Chicago, IL

Santa Claus is a very busy man this time of year, but if you want to make sure that he has you on his good list and will be bringing you what you want this Christmas, you may want to steal about of his time.

There are lots of opportunities throughout the city to visit with Santa and his helpers. While visiting Santa in a shopping mall, at Daley Plaza, or at a department store makes for a pretty run-of-the-mill Santa visit, there are some more elaborate ways you can meet with Santa, which makes the season a bit more fun.

One of the oddest ones that I found was a local suburb, Elk Grove Village, actually had a swim with Santa event. It makes me wonder, what exactly Santa wears while swimming? Does he take off his hat? Wear red swim trunks? Or will he just be hanging out while the kids swim?

Swim with Santa
December 16th, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Pavilion Aquatic Center
Elk Grove Village
$7 resident / $10 non-resident (pre-registration required)

Odyssey Cruise brunch with Santa
Three hour event featuring a two hour cruise
December 16th, 11:00 a.m. board time
Shoves off from Navy Pier
$52.90 per adult; $15 per child age 3-11*

Ride the CTA with Santa
Santa and his elves ride specific el trains throughout the holiday season and hand out candy canes.
They ride the trains, a different route depending on the day, from 1:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and 3:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. on certain weekdays. Here are the dates for the remainder of the season:
* December 16 — Brown and Orange Lines
* December 17 — Brown and Orange Lines
* December 18 — Orange Line
* December 20 — Yellow Line
* December 21 — Purple Line Express
* December 22 — Red Line
For more information, visit the CTA website.

There you have it! Three unusual ways to spend some time with Santa this holiday season. Hopefully you can talk him into bringing you a Nintendo Wii.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Christmas, Santa Claus, Swim with Santa, Odyssey Cruise, Navy Pier

Nothing says winter more than ice skating. In Chicago you have plenty of chances to lace up the skates and take a whirl, perhaps in a nice holiday sweater.

Millennium Park
Open now through March 16, 2008, weather permitting (it’s outdoors)
Cost: Free. Skate rentals are available for $9.
Hours: The rink is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Holidays: On Christmas Eve, the rink will be open from 10am to 6pm. On Christmas Day, the rink will be open from Noon - 8pm. (Please note that the rink will close at 8pm on Thursday, December 27 and Monday, January 7).

Navy Pier
Now through January 6th
Cost: part of Navy Pier’s Winter Wonderfest; Skating and skates rental included in cost of upgraded wristband, which is $18.
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Holidays: On Christmas Eve the hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve: 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Chicago Park District
Located throughout the city
Hours vary
Check the link above times and places.

If ice skating is not your cup of tea, head to the United Center where you can watch the hockey professionals show you how it is done. Chicago Blackhawks tickets are still available for the remainder of the season and they are playing well this season, so you might want to check them out. The Chicago Wolves are another hockey opportunity and they play at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

On day one of this 12 days of Chicago project, I wrote about the opportunities for shopping within the city limits of Chicago. However, if you are feeling adventurous, or are looking for some bargains, there are plenty of great shopping areas in the suburbs of Chicago. Here are two such places which I would recommend to someone looking to get out of the city and do some shopping this holiday season.

Gurnee Mills shopping plaza
6170 W. Grand Avenue, Gurnee IL (near Great America)
What’s makes it special: giant indoor outlet mall where you can get some great deals
Department Stores: Kohl’s, JcPenney, Sears Grand, Value City, Saks Fifth Avenue outlet
Places to eat after a long day of shopping: Two different food courts, Ruby Tuesday, The Rainforest Cafe
How to get there from the city: I-94 W to Gurnee Mills Circle East

I highly recommend Gurnee Mills as it is the kind of place that, after going once, was sad that I had not been before. Some tips, though: go early in the day because it gets incredibly crowded; wear comfortable walking shoes because it is a huge mall and your feet will get surprisingly tired. There is also a movie theater if you get bored with shopping and need to rest a while.

