Entertainment

Best bets: Illumination returns to Morton Arboretum, Botanic Garden debuts Lightscape

Posted November 20, 2019 5:46 am

By Scott C. Morgan

The new holiday exhibit Lightscape opens Friday, Nov. 22, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden

Luminous outdoors

See the great outdoors colorfully decorated in two interactive light and sound displays this season: Illumination: Tree Lights returns for another run starting Saturday at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. $18-$23; $12-$15. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org. And new on the scene is Lightscape starting today at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. $17-$27; $8-$15 kids 3-12. (847) 835-6801 or chicagobotanic.org. Illumination: Tree Lights runs from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. select dates from Saturday, Nov. 23, to Sunday, Jan. 5, in Lisle; Lightscape runs select hours from Friday, Nov. 22, to Sunday, Jan. 5, in Glencoe

Illumination: Tree Lights returns to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle from Saturday, Nov. 23, to Sunday, Jan. 5. Courtesy of Morton Arboretum

Wrestling entertainment

The WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) serves up four nights of bouts with Friday Night Smackdown, NXT Takeover War Games Live, Survivor Series and Monday Night Raw at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $20-$225 per event; $15-$25 parking. (800) 745-3000 or allstatearena.com. Friday Night Smackdown at 6:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22; NXT Takeover War Games at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23; Survivor Series at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24; Monday Night RAW at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25

Making a splash

Cirque Italia, with its mix of acrobatics and a massive water stage, continues its tour of "Water Circus" at Spring Hill Mall, 1072 Spring Hill Ring Road, West Dundee. (941) 704-8572 or cirqueitalia.com. $10-$40. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, and 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 23-24

Australia's Bangarra Dance Theatre comes to Chicago's Harris Theater for Music and Dance on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. Courtesy of Bangarra Dance Theatre

From down under

Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organization and one of Australia's leading performing arts companies. See performances this weekend at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago. $35-$140. (312) 334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23

See the The Piano Guys at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on Friday, Nov. 22.

Online sensations

See classically trained musicians take on contemporary pop songs and more when the wildly popular online sensation The Piano Guys performs in concert at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $42.50-$189.50. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Drink up

The renamed and expanded Mother Truckin' Booze Fest features craft beers, craft spiked seltzers, wine coolers, small-batch cocktails and other tastings at the Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. $45 (includes a sampling glass, 25 tasting tickets and The Messengers concert); $20 designated driver ticket. (847) 649-2222 or mothertruckinfest.com or searscentre.com. 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

The Mother Truckin' Booze Fest returns Saturday to the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates.

Symphonic works

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra promises music of Bach, Stravinsky and Dvorák with guest conductor José Luis Gomez this weekend at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. $35-$85. (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24

Winter thrills

Six Flags Great America offers up its expanded second winter season called Holiday in the Park starting this weekend at Six Flags Great America, 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee. $54.99-$79.99; $59.99 for people under 48 inches tall. (847) 249-1776 or sixflags.com/greatamerica. Select hours and days from 2 to 8 or 9 p.m. from Saturday, Nov. 23, through Tuesday, Dec. 31

Meet holiday characters at Six Flags Great America's Holiday in the Park in Gurnee. Courtesy of Six Flags Great America

Holiday train

The beloved Christmas children's book by Chris Van Allsburg is the inspiration for The Polar Express, a train that travels to the "North Pole" to meet up with Santa. Train rides for another season begin on Sunday at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 35W003 Route 31, South Elgin. $35-$50. (312) 473-0993 or foxtrolley.org/polarexpress. Various times Sunday, Nov. 24, and Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 14, 15, 28 and 29; plus Friday, Dec. 13, and Tuesday, Dec. 24

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