Following a banner summer for Chicago’s tourism, hospitality, and events community, the city was honoured to be voted the “Best Big City in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Award 2024 for a historic eighth consecutive year. Anchored by the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and other major conventions, as well as events like Lollapalooza and the NASCAR street race, the city welcomed more than 671,000 international visitors during the summer months (June-August), with a notable 21 per cent increase in visitation from Canada for that period.

Looking ahead, Chicago is gearing up for a busy end of 2024, with major events like the launch of Theatre Season, Christkindlmarket, the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, and more. Visit ChooseChicago.com for more information and travel inspiration.

HOLIDAY HOTEL OFFERINGS

Beginning November 23, 2024, the Twelve Ways of Festive returns to Four Seasons Hotel Chicago with themed activations and delightful surprises to capture the whimsy of the holiday season. Over six weeks, guests can expect merry moments from tasty chef-created treats and a speakeasy to family-oriented crafts and cookie decorating in the vibrant social spaces.

NoMI at Park Hyatt Chicago will host multiple events throughout the holiday season including: a Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Viewing Party (November 23, 2024), U.S. Thanksgiving Feast (November 28, 2024), Cookies & Wishes: A Santa Workshop (December 7, 2024), and more.

Enjoy the holiday magic of Chicago's Gold Coast with the Winter Wonderland Suite package at One MICHELIN Key hotel Viceroy Chicago. The festive offer includes accommodations in a one bedroom lakeview suite decorated for the holidays, curated amenities, a hot chocolate kit, cookie plate, holiday ornaments and mugs, plus a holiday colouring book and cookie decorating kit for children. This offer is valid on stays from December 1-25, 2024.

FOOD + LIBATIONS

Newly Open:

James Beard award-winning Chef Johnny Clark opened Anelya in Chicago’s Avondale neighbourhood last year and had the prestige of being awarded recognition in the MICHELIN Guide Chicago. A major focus on the culinary program from Clark is fermentation and seasonal preservations, with a main menu featuring creative takes on staple dishes like Varenyky, which are similar to pierogis or ravioli, with fillings like pumpkin and farmers cheese, or even seasonal fruits like cherries as a sweet and savoury application. Anelya also offers modern takes on dishes like Holubtsi, or stuffed cabbage with sturgeon and buckwheat with caviar and sherry cream sauce. (Neighbourhood: Avondale)

Ēma, the Mediterranean restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, opened its second location in the Glenview neighbourhood. Ēma Glenview’s menu, created by chef-partner CJ Jacobson, menu features a selection of mezze, Mediterranean small plates and signature dishes that include Moroccan Onion Dip, Tahini Caesar Salad, Octopus Carpaccio, and Spicy Brisket Kefta Kebab. (Neighbourhood: Glenview)

Opening Soon:

The Chicago City Council has approved a lease agreement to bring the flavours of a popular South Side eatery to O’Hare’s expanded and renovated Terminal 5. Bronzeville Bites will feature a signature bar with small plates modelled after Bronzeville Winery in the namesake neighbourhood.

Cantina Rosa, a Mexican bar concept from Chef Erick Williams and Jesus Garcia, will open this fall. The menu will feature an expansive Mezcal and tequila program, Mexican-inspired bar bites, and a chic atmosphere with installations from local artists. (Neighbourhood: Hyde Park).

The Dip Inn is an American cocktail bar coming to River North’s vibrant culinary scene in late 2024. The eatery’s drink menu will feature beverage mainstays helmed by Kevin Beary, partner and award-winning beverage director of Lettuce Entertain You’s Three Dots and a Dash and The Bamboo Room. (Neighbourhood: River North)

il Carciofo, the newest restaurant from celebrity chef Joe Flamm, will open in late fall 2024. Guests can enjoy a seasonal menu of elevated Italian favourites, including prosciutto di parma, crispy carciofo and suppli con ragu antipasti, Roman-style pizzas from a custom wood stone oven, traditional hand-rolled pasta, market-driven main courses and house-spun gelatis and sorbettis, maritozzi and zabaglione for dessert. (Neighbourhood: Fulton Market)

KOVAL Distillery will debut its new luxury line, Thresh & Winnow, with a limited edition Gold Medal-winning 10-Year-Old Rye Whiskey and a Best in Class and Double Gold medal-winning Single Malt Whiskey. The distillery’s tasting room will introduce new cocktails in the fall, and its tasting room calendar includes exciting cocktail classes, tours, magic, and more.

New York pizzeria Prince Street Pizza will arrive in Chicago this fall on Randolph Street's “Restaurant Row.” Offering square, Sicilian-style slices and original Neapolitan pizzas prepared daily from scratch, diners will get their pick of popular combos like “The Spicy Vodka” with fresh mozzarella, spicy vodka sauce, and pecorino romano and the “Green Machine” with nut-free pesto, shredded mozzarella, ricotta, and black olives, alongside Chicago-exclusive offerings.

