The light shows, markets, tree lightings and parades worth bundling up for — with dates, prices and how to beat the crowds. A dozen of our favorites here; all 39 holiday dates are in the Whosly app.
The big light trails sell timed tickets, and the nights closest to Christmas go first, so a weeknight in late November or early December is the easiest way in. The tree lightings and window displays are free — and crowded, so get there early.
The State Street holiday windows and the Great Tree in the seventh-floor Walnut Room. Seeing them is free; lunch under the tree and Santaland visits need reservations.
A nighttime walking trail of large light installations set to music through the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. Timed tickets; popular nights cost more.
Scenes from the Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker projected across theMART's facade, with Tchaikovsky's score along the Riverwalk. Free, Thursday to Sunday nights.
Lincoln Park Zoo lit up after dark, 4:30–9 p.m. Mondays are free with a reservation; other nights need a timed ticket, so buy ahead for weekends.
The city lights its official Christmas tree in Millennium Park at 6 p.m. Friday with a stage show, and a holiday market runs through the weekend. Free.
Free and outdoors. The best spots along the route go early, so dress for standing in the cold and take transit — streets close around the route.
A daytime family festival, a 5:30 p.m. holiday parade down Michigan Avenue and fireworks over the river around 7:30. Free.
Balloons, floats and marching bands head north on State Street on Thanksgiving morning, 8–11 a.m. Free to watch before the turkey.
Weekday afternoons are the quietest time for the markets; evenings and weekends are when the lines for mulled wine get long. Rinks run timed sessions, so check before you go.
A winding ice ribbon under the Loop skyline. Reserve a two-hour session online; bring your own skates or rent a pair.
The German-style Christmas market in Daley Plaza: wooden huts, mulled wine, brats and handmade ornaments. Free to wander.
The shows and indoor spectacles that make the season. December performances sell out, so book early — and these are the easy answer when the weather turns.
The Garfield Park Conservatory's winter show of poinsettias and lit trees under glass. Free with a timed reservation, and warm on a cold day.
The Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker, set during Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, at the Lyric Opera House through most of December.
Free viewing areas fill hours before midnight. Eat first, layer up, and plan the ride home before you go.
Midnight fireworks over the lake at Navy Pier, and in recent years a second show from the Chicago River bridges downtown. Free; expect crowds and take the CTA.
Every light show, market, tree lighting and parade in the Chicago Festivals & Events list — star the ones you're into and see which friends are going.
A few from Whosly's Chicago Cocktail Bars pack, each a short walk from one of the big events above.
A glass-roofed rooftop above the Chicago Athletic Association, looking straight down at Millennium Park. Come before sunset; the room fills fast once the light turns.
Library-themed lobby bar in the Kimpton Gray; leather chairs, refined classics, a quiet Loop escape.
Lettuce's River North tavern; a serious cocktail list at approachable prices, walk-ins welcome.
Subterranean tiki landmark down an alley off Clark; rum, fire, and gloriously over-the-top mugs.
Mapped, by neighborhood — save the ones you love and see which your friends have saved.
Every event and bar on this page. Tap a marker to see which it is.
This guide is a dozen of the 39 holiday dates in Whosly's Chicago Festivals & Events list. The app keeps every one — and tells you when it matters.
Or search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
“Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs”.
Festivals & Events and the cocktail bar packs are included with Planner Pro. Starting a plan and RSVPing are free, always.
