoon music. On Saturday, Dec. 12, Eurovision star Vasil performs "An Evening of Love and Light – A Holiday Show" from 7:30 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 19, Nancie Tobison presents "Home for the Holidays with BHS Alumni and Friends" from 3 to 7 p.m. Details for both are on the venue's event pages.
The last show of the season brings Barrington High School alumni back to a house the Robertsons built in 1898 and the Village opened to the public on July 4, 2015.
If you'd like a recommendation for dinner after the Nutcracker, or a hand mapping out Dec. 5 with out-of-town guests, the team at Connie Antoniou is glad to help. We hope to see you on Cook Street when the tree lights up.