The Windy City is about to get icy, but living in Chicago doesn’t have to mean hibernating until the lake thaws out. Hand warmers in the form of hot chocolate may be necessary but there are more than a few holiday traditions that can tempt anyone out into the cold.
Each year, around 100,000 people skate at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park. Music sets the tone for skaters and hot chocolate is available at the Park Grill Cafe. The rink is currently open and will stay open until mid-March, weather permitting, with varying holiday hours. Admission to the rink is free, so bring your skates, borrow a pair from a friend, or rent them for $10.
If you happen to go ice skating on a Friday evening, you can enjoy the sounds of Caroling at Cloud Gate (a.k.a “The Bean”), now in its seventh season, located just above the rink. Every Friday evening at 6 p.m., gathers and ice skaters can hear live holiday caroling free of cost.
Just a few blocks from Millennium Park there is a German village selling traditional hot potato pancakes, pretzels and a wide variety of hand crafted holiday gifts. This unusual site in the middle of commercial skyscrapers is called Christkindlmart Chicago, and is modeled after the Christkindlmart in Nuremberg, Germany, which began in 1545. Each stand has a wooden plaque stating the name of the business and where the wares come from. If you plan on staying in Chicago all winter you can still feel like you have traveled, with a trip to this German Village. Christkindlmart is located in Daley Plaza, directly next to the blue and red lines. The mart will be open until Dec. 24 and admission is free.
Finally, if being outdoors really does not appeal to you, there is always the indoor Winter Wonderland at Navy Pier. Admission is again free but there are $20 passes which allow for access to the indoor rink, and extreme ice trail ropes course, a Farris wheel and other indoor activities. Winter Wonderland will be open every day until Jan. 6, except for Dec. 25, with varying holiday hours.
So bundle up, forget about the chestnuts roasting by an open fire, and head out to take part in the Chicago holiday traditions.