Highlights of Chicago December 2008 provided by Chicago Traveler

The Holidays Light up Chicago!

December has come to Chicago and the entire city is alive with music, lights and high spirits. This is the most magical of seasons; the holidays infuse every aspect of the city and everyone feels enveloped in the warmth of the holiday glow. As the temperature drops, smiles lift and the pure snow, sparkling lights and joy of the season bring out the kid in us all!

Highlighted Place: NAVY PIER

The Holiday Season is a great time to visit Navy Pier. With dozens of special events that occur only in the winter, this is one Chicago hotspot that cannot be skipped!

Bring your kids to Navy Pier's Winterfest for activities geared especially towards them. Witness the arrival of Santa Claus amidst a grand fireworks display; use the “Winternet” to send Christmas wish lists to Santa; see magicians and jugglers and other performers putting on live shows all over Navy Pier and be amazed by the 750,000 lights that will decorate the pier especially for the holidays!

Other rides and attractions on the pier include the skating rink, the Ferris Wheel, the Matterhorn climb and slide, the Reindeer Express train ride, the Kringle Carousel and much, much more! For younger kids there are special attractions including the Ferris Wheel Junior and Tinsel Tunnels.

On New Year’s Eve there is a Family Bash on the Winter Wonderstage at 6 pm. This is followed by fireworks and a countdown at 8:15. With earlier timings, this Bash is perfect for families with young children! And for the adults, check out the New Year’s Eve Dance Party featuring DJ Warp on the Family Pavilion Stage at 10 pm. Fireworks will begin at midnight on Dock Street, overlooking Lake Michigan.

Apart from the exciting holiday events, you can watch Madagascar Escape 2 Africa at the IMAX theater, visit the Chicago Children’s Museum or catch Amadeus at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. With incentives such as a Family Free Parking Pack, discounts at Build-A-Bear and American Girl and TYCO giveaways, there is no limit to what you can discover at Navy Pier this holiday season!

With such a vast amount of choices, planning a day at Navy Pier can be confusing. Check out the Visitor’s Guide to Navy Pier to help you create a custom itinerary that will please everyone in your group! The Guide includes information about food choices and even offers a map of the Pier to get you oriented.

For admission prices and hours, check out the Official Winterfest Web Site. For more information about attractions at Navy Pier, as well as general information and links to nearby hotels, please check out our Navy Pier Attractions Page.

Highlighted Events: DECEMBER 2008

December is a great time to be in Chicago. There are dozens of holiday-themed events going on all around the city that will delight kids and adults alike!

Santa is making appearances all over the Windy City. Kids can visit Santa Claus’ workshop at Daley Plaza ; they can have their picture taken with him and give him their wish lists. They can also participate in Skate with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Daley Plaza and have a four-star Breakfast with Santa Claus at Soldier Field.

Another sure-hit for kids is Zoolights; Lincoln Park Zoo is ablaze with over one million lights during the holidays, as well as a Santa station, ice sculptures, family crafts, Holiday Express train rides and much more, all for free!

After visiting the Zoo, if the kids want to see more animals, take them to Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island. Here they can explore the island, see ice sculpture carvings, do crafts and meet live animals, including Siberian Huskies! If there is snow on the ground, snowshoe rental is free; this is a unique way to get around the island. You’re sure to make memories your kids will remember for years.

Get some of your holiday shopping done, while getting a dose of culture as well! Check out the Kwaanza Observance Program at Malcolm X College. There will be free live performances and an African Marketplace. Another marketplace is the Christkindlmarket, an annual Chicago event that includes German food and drinks, shopping and entertainment. Julmarknad is yet another Christmas market. This is located at the Swedish American Museum and features Scandinavian handicrafts, Swedish foods, live entertainment, kids’ craft activities and a visit from Santa.

Don’t miss the 95th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Daley Plaza; it is a Chicago tradition to gather for the lighting of this 90-foot tree. Several other Chicago traditions are carried out at Macy’s Holiday Happenings at Macy's State Street Store; these include the lighting of the Great Tree; SantaLand, where kids can meet with Santa and discuss their wish lists; Breakfast with Santa in the famed Walnut Room and of course the Annual Animated Christmas Windows. These window displays draw visitors from around the country and are spectacularly done. They cannot be missed!

For many, watching The Nutcracker is something that goes hand-in-hand with the holiday season. In Chicago you can see it performed by the Civic Ballet of Chicago, or by the legendary Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre.

Some newer traditions are also being created around Chicago; check out Caroling at Cloud Gate at Millennium Park, where choral groups and the general public participate in holiday sing-alongs. Also stop by the 10th Annual Bucktown Holiday ArtShow, just north and west of downtown Chicago, where you can find beautifully unique, handcrafted gifts for everyone on your list.

End the holiday season with a bang! See the New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. The display is truly extraordinary; there is a symphony of music and lights, culminating in a countdown to the New Year and an incredible fireworks show.

For more information on these and dozens of other holiday events, check out Chicago Traveler’s 2008 Chicago Holiday Events list. Year-round, even more events can be found at the Chicago Traveler Events Calendar. The calendar is organized by month so all the goings-on around Chicago are at your fingertips!

Did You Know? VISITOR GUIDES

Did you know Chicago Traveler has several Visitor Guides to help you plan your time in Chicago?

These guides are easy to use and gather all pertinent information in one place; they’re more convenient than surfing to individual websites and searching through them for the details you need. With information about parking, admission, timings, accessibility from public transport and much more, presented in an orderly, organized way, you will find these guides an indispensable planning tool.

Chicago Traveler’s Visitor Guides cover a lot of ground. Take neighborhoods, for example. Chicago has dozens of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and flavor. Whether you want authentic Greek cuisine or the best of Little Italy’s hearty fare; whether you like the crackling energy of Magnificent Mile or the eclectic vibe of Wicker Park/Bucktown; Chicago Traveler’s guide to the neighborhoods of Chicago is the ideal place to begin your explorations!

As you discover Chicago’s neighborhoods, you’ll also want to take in the well-known attractions that the city has to offer. Yet with so many museums, parks, festivals and zoos, the choices are daunting. What do you have time for? What cannot be skipped? What places are kid-friendly? How can you save money on admission? Chicago Traveler’s Guide to Chicago’s attractions is the place to start to find the answers.

Other guides offered by Chicago Traveler include the following:

• Art Institute of Chicago
• The Field Museum
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• Millennium Park
• Museum of Science & Industry
• Navy Pier
• Shedd Aquarium
• Chicago Tours
• Using the Go Chicago Card
• Going to the Theatre in Downtown Chicago
• Most Popular Museums
• Most Popular Theatres