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Photograph: Grace DuVal

January 2024 events calendar for Chicago

Start the new year with events, festivals, concerts, theater shows and more great things to do in Chicago during January.

Jeffy Mai
Edited by
Jeffy Mai
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We’ll be honest: January is not exactly Chicago’s finest month. But before you start to dwell on the prospect of snow, cold and seemingly endless winter, allow us to point out some of the best ways to kick off the first few weeks of 2024. Start by catching the final days of Christmas lights in Chicago (they offer a nice excuse to take a walk outside, even when the holidays have passed) and get some fresh winter air when you take a spin around the best ice skating rinks the city has to offer. Prefer to stay inside? Tour new exhibits at Chicago museums—many of which offer free days over the next few months—or check out some of the best things to do indoors, including rock climbing, bowling and soul-warming spa days. Make a resolution to start 2024 on the right foot with the help of our guide to the best things to do in Chicago this January.

RECOMMENDED: Events calendar for Chicago in 2024

Featured events in January 2024

  • Things to do
  • Loop

Escape the frigid cold —at least temporarily—by heading to Cindy’s for a tropical pop-up experience. Sip on a selection of inventive drinks, like the buttery and complex Shake Ya Tailfeather and the fruity and spirit-forward Rum Ham, or nosh on bites such as egg rolls and pork sliders. The bar is open daily from 5-10pm for walk-ins.

  • Things to do
  • Skokie

Downton Abbey: The Exhibition makes its way to Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie, giving fans an opportunity to step into the world of the hit series. The immersive experience showcases the elaborate sets, detailed costumes and luxurious jewelry of Downton Abbey’s high society inhabitants, and transport visitors to the grand home of the Crawleys and those who served them. From Mrs. Patmore’s hectic kitchen and Carson’s office to the family’s glamorous dining room, the exhibition provides a fascinating look into the post-Edwardian period.

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  • Museums
  • Museum Campus

Escape the planet with exhibits about the first lunar missions, the solar system and more, plus immersive shows in the dome theater. The Doane Observatory is also home to the largest public telescope in the area, and gathers 7,000 times more light than the human eye. Every Wednesday, the Adler stays open late from 4pm-10pm so that folks can visit after work or school. And best of all, admission is free on those nights for Illinois residents.

  • Comedy
  • Uptown

This weekly “live magazine” is a cavalcade of culture, politics and wit featuring journalists, actors, comedians and musicians offering idiosyncratic reports on the news of the day. Head to Uptown’s iconic Green Mill for drinks, hot takes and laughs; the longstanding Saturday afternoon edition tends to run about two and a half hours.

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  • Things to do
  • Grant Park

Explore dozens of prints and drawings from Picasso's rich and varied 70-year career, from his student years in Barcelona to the last years of his life. Picasso: Drawing from Life traces how this celebrated artist’s success was tied to his network of artists, dealers, printers, family members and more.

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