2024-01-06 07:58:34
Join in the excitement and celebrate at Chicago’s many holiday events held during the fall and winter seasons. Capture perfect autumn photos in the pumpkin patch at the Lincoln Park Zoo Fall Fest. You can also watch pro pumpkin carvers, sip hot cider, listen to zookeeper chats, and wander through a maze. Festivities include Spooky Zoo, where kids can collect Halloween treats while seeing their favorite animals. Fire breathers, puppeteers, and mesmerizing performances dazzle crowds during the evening Arts in the Dark Halloween parade in the Loop. Watch the lively procession make its way along historic State Street during this family-friendly favorite. Admire the elaborate costumes at the spectacular Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade, held in the historic Northalsted neighborhood. Stay after the nighttime parade ends and watch a rollicking awards show and musical entertainment. The celebratory Day of the Dead Xicágo returns to Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art. In beautifully decorated surroundings, the event honors departed loved ones with illuminated altars, dance, and music. See pumpkin artwork aglow at the Night of 1,000 Jack-o’- Lanterns hosted by the Chicago Botanic Garden in suburban Glencoe. Talented artists sculpt the intricate pumpkins that illuminate the garden walkways. Enormous balloon characters float above State Street as mascot Teddy the Turkey leads the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade to usher in the holiday season. See over 100 floats, marching bands, celebrities, and more. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse cheerfully lead The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival — the largest nighttime parade in the country — along North Michigan Avenue. See one million lights illuminated on over 200 trees as bands, balloons, floats, and Santa Claus pass by. You’ll feel instantly festive when you arrive at Christkindlmarket Chicago, an outdoor German holiday market held in the Loop’s Daley Plaza. Browse booths selling items like wooden toys, glass ornaments, and beer steins. Sip mulled wine and sample authentic bratwurst, pretzels, and gingerbread. Head to Millennium Park for the annual Lighting of the City of Chicago Christmas Tree that twinkles until the New Year at Michigan Avenue and Washington Street. Join other joyous voices during the Millennium Park Holiday Sing-Along featuring local groups performing songs from various cultures. The fabulous, four-story Grand Tree is the focal point of the Museum of Science and Industry’s holiday exhibits Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light. More than 50 smaller trees and displays represent global holiday traditions. Millions of lights gleam during ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo. Walk through the Enchanted Forest, admire an 18-foot decorated tree, and make your way through the Light Maze. Stroll a mile-long illuminated trail at the gorgeous Chicago Botanic Garden that’s especially dazzling during Lightscape. See colorful light displays and the spectacular Winter Cathedral while surrounded by holiday music. Suburban Brookfield Zoo is home to Holiday Magic, Chicagoland’s longest-running lights festival. Favorites include a 41-foottall decorated tree, over 750 community trees, a 3D gingerbread house, and scavenger hunts. Each day of the weeklong Kwanzaa Celebration at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center showcases one of Kwanzaa’s seven guiding principles. Highlights include candle lightings, poetry, African drumming, singing, and a marketplace. Join the festivities marking the beginning of Hanukkah at the Menorah Lighting Celebration in Daley Plaza. The Jewish Festival of Lights holiday event includes a 31-foot-tall menorah, music, and traditional treats. Spread holiday cheer during Winterland at Gallagher Way, held both inside and outside of historic Wrigley Field. Shop at Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville, pose for photos in Santa’s Workshop and among holiday scenes, play carnival games, and take a wreath-making class. The fun also includes family-friendly Holiday Movies, the 8th Night 8th Light Hanukkah Celebration, and the Gallagher Ice Rink for skating and ice bumper cars. WINTER ACTIVITIES Lace up your skates and take free spins around the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park. The Chicago skyline makes for a glittering backdrop at night. Glide along the Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon on a picturesque quarter-mile loop. Gaze at the downtown cityscape as the ice path winds through the park. The University of Chicago’s gothic architecture creates a magnificent setting for skaters at the Midway Plaisance Ice Rink in Hyde Park. A bonus is the toasty warming center. During Polar Adventure Days at Big Marsh Park, drink cocoa around a fire, see sledding husky teams, and make winter crafts. Bring a sled to zip down the 220- foot incline at the Soldier Field Sledding Hill. There’s always snow, thanks to a snow-making machine that keeps the hill ready for sledders. Assemble a team for curling matches at The Gwen Hotel’s rooftop rink. Players and spectators can keep warm sipping hot drinks beside a fire pit.
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