C A M P U S CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER MAGGIE DALEY PARK ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO Holiday Traditions, Ice Skating, Music, Nature, Exhibitions + Family Fun City of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Welcome Dear Friends, The Millennium Park Campus has always been the epicenter of holiday fun in Chicago. From seeing the lighting of the city s sparkling Christmas tree to skating at the iconic McCormick Tribune Ice Rink to joining in caroling at Cloud Gate (aka The Bean ) or even the Do-It-Yourself Messiah at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, you can do it all in Millennium Park Chicago s town square and the #1 attraction in the Midwest. There s more skating and family fun just across the BP Bridge at the ice ribbon in Maggie Daley Park, and the Wreathing of the Lions has been a popular tradition at the Art Institute of Chicago for more than 25 years! So you can watch as cheery holiday wreaths are placed on the regal lion statues on the museum steps (where they re up all season), then head inside for art-making activities. And you won t want to miss the Dance-Along Nutcracker at the Chicago Cultural Center with dance lessons and live music for children of all ages and abilities under the world s largest Tiffany stained-glass dome. Welcome, and Happy Holidays! Mayor Rahm Emanuel CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER MAGGIE DALEY PARK ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
104th Annual Chicago Christmas Tree November 17 January 6 Millennium Park at Michigan Ave. & Washington St. Pro Tip: While you re in Millennium Park, visit Cloud Gate (aka The Bean ) by Anish Kapoor, and the Chakaia Booker sculptures in the outdoor Boeing Galleries. 2017 is the Year of Public Art in Chicago. Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony November 17, 6pm Millennium Park, Wrigley Square Enjoy this holiday tradition, a glittering tree set among Chicago s sparkling skyline and the iconic art and architecture of Millennium Park. millenniumpark.org Holiday Traditions Wreathing of the Lions Friday, November 24, 10am Art Institute of Chicago entrance, 111 S. Michigan Ave. Outdoor wreathing is ; Museum admission applies Kick off the holidays at the 26th anniversary of this Chicago family favorite. After adorning the lions on the historic Michigan Avenue steps with their traditional holiday wreaths, move inside at 10:30am for wreath-making fun inspired by the museum s collection. artic.edu Pro Tip: With free admission for kids under 14 and Chicago teens under 18, the Art Institute is a perfect family outing! After your visit, take the Nichols Bridgeway to Lurie Garden in Millennium Park.
Ice Skating McCormick Tribune Ice Rink November 17 March 4, weather permitting Mon Thu, noon 8pm; Fri, noon 10pm; Sat, 10am 10pm; Sun, 10am 9pm (see website for holiday hours) Millennium Park, at Michigan Ave. between Washington St. and Monroe St. admission Skate rental is $12 Mon Thu and $14 Fri Sun/Holidays Now in its 17th season, the Chicago winter tradition offers free skating lessons and special programming on weekends and during the Chicago Public Schools winter break. Grant support for Winter Workouts ice skating lessons is provided by McDonald s Active Lifestyles Endowment, managed by the Millennium Park Foundation. Pro Tip: After skating, warm up with hot chocolate and a tasty treat from the Park Grill in Millennium Park. millenniumpark.org Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon Opens November 17, weather permitting Mon Thu, noon 8pm; Fri, noon 10pm; Sat, 10am 10pm; Sun, 10am 8pm (see website for holiday hours) Maggie Daley Park, 337 E. Randolph St. admission Skate rental is $12 Mon Thu and $14 Fri Sun/Holidays Ugly Sweater Skate December 9, 10am 10pm Skate with Santa December 16, 10am noon Among the alpine in a city, lace up your skates and enjoy an ice skating experience unlike any other on a path of ice winding through the rolling landscape. maggiedaleypark.com Pro Tip: Maggie Daley Park and Millennium Park are conveniently connected by the winding BP Bridge designed by architect Frank Gehry.
