10 reasons why Chicago is the ultimate city for fall and winter celebrations

One of the city’s most popular shopping districts decks its tree-lined street with more than a million shimmering lights during the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. On Friday, November 16, attendees can take part in activities at shops throughout the area, leading up to a parade down Michigan Avenue on Saturday evening.
Time Out tip: It’s worth dipping out of the parade a little early to find a spot near the DuSable Bridge and watch the fireworks display over the Chicago River that caps off Saturday evening’s festivities.

Gather around Chicago’s Christmas Tree in Millennium Park at the official Tree Lighting Ceremony, where the city’s mayor will be joined by musicians, choirs and theater performers for an evening of music and revelry that culminates with someone flipping the switch to illuminate the towering evergreen.
Time Out tip: Don’t accidentally show up to Daley Plaza for the Christmas Tree lighting—you’ll only find the Christkindlmarket. Chicago’s tree and the accompanying Lighting Ceremony moved to Millennium Park in 2015, after nearly 50 years in Daley Plaza. 

Watch the Art Institute’s iconic lion statues get dressed up for the holidays during a free ceremony on the steps of the museum’s Michigan Avenue entrance, where special guests place wreaths around the necks of the regal figures that guard the building’s entrance.
Time Out tip: Can’t show up for the wreathing ceremony? The lions will sport their seasonal garb through the end of the year, so you can stop by and get a photo of the decorations.

Get in the Halloween spirit at this annual event, which brings a nighttime procession of creative floats, glowing lanterns, towering puppets and costumed performers to downtown Chicago. Don’t worry about missing out on trick or treating—Arts in the Dark happens more than a week before the biggest candy holiday of the year.
Time Out tip: LUMA8, the organization that hosts Art in the Dark, enlists volunteers to help create art for the event and march in the parade. If you’re interested in taking part in this Halloween tradition, you can find more information on the Art in the Dark website.

Inspired by a German holiday tradition, Christkindlmarket hosts an array of European goods (such as handmade clocks, gourmet chocolates and artisanal ornaments) in Daley Plaza from November 16 to December 24. Even if you don’t feel like shopping, it’s worth stopping by for a hot mug of glühwein, a sausage or some strudel.
Time Out tip: If you plan on making multiple visits to Christkindlmarket throughout the season, make sure to pack your mug. You’ll get a $1 discount on glühwein and hot cocoa if you reuse the event’s official vessel.

This December 1 to 30, the Joffrey Ballet takes up residence in the ornate Auditorium Theatre to present the classic holiday ballet The Nutcracker, in which a young girl dreams up a fantastic world populated by dancing rats, a towering Christmas tree and a wooden soldier who has magically come to life.
Time Out tip: Even if you’ve seen The Nutcracker before, you might want to think about a second viewing. The Joffrey Ballet’s latest production premiered in 2017 and is set during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, featuring new choreography, musical arrangements and scenery.

The plot of A Christmas Carol is ingrained in popular culture, but the Goodman Theatre’s annual staging of Charles Dickens’ holiday story is one of the most masterful renditions of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption via four ghostly visitors. This year the production lasts from November 17 to December 30.
Time Out tip: The Goodman doesn’t have the only Christmas Carol in town—the Q Brothers Collective presents a hip-hop interpretation of Dickens’ tale at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and E.D.G.E. Theatre presents a version performed in Klingon (with English subtitles).

When the animals head inside for the winter, the Lincoln Park Zoo gets festooned with more than 2.5 million lights, turning the park into a gigantic twinkling photo opportunity. In addition to the dazzling display, you’ll find ice sculptors, carolers, hot cocoa stands and more winter activities throughout the park. 
Time Out tip: Dates vary each month. If you’re of legal drinking age, show up for BrewLights on December 6, where you’ll be able to sample beers from local brewers while amid the sea of shimmering bulbs.

Don’t let the cold keep you from ice skating and tubing in Chicago. Navy Pier’s Fifth Third Bank Winter WonderFest brings those activities and more indoors to its expansive 170,000 square foot Festival Hall, where you can also scale a climbing wall, ride a carousel, collide with bumper cars, decorate cookies and much more! It’s a holiday amusement park that always stays toasty warm.
Time Out tip: While at Navy Pier, be sure to check out Passage, a free, temporary public art installation located on the South Dock. This unique piece is sure to take guests on an emotional journey through light and sound.

When the weather gets cold, Chicago’s ice skating rinks open for business, allowing you to slide across scenic spots throughout the city. You can glide around the skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park or show off your moves at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park.
Time Out tip: If you want to skip the lines for rentals at your favorite rinks, it’s worth investing in your own pair of skates—you can usually find a good deal on some used skates at a second-hand store or by shopping online.