This weekend, Chicagoans will be gearing up for the upcoming holidays since this year all our traditional holiday events are back better than ever!  And believe me, there’s plenty to choose from as you’ll see in my upcoming weekend blogs.

Here are two markets that offer items you can’t find in stores to get a head start on your holiday shopping:

Aligned with the 110^th annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony that took place Friday evening, the Millennium Park Holiday Art Market will be open this Saturday (12 p.m.-8 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.-5 p.m.) at the Chase Promenade North tent in the Loop.  This market features dozens of local artists selling a variety of items including jewelry, drawings, paintings, pottery, and more!  Plus, vendors from a variety of arts organizations, holiday themed food, hot drinks, cocktails, and live music will be featured as well!

Returning to Chicago for a special holiday shopping event is Markets for Makers this Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) at Artifact Events (4325 N. Ravenswood Ave.) in the Ravenswood neighborhood.  This market features over 90 handmade makers and boutiques selling vintage and unique items along with a Free DIY station, photo walls to create memorable experiences, and a free tote bag to fill with goods from the small businesses.  There’s also food trucks and a bar if you need to take a break as well as free street parking!

Chicago’s two traditional German-style markets return this holiday season as well:

The Christkindlmarket located at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington St.) in the Loop opens this Sunday (11 a.m.-8 p.m.) and runs through December 24^th.  This free outdoor holiday market offers international and local food, a unique shopping experience, live entertainment, family-friendly events, and inter-cultural activities.  And don’t forget to quench your thirst with an imported German beer or warm up with a cup of Glühwein (hot spiced wine) served in their popular collectible souvenir mug!

The Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville is a smaller-scale version of the traditional, authentic market and is located at Gallagher Way (3637 N. Clark St.) running from Saturday (11 a.m.-10 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.-7 p.m.) through the end of the year with as much holiday cheer as its downtown market!

Kick off the official start of the holiday season at this year’s Magnificent Mile Lights Festival this Saturday.  The Lights Festival Lane will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. which is a festive thoroughfare of booths and free family activities all at Pioneer Court (401 N. Michigan Ave.) and includes the Wintrust Pavilion, Dunkin’, Eli’s Cheesecake, the Illinois Lottery, and much more!  The parade then begins at 5:30 p.m. with Grand Marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse followed by a procession of floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, celebrity performances, and of course Santa Claus!  In addition, the culmination of this holiday celebration will take place over the Chicago River with the Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular at 7 p.m.!

Finally, it’s turkey time!  Chicago’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place on Thursday, November 23, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. down State Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolph Street in the Loop.  A local tradition for more than 25 years, this year’s parade will feature acrobats, equestrians, marching bands, and the return of larger-than-life helium balloons!  Plus, you’ll have plenty of time to get home to enjoy your Thanksgiving feast!!

Have a Happy “Gobble” Day!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

The Thanksgiving holiday honors early settlers and Native Americans who came together to have a historic harvest feast in 1621.  That first meal, according to National Geographic for Kids, consisted of deer, corn, shellfish, and roasted meat.

But, according to National Geographic, it wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln declared two national Thanksgivings; one in August to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, and the other in November to give thanks for “general blessings. In the centuries since, Thanksgiving has become a day when families and friends get together in celebration.

Chicago offers many reasons not to cook this Thanksgiving, on Thursday, November 23. As per Dean’s Team Chicago tradition, we have compiled a short list of area restaurants serving sumptuous feasts for under $100 per person that still have reservations available. This is, by no means, all that are available, but we made sure to include the restaurants offering the best variety for the price.

Reserve your Thanksgiving feast at the Gold Coast’s Brass Tack,11 E. Walton, and indulge in a three-course, traditional American brasserie fare for $85 per person. Start with fresh-made Parker House rolls, followed by your choice of Butternut Squash Bisque accompanied by roasted pepitas and spiced crema, or Green Bean Salad with burrata, tomato, Marcona almonds, frisée, and mint, drizzled with sherry vinaigrette. Entrees include their classic BT Turkey Dinner with brown sugar-bourbon glazed turkey, poblano mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread dressing, pineapple-cranberry chutney, and savory gravy. Or, their Prime Prime Rib, served with creamed spinach, loaded Hasselback potatoes, and au jus. Ora King Salmon is accompanied by turnips, salt-baked onions, and orange miso.

Save room for their Cognac Pumpkin Cheesecake with a chocolate crust, candied walnuts, and a drizzle of salted caramel. For reservations, click here.

From 11 am until 8 pm, all Francesca’s locations—River North, Lakeview, and suburbs, will host a Thanksgiving Feast Buffet “with an Italian twist.” Chicago Food Magazine notes that you and your family can treat yourselves to an unlimited spread of turkey, ham, artichoke stuffing, rigatoni vodka, salads and a variety of sides. The $49.95 per adult and $14.95 for children aged 12 and under are among the lowest prices we’ve found. Their location on Chestnut has availability through early afternoon as of Tuesday, Mia Francesca’s in Lakeview is still wide open. To make reservations on Open Table, click here.

