Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
November
The Big Top,
United Center, 1901
W. Madison St. (
&
312/455-
4500
); and the Allstate Arena, 6920
N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont
(
&
847/635-6601
). This is the
month that Ringling Brothers, Bar-
num & Bailey comes to Chicago to
set up its tent. Tickets are available
from Ticketmaster (
&
312/559-
1212
). Throughout November.
State Street Thanksgiving Parade
(
&
312/781-5681
) is an annual
event that takes place on Thanks-
giving morning beginning at
8:30am. The parade marches up
State Street, from Congress to Ran-
dolph.
Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
(
&
312/642-3570
). Beginning at
dusk, a colorful parade of Disney
characters makes its way south along
Michigan Avenue, from Oak Street
to the Chicago River, with holiday
lights being illuminated block by
block as the procession passes. Car-
olers, elves, and minstrels appear
with Santa along the avenue
throughout the day and into the
evening, and many of the retailers
offer hot chocolate and other treats.
Saturday before Thanksgiving.
Christmas Tree Lighting,
Daley
Center Plaza, in the Loop (
&
312/
744-3315
). Combine the tree
lighting with another Chicago
Christmas tradition—the windows
at Marshall Field's, at Randolph
and State streets, just a few blocks
east of Daley Center Plaza. The day
after Thanksgiving, around dusk.
Zoo Lights Festival,
Lincoln Park
Zoo, 2200 N. Cannon Dr. (
&
312/
742-2000
). Colorful illuminated
displays brighten long nights dur-
ing the holidays. Another special
tradition is the annual Caroling to
the Animals, a daylong songfest on
a Saturday early in the month. Late
November through the first week in
January.
December
A Christmas Carol,
Goodman
Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.
(
&
312/443-3800
). This is both a
seasonal favorite and a Chicago
institution; it's been performed for
more than 2 decades. The show
runs from around Thanksgiving to
the end of December.
The Nutcracker,
Joffrey Ballet of
Chicago, Auditorium Theatre, 50
E. Congress Pkwy. The esteemed
company performs its Victorian-
American twist on this holiday clas-
sic. For tickets, call the Joffrey office
at
&
312/739-0120.
The produc-
tion runs for 3 weeks from late
November to mid-December.
4 What to Pack
As you have heard too many times
already, Chicago's weather is change-
able. So while I can give you general
guidelines for packing for various
seasons, always check out
www.
weather.com
or
www.chicagotribune.
com
for the long-range forecast.
(Granted, in Chicago they seem to
Quick ID
Tie a colorful ribbon or piece of yarn around your luggage handle, or slap
a distinctive sticker on the side of your bag. This makes it less likely that
someone will mistakenly appropriate it. And if your luggage gets lost, it
will be easier to find.
Tips
