Merry Christmas!

From the Chistkindl Market to Zoo Lights to WinterFest, Chicago is full of holiday spirit. So get out, go ice skating, check out Macy’s holiday windows, and enjoy the season! It won’t last all winter…

Do you smell that pine? It isn’t just the gin I’m drinking that put the jovial jolt of juniper in the air—Christmas is coming. If you want to venture to get your tree from a tree farm and not just some lot on Halsted, here’s a list of tree farms in the area.

It’s that time of year again. The holidays are creeping up on us, and let’s be real — most of us haven’t finished our shopping yet. Check out this collection of great local gift ideas for everyone on your list.

Ah, ice skating. A winter tradition, and one of the only things that will tear Chicagoans from their cozy fireside cocoons before heading back for a cup of hot cocoa or cider. Whether you’re a novice or pro, getting out for at least one skate is a must.

Happy Thanksgiving from UPchicago!

Starting in late November, a Chicago holiday tradition will be unveiled at the Lincoln Park Zoo. More than a million sparkling lights fill the zoo, creating one of the brightest parts of a Chicago winter.

Don’t know where to snag the best gifts for everyone on your list this year? Here are our 5 kickass ways to get through your holiday shopping in Chicago — sans malls! Hint: they’re our favorite shopping streets in the city…

So you’re waiting for the L on your way to work; it’s freezing, you missed your alarm and woke up late, this is gonna be a bad day. But, wait! It’s Santa… on the L? Yep, it’s the CTA holiday train, and it’s coming to a station near you!

Chicago’s famous fashion avenue dresses up in over one million lights for the 20th annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival this Saturday November 19.

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us, and you know what that means… ugly Christmas sweaters and peppermint schnapps, of course! But for those searching for a little intellectual stimulation and entertainment between the white elephant exchanges and ornament hanging, there is no lack of holiday theater options.

For many Chicagoans, visiting a haunted house is a must during October, even making city die-hards travel to the suburbs for the most terrifying haunted homes and graveyards.

You know as well as I do what is waiting right around the corner: a giant hulking mass of Canadian cold crouched on it’s haunches at the shores of Lake Michigan. Before long it will fall upon us, so take advantage while fall is upon us.

On select Sunday evenings through October, you can drop in and catch live music at the Centennial Monument in Logan Square as part of the Sundays in the Park music series.