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Winters in Chicago are infamously drawn-out and frigid. It’s not uncommon to reach February and wonder if you’ll feel the warmth of sunlight on your face again. To make the most of the winter months that lie ahead (and gasp – maybe even appreciate them), we’ve compiled a list of the best winter family activities to try in Chicago. Whether you embrace the cold outside or prefer hiding away indoors, Chicago offers plenty of activities to enjoy this winter.

Stroll through flower-lined paths at Garfield Park Conservatory

300 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60624

If you find yourself needing a break from the gray skies, Chicago’s conservatories provide the perfect respite. As one of the largest botanical conservatories in the world, the Garfield Park Conservatory boasts several garden display houses. From desert cacti to tropical palm trees, the conservatory showcases thousands of plant species from around the world. Their winter flower show, Serenity, is named for the calming properties of flowers such as hyacinth, zinnias, salvias, and cosmos on display.

Reservations can be made online and are required before visiting.

Experience the Tropical at Lincoln Park Conservatory

2391 N Stockton Dr, Chicago, IL 60614

For another spot to escape the cold, step inside the glasshouse of the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and you’ll discover vibrant flowers and warm, tropical temperatures. Built in the late 1800s, the tranquil space features four display rooms for visitors to peruse, including The Palm House, Orchid House, Fern Room, and Show House.

Reservations are required before visiting the conservatory.

Glide Across the Ice at Maggie Daley Park

Lace-up your skates and hit the ice rink – the famed ice skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park is now open. Skate around in circles to your heart’s desire with a gorgeous backdrop of the city’s silver skyline. Plus, the park has teamed up this year with Immersive Van Gogh, an experiential art exhibit, to project works inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Sunflowers onto the ice. 

If you prefer a more traditional ice skating rink, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park is another spot to skate close by. The Bean sculpture overlooks this popular ice skating rink, which means you’re right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Both open through March, admission to the rinks at Maggie Daley Park and Millenium Park are free on weekdays. However, skate rentals cost extra and reservations must be made online. Weekends only have selected sessions for free.

See Frozen at the newly reopened Chicago Broadway

175 E Chestnut St, Chicago, IL 60611

Transport yourself to the frozen kingdom of Adendelle this winter by seeing the hit Disney film Frozen come to life on stage. Follow along as Princess Anna sets out to search for her sister, Queen Elsa, whose magical powers unintentionally trap the kingdom of Arendelle in an endless, frozen winter. This Broadway production of Frozen features twelve new songs as well as seven songs from the original film, such as Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, Love is an Open Door, and of course, Let It Go. 

With dazzling set design and fun musical performances, Frozen on Broadway is the perfect show for the whole family. The production is running until January 22nd at Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Experience Christmas in Chicago

The Christmas season is undoubtedly the best part about winter in Chicago. Luckily, there are infinite ways to celebrate the holidays in this city. First, head over to the Christkindl Market in the Loop or Wrigleyville to grab a warm cup of hot chocolate in a souvenir mug while you peruse unique handmade gifts and German delicacies from vendors. Around the block, check out Macy’s on State Street, known for its cheerful window displays and a 45-foot Christmas tree in the store’s restaurant. 

After that, make your way over to Zoolights in Lincoln Park to see the Lincoln Park Zoo transformed into a winter wonderland by thousands of dazzling lights and beautiful Christmas displays. While you’re there, visit Santa Claus and take a ride on the endangered species carousel. Admission to Zoolights costs $5 and tickets must be purchased online in advance.

Cheer on Your Favorite Chicago team

The Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks are back in action this winter at the United Center with single-game tickets on sale now. 

Catch superstar DeMar DeRozan and the rest of the impressive Bulls roster hit the court this season. While you’re there, stop at one of the arena’s many food vendors for a snack. Grab a taco from Big Star Taco or a chicken sandwich from Leghorn Chicken. Single game tickets can be purchased online

If basketball isn’t your thing, throw on your Blackhawks jersey and watch a thrilling game on ice. Tickets start at around $15 for each game. Purchase a family pack (includes a ticket as well as a food and beverage credit) or go for an expanded gameday experience package, which includes a tour of the Blackhawk’s training facilities, a pregame buffet, and an open skate at Fifth Third Arena.

