THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO — Getting Into The Holiday Spirit!
Now that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are behind us, Chicagoans will embark on officially getting into the Holiday Spirit this weekend!
Lincoln Park Zoo (2200 N. Cannon Dr.) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood transforms into a winter wonderland for their 22nd annual ZooLights now through January 1, 2017 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Revel in wonderment as the sky is illuminated with two million lights that include larger-than-life lighted animal & seasonal features! Also featured at this event are many festive activities that include free crafts for children, 3D displays, warm spiced wine & frosty lagers, delicious holiday snacks, live ice-sculpture carving, carousel & train rides, photos with Santa (through December 23rd) and of course, much more!!
Experience the magic of the holidays on one of the Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. Holiday Lights Tour now through December 26th. These 2½ hour tours begin and end at the John Hancock Center Plaza (875 N. Michigan Ave.) at the Center’s spectacular tree at the top of the Magnificent Mile in the Streeterville neighborhood. Your first stop on this Tour takes you to the Gold Coast neighborhood at Sprinkles Cupcakes where you’ll receive a complimentary handcrafted holiday cupcake with two other stops – The Loop’s Christkindlmarket (old German village filled with quaint shops & holiday treats) and the Lincoln Park neighborhood’s Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo! This is the best way to explore the magic of Chicago’s lights and sights!!
Another Holiday favorite returns to the Museum of Science and Industry (5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.) in the Hyde Park neighborhood with their Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light now through January 2, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Celebrate festive traditions from around the globe with a forest of beautifully adorned trees decorated by volunteers from Chicago’s diverse communities representing their holiday customs and encircling a miraculous floor-to-dome Grand Tree wrapped in 30,000 twinkling lights with “snow” falling every 30 minutes inside the Museum’s Rotunda! Also, the beautiful Holidays of Light digital displays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, can be seen in Holiday Lane and so much more! And, new this year, in conjunction with the Museum’s “Brick by Brick” exhibit, guests can create their own LEGO® ornament to remember their visit!!
Finally, getting into the Holiday Spirit also includes shopping at some of Chicago’s holiday markets, which include the following two:
The Randolph Street Holiday Market brings one stop shopping for all your holiday needs to Beaux Arts Plumber’s Hall (1340 W. Washington St.) in the West Loop this Saturday and Sunday (10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) offering a mix of antique, vintage and modern goods from 125 vendors along with food & drink vendors as well as free gift wrapping, festive music and even free trolley service to/from Water Tower Place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. both days!
New this year, Christkindlmarket Naperville comes to Naper Settlement (523 S. Webster St.) in Naperville which is located 28 miles west of Chicago and is open Thursdays through Sundays now through December 18th and every day from December 19th through the 24th. You will find that this Market also offers a rich selection of gifts, beverages and holiday cheer just like the Chicago-based Market! In fact, this weekend offers American-grown fresh gifts from Hawaiian farmers and local chocolatiers at the pop-up vendor booth “Puna Chocolate Naperville” and a visit this Sunday (2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.) from Chicago’s very own Christkind!!
IT’S “HOLIDAY SPIRIT” TIME – Like It or Not!!
SUE MOSS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
