November is when the neighborhoods start switching on their lights, and this year the big switch gets flipped on Friday, November 20, at Lincoln Park Zoo, Millennium Park, and two Christkindlmarkets on the same night. Before that there is a quieter stretch worth enjoying, with some very good music and theater on the calendar. Here is what I would point a friend toward, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Dates and times below were checked on October 27, 2026 against the organizer’s or venue’s own page, or the city’s official visitor site. Plans change, so click through before you go.
Lincoln Park
Sunday, November 1: Last Day of Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St.
The zoo’s fall festival wraps up its season on this day. Hours and which activities are ticketed are listed on the zoo’s page.
Hours and details on lpzoo.org
Thursday, November 5: Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon with Alicia Silverstone
11:30 a.m. · Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St. · Ages 21+ · Ticketed
A fundraising luncheon for the zoo’s animal care and welfare, conservation, and advocacy programs. Alicia Silverstone joins Megan R. Ross, Ph.D., the zoo’s president and CEO, for a conversation.
Friday, November 20, through Sunday, January 3: ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo
4:30 to 9:00 p.m. · Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St. · Ticketed
The zoo grounds turn into one of the city’s best-known holiday light walks. Opening night lands on the same evening as the tree lighting downtown, so pick one for the night and save the other for another weekend.
Local tip: zoo admission stays free year-round, but ZooLights is its own ticket, so buy ahead rather than at the gate.
Tickets and hours on lpzoo.org
Tuesday, November 24: Sensory-Friendly Night at ZooLights
Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St.
A dedicated sensory-friendly evening during the ZooLights season. The zoo’s page has the time and what changes for the night.
Lakeview + Wrigleyville
Friday, November 20, through Thursday, December 31: Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville
Mon to Thu 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. · Fri and Sat 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. · Sun 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. · Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St.
The German-style holiday market sets up beside Wrigley Field as part of Winterland at Gallagher Way. Thanksgiving Day hours are 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and it is closed Christmas Day.
Full hours on christkindlmarket.com
Sunday, November 22: West Lakeview Tree Lighting
Lincoln and Wellington · Free
A neighborhood tradition held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, with carolers, goody bags, and a visit from the North Pole.
Start time and details on the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber calendar
Wicker Park + Bucktown
Friday, November 6: First Fridays Art Walk
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. · Throughout Wicker Park and Bucktown · Free, self-guided
Galleries, pop-up spaces, and artist studios open their doors for the evening, and some serve drinks and light bites. Check the chamber’s page for the list of participating spaces.
Details on the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber calendar
Gold Coast + the Magnificent Mile
Friday, November 20: City of Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting (downtown kickoff)
6:00 p.m. · Millennium Park, near Michigan Avenue and Washington Street · Free
The 113th annual City of Chicago Christmas Tree lights up the night before the Lights Festival and stays lit through Sunday, January 10, 2027. The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink opens the same day (weather permitting, through February), and the Millennium Park Holiday Market runs on Chase Promenade North: noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 22. Christkindlmarket also opens at Daley Plaza on the 20th and runs through December 24.
Tree lighting · Holiday Market · Ice rink
Saturday, November 21: Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
Lights Festival Lane 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. · Parade 5:30 p.m. · North Michigan Avenue · Free
The 35th annual festival lights up about one million lights along Michigan Avenue. Lights Festival Lane runs in Pioneer Court at 401 N. Michigan Ave., the parade steps off from Oak Street at 5:30 p.m., and fireworks over the river follow.
Local tip: street closures can begin as early as 3:00 p.m., so plan your route in before then. If you would rather skip the crowds, the parade airs on ABC7 Chicago on Sunday, November 22, at 6:00 p.m.
Schedule on themagnificentmile.com
Music + Stage
Dates below come from each venue’s own calendar. Several venues sit outside the four neighborhoods above, but they are the ones I hear about most from clients who live here.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Andrew Bird, November 13 and 14
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. · Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Loop · Tickets from $109 including fees · About 2 hours
Andrew Bird grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and he is known for his violin playing and his whistling. These two nights are his CSO debut. He performs the 2005 album The Mysterious Production of Eggs in full, with orchestral arrangements, to mark its 20th anniversary, then closes with a suite of favorites from his nearly 30-year catalog. Jacomo Bairos conducts.
