The Grand Marshak Float at the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Photo credit: Vito Palmisano
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The mysterious Great Impresario, the man who has designed and created the World’s Fair, brings the magic of the season to life! Photo by Tod Ros for the Joffrey Ballet.
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The Annual Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
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There are both woodland and paved trails at the Morton Arboretum. Photo courtesy of Canva
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Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. Photo by Brian & Jaclyn Drum via Flickr 2.0
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It's apple season! Photo courtesy of Apple Holler Orchard
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The Persian Lilies in the Aroid house were stunning. Photo by Lisa Warden-3
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Free activities for kids in Chicago include the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is always free. Photo courtesy of the museum via Facebook
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State parks near Chicago offer more than just hiking. Photo courtesy of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources
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Obstacle courses and climbing gyms provide indoor fun for big kids. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Boulders
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The Chicago Skydeck offers kids a great view of the city. Photo courtesy of the 360 Chicago Skydeck
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Free activities for kids in Chicago include the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is always free. Photo courtesy of the museum via Facebook
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Pancakes served all day long in Chicago's West Loop! Photo courtesy of The Little Goat, Facebook
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Things to Do in Chicago This Weekend: Irish Fests, Jurassic Quest, Train Show

Experience what it was like to be among living, breathing dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest. Photo courtesy of the event
Experience what it was like to be among living, breathing dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest. Photo courtesy of the event
3/3/20 - By MommyPoppins

St. Patrick's Day celebrations kick off in earnest this weekend around Chicago, with parades with Irish dancing and music in Lemont and Elmhurst. (If you don't love swimming through beer and crowds, neighborhood celebrations like these are a kid-friendly alternative to the main parade downtown.) Dinosaurs have taken over the Dulles Expo & Conference Center as part of Jurassic Quest, and on Saturday families can enjoy the 65th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast in Naperville.

Kids can color eggs for Persian New Year at a Persian Nowruz Celebration featuring music and dance performances, and at the DuPage County Fairgrounds kids can see the world's largest monthly train exhibit, with more than 550 tables of model trains to see and buy.

The Morton Arboretum has confirmed that their enchanted Troll Hunt will continue through this summer—since their gentle giants have weathered this rough winter so well. (Better than most of us, anyway.)

Looking for more family fun in Chicago? Look no further than our constantly-updating event calendar, and our indoor winter fun bucket list for Chicago kids.

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Go on a Troll Hunt at the Morton Arboretum. Photo courtesy of the arboretum
Go on a Troll Hunt at the Morton Arboretum. Photo courtesy of the arboretum

Things to Do All Weekend

CANCELED - Forts! Build Your Own Adventure at Filament Theatre

Portage Park — final weekend
All public performance of FORTS have been suspended and will be rescheduled between November 28 and December 27, 2020. Filament Theatre transforms into a playspace where parents and kids build their own worlds and adventures using boxes, clotheslines, sheets, and more.   READ MORE

TEMPORARILY CLOSED Troll Hunt

Lisle — extended through June 2020
This limited time exhibition features six giant wooden trolls built by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Ranging from 15 to 30 feet tall and up to 60 feet long, the trolls are fabled to have come to the Morton Arboretum to protect its trees and nature. Visitors can hike or drive to find the trolls with the help of maps and signs along the way. READ MORE

World of Wheels

Rosemont
This indoor custom car show pays tribute to the innovative workmanship that continuously re-invents and improves vehicles. READ MORE

Maple Sugaring at Kline Creek Farm

West Chicago
Kids can learn where the syrup on their pancakes comes from at this event at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago. Using tools from the 1890s, experts will demonstrate how to tap a tree, check collection buckets, and thicken sap over the fire. READ MORE

Jurassic Quest at the Rosemont Convention Center

River North
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center hosts Jurassic Quest, a dinosaur adventure for the whole family, featuring an exhibit with realistic, life-size animatronic dinosaurs and rides, realistic scenes, crafts, coloring stations, an excavation station, face painting, bounce houses, and more.  READ MORE

CANCELED -The Princess and the Pea

Lincolnshire
All remaining performances have been canceled. Based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen, the Marriott Theatre has a new musical version of the classic tale The Princess and the Pea. READ MORE

Kids' Dream Family Film Series

Addison
Kids and kids at heart can enjoy a series of classic films for just $3 each at the Marcus Theatre chain in Addison, Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Gurnee, Elgin, and Orland Park. Series passes are available for $10 and allow viewers to see all five films. READ MORE
Cheer on the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Elmhurst. Photo courtesy of the parade organizers
Cheer on the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Elmhurst. Photo courtesy of the parade organizers

Things to Do Saturday

Lemont St. Patrick's Day Parade

Lemont — FREE
This southwest suburb's annual Irish parade features the Chicago Stockyards Kilty Band, a performance from the Hughes School of Irish Dance, and Lemont's own Irish Queen. Visitors can continue the festivities after the parade is over at the Lemont VFW Hall. READ MORE

Elmhurst St. Patrick's Day Parade

Elmhurst — FREE
More than 80 floats, Irish dancers and local team mascots will be on hand for Elmhurst's 27th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. The parade starts on Spring Road at Wilson Street and continues north for about a mile. Local businesses and restaurants welcome merrymakers for the remainder of the day at this festive community event. READ MORE

Persian Nowruz Celebration

Hyde Park
The ISAC Museum hosts a Persian Nowruz Celebration—a celebration of the Persian New Year. Guests can enjoy coloring eggs, visiting a Haft-Seen table, hunting for artifacts in the galleries, and watching performances of Persian music and dance! READ MORE

Kiwanis Pancake Festival

Naperville
2020 marks the 65th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Festival at Naperville Central High School. In addition to enjoying pancakes, syrup, sausages, and beverages served by local celebrities, festival-goers can listen to local school bands and choirs and participate in games sponsored by DuPage Children Museum. READ MORE

Forest Park St. Patrick's Day Parade

Downtown Forest Park
Forest Park's St. Patrick's Day Parade along Madison Street includes more than 70 entries featuring Irish dancers, bagpipers, marching bands, local businesses, and Medinah Shriners parade units. Visitors can continue the celebration at local dining establishments along Madison Street. READ MORE
Children from the audience volunteer to become a character in...The Greatest Story Never Told! Photo courtesy of the production
Children from the audience volunteer to become a character in...The Greatest Story Never Told! Photo courtesy of the production

Things to Do Sunday

Great Midwestern Train Show

Wheaton
Train enthusiasts can visit with more than 180 exhibitors at the world's largest monthly train show at the DuPage County Fairgrounds. The show hosts more than 550 tables of trains in five buildings. Exhibitors sell, repair, and display model trains for fans of all ages. READ MORE

Winter Walk in the Japanese Garden

Geneva
Visitors to Fabyan Villa can see the Japanese Garden in winter with a guide at this monthly event. The garden is designed to look different in different seasons, so the walk will take place only if there is at least one inch of snow on the ground. The garden walk includes a brief introduction and hot chocolate in the visitors center. READ MORE

The Greatest Story Never Told

Lake View
A hapless narrator stumbles on stage and discovers the storybook has no text and that the actors are all stuck in traffic. The solution is for the children in the audience to volunteer to come on stage and become a character in The Greatest Story Never Told! Along with help from “The Greatest Interns,” volunteers put on costumes and help make up scenes and songs for a story inspired by audience suggestions. “The Greatest Interns” are played by a rotating cast of professional adult improvisers who are particularly adept at... READ MORE

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