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Things To Do in Chicago This Weekend with Kids: Lights, Frozen 2, Trains, Toy Fair

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is packed with holiday-themed activities. Photo courtesy of The Magnificent Mile

11/20/19 - By Siobhan Adcock

Brace yourselves: This weekend brings a veritable blizzard of much-loved holiday events to Chicagoland, from the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, to the opening weekend of Illuminations at the Morton Arboretum, to the Chicago Toy and Game Fair. Holiday train season rolls into town this weekend, too, with the return of the CTA Holiday Trains downtown, the Polar Express Train Ride from Union Station, and the Fox River Trolley Polar Express train ride out in Aurora. And families can get a head start on presents at holiday markets around town: There's the annual Millennium Park Art Market, the seasonal Randolph Street Holiday Market, and the traditional Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza and at Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville.

If you think it feels a little early for all this holiday stuff, there's plenty of Christmas-free activity too. Teens can build their comedy skills at a FREE workshop hosted by Second City, a new exhibit devoted to the Chicago Night Sky opens at the Adler Planetarium, kids can learn about the origins of the written word at the Oriental Institute Museum, and families can drop in for FREE, hands-on activities sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Meanwhile, Frozen 2 fever reaches its peak this weekend with Snow Queen-inspired events like a meet-and-greet, a Frozen sing-along, and a sensory-friendly screening of the film.

For even more fun things to do with Chicago kids, check out our highlights below, and keep an eye on the event calendar.