Rosalind Cummings-Yeates 2023-01-16 11:33:05
When the weather starts to cool, Chicago heats up with holiday events that capture the excitement and traditions of the fall and winter seasons. Welcome fall’s bright foliage and crisp temps with professional pumpkin carvers and autumn-themed food and drink at Lincoln Park Zoo Fall Fest. The family-friendly fun continues with Spooky Zoo, when kids can trick-or-treat among lions and llamas. The Loop’s historic State Street will glow with creative performances, marching bands, and spectacular floats during the Arts in the Dark Halloween parade. The annual Day of the Dead Xicágo celebration at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art honors departed loved ones with music and the decoration of sugar skulls and altars. The Chicago Botanic Garden in suburban Glencoe hosts the thrilling Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns with an illuminated showcase of artist-carved pumpkins lining its garden paths. The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade ushers in the holiday season with over 100 floats led by Teddy the Turkey, the official parade mascot, who’s joined by marching bands, celebrities, and Santa Claus on downtown State Street. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival twinkles as the trees along North Michigan Avenue are lit and the largest nighttime parade in the U.S. marches down the iconic boulevard, led by Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The scent of cinnamon and roasting nuts envelops the Loop’s Daley Plaza during the annual Christkindlmarket Chicago. This delightful German holiday market features traditional foods like bratwurst and potato pancakes, alongside handcrafted gifts that include wooden toys, glass ornaments, and beer steins. Head to Millennium Park for more holiday festivities, like the annual Lighting of the City of Chicago Christmas Tree, which towers over Michigan Avenue. And be sure to catch the Millennium Park Holiday Sing-Along, a series that features an array of local groups singing holiday songs from various cultural backgrounds. The Museum of Science and Industry hosts one of the most beloved Chicago holiday traditions with Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light, featuring a fantastic display of more than 50 trees and exhibits that reflect holiday traditions from all over the globe. In the evening, wander through the glowing light installations that feature music and dazzling colors during Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden, set on a mile-long illuminated trail. ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo offers a sparkly winter wonderland that includes an enchanted forest, light maze, illuminated animal sculptures, and a holiday bar. Over two million glowing LED lights brighten Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo, which includes the 600-foot-long Tunnel of Lights and a 16-foot-tall gingerbread house in suburban Brookfield. African dancing, drumming, and singing that highlight the seven principles of Kwanzaa are joyful elements of the week-long Kwanzaa Celebration at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with the Menorah Lighting Celebration at Daley Plaza in the Loop, featuring a DJ and sufganiyot (traditional fried jelly donuts). Embrace the magic of the season during Winterland at Gallagher Way, which features a mini Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville, Santa’s Workshop offering photos with St. Nick, Holiday Movies for family-friendly flicks, the 8th Night 8th Light Hannukah Celebration, and The Rink for ice skating, curling, and ice bumper cars. AUTHOR'S TIP If you miss the Day of the Dead events in Pilsen, the altars (or ofrendas) are displayed outside neighborhood homes and St. Procopius Church for weeks afterwards, so you can do a personal tour of the installations at your own pace.
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