Local tip: Symphony Center lets you preorder a pre-concert meal for pickup at the Bass Bar in the Rotunda.
Tickets on chicagosymphony.org
Also at the CSO: Yo-Yo Ma and a Saturday Matinee
Symphony Center, Loop · Ticketed
Yo-Yo Ma joins the orchestra on Wednesday, November 11, at 7:30 p.m., playing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. Jaap van Zweden conducts Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 with violinist Vadim Gluzman on November 19, 20, and 21. For a daytime option, the CSO for Kids Family Matinee, “Symphonic Superheroes,” is Saturday, November 21, at 11:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Full calendar on chicagosymphony.org
Old Town School of Folk Music: Benmont Tench and Rickie Lee Jones
Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall · 4544 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Square · Wednesdays, November 18 and 25, at 8:00 p.m. · Ticketed
Benmont Tench plays on November 18, and Rickie Lee Jones plays on November 25, the night before Thanksgiving.
Full November lineup on oldtownschool.org
City Winery: Damon Williams, Monday, November 23
7:30 p.m. · 1200 W. Randolph St., West Loop · Ticketed
An evening with Damon Williams in City Winery’s West Loop room.
Music Box Theatre: Two Weekend Matinees
Southport Corridor, Lakeview · 11:00 a.m. · Part of the Indoor Kids matinee series
The Secret of Roan Inish, John Sayles’s 1994 Irish fable, plays Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8. Miyazaki’s Ponyo, dubbed in English, plays Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15.
The Secret of Roan Inish · Ponyo
Classes + Workshops
Class tickets are through Tock. Spots are limited, so book early.
Sunday, November 8: Leather Journal Making with Chicago School of Shoemaking and Leather Arts
2:00 to 4:00 p.m. · Present Company, 2135 W. Chicago Ave. · $90 per ticket
You design and make your own tri-fold refillable journal, choosing the size, the leather, and the elastic, and add your initials. The ticket includes all materials and tools, a glass of wine (spirit-free options available), and a spread of cheeses, meats, and snacks from All Together Now.
Friday, November 20: Isles and Ales, English and Irish Cheeses Paired with Beer
7:00 to 8:15 p.m. · Beautiful Rind, 2211 N. Milwaukee Ave. · $70 per ticket · Ages 21+ for the alcohol pairings
A tasting of English and Irish cheeses, each paired with a beer, and a look at the history of beer along the way. Non-alcoholic pairings are available if you email the shop at least 24 hours ahead. Tables seat up to five, and all sales are final.
October 27 to December 15: Tortello Private Pasta-Making Class
6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on select dates · Tortello, 1746 W. Division St. · $738 per ticket, which covers a group of four
A hands-on class in the restaurant’s pasta-making window: you make the dough, shape four pasta forms, and take home a box of your pasta. A family-style meal follows, with a welcome glass of prosecco or a non-alcoholic alternative. Tickets cover four people, and you can add up to two more. Because it runs on many dates, it makes a good gift for a small group.
Markets + Talks Around the City
Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15: Lycée French Market
Sat 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. · Sun 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. · 1929 W. Wilson Ave. · $5 suggested donation
The market’s 22nd edition brings local and French artisans selling art, home décor, jewelry, apparel, accessories, and gourmet food, with a bistro serving French recipes on site.
Details on lyceefrenchmarket.org
Saturday, November 7: Chicago Humanities Festival at the University of Chicago
Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 E. 59th St., Hyde Park · Ticketed
At 11:00 a.m., landscape architect Heidi Natura, who recently finished work on the Obama Presidential Center, talks about designing public spaces in “Designing a Living City.” At 6:30 p.m., NPR’s Peter Sagal moderates a panel on the Declaration of Independence for America’s 250th birthday.
