Winter Treats in the Windy City

Being one of the most cultural cities in the United States, Chicago offers a variety of interesting activities for the entire family to take in this holiday season. Here are a few of them:

Christkindelmarkt
Like many cities in the American Midwest, Chicago boasts a sizable German-American population, and that heritage truly shines when late November rolls around. Christkindelmarkt ("Christmas Market" in English) is a Chicago-style replica of the famous version that sits in Nuremberg. Christkindelmarkt Chicago presents the holidays in style for the over one million people who visit each year. Located at Daley Plaza (corner of Washington and Dearborn), the festival offers patrons a chance to but authentic German products, taste delectable German treats, and take in a classic European tradition complete with oompa music.

Christkindelmarkt runs from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Eve, 11 am - 8 pm (except Fridays and Saturdays, when it stays open an extra hour). Special events of note this year are the Grand Opening on the 24th and the Children's Lantern Parade (TBA). General admission is free, and there's plenty for the kids to do. Check out their site today!

Thanksgiving Day Parade
Get the holiday season kicked off right with the best (move over, New York) Thanksgiving Day parade in the country! The parade - which runs down State Street from Congress to Randolph in the downtown area - has over 400,000 live spectators and is broadcast on the ABC network. With that kind of an audience, the float builders pull out all the stops and make this worth checking out. Line up well before the 8:30 am start time and sit in the frigid Chicago air to get the first peak of Santa Claus this year! If you're spending the 23rd in Chicago, this is a great way to start off your morning and make you all the more ready for a good dinner. Check out their site for more info.

For those who want the excitement of a parade but want to reject the big-city fuss and noise, the Southwestern part of the city usually has the 63rd St. Holiday Parade, which is more modest (20,000 people), calmer, and less polluted. I cannot find information on this year's version right now (or even if they're doing one), but last year's website might be of some help.

Winter WonderFest
Navy Pier is a scenic place to visit year-round, but for the Christmas season, LaSalle Bank sponsors the Winter Wonderfest, which transforms this landmark of Chicago into a fantastical wonderland of holiday excitement. With countless decorations, and ice-skating rink, games for the family - and yes, Santa Claus and his elves, too - the LaSalle Winter Wonderfest is a holiday treat for everyone, making a trip to Navy Pier worth your while this holiday season. The Fest runs from Dec. 8 to Jan. 7 starting at 10 am and running until 7:30 (or 9:30 on Fridays and Saturdays) each day. Visit their site for more information.

Theatre
Remember that Chicago is the second-best city for live theatre in America and take in a quality production this holiday season. Theatrical versions of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" are planning runs at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook (designed for children, Nov. 15 - Dec. 23, go here for more info) and at the famous Goodman Theatre on Dearborn (where it has run for 28 years, Nov. 17 - Dec. 30, go here for more info). Another Christmas classic is The Nutcracker, and the Genesee Theatre is once again producing their fantastic "The Magic of the Nutcracker" on December 16-17. To learn more about taking in this treat of Russian culture, check out their site.

Lake County Holiday Light Show
North of the city, Lake County holds its annual Holiday Light Show, in which they transform their County Fairgrounds into a magical realm of holiday delight with thousands of artistic lights (in a drive-through display), sing-a-longs, games, contests, and other fun activities for the entire family! The fun starts on November 24th. Visit their site for more information.

The Daley Sports Spectacular
At McCormick Place between December 28-30, Chicago residents and visitors alike can partake in numerous sports-and-fitness related activities at the enormous McCormick complex free of charge. What better way to work off that Thanksgiving/holiday fat than by running and jumping in a variety of interactive games and contests. The hours are from 10 am to 4 pm and admission is free.

There you have it! As you can see, one can enjoy the holidays in Chicago without spending a lot of money. So go out and have a blast this holiday season in the City of Big Shoulders!