Opening Day Program to Showcase Skating Performances at 11am
Other Programming Includes Free Ice Skating Lessons and DJ Nights
Chicago, IL, 2019-Nov-18 — /Travel PR News/ — Ice Skating at Millennium Park presented by Hilton opens for the season (weather permitting) at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink on Friday, November 15. At 11am, a special program will feature performances by the professional skating group American Ice Theatre Chicago as well as the celebrated Starlights Synchronized Skating Teams, who are part of the current TEAM USA and current World Junior Competitors. Open skating and free lessons will follow the program and performance.
“Millennium Park Campus is a magical place to be during the holidays and throughout the winter months,” said Commissioner Mark Kelly, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “Visitors and residents are invited to make memories with family and friends while ice skating, celebrating, singing and experiencing the heart of Chicago’s cultural scene.”
The Winter Workouts program will again offer free skating lessons for all ages and skill levels, one hour before the rink opens. The lessons take place on Fridays (usually 11am), Saturdays and Sundays (usually 9am), during School Winter Break (December 21–January 5, daily at 9am, except December 25 and January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 20, at 9am) and President’s Day (February 17, at 9am). Grant support for Winter Workouts ice skating lessons is provided by the McDonald’s Active Lifestyles Endowment, managed by the Millennium Park Foundation.
Additionally, each first and third Thursday starting in December will feature DJs spinning music for everyone spinning on the rink from 6 to 8pm. Thursday DJ Nights are made possible by the Millennium Park Foundation.
The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink is located in Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Madison Streets. Skating is FREE and open to the public, with skate rentals available for $13 from Monday to Thursday and $15 on Friday to Sunday and holidays. The rink is open from November 15 through March 8.
Ice skating in Millennium Park is presented by Hilton. Hilton Guests will receive up to two pairs of complimentary ice skates per room reservation. Claim yours by showing a current room reservation confirmation email for any of Hilton’s 17 brands to the skate rental desk. Learn more at travel.hilton.com/ChicagoSkates.
“Ice skating in Millennium Park is synonymous with Chicago’s holiday season,” said Andrew Flack, Vice President, Regional Marketing & eCommerce Americas at Hilton. “Collaborating with Chicago’s iconic attractions and experiences is part of our commitment to Chicago’s tourism industry. It is a pleasure to work in partnership with the city of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events to provide Hilton guests an opportunity to create memorable holiday experiences.”
Millennium Park will be the epicenter of holiday cheer for the City including, Chicago’s official Christmas Tree, ice skating, music, exhibitions, an art market and other free family fun. The 106th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Friday, November 22, at 6pm, featuring music performances, Santa Claus and more.
The Millennium Park Campus will be home to family fun and holiday traditions for the entire season. From the Skating Ribbon in Maggie Daley Park to the Wreathing of the Lions at the Art Institute of Chicago on November 29 and others, information on events at Maggie Daley Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Lurie Garden, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and the Park Grill can be found by visiting millenniumpark.org.
Millennium Park holiday events are produced by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and made possible by the Millennium Park Foundation, with support from the Chicago Transit Authority and Millennium Park Garages. Admission to all events is free.
Millennium Park is located on Michigan Avenue, bordered by Randolph St. to the north, Columbus Dr. to the east and Monroe St. to the south. The Park is open from 6am–11pm daily. For the latest news and events, download the Millennium Park app, visit millenniumpark.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @Millennium_Park.
2019 Millennium Park Holiday Programs
For the complete schedule of events, visit millenniumpark.org
106th Annual Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Friday, November 22, 6pm
Millennium Park, Wrigley Square, Michigan Ave. & Randolph St.
FREE Admission
Enjoy the glittering tree set among Chicago’s sparkling skyline and the iconic art and architecture of Millennium Park. The ceremony will feature music by Grammy® Award-winning artist Jonathan Butler, Cielito Lindo, a modern Latinx mariachi made up of the nine-member Lucero family, cast members from Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish – The Musical and independent music artist and songwriter Skylar Stecker.
Millennium Park Art Market with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Columbia College Chicago
November 22–23, 11am–7pm
November 24, 11am–5pm
Millennium Park, Chase Promenade North
FREE Admission
Start your holiday shopping with one-of-a-kind items, including jewelry, fashion, painting, sculpture, prints, drawings and more on sale by student artists.
The Art Market is supported by the Millennium Park Foundation.
Caroling at Cloud Gate
Fridays, November 29, December 6, 13 and 20, 6pm
Millennium Park, Cloud Gate Plaza
FREE Admission
Bundle up and belt out some holiday classics as local Chicago choral groups lead hundreds of celebrants in song.
November 29: Sounds Good! Choir
December 6: Mark Hubbard and The Voices
December 13: Chicago Children’s Choir
December 20: Wicker Park Choral Singers
Ice Rink DJ Nights
1st & 3rd Thursdays, December 6 & 20, January 3 & 17, February 7 & 21, March 6, 6–8pm
Millennium Park, McCormick Tribune Ice Rink
FREE Admission; Skate rentals available
Take a spin on the ice rink while local DJs spin music.
DJ Nights are supported by the Millennium Park Foundation.
Dance-Along Nutcracker®
Sunday, December 8
Dance Lessons–9am and Noon
Performances–10am and 1pm
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
FREE Admission
Sugarplum fairies and mouse kings of all ages and dance skills are invited to point their toes to the familiar music of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic. Optional dance lessons precede the hour-long participatory performances.
The Dance-Along Nutcracker®, created in 1985, is the property of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, the world’s first openly gay musical organization.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.
Millennium Park Foundation
The Millennium Park Foundation, a private philanthropic nonprofit partner, was created in 1998 to support the City of Chicago’s efforts in the design, construction, and curation of Millennium Park. It is the curator of Millennium Park’s internationally-recognized icons and public features. These include the prestigious Jay Pritzker Pavilion and dramatic BP Pedestrian Bridge, world-renowned Cloud Gate and Lurie Garden, iconic Crown Fountain, and exquisite Boeing Galleries for public art exhibitions. Through its ongoing development initiatives, the Millennium Park Foundation is dedicated to keeping Millennium Park a free, accessible and equitable venue for all Chicagoans today, and for generations to come.
Contact:
Mary May
mary.may@cityofchicago.org
312.744.0576
Christine Carrino
christine.carrino@cityofchicago.org
312.744.0573
Source: City of Chicago