They have some unique stores that you cannot find in the city like Bass Pro Shops, Borders Outlet, and wide variety of others. For a full list of the store directory check out this listing here. They have varying hours over the next couple of weeks for the holidays, so be sure to check this link for hours before you head up there.
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The opportunities for good theater abound in Chicago year round. In addition to musical, plays, and comedy shows, there are also terrific dance performances and opera. During the holiday season, the city of Chicago adds some holiday-themed programming to its roster, allowing to get your theater fix, while also getting the holiday experience.

Here are a few options when it comes to holiday shows, although it is by no means an exhaustive list:

The Nutcracker
The Joffrey Ballet
December 12-30th (Friday-Sunday only)
Auditorium Theatre
50 E. Congress Parkway
I saw the Nutcracker performed when I was in the fourth grade it is a very memorable show, even to this day many years ago. It is a great show for younger kids, as well as adults. The music and performance is magical. Another version of The Nutcracker will be peformed in Naperville from December 14th-16th. Visit the North Central College website for more information.
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This holiday season, both of the major zoos in the Chicago area have special holiday events. Both the Lincoln Park Zoolights and the Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo have started and run through the end of the year.

Lincoln Park Zoolights
Hours: 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.; closed December 24th and 25th
Location: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
Highlights: Laser light show, visits with Santa, ice carving, storytelling, carousel, train rides
Cost: Free!
Official site

Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo
Hours: 9:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Location: Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue between Ogden Avenue and 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, just 14 miles west of downtown Chicago
Highlights: Nearly one million twinkling lights, ice-carving demonstrating, Santa visits, carolers, photo opportunities.
Cost: Admission to zoo is $10 for adults, $6 for kids. Parking will cost you another $8.
Official site

I think zoo lights events can be a lot of fun. Many young children love the sparkly holiday lights and get memorized by all of the elaborate displays. As an adult I must admit I can be pretty impressed by the lengths the light displays can go to. I wonder what all of the animals think about all the extra lights and nighttime visitors?

For more information on the events, check out the official websites, which are listed above in the descriptions.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, zoolights, zoos

Navy Pier is the top tourist destination in Chicago and for good reason. Whether the weather is hot or cold, there is plenty to see and do for young and old alike. There are a wide variety of shops, eateries, and entertainment and you could spend an entire day there and still not experience it all.

Now that winter is here, Navy Pier is about to start their Winter Wonderfest event. It begins this Friday, December 7th, and runs through January 6th. Admission to the event is free, although you have to get a wristband to have access to the rides and activities. There are two different wristbands, one for $15 and one for $18. They both include an unlimited access to the rides and activities. The more expensive wristband allows you ice skating rental.

So what do you get for that money?

Arctic ice rink: A fun indoor ice skating rink which is an alternative to the outdoor skating rink at Millenium Park. The photo above is from the rink.

Ferris wheel: Although Navy Pier is famous for its outdoor ferris wheel, in the cold weather they have a great 50 feet indoor ferris wheel. Although you won’t get the great city views that you would from the outdoor ferris wheel, you will have a great view of the wonderfest.

Rides: There is a matterhorn spider web and a hand gliding ride. Also, there is a reindeer express train which allows you to see the whole fest while saving your energy for ice skating. There is also a carousel, inflatable games, and a ropes course.

Other Activities: You can watch a cabaret show or join your child in decorating holiday cookies.

For more information on attractions, visit the official site.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Navy Pier, Winter Wonderfest

These days Daley Plaza looks less like a courthouse square and more like a German market, thanks to the annual Christkindlmarket event taking place now through December 24th. The event features a wide-variety of booths selling German food, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, and more.

Here are some photos to give you an idea of what kinds of things to expect at the event:

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In Chicago and its suburbs, just like most cities, they are plenty of opportunities for you to do some good this holiday season. Even if you don’t have a lot of extra cash to donate to worthy causes, there are other things that you can do to help out. Here is a short list of ideas, although it is no way comprehensive.