Heidi Natura · America 250 panel
Thanksgiving Weekend and Small Business Saturday
Thanksgiving weekend gets its own list, with the parade, the Turkey Trot, and what is open Friday through Sunday. It goes up on November 12, and a Small Business Saturday guide to newer neighborhood shops follows the week after.
Just Past November
The Music Box Christmas Sing-A-Long and Double Feature turns 43 this year and opens Saturday, December 5, with White Christmas at 11:30 a.m. and It’s a Wonderful Life at 2:45 p.m. Santa and organist Dennis Scott lead the carols before each film. Tickets are on sale now: showtimes and tickets on musicboxtheatre.com.
The Millennium Park Holiday Sing-Along is free and runs Fridays, December 4, 11, and 18, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Cloud Gate (the Bean), with songbooks on site and ASL interpretation at every program. Details on chicago.gov.
Two neighborhood events are also worth putting on the calendar. The Southport Holiday Cocktail Crawl is Friday, December 4. Wicker Park Bucktown’s Winter Wonderland and Tree Lighting is Saturday, December 5. Details are on the Lakeview Roscoe Village and Wicker Park Bucktown chamber calendars.
November at a Glance
Lincoln Park
Sun Nov 1: Fall Fest final day (free) · Thu Nov 5: Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon (21+, ticketed) · Fri Nov 20 to Jan 3: ZooLights (ticketed) · Tue Nov 24: Sensory-Friendly Night at ZooLights
Lakeview + Wrigleyville
Fri Nov 20 to Dec 31: Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville · Sun Nov 22: West Lakeview Tree Lighting (free)
Wicker Park + Bucktown
Fri Nov 6: First Fridays Art Walk (free)
Gold Coast + the Magnificent Mile
Fri Nov 20: City of Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting (free) · Sat Nov 21: Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival (free)
Music + Stage
Nov 7 and 8: Roan Inish matinees at Music Box · Nov 11: Yo-Yo Ma & the CSO · Nov 13 and 14: Andrew Bird & the CSO · Nov 14 and 15: Ponyo matinees · Nov 18: Benmont Tench at Old Town School · Nov 23: Damon Williams at City Winery · Nov 25: Rickie Lee Jones at Old Town School
Classes + Workshops
Nov 8: Leather journal making · Nov 20: Isles and Ales cheese and beer pairing · Through Dec 15: Tortello pasta-making class
Markets + Talks
Nov 7: Chicago Humanities Festival at UChicago · Nov 14 and 15: Lycée French Market · Nov 20 to 22: Millennium Park Holiday Market
Questions People Ask About November Events in These Neighborhoods
What is happening in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and the Gold Coast in November 2026?
Lincoln Park has the last day of Fall Fest, a wildlife luncheon at the zoo, and ZooLights starting November 20. Lakeview has the West Lakeview Tree Lighting on November 22 and Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville from November 20. Wicker Park and Bucktown have First Fridays on November 6. The Gold Coast and the Magnificent Mile have the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on November 21.
When do the holiday lights, tree lighting, and Christkindlmarket open in Chicago in 2026?
Friday, November 20, 2026 is the kickoff. ZooLights opens at Lincoln Park Zoo, the City of Chicago Christmas Tree is lit at Millennium Park at 6:00 p.m., and Christkindlmarket opens at Daley Plaza and in Wrigleyville. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival follows on Saturday, November 21.
What concerts and theater are happening near Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Wicker Park in November 2026?
Andrew Bird makes his Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut on November 13 and 14, and Yo-Yo Ma plays with the orchestra on November 11. Rickie Lee Jones and Benmont Tench play Old Town School of Folk Music on November 25 and 18, and Damon Williams is at City Winery on November 23. The Music Box in Lakeview has weekend matinees on November 7, 8, 14, and 15, and its Christmas Sing-A-Long opens December 5.
Four neighborhoods, a lot of lights, and some very good nights out. If you go to any of these, I would love to hear which one you picked. Thinking about making a move to one of these neighborhoods? My guides to Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Bucktown and Wicker Park, and the Gold Coast cover the practical details, and the new resident information page is a good place to start. Past editions of this list live under Events, including October 2026.
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