Nature Lurie Garden Bird Feeder Workshop December 10, 1 3pm Millennium Park, Lurie Garden at Monroe St. and Columbus Dr. ; advance registration requested Learn about the birds that remain here in the winter months and help them find much needed food. Each family will make one bird feeder; recommended for ages 6 to 12 years old. Pro Tip: Explore the Lurie Garden throughout the winter months and learn more about its seasonal plants on the garden s website. Programming at the Lurie Garden is supported by the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation Endowment, managed by the Millennium Park Foundation luriegarden.org Music Caroling at Cloud Gate Fridays, November 24 December 15, 6pm Millennium Park, at Cloud Gate (aka The Bean ) Bundle up and belt out some holiday classics as local Chicago choral groups lead hundreds of celebrants in song. Pro Tip: On your way to caroling, visit the Chicago Cultural Center to see the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Self-guided tour brochures are available at the building information desks. millenniumpark.org Do-It-Yourself Messiah December 18 & 19, 7pm Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Dr. $15 per ticket Celebrating its 42nd year, the Do-It-Yourself Messiah brings together a world-class conductor and soloists, an all-volunteer orchestra of local professionals and amateur musicians and you, with the other 1,500 audience members, in a thrilling performance of Handel s masterpiece, Messiah. Pro Tip: Before the concert, skate along the winding path and rolling landscape of the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon. harristheaterchicago.org
Exhibitions Holiday Thorne Miniature Rooms and Neapolitan Crèche November 18 January 7 Open daily 10:30am 5pm; Thursday until 8pm Art Institute of Chicago, 159 E. Monroe St. for children under 14 and Chicago residents under 18 The Art Institute's beloved Thorne Miniature Rooms are once again decked out with tiny seasonal trimmings. They offer a window into festivities from a Victorian Christmas to a traditional Chinese New Year. The spectacular Neapolitan crèche is one of the few and finest examples of an intricate Nativity scene found outside of Naples. Pro Tip: After your visit, stop by the Chicago Cultural Center to see model buildings and more at the Chicago Architecture Biennial as well as the stunning Tiffany stained-glass dome in Preston Bradley Hall. artic.edu Chicago Architecture Biennial Through January 7 Mon Fri, 10am 7pm; Sat Sun, 10am 5pm Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. The Chicago Architecture Biennial is the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. For this second edition, the Biennial features over 140 practitioners from 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme Make New History. Pro Tip: The Art Institute of Chicago recently opened Past Forward, a new installation devoted to its collection of architectural drawings and design objects. chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org Chakaia Booker Exhibition Through April 2018 Millennium Park, Boeing Galleries Ranging in height from 96 to 192 inches and weighting up to a ton, the exhibited works are created using rubber tires and stainless steel. The Chakaia Booker exhibition at Millennium Park is co-curated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and made possible by the Millennium Park Foundation. Exhibition support to the Millennium Park Foundation is made possible by the Boeing Endowment with additional support from the Richard Driehaus Endowment. The curatorial committee is managed by the Millennium Park Foundation. millenniumpark.org Pro Tip: Make a visit to Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa, illuminated throughout the holiday and winter season with faces of 1,000 Chicagoans.
Family Fun Dance-Along Nutcracker Sunday, December 3, Dance Lessons at 11am & 2pm; Performances at noon & 3pm Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Sugar plum fairies and mouse kings of all ages and abilities are invited to point their toes to the familiar music of Tchaikovsky s holiday Pro Tip: Get there early for this popular program. Afterward, stop by Millennium Park to see Chicago s official Christmas Tree and enjoy hot cocoa at Park Grill. classic. Optional beginner lesson by Ballet Chicago precedes each performance. The Dance-Along Nutcracker, created in 1985, is the property of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay dom Band, the world s first openly gay musical organization. chicagoculturalcenter.org Gingerbread House Decorating Party Sunday, December 17, 10:30am-1pm & 1-4pm Park Grill at Millennium Park, 11 N. Michigan Ave. entry, $25 for each gingerbread house Enjoy decorating a gingerbread house complete with candy, icing treats and a hot chocolate bar. Pro Tip: Once you ve parkgrillchicago.com Holly Days decorated your house, follow the Nichols Bridgeway from Millennium Park to the Art Institute of Chicago to see tiny holiday decorations in the Thorne Miniature Rooms. December 27 30, 10:30am 3pm Art Institute of Chicago, Ryan Learning Center, 159 E. Monroe St. Take inspiration from the exhibition Rodin: Sculptor and Storyteller and create a work of art with your family. Admission to the Art Institute s Ryan Learning Center is free and museum admission is always Pro Tip: During the CPS free for kids under 14 and Winter Break, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink Chicago residents under 18. in Millennium Park has free ice skating lessons at 9am. artic.edu
Happy Holidays CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER 78 E. Washington St. MAGGIE DALEY PARK 337 E. Randolph St. ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO 111 S. Michigan Ave. MAGGIE DALEY PARK ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO Presented in collaboration with: Art Institute of Chicago Chicago Architecture Biennial Chicago Park District / Maggie Daley Park Harris Theater for Music and Dance Lurie Garden Millennium Park Foundation Park Grill Download the Millennium Park App and discover Chicago s town square Open daily 6am 11pm. Welcome Center, open daily 9am 6pm: 201 E. Randolph Street 312.742.1168 Millennium Park is universally accessible. To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Jose Chao at 312.744.2258, jose.chao@cityofchicago.org. A minimum of 72 hours advance notice is required. #MILLENNIUMPARK #CHIHOLIDAYS 10M 11/2017 MILLENNIUMPARK.ORG