On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the stage at 200 W. Main St. opens a holiday run that lasts until the Saturday before Christmas week. Hendricks Live! has 14 holiday performances on its calendar between November 28 and December 19, 2026. The run includes community performers, the Hendricks Symphony, Hendricks Civic Theatre and a Jim Brickman holiday concert, and several restaurants are within a block of the theater.
Five of those 14 performances start in the afternoon, so on those days the meal to plan around the show is a late breakfast or lunch beforehand.
Fourteen Performances in Twenty-Two Days
The run starts with the community and ends with young performers. The Christmas Spectacular on November 28 has dancers, singers and musicians from the area. The Nutcracker on December 18 and 19 is presented by The Children's Ballet with the Hendricks Symphony, and its listing names youth performers.
| Show | Dates | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Spectacular | Sat., Nov. 28 | 6:00 p.m. |
| It's a Wonderful Life, Hendricks Civic Theatre | Thu., Dec. 3 – Sun., Dec. 6 | 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 and 4; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 6 |
| Jim Brickman: A Christmas Celebration Live | Wed., Dec. 9 | 3:00 and 7:30 p.m. |
| Home for the Holidays, Hendricks Symphony | Fri., Dec. 11 – Sun., Dec. 13 | 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 12; 3:00 p.m. Dec. 13 |
| The Nutcracker | Fri., Dec. 18 – Sat., Dec. 19 | 7:00 p.m. Dec. 18; 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. Dec. 19 |
The middle of the run is the busiest part. From December 3 through December 13, three different productions take the stage on eight separate days. The first weekend of December, It's a Wonderful Life plays four times. The second weekend, Home for the Holidays plays three times. If out-of-town family arrives for either weekend, at least one performance fits the visit.
The event pages show a ticket link for each show but no prices, so check prices when you buy. The venue's ticket and theatre policies say there are no refunds or exchanges. If you are holding seats for relatives whose travel plans aren't set yet, keep that in mind.
Five Shows Start Before Dark
These are the afternoon performances:
- Saturday, December 5, at 2:30 p.m., It's a Wonderful Life
- Sunday, December 6, at 2:30 p.m., It's a Wonderful Life
- Wednesday, December 9, at 3:00 p.m., Jim Brickman
- Sunday, December 13, at 3:00 p.m., Home for the Holidays
- Saturday, December 19, at 2:00 p.m., The Nutcracker
Doors open an hour before each performance, and seating opens 30 minutes before. A 2:30 curtain means the building opens at 1:30. A late breakfast or early lunch works better than trying to fit a meal in between.
The closest option is inside the building. In its October 15 guide to planning a trip around Hendricks Live!, Visit Hendricks County suggests coffee and a baked good at The Green Room Cafe before an early matinee, and it notes the cafe is located inside the venue. The county's listing says the Green Room serves coffee and breakfast, along with wine, beer, cocktails and food.
The same guide also recommends The Local Grind for a handcrafted drink. It's at 104 W. Main St., about a block from the theater. For a full sit-down brunch, the guide points to Oasis Diner at 405 W. Main St. Flap Jack's Pancake House is nearby at 414 W. Main St.
Brunch also matters because of the theater's food rule. Outside food and drinks are not allowed in Hendricks Live!. The venue runs its own concessions, and they accept only credit and debit cards. If you're bringing kids to The Nutcracker on a Saturday afternoon, feed them before you walk over.
The Evening Shows Keep Dinner on the Same Block
The other nine performances start at 6:00, 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. For those, dinner nearby is easy because several restaurants are almost next door to the theater:
- Roots Market + Eatery, 115 W. Main St.
- The Prewitt Restaurant & Lounge, 121 W. Main St.
- Tlahcos Mexican Cuisine, 125 N. Center St., which its county listing describes as across the street from Hendricks Live!
- Greek's Pizzeria, 111 S. Vine St., listed by the county as part of downtown Plainfield
- CJ's Pizza, 10 S. East St.
Visit Hendricks County's dinner-and-a-show suggestions for downtown are The Prewitt, Tlahcos, Greek's Pizzeria and Sal's Famous Pizzeria.
Sal's has changed since many of its regulars last ate there. Salvatore Russo opened the restaurant in Plainfield in 1989. On October 16, 2026, Visit Hendricks County covered the recent renovations inside and outside both the Plainfield and Brownsburg locations. If December is your first visit back, the dining room you remember is gone.
After the show, The Frigid Frog & More and Momma Shell's Cookies share an address at 303 E. Main St., a short walk east along the same street. Check their hours before you count on them after a 7:30 curtain.
If you'd rather drive a few minutes, The Shops at Perry Crossing has the newest name on the county's list. Shin Dig is the latest Cunningham Restaurant Group restaurant, in the former Theo's Italian space at 2498 Perry Crossing Way. In its September write-up, Visit Hendricks County described a shareable menu built around hand-tossed pizzas such as the Pig+Fig+Goat and the Al Pastor. The October theater guide lists Shin Dig next to Bru Burger Bar and Stone Creek Dining Company as Perry Crossing options before or after a show.
November Is the Lead-In
The theater is busy before the holiday run starts. Its November calendar has seven events in the four weeks before the Christmas Spectacular:
- Hail Britannia, Sunday, November 1, 3:00 p.m.
- Dave Matthews Tribute Band, Saturday, November 7, 8:00 p.m.
- Seniors on Seniors, Sunday, November 8, 3:00 p.m. This community storytelling event costs $5, and Hendricks County Senior Services members get in free with ID.
- The Kings of Queen, Thursday, November 12, 7:30 p.m.
- Hannibal Buress, Friday, November 13, 8:00 p.m.
- We Call it Ballet: Sleeping Beauty Dance & Light Show, Saturday, November 14, 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.
- The Smithereens, Friday, November 20, 8:00 p.m.
Hail Britannia on Sunday, November 1, is the first of them. The Sleeping Beauty show on November 14 has two early start times, which makes it a good trial run for families. If your kids sit through a 4:00 dance and light show, you'll know whether to book them a Nutcracker matinee or an evening show five weeks later.
Before You Leave the House
The venue's policy page covers the details most likely to trip you up on a crowded December weekend:
- Parking. A parking garage sits east of Hendricks Live! on Center Street. ADA parking and the ADA entrance are behind the building, off N. Mill Street. Visit Hendricks County's October guide says parking in the garage and on nearby streets is free.
- Day-of tickets. The box office opens two hours before every performance. You get to it through the Plainfield Civic Center on the northwest side of the building, from the parking lot, or at 206 N. Mill St. It closes 30 minutes after the show starts.
- Payment and ID. The box office accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. You'll need a photo ID that matches the card, and tickets are sent by email.
- Arriving late. If you arrive after the show starts, you may be held at the door until a break in the performance.
- Accessibility. Every performance has accessible seating, and you can buy up to three companion seats with each accessible seat. Requests for a sign language interpreter need to come in at least 30 days ahead. For The Nutcracker on December 18, that means mid-November.
The Town's own holiday traditions, including the tree lighting, the Elf Hunt and Trees of Plainfield, don't have 2026 dates on the Town's December calendar yet. Last year's dates don't carry over automatically, so check again in November before you plan a Main Street evening around them.
A month of shows and dinners within a block of 200 W. Main St. is a good way to see what downtown has turned into. If that has you thinking about what a home near it would sell for this winter, The Home Experts can run the numbers for your street. Request a free market valuation, and we'll show you what's selling near Main Street now.
