Christmas in Chicago is almost here! Whether you want to sip cocktails on one of Chicago’s many winterized rooftops or take in the dazzling display of one of Chicago’s exciting light shows. To help you prepare for the holiday season, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most festive activities to enjoy in Chicago this Christmas!
Grab a Christmas Eve dinner
Christmas time isn’t complete without a mouth-watering meal surrounded by friends and family! Here in Chicago, many restaurants serve one-of-a-kind Christmas menus that will make you feel full and festive. Since Christmas Eve is tomorrow, we’ve hand-selected a few spots so you can make a last-minute reservation!
Go ice skating at Maggie Daley Park
Of all Chicago’s holiday season shenanigans, there are few as iconic as ice skating in Chicago’s many amazing ice rinks, and there are few as unique at the Maggie Daley Park Ice Rink. The winding ribbon of ice curves up and down around a 40-foot climbing wall with the city’s stunning skyline in the backdrop. It’s a must for your Christmas checklist. It’s also free with your own pair of skates all the time, Monday through Thursday!
📍Address: 337 E. Randolph St., Chicago
Sip Glühwein at Christkindlmarket
Chicago’sGerman-inspired annual Christmas market is also one of the more notable Chicago Christmas events. The famed German-style outdoor market returns to Daley Plaza and Aurora for its 27th year in Chicago. Enjoy the smell of roasted nuts, fresh pretzels, bratwurst, hot spiced wine, and the magic of festive music, all in the coziest of atmospheres!
🗓️ Dates: November 22—December 24
📍 Location: Daley Plaza, 50 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602
Step into the magic of Winterland at Navy Pier
A truly magical Christmas adventure awaits at the brand-new Winterland experience at Navy Pier. Prepare to be surrounded by the joy of the holiday with plenty of activities to entertain the family, from a winter express locomotive train to a creative crafting station where you can design hand-colored Christmas cards or write Santa your heartfelt letters or Christmas lists. —Melissa Maynard
🗓️ Dates: Until January 5, 2025
📍 Location: 600 E. Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Enter a world of light, color, and sound at Chicago Botanic Garden’s “Lightscape”
Since its debut, the trail of twinkling lights has sold out completely during its first four seasons. This electrifying event is a must-do holiday activity in Chicago, offering visitors the chance to embrace the beauty of the season. Lightscape is open on select days through November, December, and January from 4:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. This immersive experience allows guests to enjoy a captivating light, color, and sound world.
🗓️ Dates: Until January
📍 Location: 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL 60022
Indulge in a holiday brunch
Indulge in a delicious brunch at this brand-new series just in time for the holidays! Wonderverse Chicago is hosting a slew of festive brunches, from a Ghostbusters Holiday Character Brunch to one with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
– Melissa Maynard
🗓️ Dates: November 24 to December 29
📍 Location: 2310 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Revel in Morton Arboretum’s Illumination: Tree Lights
Chicago’s beloved Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum is one of the most magical light shows in the city that you won’t want to miss. This cherished holiday event features unique displays accompanied by musical soundtracks, highlighting the beauty of trees in winter.
Spanning 50 acres of the nonprofit public garden and outdoor museum, Illumination: Tree Lights invites guests to stroll along a mesmerizing one-mile, tree-lined walking trail through the Arboretum’s majestic landscape. Be sure to secure your tickets for this magical experience!
🗓️ Dates: Three weekends, November 29 and 30; December 6 and 7; December 13 and 14, 2024
📍 Location: 4100 IL-53, Lisle, IL 60532
See a Christmas Carol
One of our favorite things to do in Chicago this Christmas is to see a Christmas Carol! Back for another year, a Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas past, present, and yet to come.
📍 Location: Goodman’s Albert Theatre
🗓️ Dates: Until December 30
Experience the Art of Sabrage at The St. Regis Chicago
Witness the dramatic art of champagne sabrage during “The 12 Days of Sabrage” at The St. Regis Chicago for Christmas in Chicago. This festive Evening Ritual features distinguished guests performing the signature ceremony from December 11 to December 22. Each evening at 5:00 PM, guests can enjoy this Napoleon-inspired tradition in the hotel’s lobby, with donations made to local charities for every participant!
📍 Location: The St. Regis Chicago
🗓️ Dates: December 11 – December 22, 2024
Head to Lincoln Park Zoo for ZooLights
As one of Chicago’s top three light shows, Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights is an event you won’t want to miss. This beloved annual celebration features hundreds of stunning, larger-than-life 3D LED displays, a unique light maze, and an enchanted forest. Guests can wander among butterflies, flowers, mushrooms, and sparkling lights, all accompanied by whimsical music that creates a magical atmosphere. With many $5 admission nights and free Mondays, ZooLights is one of Chicago’s most affordable and enjoyable holiday experiences.
🗓️ Dates: November 15, 2024–January 5, 2025
📍 Location: Chicago, IL 60614
Chicago’s Beloved CTA Holiday Train Returns for 33rd Season
The Chicago Transit Authority’s holiday train and bus are set to return for their 33rd season, bringing festive cheer to commuters across the city. The holiday train will begin its journey on November 29, starting on the Green Line before traversing the Orange, Brown, Pink, Blue, Red, Purple, and Yellow Lines. This beloved winter tradition not only offers a magical twist to daily commutes but also continues its decades-old practice of donating food baskets to local community organizations. The CTA holiday fleet, which originated in 1992, has become a cherished part of Chicago’s winter landscape, transforming ordinary train rides into dazzling holiday experiences. Residents and visitors can check the full schedule online to catch a glimpse of this festive spectacle as it brightens the city’s transit system.
