THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – Believe in the Magic of Christmas!

Santa and his elves will be hard at work in Santa’s workshop this final weekend before Christmas, and they want us to believe in the magic of Christmas by enjoying ourselves at the following virtual events!

A virtual visit to Charles Dickens’ house in London in search of Scrooge. A panoramic view of the actual, geographic North Pole. Unusual toys from shops and museums around the world. Festivals in places such as Budapest, Krakow, Strasbourg, and even Santa’s Village in Finland. These are some of the highlights you’ll visit at Joy Around the World: The Virtual Holiday Scavenger Hunt for Kids this Saturday. Just gather on Zoom to sleigh ride across the Internet as you come up with answers to tricky, humorous questions about the cool stuff you find! Cost is $19 per person, and advanced tickets are required. Oh, what fun it will be sight-seeing from Santa’s sleigh!!

This weekend is your last chance to catch Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol. It’s a live streaming of Charles Dicken’s holiday classic created specifically for this holiday season. Each show is performed live in Manual Cinema’s Chicago studio as hundreds of paper puppets, miniatures, silhouettes, and an original live score come together for an imaginative reincarnation of this favorite holiday tale! The performance is 60 minutes long, and Marquee TV will deliver the stream.

For a different take on Charles Dickens’ immortal holiday classic ghost story, A Christmas Carol in the Dark will come to life with Theatre in the Dark’s signature audio style. Listeners will follow along with Ebenezer Scrooge’s Christmas Eve journey from darkness into light as the ensemble of four plays dozens of characters, with each live performance streamed over the Internet!

Join the producers of ZooLights on a Virtual Walk-through of ZooLights this Saturday. Get an inside look at how ZooLights comes together and is produced year after year. They will discuss how designs are conceptualized, fabricated, and installed around the grounds, as well as how they prepare for guests while creating their magical evenings! You will receive a unique link to view the event through the Zoom live video platform within two hours of the event. ZooLights has been Lincoln Park Zoo’s holiday tradition for 26 years now!!

It’s Virtual Story Time with Santa this Sunday. This virtual program held over Zoom will kick off with Santa reading “The Mitten” by Jan Brett and “Bear Stays Up for Christmas” by Karma Wilson. Afterward, kids will meet a Lincoln Park Zoo animal and receive a special, inside look at its habitat. Come join Santa and Lincoln Park Zoo to celebrate the most joyous time of the year!

Virtual Visits with Santa are available now through January 7, 2021. Choose from a list of enchanting experiences for a jolly good ‘ole time that include a Visit with Santa live from the North Pole, or Storytime with The Clauses, or a Pre-Recorded Personalized Santa Video for your kids! Online reservations are required.

For the first time, New Philharmonic offers a Christmas concert, Holiday Sing-Along with the Symphony now through January 3, 2021. It’s a concert full of the most festive carols, a Hanukkah medley, and other orchestral seasonal favorites. The lyrics will also be displayed on the bottom of the screen to be sure no one misses a beat! So, gather your family and have some fun caroling from your couch!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago – HO HO HO & MERRY CHRISTMAS