Discover the Perfect Sledding Hill

Lace-up your snow boots and grab your sled for an afternoon in the park. Chicago may not be known for its hilly terrain, but there are several places throughout the city to catch some speed.

Just outside Soldier Field, a designated sledding hill with a 33-foot vertical drop and 220-foot slope overlooks a breathtaking view of the city skyline. When there’s not enough snow in the winter to cover the hill, the Chicago Park District pumps out faux-snow to maintain the perfect sledding conditions.

Often dubbed as one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets, a different slope at Dan Ryan Woods offers an exciting ride down a 200-foot hill. Located in the Beverly neighborhood, the hill is staffed seven days a week by the Cook County Forest Preserve.

Expand Your Imagination at the WNDR Museum

1130 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60607

Feeling uninspired during the winter months? Ignite your creativity by taking a visit to the WNDR Museum. Located in West Loop, the WNDR Museum is a multi-sensory, experiential art exhibit designed by contemporary artists. Curiosity is key to being fully immersed in all that this museum has to offer. From a playful light installation to a mirrored infinity room, each exhibit invites you to interact with the art itself and be wowed by the unique perspectives. 

Plan your trip to the WNDR Museum by purchasing tickets online. General admission tickets cost $30 with tickets for children (ages 3-12) costing $25 for the experience. Children two and under are free.

Featured Image Credit: Lincoln Park Zoo

The post 8 Winter Family Activities in Chicago to Try appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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Flanked by family members, supporters, attorneys and bodyguards, former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett walks into the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Special prosecutors began their closing arguments in the seven-day trial about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, asking jurors to find the former “Empire” actor guilty of the six counts of disorderly conduct he faces in connection with the alleged hoax.

Actor Jussie Smollett’s fate will soon be handed over to a Cook County jury tasked with determining whether the actor lied to police when he said he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack nearly three years ago.

Special prosecutors began their closing arguments in the seven-day trial about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, asking jurors to find the former “Empire” actor guilty of the six counts of disorderly conduct he faces in connection with the alleged hoax.

“We have proven this by overwhelming evidence,” Special Prosecutor Dan Webb told the jury.

Webb’s opening statement last week promised to prove Smollett violated the law but also pointed at the serious, wider implications the actor’s allegedly false statements have had.

“When he reported the fake hate crime as a real hate crime, that violated Illinois law,” Webb said.

The veteran attorney added it was also “just plain wrong that Mr. Smollett, as a successful Black actor, openly gay person, would denigrate something as serious as a hate crime and then just pretend one occurred when it didn’t occur.”

Defense attorneys countered that Smollett was innocent and the Chicago Police Department took the word of two bodybuilding brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who claimed the actor was the true mastermind behind the allegedly staged attack in a rush to judgment.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Former federal prosecutor Dan Webb, who was appointed special prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett case, walks into the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday.

Word that the popular actor had been beaten by two men as he walked home from a sandwich shop in the freezing cold on Jan. 29, 2019, quickly made international headlines.

That his alleged attackers had yelled racist and anti-gay slurs at him, doused him in bleach and hung a thin rope noose around his neck in the attack — while supposedly wearing a red hat and shouting President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan — elevated the crime to “an attempted modern-day lynching” as Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter shortly after the news broke.

But rumors that the case was not what it first appeared to be cast a shadow on the actor soon after.

The legal stakes for Smollett are fairly low. The actor would likely be sentenced to probation if he’s found guilty due to his lack of a criminal background. But the damage the case has done to the actor over three years in the court of public opinion could be a life sentence for his career.

After he was charged, Smollett was written off the hit television drama and his attempt to branch out into music with the release of his first album stalled.

Even if he is acquitted, the road back to stardom for the actor would seem exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

The allegations that Smollett faked the attack for publicity “made him a pariah,” lead defense attorney Nenye Uche acknowledged at the start of the actor’s trial last week.

Still, a not guilty verdict would at least give the actor a shallow hold to cling to if he tried to rebuild his career.

