Light up the season with city’s holiday activities

Take in the holiday spirit with a variety of locations and activities throughout the city. From holiday lights to extravagant drinks, there’s something for everyone to engage in seasonal festivities. 

Food & Drink

Starbucks holiday menu

The holiday menu provides a festive spin on quintessential winter items with drinks such as toasted white chocolate and peppermint mocha, and treats like snowmen cookies to indulge in the holiday spirit. Drinks will be served in Starbucks’ disposable holiday cups to add to the festivity. 

Making your own hot chocolate 

While cafes have extensive holiday drink menus, you can make your own holiday hot chocolate beverage at home. Ghirardelli, Godiva and other companies sell hot chocolate mix in different flavors, and it’s typically more affordable to make yourself, especially if you’re a frequent hot chocolate consumer. Just imagine curling up in your home with a holiday movie and your hot chocolate as the fireplace blazes in the background. 

Cookie baking 

It’s not the holiday season without delicious sweets! Fill your home with the scent of home-baked treats and listen to some of your favorite music while doing so. Gingerbread and shortbread are classics, or give Taylor Swift’s trending chai cookie recipe a try.

Activities

Ice skating

What better way to spend the holiday season than testing your ice-skating abilities! Try the Midway Plaisance ice rink or Maggie Daley Park’s skating ribbon for a seasonal outdoor activity. Online registration is required for both locations. Open skating is free, but there’s a fee to rent skates if you don’t have your own. 

BomboBar 

Stop by the BomboBar in the West Loop to try hot chocolate with toasted marshmallows and bomboloni doughnuts. Bomboloni flavors rotate seasonally, and the current selection offers white chocolate malt, s’mores and more. Offering delivery and pickup, their sweets will get to you even in a snowstorm.

Gingerbread house decorating

Get crafty this season with gingerbread house decorating. Using pre-made decorating kits or homemade gingerbread, whip out some icing and gumdrops for a holiday activity that turns tasty afterward. As a bonus, the gingerbread house will fill your home with cinnamon and nutmeg scents, and it’s also a great excuse to eat more candy.

Places

Millennium Park Christmas tree 

This year, Millennium Park’s Christmas tree is 55 feet tall and is considered Chicago’s official Christmas tree. Viewable from the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Washington Street, you don’t even need to enter the park to see it. This is Chicago’s 109th annual tree, and it will be up until Jan. 8.

Navy Pier’s “Light Up the Lake”

Bringing the winter festivities inside, Light Up the Lake features multiple attractions and interactive light displays. A skating rink, reflection pond, light show with 600,000 bulbs and more are all inside Navy Pier’s festival. Tickets must be booked online in advance and include a ride in the Ferris wheel.

ZooLights

With one of the largest holiday lights displays in the city, Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights features various light displays, holiday snacks and live ice carving. For more activities to enjoy, ticketed attractions include an animal-themed Ferris wheel, light maze, s’mores and more. Tickets are required. Mondays are free and other days cost $5.