The Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza (christkindlmarket.com) is an open-air holiday festival that celebrates the city's German roots. The annual event is inspired by Nuremberg, Germany's Christkindlmarket. The festival transforms Daley Plaza into a quaint village, with a towering Christmas tree, twinkling lights and wooden hut kiosks. Festival highlights include vendors selling German folk art, glass ornaments, Christmas decorations and handmade wooden nutcrackers. The festival also offers a wide selection of tasty treats for purchase, such as sauerkraut, potato pancakes with sour cream, roasted nuts, gingerbread, spiced hot cider and Stollen, which is traditional German holiday cake. The Christkindlmarket runs from late-November through Christmas Eve; admission is free.
Winter WonderFest at Navy Pier (winterwonderfest.com) has been entertaining children since 2000. The annual indoor festival offers 170,000 square feet of rides and carnival-style games for children to enjoy. Noteworthy attractions include inflatable slides, an indoor train ride through a Christmas village, an Olympic-sized ice skating rink, simulated snowmobile runs and a 50 foot indoor Ferris wheel. The festival also features live music performances, arts and crafts and vendors selling foods and snacks. The Winter Wonderland Festival at Navy Pier operates daily from early-December to early-January. Admission is free; however, rides and games are offered for a fee.
Holiday Fantasea (sheddquarium.org) brings the Christmas spirit to the Shedd Aquarium. The annual event celebrates the aquarium's diverse marine life and gives kids the opportunity to observe sea creatures' natural behaviors in an underwater environment. During the festival, the Abbot Oceanarium is reimagined as a winter paradise, dressed in twinkling lights, with snow-capped rocks and trees and festive holiday displays from across the globe. Highlights include Pacific white-sided dolphins, beluga whales and California sea lions swimming to multicultural holiday music, as well as special appearances by St. Nick himself. Holiday Fantasea runs from late November to early January.
Since opening in 2001, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at Millennium Park (millenniumpark.org) has ranked among the city's top destinations to ice skate and people watch. Nestled beneath the city's towering skyscrapers, the open-air ice rink attracts approximately 100,000 skaters each year. The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at Millennium Park operates daily from mid-November to mid-March. Admission is free; ice skates are available to rent for a fee.
The Rink at Wrigley Field (rinkatwrigley.com) gives children the chance to ice skate outside of one of America's most beloved ball parks. The ice rink is set up in the parking lot of historic Wrigley Field baseball stadium and offers an intimate alternative to the city's more touristy options. The Rink at Wrigley operates daily from early December to late February. The admission fee includes complimentary popcorn and hot chocolate.
