Chicago family attractions
November 15th, 2007 by jamie a
Saturday, November 17 (11 am -10 pm)
Sunday, November 18 (all day)
, a 40 year old Chicago tradition, will be illuminated this weekend to kick off the holiday season! There will be live music, an attempt to break the world’s record for largest holiday carol, mini cheesecake decorating, and a grand fireworks show emceed by Mickey Mouse at 6:55 pm. This event will also be broadcast live on ABC 7 Chicago.
Saturday, November 17 (10 am - 6 pm)
Show your support for independent crafters at the . Get your holiday shopping done by picking up unique gifts for all your friends and family with everything from jewelry to kitchen gadgets and zines.
Saturday, November 17 - Sunday, November 18 (10 am - 6 pm)
Bring out your inner child at the . Meet inventors, test out new and upcoming toys, and participate in game tournaments with some of the world’s best players!
Sunday, November 18 (11 am - 4 pm)
At the , you can enjoy some great shopping and delicious treats all while supporting the Red Door Animal Shelter. This no-kill facility provides cats, dogs, and rabbits a cage-less life, offering them the closest experience to living in a home as they can. With 10 artisans selling their creations, you’re sure to find something to take home and cherish.
Sunday, November 18 (3 pm)
Come and be amazed by , two of Chicago’s exceptionally talented young orchestras, at their Fall Showcase. Don’t miss this grand show of up-and-coming musical talent!
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November 13th, 2007 by susan j
Mickey Mouse lights more than one million lights along North Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to Wacker Drive, culminating in a magnificent fireworks show over the Chicago River for The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival presented by Harris. Photo by Stanley Wlodkowski.
This weekend marks the 16th annual . Extending from the Chicago River to Oak Street, the Magnificent Mile (aka North Michigan Avenue) is one of Chicago’s main thoroghfares between the Loop and the Gold Coast. In honor of the holiday season, the street will be illuminated with more than one million lights.
From the lighting procession led by Mickey Mouse to musical performances by KT Turnstall and Sister Hazel, this year’s festival promises plenty of family-friendly fun and entertainment. Here’s a glimpse at what to expect if you go (the lighting procession will also be broadcast nationally on ABC):
11 am - 7 pm Lights Festival Lane features booths including the Southwest Airlines Mitten Tree, “Christmas around the World” with The Museum of Science and Industry, and more.
5 pm Live holiday street entertainment along the Avenue
6 pm Lighting procession led by Mickey Mouse
6:55 pm Fireworks display over the Chicago River
.
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November 8th, 2007 by jamie a
Saturday, November 10
Join the Museum of Science for where children learn how to operate 60 ft. high parade balloons. Lend a hand in preparing for the upcoming parade at this free event.
Friday, November 9 - Sunday, November 11
The hits the Windy City this weekend. Check out the which includes everything from animation to musicals.
November 8 - 18
The second oldest in the nation, the is also playing in Chicago. It’s full of , including the opening on Thursday, November 8th, along with spotlights and panel discussions.
Saturday, November 10
provides an incredible event to celebrate the independent crafter! Find unique gifts for friends, upcoming holidays, or treat yourself to some beautiful finds.
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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November 5th, 2007 by susan j
Chicago’s Field Museum
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Last week Chicago’s Field Museum opened a new exhibit called “Maps: Finding Our Place in the World,” which is part of Chicago’s citywide Festival of Maps (click for the full calendar of events).
As the Festival’s points out, maps offer insight into the historical period in which they were created. Chicago’s rapid development in the nineteenth century appears in a series of maps from that period. Other maps portray Chicago’s politically charged history of segregation. More contemporary maps reveal the proposed plans for the 2016 Olympic Games in Chicago. offers more details on this fascinating new exhibit.
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Chicago?
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November 2nd, 2007 by amy c
View of Chicago skyline from Lincoln Park Waterfront
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Populated by young professionals and recent college graduates, this hip neighborhood is a city landmark full of fun sights for the family by day and classic Chicago nightlife of Blues clubs, pubs, and comedy clubs by night. Here are some of our picks for how to spend a day in Lincoln Park:
Lincoln Park Zoo: equipped with a vintage carousel and children’s train ride, this state of the art zoo is a neighborhood landmark.
Swirlz Cupcakes: The cupcake craze sweeping the nation also graces Chicago in this fancy, mouth-watering cupcake exclusive patisserie. This boutique shop offers 30 made-from-scratch flavors of cupcakes, including enticing key lime, coconut caramel, and orange dreamsicle. Flavors change periodically but the sumptuous Italian buttercream frosting and creamy French butter make every cupcake delightfully moist and spongy.
Goose Island Brew Pub: Enjoy famous hand-crafted brews and lagers at Chicago’s most beloved brewery. There is something for everyone here from delicious burgers to pool tables.
Second City: Get nightly laughs at the comedy club that launched the career of famous comics and Saturday Night Live actors, such as Mike Meyers, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and more. Offering off-the-wall comedy since 1959, Second City has become a national treasure.
B.L.U.E.S.:The intimate setting, full bar, and consistently excellent performers seven days a week make this music venue a favorite among Blues aficionados.
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Chicago?