EXHIBITIONS (IMMERSIVE ART + MUSEUMS)

The Art Institute of Chicago has announced its fall/winter programming: Jitish Kallat: Public Notice 3(Until September 10, 2025); Germane Barnes: Columnar Disorder (Through January 27, 2025); The Otolith Group: A Massive Concentration of Black Interscalar Energy (Through March 30, 2025); Nancy Holt: Seeing in the Round (Through April 20, 2025); Paula Modersohn-Becker: I Am Me (Through January 12, 2025); French Neoclassical Paintings from The Horvitz Collection (October 19, 2024-January 6, 2025);  Jeremy Frey: Woven (October 26, 2024–February 10, 2025); and Revolution to Restoration: French Drawings from The Horvitz Collection (October 26, 2024–January 6, 2025). (Neighbourhood: The Loop)

ART on THE MART, an innovative digital art project that transforms a Chicago architectural landmark into a larger-than-life canvas, will welcome new headliners: this fall (now through November 20, 2024), new work by Chicago-based artist Brendan Fernandes will explore the idea of decolonizing architecture across the Western world through the projection of “new” doorways and windows onto the façade of the building. The winter season (November 21—December 30, 2024) will see a return of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago which celebrates the emerging and established talent coming from the beloved Chicago institution.

Chicago Architecture Center presents The New Magnificent: Visions to Renew and Reconnect the Mag Mile (through November 16, 2024). North Michigan Avenue, known colloquially as The Magnificent Mile, is an indelible part of Chicago’s global image. In this pop-up exhibition, two design proposals are presented for improving the economic vitality and overall experience of the Magnificent Mile. The themes presented in these proposals can be further explored in the Loop as Lab: Reshaping Downtowns exhibition on view in the upstairs Skyscraper Gallery. (Neighbourhood: The Loop)

Chicago History Museum’s newest exhibit Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective will open October 19, 2024. What do a red sequin burlesque costume, a pair of original Air Jordan 1s, a baby’s wool bathing suit, and an enormous white tulle Christian Dior gown have in common? All these wearable artifacts are preserved in the Chicago History Museum’s vast costume collection. Featuring 70 rarely seen objects, from glamorous gowns and sharp suits to house dresses and sneakers, Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective explores how clothing captures the material, social, and changing cultural values throughout history. (Neighbourhood: Lincoln Park)

The Fall 2024 season at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago includes a plethora of exciting events, including the opening of the major fourth-floor exhibition The Living End: Painting and Other Technologies, 1970–2020, as well as notable upcoming programs such as the third annual Chicago Performs series, and more.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum will present Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright (October 24, 2024-January 5, 2025). Frank Lloyd Wright had a lifelong fascination with photography, viewing it as a hobby as well as a way for his architecture to reach a broad public. Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright  includes Wright’s own photography along with images by the leading photographers who documented his career. (Neighbourhood: River North)

FESTIVALS + EVENTS

Chicago Thanksgiving Parade (November 28, 2024) , a local tradition for almost 90 years, kicks off the holiday season with a fun-filled morning in the heart of downtown Chicago. 

The Winter holidays kick off with the annual Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® (on November 23, 2024), a day-through-night, mile long holiday extravaganza, culminating in the largest nighttime parade in the United States led by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse of Walt Disney World® Resort. This spectacular parade down North Michigan Avenue features fabulous floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands from across the country, popular celebrities, musical performances, Santa Claus on Wintrust's grand finale float, The Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular, and one million lights illuminating The Magnificent Mile's 200+ trees.

ATTRACTIONS

AIRE Ancient Baths is pleased to introduce a new holistic beauty ritual: Orange Garden Experience. A transformative full-body and facial massage treatment that’s available at all locations, the Orange Garden experience transports guests to the patios of Seville, where the AIRE brand first started in 1994. The new 135-minute Orange Garden experience begins with a 35-minute full-body massage, followed by a 25-minute face massage. As part of the Orange Garden Experience, guests can expect a fully immersive experience that draws on the brand’s European heritage, with time to savour the many baths while surrounded by the warm glow of hundreds of flickering candles.

Christkindlmarket (November 24 – December 24, 2024) is a holiday tradition in Chicago, this year celebrating its 28th year at Daley Plaza.  Modelled after the 16th-century holiday markets in Germany,  the market offers a delightful experience with pretzels, beer, downtown sightseeing, and German holiday traditions. With over 50 vendors in the signature red and white striped booths, visitors will find an extensive selection of food and gifts from Chicago, Germany, and beyond, As always, the hot ticket item remains the Christkindlmarket’s annual souvenir mug, a must-have for keeping your hands warm and sipping the market’s many hot drink options including glühwein (traditional hot spiced wine), hot chocolate, apple cider, and tea. 

Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light (November 16, 2024 - January 6, 2025) return to the Museum of Science & Industry for its beloved annual celebration featuring a four-story, floor-to-dome Grand Tree, surrounded by a forest of more than 50 trees and displays decorated by volunteers to represent the holiday traditions from cultures around the globe. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that brings a whole world of holiday joy under one roof.

Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum (November 16, 2024-January 4, 2025) returns with exciting features and immersive installations. The 2024 exhibition features a secluded glade strung with fairy lights, kinetic LED tall grasses honouring a Midwest native species, and trees lit up with a hug. New this year, Celebration Circle is an interactive light display in The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden featuring four sets of illuminated tree-shaped installations, each synced to the music of a different instrument. 

Lightscape (November 15, 2024 - January 5, 2025), the popular holiday event from the Chicago Botanic Garden that sells out every year, returns with a reimagined experience for its sixth season. The illuminated trail for enchanting winter nights will set the Garden aglow with light, art, and music produced in partnership with Sony Music. 

Lincoln Park Zoo is excited to announce that it is now an accredited botanical garden by the Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI), recognizing the the zoo as a botanic garden that excels in conservation and sustainability - has a full lineup of events this season, including ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo (November 15, 2024–January 5, 2025), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. This beloved staple of Chicago's holiday season will delight guests of all ages with festive attractions and more than 3 million lights across zoo grounds and hundreds of LED light displays. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced several public art projects to be completed this fall, including neighbourhood murals initiatives, as well as unique artwork by Chicago artists on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue, Green, and Orange lines. The artist-designed CTA train wraps are currently on display, as well as many of the neighbourhood murals being created by mainly Chicago-based artists in collaboration with community organizations. These new neighbourhood murals will interpret the themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and inclusion and will also celebrate Chicago’s Blues and House music legacies.

Shedd Aquarium has two exciting attractions planned for the fall. (Neighbourhood: South Loop): Wonder of Water -  experience the beauty and diversity of aquatic life through two towering saltwater and freshwater habitats. Guests will walk between the habitats, observing vibrant and colourful corals living on one side and a lushly planted freshwater fish habitat on the other. At the beating heart of Shedd’s historic home, this gallery will set the tone for the awe-inspiring nature found throughout the aquarium; and Amazon Rising - three 6-foot-long arapaima, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, and Beatrix an 11-foot-long green anaconda, a species considered one of the largest snakes in the world, will both get new expanded homes. 

MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS + VENUES

Chicago has been selected as the host city for U.S. Travel Association’s IPW in 2025. The last time Chicago hosted the leading inbound travel trade show was in 2014. The conference will be held June 14-18, 2025, at McCormick Place.

McCormick Place has had some recent updates including: Welcoming Executive Chef Gregg Nuguid to enhance the dining experience with his innovative cuisine; OVG360 introduced Senior Sustainability Manager Jackie Tauber and celebrated WEFTEC 2023’s Sustainable Event Standards Gold Certification; Beginning summer 2024, McCormick Place introduced new trash sorting support technology to help guests properly sort waste, furthering the commitment to eco-friendly initiatives for events; and Fight2Feed Partnership: McCormick Place partnered with Fight2Feed to rescue over 3,200 pounds of food during the Chicago Auto Show First Look for Charity Gala.

The Obama Presidential Center - Covering 19 acres, the campus will include a fruit and vegetable garden, an athletic facility for programs and events, a premier museum, an auditorium, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, and additional amenities. The programming will encourage visitors, whether local or international, to carry the impact of their experience with them. The multi-purpose athletics and event facility at the Obama Presidential Center is set to open in 2025, while the campus is set to open early 2026.

THEATRE + PERFORMING ARTS

The iconic Tony Award-winning musical ANNIE is returning to Chicago this holiday season with a limited three-week engagement at The Chicago Theatre from November 12 - December 1, 2024. The original production of ANNIE opened on Broadway on April 21, 1977, and went on to win seven Tony Awards including Best Musical (Charles Strouse), Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (Martin Charnin).

Broadway In Chicago is proud to produce the following shows as part of its fall lineup: Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert (October 19, 2024 - Cadillac Palace Theatre); The Rocky Horror Picture Show (October 20, 2024 - Cadillac Palace Theatre); Some Like It Hot (October 22 - November 3, 2024 - Cadillac Palace Theatre); A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (November 12-24, 2024 - Cadillac Palace Theatre).

Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago’s foremost producer of new and reimagined opera, proudly announces its Bohème and Beyond - The Legacy of Puccini (December 7, 2024), a concert celebrating the centennial of Giacomo Puccini’s death featuring works by the composer and those he inspired.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater will present the following performances this fall and winter (Neighbourhood: Streeterville): Royal Shakespeare Company’s Pericles (October 20 - December 7, 2024); From Brazil: Sarau Cultura Brasileira's Azira’i: Um Musical de Memórias (October 24-27, 2024); From Chile: Astillero Teatro's La Memoria de los Sésiles (October 31 - November 3, 2024).

The Joffrey Ballet will present Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker from December 6–28, 2024 at the Lyric Opera House.

SPORTS

NASCAR Street Race will return next year. The third edition of this exhilarating event will take place July 5-6, 2025. Mark your calendars now, and keep your eyes peeled for more updates and lineup details.

2025 Discover NHL Winter Classic - The Discover NHL Winter Classic is an eagerly anticipated, annual tradition that celebrates hockey’s outdoor heritage while embracing innovation and fan engagement. Chicago is thrilled to have been selected to host the next iteration of the event at its iconic Wrigley Field on December 31, 2024.