Urban Athlete

Prepare to kick off America's holiday season in style at The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. This mile-long festival has attracted over a million visitors daily for more than 32 years now. The festival's nighttime parade on Michigan Avenue is the largest in the United States, featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse from The Walt Disney World Resort leading the way. The event boasts an impressive lineup of fantastic floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, celebrities, musical performances, Santa Claus, fireworks, and more. The parade illuminates over a million lights on 200+ trees along The Avenue, creating a truly awe-inspiring sight.

The Hideout is not your typical bar; it's a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of whether they fit in. This prohibition-era bar may be small, but it's been a community space for independent music and performance in Chicago for over 25 years. On Saturdays, you can enjoy live music and dancing at The Hideout. It's a hub for music, art, performance, plays, poetry, rock, and rebellion. The bar is rooted in complex, hard-playing, creative artistic expression and intellectual freedom. It's more New Deal than New Age, and while it's not for everyone, it's for anyone who wants to experience something unique and authentic.

If you plan a trip to Chicago, take advantage of the chance to visit the Chicago Cultural Center. This iconic landmark offers a wide range of daily shows, lectures, films, and art exhibits, all free of charge. While you are there, be sure to take some time to explore the unique features of the building, including guided tours that can teach you more about its history and architecture. With over 1,000 programs and exhibitions annually, the Chicago Cultural Center is a hub for performing, visual, and literary arts. If you are interested in learning more about the building's history and architecture, guided tours are available. During your visit, you can marvel at the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome, beautiful mosaics, intricate marble and molding work, and coffered ceilings - all of which have made this building a true Chicago landmark.