Holiday Activities in Chicago

It’s Christmastime in the city, and Chicago is filled with holiday activities for the whole family. From outdoor ice skating beneath the glow of the skyscrapers to Broadway-quality holiday theatre performances, there is something to suit everyone’s tastes. Make The Peninsula Chicago your home base during the upcoming holiday season and experience the holidays both inside and outside of the hotel.

Ice Skating at Maggie Daley Park

Lace up your skates and get ready to zip around the winding ice skating path, The Ribbon, at Maggie Daley Park. The Ribbon provides guests with immersive views of the surrounding city as they are skating in a loop twice the size of a traditional rink. Open through mid-March, reservations are strongly encouraged to skate on The Ribbon. Ice skates are available for rent, or guests can bring their own. Ice skating on The Ribbon is open to guests of all ages.

Christkindlmarket

The traditional German Christmas market, Christkindlmarket, is back for an in-person experience this year. Located about one mile from The Peninsula Chicago, this market has more than 50 vendor booths filled with Christmas décor, hand-crafted gifts, traditional Eastern European food and beverage, and more. Admission into Christkindlmarket is free. Don’t forget to purchase their annual collectors’ mug for 2021!

Lincoln Park ZooLights

With hundreds of LED displays and millions of lights, The Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights holiday tradition is back for another year! ZooLights is a family-friendly Christmas event where guests can walk around the wildlife exhibits and see dazzling Christmas lights with corresponding festive music. Tickets are required to enter; however, they are offering complimentary admission on Monday and Tuesday nights. There is also a pop-up holiday bar for the adults.

Holiday Theatre Shows

On cold winter nights, cozy up inside a warm theatre to see a holiday-themed performance. There are several Christmas shows around the city, including A Christmas Carole at the Albert Goodman Theatre, Twas The Night Before… at The Chicago Theatre, and Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Civic Opera House. Don your Christmas best and purchase your tickets ahead of time to experience these seasonal favorites.

To round out your holiday adventures in Chicago, reserve one of our two holiday packages for a stay complete with an in-room holiday tree, holiday amenity, daily Peninsula breakfast and more.