River North’s Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash, is offering an $85 per person, three-course menu “with a French accent.” They are featuring a traditional Roasted Farm Turkey Breast served with chestnut stuffing, garlic pomme puree, glazed orange cranberries, haricot vert and verjus sauce. Catch of the Day, Prime Beef Short Ribs, and homemade Vegetarian Tortellini. Appetizers include a choice of Veloute of the Day, Terrine of the Day, Artisanal Smoked Salmon Salad or the Chioggia and Yellow Beet Salad. Desserts include a ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving Dessert, the French Lemon Tart or Chocolate Hazelnut Bars. They note that “The Regular Menu is NOT available!” For reservations, click here.

At Swedish-inspired Ann Sather, their three locations in Lakeview and Edgewater are serving a Thanksgiving Dinner for $30.95 per person, including Chicken Vegetable Soup, Roasted Turkey and Dressing, Mashed Potatoes and Giblet Gravy, Fresh Seasonal Vegetables, Cranberry Sauce, Assorted Homemade Breads, and Homemade Apple or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream. They start serving dinner at 11am. Their 909 W. Belmont location is open 7am–5pm, 3415 N. Broadway is open 7am–3pm, and their 1147 W. Granville Avenue location is open 7am–3pm. No reservations are accepted. For more information, click here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

Looking for a new home? Before you sign on the dotted line, you’re going to want to have a chance or two to scope out a few homes in detail first. That means you’ll either want to schedule a private showing, or visit an open house. But which route should you take to find out if that home is right for you?

Let’s dig deeper to find out which of the two is a better approach for you when you’re ready to buy a house.

The Open House

If you’re not ready to buy just yet, and aren’t sure about exactly which neighborhood you want, open houses can be great.

Open houses can be an effective way to chat up the listing agent and find out important information about the home, and even the sellers. You might be able to find out why the sellers are moving in the first place – whether it’s a job relocation, divorce, or other reason. If you discover that the seller is highly motivated, you may have more negotiating power when it comes to wheeling and dealing on an offer.

Open houses can give you access to a lot more pertinent information than you might think. Besides getting to stroll around every room of a home and scoping out all the details, you can also get a sense of the competition that you might be facing and get a grasp of prices in the area.

Assessing the type of traffic might be tough to figure out, however. If there are tons of people venturing in and out of the house you happen to be in too, it could mean that there is some serious interest in that particular property, and that you may need to think about whether or not you should be putting in an offer before someone else does. On the other hand, the traffic could be just a bunch if nosy neighbors or people who enjoy spending their Sundays having a gander at how others live.

The Private Showing

When it comes to really getting a sense of what a home is like, you’ll ideally want to have a private showing scheduled. That way, you can take your time looking about without having to be distracted and interrupted by hoards of traffic.

It’ll also give you a chance to speak frankly about the property with your agent, come up with a strategy for submitting an offer, and ask all the pertinent questions about the place that you might be apprehensive about asking with others within earshot of your conversation.

Scheduling a showing also allows you to see the exact house you want, when you want (for the most part). There’s no need for the home buying process to be a gamble – instead, you can schedule a showing for a particular home you are interested in, during a time frame that’s more convenient for you.

Private showing allow you the freedom to really explore a home, which you usually can’t do during an open house. It would be sort of awkward to crawl into attic spaces or turn on faucets and flush toilets with a bunch of strangers around. With private showings, you can eliminate this concern.

At the end of the day, whether or not an open house or private viewing is better than the other depends on how serious you are about buying. If you’re half-hearted about purchasing, then start off with an open house or two. But of you’ve already scoped out a bunch of listings and have gained a focused sense of what you want, and you’re ready to make the move, private showings are absolutely the way to go.

Ach du liebe! Tis the season to celebrate a tradition that stretches all the way back to the Middle Ages…gathering in celebration and community, bringing light and laughter to a traditionally dark, cold season.

Christkindelmarketswill be openingat Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington Street, from November 17 – December 24. Sundays through Thursdays, they’ll be open 11am–8pm. Fridays and Saturdays, the hours are 11am–9pm. 

In Wrigleyville, Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark Street, Christkindelmarketwill openNovember 17 and run through December 31. Their hours are Monday through Thursday: 3pm – 9pm, Friday through Saturday: 11am–10pm, and  Sunday: 11am–7pm

But as Smithsonian Magazinerecounts, Christmas markets evoke nostalgia, with their glowing lights, sugary smells and joyful sounds reminding visitors of yuletides past. 

Shop the Holidays!

In Downtown Chicago:

On Thanksgiving (November 23) they’ll be open 11am–4pm, and on Christmas Eve (December 24) from 11am–4pm.

In Wrigleyville:

They’ll be open on Thanksgiving from 11am– 4pm, Christmas Eve from 11 am– 4pm, Christmas Day (December 25): CLOSED, and December 26 through December 28: 11am –9pm, and New Year’s Eve (December 31): 11am–4pm.

The Christkindlmarket Chicago, according to their website, “is the most authentic traditional holiday market of its kind outside of Europe, offering a unique shopping experience, family-friendly events & intercultural activities.”

