There’s no time like Christmas in Chicago, where you can’t help but feel the magic of the holiday season. The city is full of excitement and festive celebrations, from The Mag Mile to Millennium Park to the suburbs.
And no matter what holidays you celebrate, you’ll find plenty of ways to celebrate. You can look at twinkling light displays all over the city/suburbs, lace up your ice skates and glide around, catch a holiday show, or sip hot cocoa while strolling the festive streets.
Here are a few of my favorite holiday events, light displays, activities, and beloved traditions this winter season in Chicago.
1. Visit Christkindlmarket
Experience the magic of an authentic German Christmas market at the always-buzzing Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza or in Wrigley. This annual, free-admission event features local vendors selling beautiful glass ornaments, wooden cuckoo clocks, hand-knit gloves, hot mulled wine, and other traditional German crafts and treats. This year’s market will run daily from Nov. 19 to Dec. 24, 2021.
2. See the holiday lights
Even if you’ve got a bad case of the bah-humbugs, it’s hard not to feel a bit of seasonal cheer when the city gets full with millions of twinkling bulbs as part of Chicago’s best holiday light displays. Throughout Decemberyou’ll find indoor, outdoor and drive-through set-ups full of sparkling strings of lights. Here are 8 places to see lights in Chicago/Chicagoland:
- Zoolights: Head to Lincoln Park Zoo, where the annual ZooLights display strings up millions of LED bulbs (though sadly, you probably won’t see any animals). Until January 2nd.
- Illumination Tree Lights at Morton Arboretum: A mile-long, walk-through spectacle of LED lights and music, featuring a blend of new and returning light displays set amid 50 acres of trees. Until January 2nd.
- Lightscape: The Chicago Botanic Garden hosts this annual (and quick to sell out) display of festive lights, giving guests a host of shimmering reasons to visit the forest preserve during the holiday season. Set along a 1.25-mile path, the after-dark experience features a series of installations to explore, including a 110-foot tunnel made up of 100,000 lights. Until January 2nd.
- Amaze Light Festival: brings a twinking display, a holiday market and a tubing hill to near-suburban Rosemont. Situated in Impact Field (the home of the Chicago Dogs), this seasonal attraction features light shows and seven illuminated worlds to explore, plus a variety of separately-ticketed experiences, including visits to Santa’s Workshop and Polar Peak tubing rides. Until January 2nd.
- Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo: More than one million lights cover the trees, fences and structures in the Brookfield Zoo at this annual holiday event, which is open for its 40th year this season. Guests can walk through a 600-foot-long tunnel featuring colored lights synchronized to music, spot larger-than-life illuminated animal sculptures and warm up with concessions such as funnel cakes, pizza, spiced wine and hot cocoa. Until December 31st.
- Aurora Festival of Lights: The Rotary Club of Aurora organizes this holiday wonderland in Phillips Park, allowing visitors to drive through and take in a series of twinkling scenes, from Santa’s toy factory to a series of giant snowflakes. Last year, amid the new demand for drive-through light shows, more than 50,000 cars drove through the premises. You’ll need to make a timed reservation ahead of your visit, but the experience is totally free. Until December 26th.
- Light Up The Lake: Too cold outside? Navy Pier brings all of the winter fun indoors, filling its gigantic 170,000-square-foot Festival Hall with a regulation-size Alpine ice skating rink, a holiday beer garden, kiddie train rides, Santa’s Village and a gift market. Until January 2nd.
- Willow Hill’s Winter Magic: Ride through Willow Hill’s Winter Magic, a new drive-through holiday light experience in suburban Northbrook. Located at Willow Hill Golf Course, the display stretches over a mile of glittering lights with a bevy of cheerful themes, including “Snowflake Valley,” “Reindeer Flight School” and a 250-foot animated video tunnel, among other attractions. Until January 2nd.
3. Macy’s State Street holiday windows and the Walnut Room
Macy’s on State Street is an essential holiday destination. It’s home to the historic Walnut Room, the first ever restaurant to open inside a department store. The room is decked out with antique chandeliers and plenty of elegant holiday decor, with the towering Great Tree as its centerpiece. It was truly magical eating under the Christmas tree! But if you don’t want to eat in the Walnut Room (reservations are going QUICKLY!) you can still see the beauty of the tree for free!