1) Make a bell ringer smile: The Salvation Army bell-ringers, who collect money throughout the city, are hard to miss. Downtown they are in front of every major department store and other key places. In the neighborhoods, you can find them outside of your local grocery store. Those people work hard, often standing out in the cold for hours waiting for donations. Recently outside Macy’s, I saw a bell-ringer singing carols. I hope she has as much enthusiasm a few weeks from now. So, when you pass one by, drop whatever change you have in your pocket. Better yet, do what my sister and I did one year: take that jar or bowl of change you have accumulating at home and dump the whole thing in the Salvation Army bin. You’ll feel great and so will the bell-ringer.

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Another time-honored tradition in the city of Chicago for the holidays is to visit the decorative window displays at the Marshall Field’s department store. Although Field’s is no more, the window displays have continued at Macy’s, which is located on State street between Randolph and Washington.

The display this year has a Nutcracker theme and includes moving exhibits and beautiful exhibits. As seen in the photo above, the displays are enjoyed by young and old alike and have become a holiday tradition for many families in Chicago and surrounding communities.

If you plan to visit the Macy’s windows display, I have a couple of recommendations for you. First, go early. By this I mean go early in the season (they are up already) and also go early in the day. If you go to Macy’s at the height of the shopping day, it can be crowded and difficult to see the displays. That leads me to my second recommendation: have patience. If the windows are crowded, be patient and people will move along. Nothing dampens a festive holiday mood more than pushy, rude people.

The best thing about the window displays is that you can see them for free. Plus, if you are downtown shopping, you don’t even have to go out of your way to see them, as they are right on the main shopping strip on State Street.

Below is a video of one of the windows from this year. It shows the details and creativity that goes into each window and also shows why people young and old become memorized by the views and are slow to move it along.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Macys, Marshall Field

Although the Chicago Cubs did not have the post-season that fans would have liked, it should not be overlooked that they did manage to win the National League central division. True Cubs fans likely purchased various memorabilia to remember the event, like T-shirts and hats. However, soon to be available at auction is a spectacular souvenir: The banners that hung throughout the city following their victory (see photo).

The City of Chicago’s “Sharing It” Banner Auction will take place November 14th and 15th in the east lobby of the Daley Center from 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. on both days.

In addition to the Cubs banners, fans can bid on banners from the Chicago Bears NFC Championship, the Chicago Marathon, and the Chicago White Sox World Series, as well as two autographed Gibson guitars from the Los Lonely Boys and the Black Crowes.

The auction is sponsored by Mayor Daley’s “Sharing It” program which raises money for the underprivileged. Specifically, proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Last year’s auction raised over $13,000.

I think that some of the items would be fun to own, although I think that I would pass on Chicago marathon banners, given my experience with it this year. Now that I think about it, I don’t even remember seeing Chicago marathon banners this year. Most of the usual locations were filled with the Cubs banners this year. Perhaps the banners are from previous years, since it seems like they are auctioning off older things, like the White Sox banners.

source

Chicago, Mayor Daley, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears

Looking for somewhere scary to go in the Chicago area for Halloween? Here are a few places that I have been to in previous Halloween seasons.

Statesville Haunted House - Located near the Stateville prison, this scare house was pretty scary for me as an adult and I would imagine that it would be even more scary for pre-teens or young teenagers. There are two different parts to the haunted house, making it a fairly lengthy walk. This is good because the tickets are pretty pricey.

The details
Tickets: $30 at the door, $40 online for VIP treatment
When: Now through Halloween, from 7-11 p.m. weekends, 7-10 p.m. weekdays
Where: 17250 S. Weber Road, Crest Hill, Illinois
For more information: (877) SCARED2 or you can visit the website here.
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In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, several sites around Chicagoland will be hosting fundraising walks this Sunday. The event, called “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” benefits the American Cancer Society.

