The best things to do in Chicago this weekend

Every year, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry puts up its four-story Grand Tree and surrounds the towering pine with more than 50 trees that represent Chicago's various communities and their respective holiday celebrations. Visitors will be able to take in even more seasonal cheer at the accompanying Holidays of Light exhibit, which recognizes the traditions of Chinese New Year, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Visakha Puja Day and St. Lucia Day. 

See Christmas lights while staying warm at this pandemic-era innovation that allows visitors to drive through a gleaming tunnel of more than one million LED lights synchronized with holiday music. Plus, the show takes place in Bridgeport at Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.

One of Chicago's most dazzling aerial displays is the Navy Pier fireworks, which light up the sky throughout the year. During the winter, the pyrotechnics return for a spectacular encore. You can cozy up on the Pier itself for a front row seat to the dazzling lights, stunning skyline views and one of the best shows in town. For those feeling weary of crowds, the display is also visible from the Lakefront Trail—just remember to bundle up!

The Cubs may be hibernating for the winter, but Gallagher Way provides some excellent reasons to hang out in Wrigleyville during baseball's offseason. The Wrigley Field-adjacent space hosts a variety of seasonal activities, including photos with Santa, a winter market, carnival rides and holiday movie screenings. 

Displaying a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of THE MART, ART on THE MART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with programming that changes seasonally. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations after dusk every evening. Running Thursdays through Saturdays beginning at 7:30pm, it’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

Skate under the Chicago skyline and within eyeshot of the Chicago Christmas Tree at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park. Plus, take advantage of free skating lessons on most Saturdays and Sundays, where you can learn both beginner- and intermediate-level skills. 

Every year, Millennium Park is adorned with an epic Christmas tree that remains on display until the beginning of the new year. The larger-than-life attraction is festooned with twinkling lights and crowned with an illuminated star. Spectators can check out the festive tree near Washington Street and Michigan Avenue through early January.

Immerse yourself in a picture-perfect whimsical décor, sparkling lights and breathtaking Chicago skyline views from the 22nd floor and indulge in a delightful selection of holiday-themed cocktails, including steaming spiced mulled wine and chilled festive drinks. 

Relive cherished holiday memories—and make plenty of new ones—at Navy Pier's Winter WonderFest. Admire twinkling light displays bedecking Navy Pier's Festive Hall and prepare to be awed by a 42-foot holiday tree. Plus, there's no shortage of activities—for both kids and adults—at Winter WonderFest: Enjoy live music and special performances at the Winter Wonder Stage, lace up for a round of ice skating, enjoy tasty treats and sips and much more.

Ready to get into the holiday spirit? The Morton Arboretum's annual holiday light show returns for its 13th anniversary as a mile-long, walk-through spectacle of LED lights and music, featuring a blend of new and returning light displays set amid 50 acres of trees. Back again this year is "Electric Illumination," a series of late-night parties with DJ-curated playlists that will synchronize progressive house and '80s dance beats with the light shows, as well as "IllumiBrew," a special evening where guests can sample beers and ciders from local breweries. 

Displaying a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of THE MART, ART on THE MART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with programming that changes seasonally. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations after dusk every evening. Running Thursdays through Saturdays beginning at 7:30pm, it’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

Lettuce Entertain You’s popular tropical bar is transforming from a sandy paradise to a snowy winter escape for the season. Sip on special holiday cocktails, like the Cranberry Mai Tai, Hot Buttered Rum and Eggnog Grasshopper, served in charming and festive vessels and glassware. Guests can even pick up their own mugs to take home or gift from the bar’s retail shop.

Experience the holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life, as a 1940s-style live radio play this holiday season at The Athenaeum Center. Set in the venue's Paradiso space, every seat guarantees an intimate experience of George Bailey's renewal of faith in himself, his family and his community. Whether you're returning as part of a cherished holiday tradition or discovering the story's magic for the first time, this production is sure to lift your spirits.

A city named after nature's most stunning light show deserves an equally spectacular man-made display. The Rotary Club of Aurora organizes this holiday wonderland in Phillips Park, which allows visitors to drive through and take in a series of twinkling scenes. Hop in the car, drive through the illuminated gate and keep an eye out for shimmering representations of Santa's toy factory, a holiday train and some giant snowflakes. 

Nine Bar, the Chinatown speakeasy that's taken the Chicago scene by storm, is ringing in the holiday season with a two-night pop-up dubbed “Christmas in Chinatown.” The lively bar will be serving up a menu of Chinese-American favorites whipped together by Moon Palace, and the cocktail menu will be packed with some festive tiki libations. We can't think of a better way to toast the festive season.

River Grove tiki bar Hala Kahiki has transformed into Sippin’ Santa, a famed holiday pop-up with locations across the country. The tropical experience features over-the-top, kitschy decor and a themed cocktail menu, including new and returning drinks like Jingle Bird, Frost Bite and Designated Sledder.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's bombastic megamusical haunts the Cadillac Palace for a spectacular eight-week run. The age-old tale of love, loss and revenge unfolds against the Baroque interior of the Cadillac Palace Theatre—transporting you straight to late 19th-century Paris. 

The Chicago Botanic Garden hosts this annual (and quick to sell out) display of festive lights, giving guests a host of shimmering reasons to visit the forest preserve during the holiday season. Set along an illuminated path, the after-dark experience features a series of installations to explore, including a 110-foot tunnel made up of 100,000 lights and a group of trees festooned in bulbs that “sing” holiday songs. 

Situated in the heart of downtown Chicago with the city's sweeping skyline as a backdrop, the Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park is a winter attraction unlike any other. Skaters can lace up and wind around a winding ice-covered path that's twice the length of a lap around a traditional rink. Reservations for the popular ice rink should be made in advance, as they tend to fill up quickly.

This holiday season, The Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 10th anniversary of two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s interpretation of The Nutcracker. Accompanied Tchaikovsky's classic score, The Nutcracker is a fantastical adventure engaging merging Chicago's rich cultural heritage and the wonder of the season. 

Happy’s is back for its farewell season, and they're closing out a holly, jolly run in full holiday spirit. Situated on the ground floor of the Chicago Athletic Association, Happy's transforms the hotel's Tank space into a holly, jolly wood-paneled dive bar serving cocktails and bar bites. Admission is free, and the pop-up is just a short walk from the Millennium Park ice skating rink.

Who's Holiday!, Theater Wit's holiday hit, returns for the fifth year running. The 65-minute show finds a 40-year-old Cindy Lou Who holding court in her mobile home at the base of Mount Crumpet, retelling the story of the sordid events that transpired after meeting the Grinch. Oh, and one more thing: The entire story is told in R-rated Seussian rhymes...

The Goodman Theatre’s annual holiday production of the Charles Dickens classic returns to the stage, with Christopher Donahue and Austin Tichenor taking on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. The play has been a staple of the Goodman's calendar for more than 40 years, allowing returning attendees and new generations to see the quintessential Christmas story unfold before their eyes. Prepare to be visited by three spirits—and don't be suprised if A Christmas Carol's touching tale of redemption makes you shed a few tears.

Feeling stressed by winter's cold weather and lack of leaves on the trees? Take a calming walk through hyacinth, zinnias, salvias, cosmos and other flowering blooms at Garfield Park Conservatory's annual winter flower show (which is titled "Merry & Bright" this year for ultimate festiveness). Like the rest of the Conservatory, access to the show is free—just be sure to make an online reservation ahead of your visit. 

To see one of the largest displays of holiday lights within city limits, you need to head to Lincoln Park Zoo, where the annual ZooLights display strings up millions of LED blubs. While most of the animals will be keeping warm inside, visitors are welcome to wander through the park, snapping photos of the various displays and taking part in a variety of activities throughout the holiday season. 

Every two years, Chicago becomes a global hub of architecture and design during the Chicago Architecture Biennial. This edition’s theme is “SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change,” bringing together over 100 projects by architects, artists and designers from 30 countries—each piece engaging with the cultural, social and environmental fluxes transforming our world. Not sure where to start? Check out our first-timer's guide to the exhibition.

With soundstage-sized pieces like horned sculptures emitting soap bubbles, inflated spheres bedecked in abstract squiggles and surreal faceless figures hovering in space, “EmotionAir” reimagines the humble balloon as any other artistic medium—a conduit for creativity and emotion. 

Peter Shaffer's 1979 masterwork brings to life the rivalry between composers Antonio Salieri (Ian Barford) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (David Darrow). Salieri is the Court Composer and the established standard of the day—his compositions are palatable, albeit restrained. Enter Mozart, a wild child prodigy with climbing notoriety and the ability to make music like no one has ever heard. Mozart's music moves Salieri to tears, but also awakens a destructive jealousy that compells him to supress Mozart at every turn. 

Chicago's only Hanukkah-themed pop-up takes over The Graystone Tavern in Wrigleyville for another year, filling the bar and weatherproof patio with more than 30,000 blue-and-white lights, dreidel ornaments, lighted menorah and a Hanukkah sweater wall (among other festive bits of decor). Dine on Hanukkah classics like latkes and matzo ball soup alongside not-so-classic options like boozy jelly donuts. 

This immersive, multi-level Christmas pop-up bar boasting wall-to-wall holiday decor returns to Wrigleyville, taking over Stolen Saddle during the most festive time of the year. You'll find photo ops galore as well as drinks decked out with decorative garnishes and garlands, including large-format cocktails. Feeling hungry? Feast upon festive options like Santa's Smash Burger, Festive Fry Flight and Grinch Shake. 

“Take Care with Peanuts: The Exhibit” is an immersive fan experience inspired by a global initiative of the same name. Based on the captivating world depicted in Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strip, the exhibit brings the beloved Peanuts gang to life through interactive displays and hands-on activities promoting self-care, empathy and environmental stewardship. 

Support economic and environmental justice at this 12th annual market, which takes place in Lincoln Park through December 23. More than 30 Chicago businesses will offer goods from artisans around the world, including glassware, ornaments, sweaters, coffee and candles.

The weather outside might be frightful, but you'll be plenty cozy inside JoJo's Shake Bar, which has transformed every inch of its outdoor patio into a Winter Wonderland decorated with an eight-foot tall nutcracker, giant ornaments and thousands of string lights. Treat yourself to over-the-top shakes—such as the Winter Wonderland Shake, which is peppermint flavored and topped with cookies, marshmallows, a candy cane and a snowman made of donut holes—and fanciful seasonal cocktails like Santa's Sangria, and be sure to grab a table close to the pop-up's Christmas tree. You can also sign up for festive events, including mixology classes, ornament painting and gingerbread house decorating workshops.

The 2003 holiday movie Elf takes center stage at this Wrigleyville pop-up located inside of Stretch Bar & Grill, which gets dressed up with more than 1,000 decorative elves, Christmas trees and plenty of festive Christmas lights. Take a seat at tables stocked with the four main food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup) and treat yourself to a plate of Buddy's breakfast pasta (spaghetti loaded with maple syrup, chocolate fudge and syrup, mini marshmallows and strawberry frosted pop tarts) or a beer served in a 36-ounce elf boot. 

“Music of the Mind” is a retrospective that celebrates key moments of Ono’s career, showcasing art driven by ideas and expressed in poetic, humorous and profound ways. Tracing Ono’s career back to the 1950s, “Music of the Mind” presents over 200 works across a variety of media including performance footage, music and sound recordings, scores, film, photography, installation and archival materials. 

Load up the family in the car and head to Geneva for a spectacular drive-thru light show that stretches over a mile in length. Guests will journey through light tunnels and gaze at illuminated dinosaurs, polar bears, reindeers, giant emojis, guitar-playing Santas and more, all of which are synchronized to holiday tunes.

You’ve probably seen a Shakespeare play before, but never like this. Five professional actors come together for each performance of Drunk Shakespeare. The twist? One of them has had five shots before the show and is trying to stay on track while the other four actors do their best to hold the performance together.

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.