Things to do Jan. 2-8: Light shows, Women’s Jazz Festival and more

Starts before Friday

Christmas Around the World & Holidays of Lights: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Monday, Jan. 5, at The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. The museum’s annual celebration features a four-story, floor-to-dome Grand Tree surrounded by a forest of more than 50 trees and displays decorated to represent holiday traditions from cultures around the globe. Museum admission: adults $25.95; kids 3-11 $14.95; free for members. griffinmsi.org.

Chicago Wolves Ice Rink at Parkway Bank Park: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Monday, Jan. 5; plus 4-9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11; Monday, Jan. 19; and Sunday, Jan. 25. Free. rosemont.com/thepark.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Holiday Magic: 3-9 p.m. through Sunday, Jan. 4, at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Lights festival featuring 3.5 million twinkling LED lights, a giant light-up maze, interactive light displays, light tunnels, a twinkling star walk-through experience, a Holiday Dolphin Show and more. $20.95-$34.95. brookfieldzoo.org/HolidayMagic.

Illumination: Tree Lights: Time slots between 4:30 and 8 p.m. through Saturday, Jan. 3, at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Displays of lights and music that highlight the beauty of trees in winter. Roast marshmallows for s’mores and enjoy a hot seasonal beverage from the concession tents along the trail. Dog admission night (separate admission required for dogs) on Friday, Jan. 2. Tickets start at $24. mortonarb.org.

ZooLights: Time slots start at 4:30 p.m. daily through Sunday, Jan. 4, at Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago. Features more than 3 million lights, including hundreds of luminous LED displays and festive experiences. $7-$12. lpzoo.org/event/zoolights.

Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience: Time slots start at 4:45 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29; Wednesday, Dec. 31; and Friday and Saturday, Jan. 2-3, at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago’s Camp Duncan, 32405 N. U.S. Hwy. 12, Ingleside. Lights transform the landscape into a magical outdoor trail featuring creatures from the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” films. A themed village at the end of the trail offers food and drink (Butterbeer) and a gift shop. Tickets start at $31 for kids 3-12 and $46 for adults. HPForbiddenForestExperience.com.

Lightscape: 4:30-9:15 p.m. daily through Sunday, Jan. 4, except Friday, Jan. 2, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Take a nighttime stroll through illuminated displays. Adults: Starts at $26 for members, $29 for nonmembers; kids 3-12: $14 members, $16 nonmembers; free for kids 2 and younger; pricing varies by day. Lightscape is 21 and older only on Friday. chicagobotanic.org/lightscape.

Home for the Holidays Lighted Christmas Trail: 5-9 p.m. through Friday, Jan. 2, in Shiloh Park, starting at Port Shiloh Pool parking lot, 1501 Shiloh Blvd., Zion. Drive through a lighted trail with over 50 displays and 100,000 lights. zionparkdistrict.com.

Friday, Jan. 2

New Year’s Dance Party: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, at Kies Recreation Center, 155 E. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst. Dance, music, a snack and a noon ball drop for kids 5-8. $15-$19. Register: epd.org.

First Friday Hike: 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, at Hammel Woods, Crumby Recreation Area, 23601 W. Black Road, Shorewood. Join a naturalist on a guided hike of Hammel Woods. Advance registration required. Free. reconnectwithnature.org.

Noël Lounge at the McCormick House: 4-10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Jan. 2-4, in the Noël Lounge at the McCormick House at Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Experience the pop-up lounge in the elegant second-floor rooms with artisanal, shareable small plates and a curated wine list and signature craft cocktails. $20 booking deposit per person. Tickets: cantigny.org/event/noel-lounge-11-21.

Cocktails Under the Lights: 4:30-9:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Lightscape’s special 21-and-older night featuring handcrafted drinks and more. Admission: $36 in advance and $39 at the door. chicagobotanic.org/.

Lights! Camera! Action!: 4:30-9 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Jan. 2-4, at Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Stroll through Cantigny’s illuminated gardens and landscapes to iconic movie songs and instrumental themes; check out the Historic McCormick House and its 20-foot Christmas tree, Noel Shop and Noel Lounge; enjoy the outdoor ice skating rink ($7 admission, $3 rentals); warm up in the heated hospitality tent and more. $15 advance, $20 day of; $10/$15 for kids 3-15; and free for kids younger than 3. cantigny.org.

“Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns”: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 2-3, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to the country to spend the holidays with an old army comrade of Watson’s. When a priceless present is stolen, can Sherlock discover the culprit before the curtain falls? $28, $23 for seniors, and $15 for students and military. citylit.org.

Saturday, Jan. 3

Home Show: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Meet with a variety of home improvement professionals. Free admission with online registration, $10 at the door. ilhomeshows-de.com.

Illinois Bridal & Wedding Expo: 12:30-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 3-4, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Meet wedding professionals who can help you find the perfect gown, reception venue, invitations, photographer, music, menu, honeymoon destination and more. Free admission with online registration, $10 at the door. bridalshowsil-de.com.

Puzzle Palooza: 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at the Dean Street Recreation Center, 1201 Dean St., Woodstock. Race against other teams to finish a 500-piece winter puzzle. A prize will be awarded to the first team that finishes. Teams can have up to four people; only one person should register. Each team must have an adult. Bring gently used puzzles for a puzzle swap. $40. woodstockrecreation.com.

It’s All Fun and Games Free Family Night: 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at the Evanston History Center, 225 Greenwood St., Evanston. Drop in any time between 4-6 p.m. for classic games, live piano music, warming refreshments, a reading of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and winter crafts for kids. Includes admission to the “It’s All Fun and Games” exhibition. Free. evanstonhistorycenter.org.

“Million Dollar Quartet Christmas”: 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Christmas musical in which Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley come together to celebrate the holidays at Sun Records studio. Tickets start at $83. marriotttheatre.com.

Full Moon Hike: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve, 35W003 Route 31, South Elgin. Take an evening hike to bask in the light of the first supermoon of 2026. Learn about the cycles of the moon while watching the moon rise over the flowing waters of the Fox River. Free, advance registration required. kaneforest.com.

Sunday, Jan. 4

Snowshoe Adventure: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, at Camp Tomo Chi Chi, 40W095 Freeman Road, Gilberts. Learn the basic skills needed to be comfortable and competent at snowshoeing, then hit the trail for a naturalist-guided hike. Fee includes equipment rental, skills training and guided hiking. For ages 8 and older. $25. kaneforest.com.

Monday, Jan. 5

Brookfield Zoo Free Days: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, through Feb. 28 (except Jan. 19 and Feb. 16), at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Free general admission. Parking and attraction fees still apply. brookfieldzoo.org.

Tuesday, Jan. 6

2026 Women’s Jazz Festival: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 6-8; 4 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9; and noon and 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights. The lineup includes: Somaluna and Tomeka Reid at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; Hana Fujisaki and Cassandra O’Neal at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; Carmani Edwards and Paige Brown at 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Christy Bennett at 4 p.m. and Stacy McMichael and JoVia Armstrong at 7:30 p.m. Friday; and Hey Nonny Rising Stars at noon, Lucy Smith with JoAnn Daugherty at 4 p.m. and Joanie Pallatto and Emma Blau at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $14 for most performances, $9 for Hey Nonny Rising Stars. heynonny.com.

Thursday, Jan. 8

David Bowie Birthday Bash: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Featuring The True Believers. $20.63-$30.51. evanstonspace.com.

Ongoing

Holiday Flower Show: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Jan. 17 at Wilder Park Conservatory, 225 S. Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. Free. epd.org.

Alex Ross — Heroes & Villains: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays and Wednesdays and 2-8 p.m. Thursdays through Feb. 16 at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County, 1899 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville. A larger-than-life presentation of the work of legendary comic book artist Alex Ross featuring heroes and villains from the Marvel and DC universes. Museum admission $3-$10, exhibit tickets $5-$10, and free for kids 3 and younger. LCFPD.org/planyourvisit.

Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sundays, and 1:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Jan. 11 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets start at $31. paramountaurora.com.