History of Christkindelmarkets 

Christmas markets, according to Wikipedia sources, have been a German tradition since at least the mid 1500s. Seasonal markets were held in Germany year around. Christmas markets were an especially joyous, anticipated event, as they brought light and laughter to a cold, dark season.

However, Smithsonian Magazine traces the Christmas market’s roots back to Vienna in 1296, when Duke Albrecht I authorized 14-day fairs in the month of December. Despite the timing of these festivities, the fairs weren’t directly connected to Christmas and did not appear to be religious in nature.

Another early example of an Advent month—but not necessarily Christmas-themed—market was found in Bautzen, Germany. In 1384, Wenceslas IV, King of Bohemia, gave the city the right to hold a free market, allowing butchers to sell meat until Christmas.

Travel & Leisure Magazine says The Dresdner Striezelmarkt is considered the first genuine Christmas market in the world, dating back to 1434, when it was held for just one day. Today, it’s a massive multiday event where over 200 stalls can be found selling sweet treats, Christmas tchotchkes, and more.

Chicago’s Roots 

In Chicago, according to their website, Christkindlmarket  was first conceptualized in 1995 when The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest Inc.(GACC Midwest) was seeking alternative ways to promote bilateral trade between the USA and Germany. Peter Flatzek, former Vice President of GACC Midwest, and Ray Lotter, then Manager of Commercial Services for GACC Midwest, initiated the partnership with city officials of Nuremberg, Germany.

The inaugural event took place on Pioneer Court in 1996. By special invitation of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, it moved to Daley Plaza in 1997 and has become a staple event on the plaza ever since. With the support of the City of Chicago and their Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Christkindlmarket Chicago has grown to become one of the most popular winter attractions for locals and tourists alike.

In 2023, Book A Stammtisch! 

According to their website, ‘Stammtisch’ loosely translates to a ‘regular’s table’ in English. The tables are traditional wooden beer tables and benches, typically found at restaurants and beer gardens around Germany that can be privately reserved for exclusive use. 

At the Christkindlmarket in downtown Chicago, the heated, alpine-style Timber Haus can be booked for an exclusive experience with friends, family or colleagues at  12 festively decorated tables which can be reserved individually or together, depending on availability. Four different packages are available for an authentic German tasting experience. The food, including pretzels and variations of sausages, is prepared by German vendors and served family style. For more information, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

Canned foods have gotten a bad rap lately, so bad that folks can be ashamed to wheel up to the checkout with them in the cart. But what we think about canned goods couldn’t be further from the truth!

Canned goods are picked at the peak of ripeness and quickly canned. They are actually minimally processed and retain most of their nutritional value. A study has shown that people who eat a lot of canned foods have a higher intake of 17 essential nutrients than those who don’t. As far as flavor goes, canned fruits and vegetables taste fresher than out of season options; this is especially true of tomatoes. 

Here are some of the best and nutritionally dense foods to consume from cans:

1. Black beans pack a nutritional punch. One cup contains 15 grams of protein and is rich in folate, iron, and magnesium. They also contain 16 grams of soluble fiber per cup that is a cholesterol buster, at half your daily intake.
2. Canned oysters contain a bevy of nutrients. They contain more than your daily need for B12, copper and immune boosting zinc. They also contain selenium which has been linked to a lower risk of developing depressive symptoms. They also have more iron content than beef. 
3. Canned pumpkin-squash of all kinds are full of nutrients. The more colorful the more vitamins. Pumpkins contain a large amount of beta-carotene. People with high levels of carotenoids tested for a younger biological age as indicated by longer telomeres – DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells age. Add pumpkin to chili, sauces, and dips. You can also substitute for oil and butter in baked goods.
4. Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce are dried and smoked jalapenos. Eating chili peppers reduces cardiovascular disease and cancer. The benefit of chili peppers is attributed to the chemical compound capsaicin, with potential cardio-protective and anti-tumorigenic effects. It may also have a beneficial impact on our microbiome that could translate into better health. They pack a spicy addition to countless recipes.
5. Canned tomatoes are one of the best canned vegetables. They are canned immediately at peak ripeness and taste so much better than fresh tomatoes out of season. Purchase whole tomatoes in juice. Crushed and diced tomatoes contain chemicals that keep their shape. Whole tomatoes just contain juice and salt. Canned tomatoes are laced with the plant compound lycopene. This is a member of the carotenoid family that may help in the battle against premature cognitive decline as we age. A report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute also suggests that greater intakes of lycopene can lower the risk for developing breast cancer. Acting as a potent antioxidant, lycopene can help vanquish the free radicals in our bodies, which can damage DNA and initiate cancers and worsen brain functioning. Tomatoes can be used in so many recipes. Crush canned tomatoes and mix with the aforementioned chipotle peppers to make a delicious spicy sauce. 

Add some nutritious canned food to your pantry and you can use them in a pinch to add to many recipes. Fruits are also delicious and can be used instead of fresh fruit when it is out of season. 

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago