Christmas In Chicagoby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 24 Nov 2006 11:55 PM It's no secret--I love Chicago. I've blogged about its many outstanding attractions in the past, but have never shared the plethora of holiday-themed events the city has to offer to visitors and residents alike. One of my favorites took place just a few hours ago: The Daley Plaza Tree Lighting Ceremony For 93 years spectators have flocked to Chicago's Daley Plaza (downtown) for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony. The Plaza is filled with the warm sounds of festive holiday music; Santa Claus makes his rounds; there's a holiday gift shop set up near the tree, and various food vendors are present as well. The entertainment kicked off today at dusk when the switch was flipped and the lights began to sparkle and shine. The tree serves as a great backdrop for family pictures and really gets you in the Christmas spirit. The tree will remain lit in Daley Plaza for the next six weeks. Magnificent Mile Lights and Store Window Displays If you want to get into the holiday spirit I would also highly recommend visiting Michigan Avenue's (a.k.a. the Magnificent Mile) holiday light display. More than a million lights are strung up and lit up during the holiday season. The twinkling lights complement the holiday storefront window displays, especially the elaborate holiday window display at the Macy's (formerly Marshall Fields) on State Street. This year the windows theme is Mary Poppins. In the first window the nanny flies in from the sky with her trademark umbrella... and the animated magic continues in every window. Marshall Fields made the windows famous for 98 years. Mount Prospect Living Christmas Tree If you are in Chicago during the holidays consider taking a drive to Mount Prospect, which is located about 22 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. Each year the Community Presbyterian Church of Mount Prospect presents their annual "Living Christmas Tree." A majestic tree over 30 feet tall is erected in the sanctuary. The massive tree is decorated with over 3,000 lights and filled with forty singers who celebrate the wonder of the season through song and story. The event takes place on Friday, December 8; Saturday, December 9; and Sunday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Daley's Holiday Sports Festival The athletes in your family will love this holiday event. The sports festival includes access to the city's biggest indoor gym and interactive zones complete with various sporting equipment and the best part---admission is FREE. Activities take place daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at McCormick Place in Halls A & B, at 2301 South Martin Luther King Drive. Related Articles: Five Reasons You Should Visit Chicago Five More Reasons You Should Visit Chicago Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments drdad (503) 25 Nov 2006 11:39 AMI gotta go sometime. All I know about going to Chicago I learned from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Actually there is a good book called _Nature's Metropolis_ about the history of Chicago and the midwest.  Teresa McEntire (2984) 30 Nov 2006 06:44 PMDid you know the city recently banned a festival from showing scenes from The Nativity Story because it might offend someone?  Michele Cheplic |
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