Christmas Tree Lighting And UL Santa House Kick Off The Holidays

2012-09-20 — /travelprnews.com/ — The City of Chicago and UL, the city’s official safety partner, are proud to present the official start of the holiday season, with the99th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Wednesday, November 21, 2012!  The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is a highly-anticipated event drawing people of all ages to the heart of Chicago’s downtown “Loop.”  Live performances and festive holiday music begin at 4:30 p.m. and the holiday season officially commences at 5:00 p.m., when the switch is flipped and the lights begin to sparkle in Daley Plaza.

As part of UL’s ongoing partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the UL Santa House will be back on Daley Plaza.   The UL Santa House serves as a replica of Santa’s workshop, allowing children and families to experience the wonder of the North Pole and have their picture taken with Santa Claus throughout the holiday season.  The UL Santa House will offer interactive activities with important safety tips for children to enjoy while waiting to tell Santa their holiday wishes.

Visits with Santa Claus start on Wednesday, November 21 at 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with special hours on Thanksgiving Day from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Santa’s regular visiting hours and house tours will begin on Friday, November 23 and continue every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 16 from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.  During Christmas week, December 17-23: the house will be open each day from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., with special hours on Christmas Eve from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Santa will be available for photos so don’t forget your personal cameras.  UL will also be offering free photos for download on their website, www.safetyathome.com.

About UL
UL is a premier global independent safety science company with more than 117 years of history.  Employing more than 9,000 professionals with customers in over 100 countries, UL has five distinct business units – Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Knowledge Services and Verification Services – to meet the expanding needs of our customers and to deliver on our public safety mission.  Additional information about UL may be found at www.UL.com.

For complete details on the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and the UL Santa House visit www.cityofchicago.org/dcase or call (312) 744-3316.

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The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) presents large scale and small high-quality FREE festivals, exhibitions, performances, parades, sport events, farmers markets and holiday celebrations in venues throughout the city each year.  DCASE is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the arts in Chicago as well as supporting the people who create and sustain them

Mary May    312.744.0576 mmay@cityofchicago.org