Yep, that winter weekend is upon us once again. On Saturday, December 9 wasted 20somethings turn Wrigleyville into their playground at the Twelve Bars of Xmas Bar Crawl (a.k.a. TBOX). The daylong holiday crawl starts at 10am and peters out by mid-evening. According to its website, this year TBOX is taking a stab at the Guinness World Record for most people on a pub crawl. Let’s pray that the Addison Street Taco Bell is still standing come Sunday.
Needless to say, if you’re not participating in the bar crawl, you’ll want to stay far away from Lakeview on Saturday. Here are a few ways to have a lovely day in Chicago, all of which involve steering clear of Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Uptown (we’re not taking any chances).
Get a head start on holiday shopping
Check a few names off of your gift list this weekend. Remix Chicago, an eco-conscious, recycled-goods–heavy craft fair, hosts its holiday market at Edgewater’s Broadway Park Armory on Saturday. Or head to the Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village for the monthly Handmade Market Chicago, where you can browse artisanal wares with a drink in hand.
Get your Christmas on in the Loop
As long as you’re fleeing the North Side, you may as well enjoy a few Christmastime bucket list items. Sip a steaming mug of Glühwein at Christkindlmarket, then peep our guide on what to do around the beloved German market. We recommend checking out the holiday windows at Macy’s, scoping out the Walnut Room and skating ‘round the rink at Millennium Park.
See world-class theater
While there’s tons of great comedy and theater in Lakeview and Lincoln Park, TBOX is a perfect excuse to see something in a new ‘hood. Get tickets to Beautiful—The Carole King Musical, which just opened at the Cadillac Palace Theatre this week, or Firebrand Theatre’s electrifying rock musical Lizzie at the Den. If you’re feeling the holiday spirit, there’s always A Christmas Carol at the Goodman.
Check out some incredible dance
Premiere contemporary dance company Hubbard Street Theatre performs its Winter Series this weekend. The program celebrates the repertoire of Crystal Pite and includes a reprise of her work A Picture Of You Falling along with two new pieces.
Go behind the scenes on SNL
If you haven’t already, treat yourself to an afternoon at Saturday Night Live: The Experience. The exhibit walks viewers through a week at the sketch comedy Goliath, and includes dozens of authentic set pieces and costumes, as well as interviews with current and former cast members, writers, set designers, makeup artists and more.