Thanks to my yearly watching of Fred Claus, I think Vince Vaughn had me hoping there would be a Santa on every corner, carolers belting out Christmas classics, and the buzz of holiday cheer filling the air. While a few of the buildings around town were decorated with lights and decor, you have to make your way to Michigan Avenue to feel the holiday spirit. I'm a little bitter over the fact that there was no Santa on the sidewalks and I only heard one street musician, but there was plenty of holiday cheer to go around.
We stumbled upon several oversized Christmas trees, and while they probably don't rival what you would find in New York, they were still very lovely to see.
I've always wanted to browse big city window displays at Christmas, and the ones on Michigan Ave. didn't disappoint.
The sidewalks were dressed to the holiday nines as well:
We also loved seeing some of the buildings lit up in holiday colors of red and green.
We didn't buy anything this trip since we decided spur of the moment to head over to Lincoln Park Zoo for the zoo lights (but that's a post for another day) and didn't want to have to carry our bags all over town, but I'm glad that after all of these years we finally got to experience a Chicago Christmas.
What's your favorite thing about downtown during the holidays? Window displays? Lights? Decor? Tell me in the comments below :)
You mean the movies lied? The shame lol
ReplyDeleteThe window displays sure are great. Looks like they went all out in that spot of the city at least. No snow? You can have ours.
I should have known better than to trust the movies, eh? You go ahead and keep that snow. It's been a beautiful winter here so far and I hope it stays that way!
DeleteOoooh, love the festive foxes and bears in the shop windows, such marvellous delight! I haven't noticed any pretty decorated shop windows this year in my city and most of our supermarkets aren't decorated either. They did pay $20.000 to some idiotic band to play at our city square at New Year's Eve, so I'm guessing that will be the height of the festive atmosphere here.
ReplyDeleteLove how wonderfully gloomy the sky is over Chicago, if I ever lived in USA I think I'd much prefer northern cold cities to the hell of the southern heat.
That's too bad the shops didn't get into the festive season this year. Will you be headed down to see the idiotic band play this year?
DeleteTrust me, it gets friggin hot in Chicago during the summer. It was about 4pm when most of those photos were taken and it's dark by 4:30-5pm so I was hurrying to snap a few before I lost daylight. You can keep the cold cities and give me the hell heat of the south any day :P
Never, I'll be sleeping before 11PM :) I've no intention of waiting for the New Year to come, I hate New Years, they make us older and remind us of all the unfulfilled goals and disappointments from the previous one. I just behave like holidays don't exist :)
DeleteI hope you had a good Christmas
ReplyDeleteThank you Adam. I hope you had a good one as well!
DeleteI love the holiday windows. I haven't been to Chicago in December, but I've been in January and baby it gets cold outside! We had to walk backwards to keep from freezing solid on the sidewalks. :) I love the city any time of year, but definitely prefer to see it in the summer. ;) So happy to see how Michigan Avenue jazzes up for the holiday! It's really very lovely.
ReplyDeleteGirl, I hear you on the cold there in winter. I think being right on the lake makes it feel like the arctic this time of year. I don't think I would even consider walking the streets in January or February there, so you're a brave soul for doing it lol
DeleteYou got great pictures. All the Christmas decorations are great.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary!
DeleteI love Chicago during Christmas. New York generally gets all the attention, but Chitown is actually quite amazing during the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to NY during the holiday season, but it's definitely on my travel bucket list!
DeleteWhat amazing and festive pictures you have from your Christmas in Chicago! I think big cities look beautiful with all of their decor, and Chicago proves my point!
ReplyDeleteThank You Brianne! I agree, being in a big city during the holidays just makes the season feel so much more festive!
DeleteI usually like to look at the lights. But in Chicago I think it would be the window displays. I love the bear one, and the hot air balloon one!
ReplyDeleteTravis best man lives there. We need to get back to the windy city. We have a place to stay. It just sucks because Sam the man is a truck driver, so he hardly gets a chance to spend time with us when we go.
I hope you do get to go back sometime. You should take the boys during the holidays and hit up the zoo lights. They are free and I think the kids would love them!
DeleteLooking at your pictures makes me want to spend a few days around the holidays next year in Chicago. Everything looks so well-decorated and the lights are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt's even more beautiful and festive in person!
DeleteI've only been to Chicago a couple times. Too busy for me. But I think seeing the lights and decor would be neat. Those window displays are very festive.
ReplyDeleteOh it's beautiful!! Really puts our city Christmas decorations to shame haha...
ReplyDeleteAi @ Sakura Haruka