📍 Location: Chicago, Illinois
🗓️ Dates: Starting November 29, 2024
Indulge in the exorbitance of Chicago’s Christmas pop-ups
Each year, various bars and restaurants across Chicago transform their spaces and decorate themselves head to toe in an exorbitant amount of holiday decor. While the boozy milkshakes and Christmas-themed cocktails can sometimes border on the obscene, if there is one time of the year to indulge yourself, we all know it is Christmas time in Chicago.
One of our top picks from the array of Christmas pop-ups in Chicagoland is the immersive Santa Baby Pop-Up that comes to Wrigleyville every year. Here, you’ll find a selection of decadently garnished drinks, mouth-watering cocktails, and a food menu from ‘Santa’s Snack Shack’ offering more than twenty different Christmas-themed bites.
Head up to London House Chicago for Rudolph’s Rooftop
LondonHouse Chicago, recently recognized as one of the best hotels in the world, features an elegant tri-level rooftop bar that needs no introduction. This holiday season, “Rudolph’s Rooftop” stands out as one of Chicago’s most memorable Christmas events. Guests can enjoy a magical experience high above the city, complete with heated igloos, whimsical décor, sparkling lights, and stunning views of the Chicago skyline.
Cozy up in a rooftop igloo at the Godfrey Hotel
LondonHouse Chicago, recently recognized as one of the best hotels in the world, features an elegant tri-level rooftop bar that needs no introduction. This holiday season, “Rudolph’s Rooftop” stands out as one of Chicago’s most memorable Christmas events. Guests can enjoy a magical experience high above the city, complete with heated igloos, whimsical décor, sparkling lights, and stunning views of the Chicago skyline.
Curb with cocktails at the Gwen Hotel luxury rooftop
Another unique winter experience can be had on The Gwen Hotel’s luxury rooftop. While you won’t find lavish igloos here, you’ll instead be able to enjoy the hotel’s annual Curling and cocktails experiences. The hotel kits out its rooftop with no igloos, no ice skating, but an outdoor curling rink high in the sky.
Curling sessions come with a complimentary round of cocktails, meaning you can sip away on your favorite tipple while going toe to toe with your friends on the state-of-the-art curling rink.
Skate among skyscrapers at the rooftop SkyRink
Competing with the Gwen Hotel for the coolest active rooftop experience is the Peninsula Hotel’s SkyRink. Located on the 4th floor of the award-winning hotel, guests can once again enjoy a unique hybrid rink this winter, perched high above the Magnificent Mile.
Now in its 12th season, the Peninsula Sky Rink offers an elevated winter wonderland for select days until the end of the year. In addition to a rooftop adorned with pine trees and Christmas lights, a chalet provides hot beverages and seasonal snacks to ensure skaters stay fueled and satisfied while enjoying the iconic rink.
🗓️ Dates: Select dates in December and January
Catch an Art on the MART winter projection
Of all Chicago’s public art pieces, Art on the MART is certainly one of the most spectacular. We’ve been treated to many months of stunning art spectacles on the facade of the Merchandise Mart since they returned earlier in the year.
Now, the “largest permanent digital art projection in the world” has begun showing some sensational new shows for its winter program titled ‘Season of Light‘.
The new winter program celebrates “the emerging and established talent coming from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), a beloved Chicago institution internationally regarded as one of the top art and design schools in the world.”
The 30-minute shows will run nightly on the 2.5-acre river façade of the Merchandise Mart between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The best places to view the projections are from the jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells and Franklin Streets.
Be captivated by a Christmas Candlelight Concert
Step into Chicago’s most exquisite spaces to experience some of the most treasured holiday classics if you’re looking for Chicago Christmas events. From Christmas concerts to tribute performances, the beloved Candlelight series is bringing talented musicians to perform at venues illuminated with hundreds of candles this season.
Hang out with Santa for the day
The magic of the holiday season comes alive with a visit to Santa’s winter wonderland. One of the best things to do for Christmas in Chicago is a visit to the Jolly Man. Santa will be there until December 24th at the Chicago Fashion Outlets, located in Center Court, near the Food Court. A visit with Santa is always free, and photo packages are available for purchase.
Head to one of the majestic Christmas trees in Chicago
Macy’s Walnut Room has become synonymous with the holidays with a towering 45-foot Great Christmas Tree over the years. The holiday setup changes every year but is always a bright spot during the season. The historic restaurant brings all the holiday cheer with an incredible setup, infusing the entire space with unbeatable magic.
Take the family to watch The Nutcracker
The Joffrey Ballet’s critically acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to celebrate the magic of the holiday season. One of the most coveted Chicago Christmas shows, Wheeldon’s American Tale relocates Marie and her immigrant family to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, where Marie embarks on a whirlwind adventure with the Nutcracker Prince.
Drink at a bar that goes all-out with holiday decor
There are a ton of places that seasonally deck their halls. Whether you’re visiting Chicago for the weekend or want to find a festive place to find drinks, there are holiday bars in Chicago that go all-out with Christmas decorations. And we guarantee it will make it to your camera roll.
Dine in darkness this December
Though not necessarily Christmas-themed, the wildly popular Dining in the Dark event series has just returned to Chicago, offering a restaurant experience like nothing you’ve encountered before.
Using just taste and smell alone, you’ll elevate your meal to a whole new level, making it the perfect date night or a Christmas meal out with friends or colleagues this December.
Grab tickets to a Blindfolded Dining Experience at Fulton Market Kitchen or a Dining in the Dark: Sushi “Omakase” Edition now!
Hit the slopes
Get away with your loved ones this holiday season! One of our favorite things to do for Christmas in Chicago is letting loose on a holiday getaway. Boyne Falls is the ultimate playground and one of the must-visit ski resorts.. So, head there with the family for an outdoor activity.