Outside, you’ll find even more holiday magic. The Macy’s Holiday Windows have been a tradition for 54 years, each year featuring a different theme. The storefront windows are intricately and elaborately decorated to tell a whimsical holiday story as you move from one display to the next.
4. Lace up some skates
On winter days, lace up your skates and hit one of the city’s free outdoor ice rinks. The scenic rink at Millennium Park offers panoramic views of Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”) and the surrounding city skyline dusted in snow. The rink is open daily from Nov. 19 through March 6, weather permitting. Admission is free, but online reservations are required.
Nearby, Maggie Daley Park is known for its one-of-a-kind ice skating ribbon, which curves through the park’s whimsical landscape. The Skating Ribbon will be open from Nov. 19 to March 13. Admission is free — all you need to do is make an online reservation then hop on the ice! Skate rentals are available, or you can bring your own.
There are also charming neighborhood rinks throughout Chicago, like the Midway Plaisance in Hyde Park, or the Gallagher Way rink in Wrigleyville.
Looking to skate in the burbs? Head to Rosemont for a huge rink and fun experience!
5. Visit A Christmas Themed Pop Up Bar:
If you’re looking for the perfect place to grab a nightcap turn your attention to the many festive pop-up bars that are setting up shop in the city this winter. Housed within some of the best bars in Chicago, these seasonal attractions are covered in tinsel and string lights, offering guests boozy concoctions—from spiked hot cocoa to steaming mugs of eggnog—and plenty of festive photo ops. Some of the best holiday themed bars include:
Happy’s Bar (Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 S Michigan Ave)
Frosty’s Bar (809 W Evergreen Ave)
Santa Baby Bar (3505 N Clark Street)
Rudolph’s Pop-Up Bar (3660 N Clark Street)
Elfd’d Up (Stretch Bar & Grill, 3485 N. Clark Street)
Reindeer Room (1807 S Allport St)
8 Crazy Nights Chicago (3441 N Sheffield Ave)- Chicago’s first Hanukkah pop-up
6. See the official Christmas Tree
Don’t miss one of Chicago’s biggest and brightest holiday traditions — the City of Chicago’s official Christmas Tree, now in its 108th year.
The massive tree, which will light up the heart of iconic Millennium Park, is adorned in twinkling lights and makes the perfect holiday photo opp. The tree will shine brightly near the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Washington Street until Jan. 9th. Make sure to stop by one of the magical ice skating rinks while you’re there.
7. Explore a holiday exhibit
Chicago museums love to take part in the holiday fun. The Museum of Science and Industry hosts their annual Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Lights until Jan. 2nd with 50 elaborately decorated trees that represent holiday traditions from across the globe. In Holiday of Lights, the museum honors the traditions of Chinese New Year, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Hanukkah and more.
Along with the annual Wreathing of the Lions each November, the Art Institute of Chicago transforms one of their most beloved exhibits, the Thorne Miniature Rooms, with meticulously installed pint-sized holiday decorations. See if you can spot tiny pine garlands, delicate pastries, miniature skates, and a menorah.
8. Catch a festive live show
Live theatre is back in Chicago, and the holidays are the perfect time to rediscover the thrill of live musicals, dramas, ballets, and more. Whether you’re drawn to our bustling downtown theatre district (home to Broadway in Chicago) or more intimate neighborhood venues, there’s a holiday show for you.
Grab tickets today for limited-time productions, including:
- A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre Until Dec. 31
- Hershel and The Hanukkah Goblins at Strawdog Theatre Company Until Dec. 12
- The Nutcracker by Joffrey Ballet at the Lyric Opera House Until Dec. 26
- Twas the Night Before… by Cirque du Soleil at the Chicago Theatre Until Dec. 5
9. Spot the holiday train
A beloved Chicago tradition, the CTA holiday train will make its way through the city this December. Marvel at the six-car train decorated with holiday scenes and thousands of sparkling lights then hop on board to meet the elves handing out candy. Don’t forget to wave to Santa, whose sled replaces the head car. There’s also a holiday bus that will traverse the city streets.
10: See a holiday movie at the drive-in
Get nostalgic at an old-fashioned drive-in theatre, where you can enjoy holiday movies from the comfort of your own car. Catch Christmas classics like Love Actually, Elf, The Polar Express, and more at ChiTown Movies in Pilsen. This sounds like the perfect date night. Pack the car with hot cocoa, Christmas cookies, and snuggle up in your Christmas pjs for a movie night!
What are you doing this holiday season??
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