While like many charity walks one of the locations is in the city of Chicago, at Lawrence and Lake Michigan, suburban folks are not left out. If you live in the suburbs, there are other locations where you can participate. There will be a walk in Aurora at the Chicago Premium outlet mall (walk and then shop!) and another one at the Orland Park Mall (more walking and shopping!).

The Chicago event is a five mile walk, while the two suburban locations are 3.1 miles (5k). It is a non-competitive walk and there is no time limit, so you can take your time and enjoy yourself. The walk will also give you the opportunity to reflect on why you are all walking. The purpose of the walk is to support those living with breast cancer, survivors, and to fund research. Participants are asked to make donations if they can, as well as collect pledges from family and friends.

You can register online here and even set up a fundraising page. You can register as an individual, or as part of a group. The event (at all three locations) takes place this Sunday, October 21st at 9:00 a.m., with registration at 8:00 a.m.

If you want to know other ways that you can participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, including different “pink” products out there, check out Discussing Breast Cancer. You can also read about her experience at the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk in her area.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Chicago, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, American Cancer Society

The Halloween season has descended upon the city of Chicago with the annual Chicagoween event in Daley Plaza. For the festivities, which take place through Halloween night, Daley Plaza is transformed into a spooky mini-town, featuring creepy looking houses and story-telling tents. My favorite part is the way that that the turn the fountain in the plaza into a cool orange color.

The various events include “ghostly games” (Everyday at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday also at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) and “WICKED story-telling” (Thursdays and Fridays, every hour from 3:00 p.m.-6:15pm and Saturdays and Sundays, every hour from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m & 6:15pm).

On weekends, you can decorate pumpkins from 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. The best part is that the pumpkins are free and supplies are provided for each child.

There will also be mask-making demonstrations by Inside Art Studio Thursdays through Sundays at 12:10 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. If you would rather try your hand at making your own mask, join the International Academy of Design and Technology on October 21st from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

This Saturday, October 20th, there will be the Halloween State Street Parade, which kicks of at noon at State and Randolph, goes south on State Street, West on Madison, North at Dearborn, ending at Daley Plaza at Dearborn and Washington.

Following the parade, candy will be distributed while supplies last. There will also be hayrides after the parade at the corner of Clark and Washington. I never heard of hayrides in a city before, but I guess it is possible. There will also be a children’s costume contest. Check here for ideas for costumes for little ones. The hot dog one is my favorite. Cast members from Wicked are expected to make an appearance following the parade

For more information, check out Chicagoween online.

Chicago, Chicagoween 2007, Wicked, Halloween, hayrides, pumpkin carving

The Museum of Science and Industry has a new Star Wars exhibit. The exhibit, called Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, features models, artifacts, and replicas from the movies and will run through January 6th. Advance tickets are suggested and are available online.

Chicago, museum of science and industry, star wars, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination

The Mayor’s Office of Special Events (MOSE) will present Mayor Daley’s Kids & Kites Festival this Saturday October 6th. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Montrose Harbor in Lincoln Park.

Kids and their parents can bring their own kites to the event or create their own kite after they arrived. The MOSE will provide children with kits so that they make their own kite to fly.

There will also be “kite flying professionals” to teach kids how to fly a kite and what it takes to keep the kite aloft. One of the trickiest things about by flying a kite is getting it up in the first place, so hopefully the professional can help even the most hapless kite flier to get their kite in the air.

In addition to the kite flying, there will also be “interactive storytelling, literacy arts and crafts activities.” The Kohl McCormick StoryBus, which is “an interactive literary museum-on-wheels designed to bring a language-rich experience” to young kids in Chicago, will be at the event. There will also be face painting and caricature pictures, in addition to other activities. Overall it should be a great kid friendly event.

Although Chicago was dubbed the Windy City because of the “hot air” spewed by politicians, the city also typically has plenty of wind for kite flying, especially on the lakefront where the event will take place.

You can get to Montrose Harbor by car via Lake Shore Drive (from the north and south) or via bus by taking the 151 or 146 routes. For more information about Chicago transit, visit the CTA online.