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October 26th, 2007 by jamie a
Chicago’s Field Museum
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From Sue, the largest and most complete fossil of a T-Rex (pictured above), to the culture of Sweden, Chicago has a stop for every type of museum-goer. This guide highlights only a few, as Chicago is brimming with museums!
The Field Museum is home to not only Sue, but the renowned “Underground Adventure,” where visitors can explore a magnified subterranean world, “Inside Ancient Egypt,” and the new “Ancient Americas” exhibits. Through January 1, 2008, you can also explore the exhibit entitled “Darwin,” which delves into his theory that changed the world.
At the Art Institute of Chicago, visitors can come face to face with Grant Wood’s iconic painting “American Gothic” and Georges Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” This museum also houses one of the world’s most beloved collections of French Impressionism, as well as the 68 Thorne Miniature Rooms.
The Notebaert Nature Museum is perfect for outdoorsy types! If you love butterflies, be sure to check out the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, which has over 75 species! You can also learn about ecosystems, marshes, riverworks, and take a wilderness walk, where you can experience a savannah, prairie, and a dune.
At the Swedish American Museum, learn about the plight of immigration with the permanent exhibit, Dream of America: Swedish Immigration to Chicago. There’s also interactive exhibits for children, where they can churn butter, milk a cow, gather eggs, and learn how to pack a steamer trunk to set off for the new world.
While in Chicago, be sure to also check out The Chicago Children’s Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and The Museum of Science and Industry.
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Chicago?
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October 25th, 2007 by jamie a
Friday, October 26 - Saturday, October 27 (7- 9 pm)
Get ready for some of the most talented storytellers in the country weaving tales of terror at . Held in Millenium Park in a large (heated!) Halloween tent, this event is free to all.
Saturday, October 27 (2:00 pm)
At the Headless Horseman Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, come on your bicycle in your costume (helmets encouraged!) and set off to discover the scariest sites in Chicago.
October 27th - November 11th
The 18th Annual Chicago Humanities Festival is ongoing this weekend with topics entitled “The Climate of Concern” for adults and “When I Grow Up” for children. You can also check out the Benefit Gala with performer Brian Stokes Mitchell.
Saturday, October 27th - Sunday, October 28th (11 am - 5 pm)
Enjoy one of Chicago’s best kept secrets with the last weekend of the . From unique jewelry and textiles to hot cider, spiced wine, and pumpkin pie, this is a perfect event to celebrate fall.
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Chicago?
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October 22nd, 2007 by susan j
Photo uploaded by zesmerelda
Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry (pictured above) has some exciting new exhibits coming up. Here’s an overview:
Now through January 6, 2008, MSI presents Star Wars: Where Science, which includes more than 80 movie artifacts, an engineering design lab, and more. Visitors can also watch interviews with filmmakers, scientists, and engineers.
Starting November 16 and running through January 6, 2008, the MSI presents two other exhibits that will be included in museum admission. National Geographic Maps: Tools for Adventure will cover the world of maps and explorers. Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light will include more than 50 dazzling trees decorated by members of Chicago’s ethnic communities!
While in the neighborhood, you might also check out the Frederick C. Robie House.
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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October 18th, 2007 by jamie a
October 12- October 31
Halloween takes over Chicago this month with the 10th Annual Chicagoween 2007! Check out Daley Park, which is transformed into Pumpkin Plaza where you can get a tour of the Haunted Village. There’s pumpkin decorating and scary storytellers, as well as daily performances by the aerial entertainers Midnight Circus.
On October 20th, kids can march in the State Street Halloween Happening Parade complete with trick-or-treating and face painting for your little ghouls.
Thursday, October 18- November 10
Catch the world premiere of The Light of Love at City Lit Theater presented by the Promethean Theatre Ensemble. This is a comedic story of a bumbling servant on the search for a night-light for his lady-love (so she can read her guilty-pleasure books in bed). He must travel through his own town, Mount Olympus and even the Underworld to complete his quest. This is sure to have audiences laughing as well as tugging at their heart-strings.
Saturday, October 20 (10 am- 4 pm)
Discover everything from new memoir and sports writing to fiction and business strategies at the Illinois Woman’s Press Association Book Fair. Held at the Chicago Cultural Center, there’s over 25 authors scheduled to attend. Support the up-and-comers in the Illinois writing community by picking up some new reads and then have them autographed by the authors themselves!
Wednesday, October 17 - Sunday, October 21 (noon, 1, and 2 pm)
Explore Chicago’s oldest house with a tour of the Clarke House. The house, built in 1836, a survivor of two moves and fires, continues to give visitors a glimpse of Chicago before the Civil War in the heart of the Prairie Avenue Historical District.
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October 17th, 2007 by susan j
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Looking for things to do in Chicago this October? Look no further, because here’s a round-up of Halloween-themed activities in and around Chicago.
October 20-21 and 27-28
Brookfield Zoo presents Boo at the Zoo, featuring a costume parade, a haunted house, jack-o-lantern demonstrations, and more!
October 24-31
Navy Pier offers fireworks and other festivities as part of Navy Fear at Navy Pier. Ghostly Gardens features kid-friendly activities like inflatable rides, games, and more.
October 26-28
Millennium Park hosts a free family-friendly program called Spooky Stories Haunt the Park.
October 26-27
Shedd Aquarium hosts Spooky Seas, which includes costume contests, trick-or-treating, and a chance to sleep over at the aquarium!
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
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