The Most Magical Santa Experience in the Midwest Starts at Pixels by Emily

Pixels is incredibly proud to be the creator and host of the Magical Santa Experience in Mahomet, IL. We have been building, presenting, and fine-tuning these sessions since 2000.

For parents and grandparents in Mahomet, Champaign, Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Mount Zion, the Chicago suburbs, and Indianapolis suburbs like Carmel and Fishers—this isn’t your average mall Santa visit!

The Pixels Magical Santa Experience is a once-a-year, invitation-only fine art portrait session that brings the wonder of Christmas alive through an immersive and heartfelt journey where belief meets artistry.

If you’ve been searching for a more meaningful way to celebrate the season—one that captures your child’s joy, preserves their innocence, and delivers timeless heirloom portraits to treasure for generations—you’ve found it.

Why the Pixels Magical Santa Experience Is Unlike Anything Else

At Pixels, we don't just photograph Christmas. We create a magical world where your children become the stars of a carefully curated story—one filled with genuine moments, laughter, imagination, and wonder.

This experience is designed for children ages 4–12, the sweet spot of belief and wonder. Sessions are intentionally limited to ensure a private, white-glove, individualized experience for each family.

Our award-winning Certified Master Photographer and our team of elves work directly with each child and Santa himself to create natural, heart-tugging moments, not forced smiles. The results are authentic expressions of awe, delight, and connection.

What Makes It So Magical? Let Us Count the Ways

Before you even step into the studio, the magic begins:

• Custom Invitation Delivery: Our golden embossed invitations are addressed individually by our calligrapher, hand-tied with twine, and expertly finished with Santa’s custom pressed wax seal. Since Santa is magic and doesn’t need to use the mail system, neither do we. All invitations are either hand-delivered directly to your home by an elf on our team or sent via UPS to our clients further away, so there is no postmark.

• A Private, One-on-One Experience with Santa: Your child gets 50 minutes of dedicated time with Santa spent in two quiet, beautifully styled settings—not a chaotic photo line. Thanks to our pre-session questionnaire, Santa will weave the details of your child’s life and things ONLY Santa could know throughout their entire time together. Children will also each receive two gifts from the Man in Red.

• Interactive Storytelling: Santa reads books, checks the Nice List, shares cookies, and even paints toys with "magic paint" with your child, and so much more. Every scene is orchestrated to elicit natural reactions.

• Museum-Quality Heirloom Portraits: Choose from exquisite offerings like hand-painted fine art canvas portraits, custom-framed mounted prints, and our most cherished item—The Heirloom Storybook Album, which includes a custom-written story starring your child.

• Premium Presentation: Our in-house framing and custom album designs, along with products provided by the very best labs in the industry, ensure your portraits are preserved as museum-worthy treasures.

• Exclusive Access: This is a boutique experience with limited availability. As a benefit to clients who have previously invested in us and for those who have said in advance they don’t want to miss registration, we open bookings first to this VIP list of people, and most sessions sell out in advance. (Join the VIP List Here)

More Than a Portrait - It’s a Legacy

These aren’t just Christmas pictures. This is about capturing your child at the peak of their belief in magic—and giving them visual proof, for life, that they were deeply loved, celebrated, and believed in.

Displaying these portraits prominently in your home, whether it is year-round or becomes a tradition to display them each year when you put up Christmas, is more than decoration—it boosts your child’s self-esteem and reinforces their sense of belonging. According to leading psychologists, children who see portraits of themselves on display in their home feel more valued and secure.

As the years go by and childhood passes in a blink, these portraits become priceless. The Heirloom Storybook Album and framed artwork are often handed down, turning into part of the family’s generational history.

Who Is This For?

• Parents of children ages 4–12 who still believe in the magic of Christmas

• Grandparents who want to gift an unforgettable memory

• Families who value heirloom art and timeless storytelling

• Anyone who understands that a season of belief is fleeting, but art lasts forever

Whether you live in central Illinois or make the trip from the Chicago suburbs, Peoria, or even Indianapolis, families return to Pixels year after year because there is nothing else like it.

Investment & Art Offerings

All products are purchased separately after your session at a personal Art Selection appointment. Our most popular offerings include:

• Experience Registration Fee + $500 product credit - $695

• Petite Mounted Gift Prints – Starting at $195

• Classic Framed Wall Art - Starting at $500

• Masterpiece Framed Wall Art – Starting at $1,995

• Keepsake & Heirloom Storybook Albums – From $2,495

• Digitals, Cards & Keepsakes – Only available after purchasing wall art or a storybook album

Due to the level of customization, we consult with each family in advance to ensure your final artwork reflects your family’s unique story and style.

Don’t Miss the Magic

Children only believe for a handful of Christmases. This is your chance to preserve that wonder forever!

If you’re anywhere in the Central Midwest (Mahomet, Champaign, Bloomington, Peoria, Mount Zion, Chicago’s North or Western Suburbs, or Indianapolis and its family-friendly communities like Carmel and Fishers)—this experience is well worth the drive.

Availability is extremely limited, and we often sell out months in advance.

Join the VIP List Today to be the first to know when bookings open and find out all of the details here: Join the VIP List Here

There is nothing else like this in the region. The Pixels Magical Santa Experience is the gold standard in fine art holiday portraiture. This is where authentic childhood joy meets museum-quality storytelling.

Give your children a Christmas memory they’ll never forget—and give yourself artwork that grows more meaningful with each passing year.

We hope to bring unforgettable Christmas magic to your most loved littles this year!