Chicago Events

Best of December 2009

Address: Oak Park • Oak Park St and Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60632 Category: Holiday / Seasonal Event - Christmas Dates: December 4 - December 5, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Oak Park's popular annual Holiday Housewalk, sponsored by the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society benefiting The Children's Clinic, expands to a two-day affair this year. With the addition of a holiday market for finding one-of-a-kind gifts and stocking stuffers, it's a can't-miss event. Tour five local...

Address: Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater • 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602 Category: Performance - Theater - Reading Dates: December 10, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

The cinematic version of It's a Wonderful Life is such an iconic film – the classic American tale is broadcast repeatedly on TV every holiday season, and it's hard to find anyone who hasn't seen it. The AFTRA / SAG Senior Radio Players put a fun spin on the story of George Bailey's redemption in this old-school...

Address: Illinois State Museum – James R. Thompson Center • 100 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601 Category: Museum Event - Art Exhibit Dates: November 2 - December 30, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

The Urge to Embellish explores our fascination with adornment. The exhibit includes items for personal beautification (including jewelry), exquisite textiles and handbags, and household decorations that range from utterly practical to sublimely whimsical. The seemingly disparate pieces, many from the 19th century, are...

Address: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Downstairs Theatre • 1650 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614 Category: Performance - Theater - Drama Dates: December 3 - February 7, 2010 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

One of David Mamet's earlier efforts, American Buffalo is an intense, claustrophobic drama that focuses on the plottings and power struggles of three small-time crooks. Set entirely inside a cramped junk store, the story unfolds as the men conspire to steal a valuable coin collection. The original Broadway run in 1977...

Address: Hyde Park Art Center • 5020 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL 60615 Category: Museum Event - Art Exhibit Dates: December 11 - June 11, 2010 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Every second Friday of the month, Hyde Park Art Center hosts one of the most fun and unusual events in town, Cocktails and Clay. Sip a beer or a G&T, craft something cool out of clay, meet and mingle, and relax. If a night out just isn't complete for you unless it includes a DJ, fear not: They've got one. For those of...

Address: Beat Kitchen • 2100 W Belmont, Chicago, IL 60618 Category: Performance - Concert / Music - Alternative Rock Dates: December 5, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Hailing from Sunderland, England, Field Music formed in 2004 and has two albums (three if you count a B-sides compilation), with a fourth scheduled for release in 2010. They have opened for indie darlings Belle & Sebastian, wowed the crowd at SXSW in Austin, produced several solo projects, and generally impressed...

Address: Cheney Mansion • 220 N Euclid, Oak Park, IL 60302 Category: Holiday / Seasonal Event - Christmas Dates: December 7 - December 10, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

The Elizabeth F. Cheney Mansion is a treat to visit, particularly during the holiday season. Decked out in holiday finery, the home is sure to boost your spirits, especially with a cookie in hand. Built in 1913, the mansion was given to the Oak Park Parks District in 1975 and today serves as a tourist attraction and...

Address: Chicago Botanic Garden • 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL 60022 Category: Children's / Family Event - Class Dates: December 12 - December 19, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

An ideal holiday treat for the family, this class starts out with a quick, engaging lesson on the ginger plant and how it's used in cooking. Then, kids are invited to decorate their own gingerbread cookies and even whip up a batch of dough to bake at home. It's a unique, down-to-earth diversion during the hectic,...

Address: Robie House – University of Chicago • 5757 S Woodlawn Ave, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Category: Children's / Family Event - Class Dates: December 19, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

If you've got an aspiring architect at home, this is a perfect outing. Kids create their own Lego® structures, with guidance from professionals on details such as where to put doors and windows. Kids don't get to take home the finished product, but they will receive a photo and a copy of the floorplan of their...

Address: Millennium Park • 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601 Category: Sports Event - Ice Skating Dates: November 18 - March 14, 2010 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Millennium Park is a hot spot on Chicago's arts and culture scene, with concerts, dance recitals, plays, and festivals scheduled throughout the year. During the winter, McCormick Tribune Plaza gets an icy makeover, welcoming 100,000 skaters seasonally. Even if you're not an ice skater, an hour or two spent at the rink...