It’s now officially the holiday season, and you’ve made the smart decision to pack your bags and head on over to Chicago to celebrate. Naturally, the city is always beautiful, but it’s exceptionally so come wintertime. It’s the thrill of being in a big city that movies like Home Alone and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (both set in Chicago!) try to capture.

1. Macy's Christmas Windows

If you’re the kind of person who loves Christmas, definitely check out Macy’s Christmas windows. The Macy’s in downtown Chicago spends a long time replacing clothing mannequins with moving displays from famous holiday scenes, and kids love to press their faces against the glass and sit watching for hours. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the windows. Also, if you’re lucky enough to make it into Macy’s grand Walnut Room, there’s a giant Christmas tree in the center that attracts many.

2. Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting

In Millennium Park, Chicago’s sprawling grounds for festivals and home to the famed Cloud Gate sculpture, Chicago puts up a huge Christmas tree and has a lighting ceremony each year.

3. Christkindlmarket

In Daley Plaza, under the shadow of Chicago’s most famous Picasso statue, the city hosts the Christkindlmarket – a large open air festival where artisans sell handmade ornaments and clocks and serve traditional German food.

4. Holiday Theater

The Goodman Theater is showing their production of “The Christmas Carol” this year, and Joffery Ballet puts on The Nutcracker. Both are doing shows until the last weekend of December, in case you want to keep the Christmas spirit going on a little longer.

5. Holiday Lights

The Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield Zoo and Chicago’s Morton Arboretum have holiday light festivals. Brookfield Zoo’s claim to fame is putting up one million lights and welcoming local choirs in to entertain guests. Santa makes an appearance every year to check his naughty and nice lists in front of the children there.

My personal favorite is the Morton Arboretum “Illumination," where the lights on the trees respond to your voice and your touch and glitter in time to your favorite Christmas carols.

However, Lincoln Park Zoo has the greatest aspect of all – it’s free apart from parking, and there are several train stations nearby. Anyone can walk in and experience its light festival.

6. Ice Skating

Maggie Daley Park, home to one of the most unique playgrounds there is, has a skating ribbon that winds around its rock climbing walls. You can rent skates there, and enjoy the view of the entire Chicago skyline. In the summer, come back to see the ice skating ribbon be transformed into a roller-skating ribbon.

7. Winter WonderFest

Navy Pier hosts the Winter WonderFest, which is an indoor carnival for families that features attractions like the Blackhawk’s ice skating rink and an indoor snow tubing hill.

8. Museum Tours

The Museum of Science and Industry puts on the “Christmas Trees Around the World” exhibit, which displays over 50 floor to ceiling trees that help museum-goers learn about holiday traditions around the world.

So, if you find yourself in Chicago this winter break, have a good time exploring the city and enjoying your stay. Just make sure to bundle up, because the Windy City is called windy for a reason. It does make for a wonderful white Christmas, though.