Arts & Entertainment Recommendations

Shop Local!

Shop Jarvis Square

Visit Jarvis Square from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 3, for an annual holiday shopping bazaar featuring over 40 makers and artisan vendors located in multiple business venues that also offer food, beverages, and gifts. It’s all happening at the intersection of Jarvis and Greenview in Rogers Park. This wonderful holiday marketplace winds through multiple locations: Charmers Cafe, Horseplay, Jarvis Square Pottery, Lakeside Treasures, Jarvis Square Tavern, R Public House, Rogers Park West Ridge Historical Society, Taste Food and Wine, Theatre Above the Law, and Women’s Art Collective. Santa will drop by on Jarvis Avenue and there will be storytelling at Charmers.

Pride & Prejudice Lives On!

'Georgiana and Kitty': Christmas at Pemberley

The beloved characters from Jane Austen’s "Pride & Prejudice" live on in an all-new holiday story! Georgiana Darcy is an accomplished pianist, who's wary of romance. Kitty Bennet is a bright-eyed optimist and a perfect best friend. These two younger sisters are ready for their own adventures in life and love, starting with the arrival of an admirer and secret correspondent. Meddlesome families and outmoded expectations won’t stop these determined friends from forging their own way in a holiday tale filled with music, ambition, sisterhood, and love! Whether you’re an Austen aficionado or a first-timer to Pemberley, this rolling world premiere of the final installment in the "Christmas at Pemberley" trilogy, (Miss Bennet, The Wickhams) is a charming and original holiday treat. Through

An Artists View!

Jordan A. Porter-Woodruff Portraits: An Intimate

View Through January 7, 2023, the Epiphany Center for the Arts (201 S. Ashland Ave.) will feature the work of Jordan Porter-Woodruff. Porter-Woodruff began to notice how the shift of celebrity has impacted the very people civilization has long respected and strove to protect: artists. During times of war and looting, artifacts are taken and looked upon as a valuable representation of a past time. However, the people who have created those pieces are either forgotten or overlooked until long after their deaths. Porter-Woodruff’s desire for "Portraits: An Intimate View" is to ensure that this diminishment does not happen to artists whom she truly appreciates and admires. In 2019, Porter-Woodruff started her blog, "The Artists’ Feature." She interviewed and photographed these artists, to create cohesive profiles that would not only show them at their happiest, but also at their most vulnerable – in the act of creating.

Leaving A Legacy!

Dialogue | Lee Bey, Blair Kamin & Laurie Petersen

The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Chicago Humanities Festival host a 6 p.m. conversation November 29 with three of Chicago’s preeminent voices on public space in the city: Lee Bey (pictured), Blair Kamin, and Laurie Petersen. Collaborators on the new book "Who Is the City For? Architecture, Equity, and the Public Realm in Chicago" (The University of Chicago Press, 2022), Bey and Kamin will be joined onstage with the editor of the "AIA Guide to Chicago," Laurie Petersen. Chicago's architectural legacy includes a civic ideal that has produced prized public spaces. Yet for many of the city’s Black and Brown residents, these spaces were—and, in some cases, continue to be—inferior to spaces used by white and affluent Chicagoans. Gentrification near new public spaces has made adjoining neighborhoods unaffordable for many longtime residents. Moderated by Executive Director of American Institute of Architects Jen Masengarb, the conversation will explore the past, present, and future of the public use of Chicago’s built environment. This FREE event will be in the Edlis Neeson Theater of the MCA, 220 E. Chicago Ave.

Holiday Magic!

Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum

Dazzling new light displays celebrating the Morton Arboretum’s centennial year and a special late night event series will highlight the 10th anniversary of Illumination: Tree Lights. Through Jan. 7, 2023, guests can explore 18 different features along a tree-lined, one-mile walking trail immersed in color, light and sound created exclusively for The Morton Arboretum. Six new exhibits will join returning favorites such as Treemagination and Hug-a-Tree, including a spectacular finale in the Arboretum’s new Grand Garden. Also new this year is the addition of “Electric Illumination,” an 18 and older late night event, 9:30-11 p.m., Dec. 16, 23 and 30, featuring an eclectic, DJ-curated mix of Trance and Progressive House music synchronized to the breathtaking light displays. Tickets are $10 -$35 at mortonarb.org

A Chicago Tradition!

The Christkindlmarket

The Christkindlmarket Chicago is the most authentic traditional holiday market of its kind outside Europe, offering a unique shopping experience, family-friendly events & intercultural activities. Since 1996, German American Events, LLC, a subsidiary of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, has hosted the Christkindlmarket Chicago as a free event, featuring international and local vendors with various offerings for all ages. The Chicago Chistkindlmarket will be located at the Daley Civic Center (50 W. Washington St.) from November 18-December 24. The vendor map for the Christkindlmarket Chicago can be found at www.christkindlmarket.com/chicago-vendors/

A Celebrated Classic!

'The Nutcracker'

Magic is on the horizon for young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince, thanks to a visit from the charming but mysterious Great Impresario. At the stroke of midnight on a snowy Christmas Eve. the lines between fantasy and reality blur together. Marie sets out on an unforgettable journey through Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, a marvel of sights, sounds, and enchantment. From December 3-27, Joffrey Ballet's annual holiday tradition celebrates the magic of the season and the rich cultural heritage of Chicago. Tickets start at $36 at joffrey.org

Shop 'til You Drop!

Winter Bryn Mawrket

Makers and artists from across the city will be gathered at The Winter Bryn Mawrket! Shop everything for everyone on your list, from self-care products to apparel. Bryn Mawr Avenue will become a destination spot, with one-of-a-kind art installations in the historic district and art from local artists at the Winter Bryn Mawrkets Gallery. The Winter Bryn Mawrkets will run 3-7 p.m. Fridays, 1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through February 12 at the Bryn Mawr Historic District, 1052 W. Bryn Mawr.

A Winter Wonderland!

Winterland at Gallagher Way

Winterland returns to Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St., and for the first time since launching six years ago, extends inside Wrigley Field. The expanded programming will offer guests more family-friendly activities and new interactive experiences, along with returning favorites, including the Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville and the Gallagher Ice Rink, with the rink now located inside the iconic ballpark. Families, visitors and neighbors can celebrate the holidays there through Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023.

Twinkle All the Way!

ZooLights

ZooLights is a one-of-a-kind, festive, family-oriented tradition in the heart of the city. The grounds of Lincoln Park Zoo are transformed with millions of 3D and LED lights, some timed to music. There's live ice carving Fridays and Saturdays and roaming carolers on Sundays, before December 25. Admission is free on Mondays, but $5 Tuesdays through Sundays, all with timed entry. The event helps keep the zoo free to the public and supports animal care, community work and conservation. ZooLights runs 4:30-10 p.m. through January 1, except December 24 and 25. Info and tickets at www.lpzoo.org/event/zoolights/