Smollett testified that he was riding high in the winter of 2019 and about to film an episode of “Empire” in which his character, Jamal Lyon, was to marry another man — the first gay Black male marriage on network TV. Smollett’s music career was blossoming, and his “Empire” salary had nearly tripled from the first season.

Smollett testified that he didn’t want to call police after the attack, fearing that if it became public that he’d been beaten up, it would hurt his chances of scoring traditionally masculine acting roles. The publicity that came after the assault became news — hoax or not— boosted his profile, and the fallout after police charged him for allegedly staging the hate crime quickly killed his career.

“Since this incident happened have you gotten and secured significant roles in Hollywood or in TV or commercials?” Uche asked Smollett.

“No,” the actor said flatly.

“Did you gain anything?” Uche asked.

“I’ve lost my livelihood,” Smollett said.

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While the 2022 MLB offseason and it’s related activities have come to a halt thanks to the lockout, we’ve still managed to see some action on the free-agent front. Not much has happened with the Chicago White Sox free agents yet, but once a new CBA deal is finalized, we’re hopeful they make a splash in the market. But what do we need and who are some of the 2022 MLB free agents the White Sox should target?

Well, for starters, the team certainly has to address their needs at second-base and right field. César Hernández didn’t cut it in the infield and has since moved on to the Nationals. Our outfield has the potential to be solid as it’s currently constructed, but Adam Engel can’t seem to keep himself healthy for a full season. Plus, every team could always improve their pitching rotation, and the White Sox are no exception. So, who might Jerry Reinsdorf open his wallet to? Let’s find out!

2022 White Sox Free Agent Target #1: Michael Pineda

First we have right-handed pitcher, Michael Pineda. Ever since deciding to pass on Carlos Rodón’s qualifying offer, the White Sox find themselves looking to build their pitching rotation back up.

Michael Pineda is a 32 year old starting pitcher who’s most recently played for one of our divisional rivals, the Minnesota Twins. Last season, Pineda posted a 3.62 ERA in 21 starts, and that was while playing for the bad Twins. He might not find himself pitching inning after inning every night, but he could turn into a strong backup option for when Kopech or Keuchel go cold.

Free Agent Target #2: Carlos Correra

Carlos Correra? Don’t the White Sox already have a stud shortstop? Yes, they do. His name is Tim Anderson. But, if Reinsdorf feels like really opening up his checkbook for the 2022 free agent market, Carlos Correra is the guy. 

In a scenario where Correra comes to the southside, either him or T.A. would have to move over to second. We’re sure Tim would do it in a heartbeat being the team player that he is. A move like this would work wonders for both the defense and offense for the White Sox. Since entering the league in 2015, Correra has a career batting average of .277, and has been named an All-Star twice as a member of the Houston Astros.

Free Agent Target #3: Joc Pederson

The final player that should be a 2022 free agent target for the White Sox is outfielder Joc Pederson. An offer out to Pederson would be our second attempt at signing him in two years. Last year, the White Sox reportedly offered him a one year contract worth $10 million. He turned it down and eventually signed with the Cubs for $2 million less.

Hopefully he learned his lesson.

At 29 years old, Joc Pederson could fill a tremendous gap for us in right field, and do so for years to come. He also happens to have two World Series rings, which means plenty of successful postseason experience to pass on to our young guys. The front office will have to beef up the outfield somehow, and Joc seems to be a promising way to go.

The post 3 Free Agents Targets the Chicago White Sox Should Pursue When the Lockout Is Over appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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A man was fatally shot Dec. 7, 2021, in Chinatown. | Google maps

“Pray for hope and healing for his family and the children who were rocked and shaken by today,” Chris Javier, a church deacon, said during a candlelight vigil.

Chicago police were questioning a suspect Wednesday morning in the fatal shooting of a 71-year-old man as he walked in Chinatown, across the street from an elementary school.

Officers made the arrest about two miles from where the man was gunned down around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of West 23rd Place, according to police.

Surveillance video obtained by WGN-TV shows the man, dressed in a hooded coat, walking down the sidewalk as a silver car pulls up and the driver opens fire.

