Get out there and play
Light up your holiday this Saturday at the St. Lucia Festival of Lights in Andersonville. Join the Lucia Girls in a procession down the sidewalks of Clark Street at 4:45 p.m., beginning at the Swedish American Museum.
Traditionally, the festival has been held in Sweden and Swedish communities to celebrate Lucia, an Italian saint born around 284 A.D. Known for feeding the poor and homeless, St. Lucia was executed by the Romans at age 20 for being a Christian. The first St. Lucia Festival was held in Stockholm in 1927.
Lucia Girls, who wear long white robes and crowns of candles, lead the crowd singing“The Lucia Song.” After the parade, head to the Swedish American Museum for the Lucia celebration, which features a telling of the Lucia legend, a Christmas carol sing-along and Swedish holiday treats. A special St. Lucia service will be held at the Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave., Chicago, at 7 p.m.
The Swedish American Museum is located at 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago. Admission into the museum is or a canned food donation to benefit the needy. For more information, call (773) 728-2995 or visit andersonville.org.
Get out there and play some more
Step back into a Christmas past at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio for Free Family Fun Days and a Victorian Christmas Tour this Saturday. Take a special tour of Oak Park’s famed architect’s home and studio decked in holiday cheer and join in on special holiday activities.
Sip on hot chocolate while listening to festive holiday music while the little ones play with wooden Froebel blocks in the Drafting room. The tours are led by Junior Interpreters, specially trained fifth- and 10th-graders, and focus on Wright family celebrations of the Christmas holidays.
The Victorian Christmas Tour is from 9-11 a.m. Saturday and Dec. 20. Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio is located at 951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park. No tickets are necessary to participate. For more information, call (708) 848-1976 or visit gowright.org.
Sweet prize
There are only 14 days until Christmas, which means now is the perfect time to catch up on old Christmas movie classics. Five lucky Chicago Parent readers will receive a little help this week when they win“The Original Christmas Classics” and“The New Christmas Classics” on DVD. To win, visit our discussion board.
Outside fun
Think snow this weekend and lots of it for plenty of frosty fun at the Polar Adventure Days held at Northerly Island by the Chicago Park District. With the possibilities of snowshoeing, ice sculptures and an encounter with Iditarod dog sled Siberian huskies, your family is sure to find themselves in a winter wonderland.
Learn about camping in the cold during an arctic camping demonstration, listen to winter stories, make nature-inspired crafts and play a few ice games. The first 500 visitors to Northerly Island will receive a complementary Polar Adventure Day mug filled with hot chocolate.
In its fourth year, Polar Adventure Days is held from noon-4 p.m. this Saturday, as well as Jan. 17 and Feb. 21. This is a free event. Northerly Island is located at 1400 S. Lynn White Drive, Chicago. Because this event is weather oriented, call to confirm scheduled activities before heading out. For more information, call (312) 742-PLAY (7529) or visit chicagoparkdistrict.com.
Photos courtesy of the Chicago Park District.
Piece of the prize
These days, recycling is hip, green is the new black and your kids get it. This week three lucky Chicago Parent readers will win the Discovery Channel Store Paper Recycling Studio, which should help your kids creatively recycle. For more information, visit discoverystore.com. Read the ChicagoParent.com review, here. To win, visit our discussion board.
