Enjoy a Swedish Christmas
Christmas in Sweden is a lot more than pickled herring and creamed rice. There's julbok, the Christmas goat who helps Tomten, or Santa, pass out the presents. Learn the whole Swedish Christmas story at the most popular family event of the year at the Swedish American Museum. Expect a Swedish pancake breakfast with traditional crafts, dancing around the Christmas tree and a special visit from Tomten.
5211 N. Clark St., Chicago. 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 11-12. Cost is $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, free for children younger than 2. Call for reservations at (773) 728-8111 or visit samac.org.
Wander, wonder and wrangle
Navy Pier is one of the city's most popular sites for visitors, which means an outing to Winter WonderFest is a must. In its 10th year, the fest offers music, entertainment, indoor ice skating, inflatable slides, carnival rides, food, beverages and new attractions. The kids will enjoy the new Arctic Glacier Run, Extreme Alpine Dome, Himalaya and the Jeep “Power Wheel” Mini Adventure Track.
Navy Pier, 600 East Grand, Chicago. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with special hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec 5-9 and 12-16; closed Christmas Day. The fest runs through Sunday, Jan. 2. Free admission, with tickets required for rides and ice skating. (800) 595-PIER or visit navypier.com.
Most wonderful time of the year
As part of its Holiday Celebrations 2010, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs presents a free cabaret event at the Chicago Cultural Center. Espresso The Holiday Brew features a group of Chicago's favorite cabaret singers. Performers include actor/singer Claudia Hommel, actor/singer KT McCammond, pianist/singer/songwriter George Howe, pianist/singer/songwriter Elizabeth Doyle, actor/singer John Eskola and singer/pianist Bob Moreen.
Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. Visit chicagoculturalcenter.org.
Midwest
Forget the malls, head to the halls
The Osthoff Resort's Old World Christmas Market in Elkhart Lake, Wis., is a Midwestern take on the celebrated Christkindlesmarkt at Nuremberg, Germany, that dates to 1545. Inside the tented market, enjoy the scents of fresh evergreens, bratwurst, gingerbread and roasted almonds. There are dozens of vendors offering authentic European gifts such as hand-carved wooden toys, apparel, woolens, framed photography, paintings and prints, chocolates, handmade jewelry, lace, stone and porcelain sculptures and blown-glass ornaments. Tell the kids to keep an eye out for Santa and to hop aboard a holiday hay ride to cookie-decorating workshops.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday, Dec. 3-12. Admission is $6 for adults. Kids 14 and younger free with an adult ticket holder. For details, call (800) 876-3399 or visit christmasmarketatosthoff.com. Overnight packages begin at $139 per night at the Osthoff Resort, 101 Osthoff Ave., Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Spirit of Christmas past
You've seen the spirit of Christmas past in old Scrooge films, but why not experience it yourself at Old World Wisconsin by strolling the 1870s Crossroads Village and the Ketola Farm in Eagle, Wis.? Visit houses and shops and discover how different cultures contributed to the customs we enjoy today with ethnic foods and old-fashioned crafts.
S103 W37890 Hwy. 67, Eagle, Wis. Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 11-12. Admission is $5. Call (262) 594-6300 or visit oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org.
Let's go Dutch
Downtown Holland, Mich., dons a festive, Old World coat, and thank goodness because it's chilly in Michigan. Holiday Kerstmarkt, an open-air European Christmas market, is the place to shop for handcrafted gifts and authentic Dutch holiday treats. Vendors are housed in historically crafted booths offering fresh greenery, trees, wreaths, hand-knit clothing and accessories, wooden boxes and toys, pet items, ornaments, Dutch gifts, folk art, handmade jewelry, warm snacks and beverages. Bring the kids to Santa's House so he can take notes on their wishes. For traditional gifts, venture to Dutch Village and DeKlomp Wooden Shoe and Delft Factory for imported items like Delftware, Dutch lace, wooden shoes, ornaments and hand-carved candles.
3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. Call (800) 506-1299 or visit downtownholland.com.
Worth the trip
The holiday season in the Hill Country of Texas may be fairly different from what one might expect. Visitors can marvel at a 26-foot-tall wooden Christmas pyramid, handcrafted in Germany last year especially for the town of Fredericksburg. The community was founded in 1846 by 120 settlers from Germany who brought many of their customs to Texas. All of the buildings along Main Street in Fredericksburg's historic district are outlined with white lights and Christmas wreaths adorn 80 poles along Main Street. Every weekend, Rockbox Theater's Christmas show takes place, or take a whirl around the ice skating rink in the center of the Marktplatz. Visitors can also take a self-guided tour along Texas Hill Country's Christmas Lighting Trail, see historic homes decorated for the holidays or enjoy live concerts the week after Christmas during the Auslander Winter Fest.
Through Jan. 6. Request a free holiday guide by calling (888) 997-3600 or visit VisitFredericksburgTX.org.