The man falls and the driver gets out, walks up to the curb and fires again, according to the video and police.

The driver sped off but was arrested on Jackson Boulevard near the Kennedy Expressway. Police said a gun was recovered.

The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.

The shooting happened around recess time at Haines Elementary School, where parents said their children heard the gunfire.

“She was outside for recess when she heard the shots,” Michael White said of his daughter. “She was nervous, scared like any other kid would be. It’s sad.”

Tuesday evening, members of the Chinese Christian Union Church gathered for a candlelight vigil at the scene of the shooting.

“You just never expect it to happen to people that you know,” said Chris Javier, a deacon who said the man’s family are members of the church. “Pray for hope and healing for his family and the children who were rocked and shaken by today.”

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Lines of sandhill cranes flying into Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area Thursday at sunset. | Dale Bowman

It took sandhill cranes a while to make the fall flight through the Chicago area to Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, though they did in a rush the last few weeks, but those flights are not simply one-and-done; plus the Stray Cast.

MEDARYVILLE, Ind. — As more flew in, thousands of sandhill cranes fed Thursday in the fields around the power plant near Wheatfield, Indiana.

That hyped me on my annual visit to Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, the migration site southeast of Valparaiso. But when I climbed the viewing tower, few were visible. People sure were. They were packed two-deep on the tower. Dozens lined the fence below. Then, in the half-hour before sunset and 15 minutes afterward, sandhills krooed and flew in by the thousands.

One group landed close enough for me to see their feet drop like landing gear. Then they walked away. Rarely do groups land close to the tower anymore.

It has been a historically odd fall for sandhills.

‘‘I have worked outside for 50 years and always keep an eye out for the sandhills,’’ Dennis Ponstein emailed last week. ‘‘Are they late this year?’’

‘‘This year has been a unique year, like you mentioned, with the sandhill crane migration being quite late,’’ emailed Allisyn-Marie Gillet, Indiana’s state ornithologist. ‘‘Because of the mild weather, most of the cranes were remaining in the Upper Midwest. . . . The reason for their delayed migration is that there were no strong cold fronts. Cold weather with strong northern winds provide excellent tailwinds that encourage birds to migrate, as tailwinds make it easier for the birds to fly south.’’

The big flight finally came Nov. 21-22. Sandhills piled into Jasper-Pulaski, where the weekly count jumped from 4,452 on Nov. 18 to 28,652 on Nov. 23.

‘‘Amazing how rare they were a couple of decades ago,’’ said Mike Ward, who is working on data from 50 years of spring bird counts in Illinois.

He is the Illinois professor in whose Ward Lab avian ecology and behavior are studied.

In a study, he and student Jeff Fox tracked about 80 sandhills with transmitters and receivers at Chain O’Lakes State Park and Jasper-Pulaski and found that those flights aren’t one-and-done.

‘‘Birds fly down from northeast Illinois, then fly back a couple of days later,’’ Ward said. ‘‘Birds seem to hang around this area. They wait until the very last second until they go. For a bird, they are pushing it. But, again, they are big birds that can fly in those conditions.

‘‘I was surprised. But they can make that trip pretty fast. They are flying high, and they are probably doing 30 to 40 kilometers an hour. To go from northern Cook County to J-P doesn’t take them very long.’’

Ward agreed that migrating sandhills indicate seasonal change for Chicago-area people.

‘‘It is easy for the average person in the outdoors to identify them, and they are so loud that they are good indicators of spring coming or winter coming, if you are outside and look up when you hear them,’’ he said.

When the light dimmed Thursday, the sandhills halted flying.

It was time.

If you are going to Jasper-Pulaski, reach the tower an hour before sunset. I usually drive around nearby fields beforehand.

Dale Bowman
The crowd at the viewing tower at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area Thursday near sunset, as more people arrived.

Show update

The All-Canada Show is canceled for next year. Click here for the updated list of shows, classes and swap meets.

Illinois hunting

When harvest numbers come for the second segment of firearm deer season, I will post them at chicago.suntimes.com/outdoors. . . . Muzzleloader-only deer season runs Friday through Sunday.

