The annual Tuba Christmas returns. (Credit: The Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel)
1. Admire
Hundreds of musicians decked out in holiday attire perform seasonal tunes at Tuba Christmas. Add your brass to the mix by registering at 8:30 a.m. ahead of a 9:30 a.m. rehearsal.
Details: 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Palmer House, Grand & State Ballrooms, 17 E. Monroe St. Free to watch; $10 registration for participants / MAP
Find more fests: 2021 Festival Guide
2. Relish
The Holiday Fun-Fest at Dvorak will showcase the talents of youth in dance classes and park kids programs. Kids activities, a bonfire, holiday carols and presentation of “The Night Before Christmas” are all part of the festivities.
Details: 5-8 p.m. Friday at Dvorak (Anton) Park, 1119 W. Cullerton St. Free / MAP
3. Hark
Latin Grammy-nominated Mariachi Herencia de Mexico performs Mexican and American holiday classics in “A Very Merry Christmas Concert.” Expect to hear seasonal faves including “Feliz Navidad,” “Los Peces en el Rio,” “Sleigh Ride,” and more.
Details: Performances 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday at Old Town School of Music, Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. $26-$28 / MAP
4. Collect
Chic pet clothing, custom fragrances, leather goods and fine art are among the wares for sale at Renegade Craft.
Details: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Revel Fulton Market, 1215 W. Fulton Market. Pay what you can; $12 suggested donation / MAP
5. Savor
“Christmas Dearest,” reimagines the holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol,” to follow actress Joan Crawford who is looking to reignite her career with a new film. Needing everything to be perfect, Crawford turns into a tyrant. Like the traditional tale, Crawford is visited by three ghosts who show her the error of her ways and the true meaning of the holidays.
Details: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday and Dec. 30-31 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church Auditorium, 1650 W. Foster Ave. $32-$35 / MAP
David Cerda (center) and the cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions’ holiday favorite “Christmas Dearest.” (Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios)
6. Listen
Broadway star Jessica Vosk joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for its seasonal performance “Merry, Merry Chicago!” Festive musical selections include “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful, and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker.”
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. Saturday with additional performances through Dec. 23 at Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Hall, 220 S. Michigan Ave. $36 and up / MAP
7. Ponder
Works by a dozen artists that explore how race and class shape our rural and urban geographies is the focus of “Toward Common Cause: Art, Social Change, and the MacArthur Fellows Program at 40.”
Details: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. through Sunday, except Thursday when it’s open till 8 p.m. at the Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Free, reservations recommended / MAP
8. Explore
The Northside North Pole features a holiday pop-up market with goods created by local artists, makers and home-based businesses.
Details: 3-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Belle Shore Apartments, 1052 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Free / MAP
9. Play
Your little ones can come dressed in their holiday finest for the “The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party.” The performance features a quartet of Beatrix Potter’s animal friends: Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher, Simpkin the Cat and Tom Kitten. After the show, enjoy cookies, hot cocoa and coloring activities.
Details: Performances 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 23 and Dec. 24 at Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine Ave. $42 / MAP
10. Believe
Joffrey Ballet’s reimagined “The Nutcracker” follows young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince on a Christmas Eve journey through the 1893 World’s Fair. Want a preview of the show? Read Hedy Weiss’s review.
Details: Performance times vary through Dec. 26 at Lyric Opera Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive. $35 and up / MAP
Jeraldin Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez perform in “The Nutcracker.” (Photo by Todd Rosenberg)
Events listed are subject to change. We recommend double-checking times and locations before you head out the door. Want to share your upcoming events with us for consideration in a future roundup? Send us an email.
