A Thanksgiving Day Parade, a holiday market, and ice skating at the zoo; Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on this weekend.
McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Round up the family and head to State Street in downtown Chicago this Thursday for the 80th annual McDonalds’s Thanksgiving Parade. The three-hour event begins at 8:00 am, and will feature loveable helium balloons, marching bands, exciting floats, cultural groups and more. This year’s performers include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the Jesse White Tumbling Team, and the Joffrey Ballet. Parade mascot Teddy Turkey and Santa Claus will also be there to help parade-goers kick off the holiday season. The parade will move down State Street, from Congress to Randolph. For more information, click here.
Each holiday season, Daley Plaza is transformed into a charming German market, complete with a giant Christmas tree, lots of lights, and vendors from around the world. On Tuesday, the 19th annual Christkindlmarket returned to the plaza, and will remain open through December 24. During a trip to the market, visitors can shop for hand-crafted ornaments, holiday gifts, and sweets while listening to a diverse offering of holiday entertainment. Admission is free. For more information, click here.
Daley Plaza
50 W. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
Currently being performed at the Writers Theatre in Glencoe, The Old Man and the Old Moon tells the story of a man who sets out to sea in search of his wife. Since refilling the leaking moon with light is his job, the world is thrown into chaos when he abandons his post to go find her. The vibrant story is presented by the New-York based PigPen Theatre Co., and is told with the help of shadow puppets, and indie-folk performances. It’s a play that Chicago Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss called a “whimsical, artfully handcrafted show.” The final performance takes place on Sunday, and tickets cost from $30-$70. For more information, click here.
Writers Theatre
325 Tudor Ct.
Glencoe, IL 60022
(847) 242 – 6000
Those who are looking for a fun family activity this weekend should check out ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo. The festivities include tons of colorful lights throughout the grounds, photos with Santa, live ice carving, a musical light show, and more. In addition to admiring the lights, visitors can also go ice skating at the Farm-in-the-Zoo. Guests can either bring their own skates, or rent them at the Farmhouse for $5. For more information, click here.
Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
This week, the Chicago Tonight Artbeat blog featured a stunning and funny revival of a show called Burning Bluebeard at Theater Wit. Directed by Halena Kays, the play is inspired by the true story of Chicago’s 1903 Iroquois Theatre Fire. The play tells the story of six clown performers who are attempting to perform their spectacular Christmas show once and for all, “but this time they hope to finally reach the true happy ending of their second act and avoid the fateful fire that killed 600 of its audience members.” The 1 hour and 30-minute show runs through January 5, 2014, and tickets cost $25-$30. For more information, click here.
Theater Wit
1229 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 975-8150