Stray cast

Dick Allen is the big buck that walks a different trail and doesn’t end up on a den wall.

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Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee says she no longer has to fight to prove a woman can lead a rock band. | Kaley Nelson

“Connection and togetherness” are key, says singer Amy Lee, who recently suffered a loss in her family.

In 2003, Evanescence had played one of its first shows in Chicago at the Metro, a more-or-less showcase for a band that had just begun riding on the success of a new single and music video for a track called “Bring Me to Life” that pitted the ethereal vocals of Amy Lee against hard-driving rap-rock for an operatic goth mashup. It was wholly distinctive from anything that had been spinning on the airwaves in that time and resulted in a collective chatter of “who is this?”

It’s something Lee remembers as the popular ensemble heads to town again, nearly 20 years later, behind this year’s new album “The Bitter Truth.” The quintet (now also including bassist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt, lead guitarist Troy McLawhorn, and guitarist and backing vocalist Jen Majura) will be playing Thursday one of the shows in the WKQX-FM (101.1) “The Nights We Stole Christmas” series at the Aragon, with Lee professing just how instrumental stations like that one were in the evolution of the band.

“We had this interesting conundrum that I didn’t realize would be a problem initially,” she said in a recent interview. The song, starting with piano and featuring a woman’s voice, was “too different,” she was told, and pitching it to rock stations would be difficult. But after some DJs started playing it on air, “there was this beautiful reaction from people calling in to play it again,” she said. “And I will always remember that. Our fans were a very literal part of getting us here.”

Though Lee joked, “we’ve improved since then,” even she has to pause over just how much success the band — formed in Little Rock, Arkansas – has amassed, with its debut album “Fallen” ranked as the No. 5 biggest-selling album of the 21st century by Nielsen SoundScan data, and with Evanescence netting 20 million Facebook fans, placing the group among the top 75 bands of all time, and one of the top 15 rock bands on the platform, according to Trackalytics.

Nick Fancher
The current Evanescence lineup includes Jen Majura (from left), Will Hunt, Amy Lee, Tim McCord and Troy McLawhorn.

Today, that momentum is carried forward on the dynamic new effort “The Bitter Truth” that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard rock charts when it was released in March. It’s the group’s first album of new material in 10 years, a span of time that has seen a shift in band members, countless tours and marriage and motherhood for Lee. And yet there was a feeling of loss that pervaded the writing of the album. While the band, like the world, grappled with the onset of a global health crisis, Lee was grief-stricken over losing her brother, who had battled epilepsy, while McCord was mourning the death of a child.

In the band bio accompanying the release, Lee asserts the message of the 12 tracks is “pushing through is always better than giving up” and hopes that sharing songs about her own loss (heard in the emotional new ballad “Far From Heaven” in homage to her brother; as well, “Hello” from “Fallen” was in tribute to a deceased sister) can help others heal at a time we are all bearing some heavy weight.

“I think there’s real healing in connecting with other people. That’s what we all really crave deep down, connection and togetherness and to feel understood,” she said.

Another new standout is the protest track “Use My Voice,” with Evanescence at perhaps its most political, as the title suggests. As Lee said, “It’s hard to imagine living through this time, being a lyric writer, and not getting a bit more political. Being silent is a big statement in itself, and I didn’t want to make that statement.”

Lee has also been using her voice to promote the act of voting on the band’s socials, pointing to issues with voter suppression, and said, “Everybody needs to be able to be represented, or we are not a free country anymore.”

The music video makes that point as well, in particular championing the representation women are owed — a battle she has often waged in a male-dominated industry. There’s a moment in the video where she holds up a torch, looking like Lady Liberty, as she’s joined by a chorus of sirens, including colleague and friend Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. The two bands are currently on tour right now, offering a strong female-fronted arena show that Pollstar calls a high point in the current touring market — though it’s something Lee didn’t initially think would have been possible back in the early days.

“I felt like I was fighting for my place, to constantly prove I was worthy of being there … that I was more than just a girl standing in front [on stage], but I was a writer and that I knew how to lead a band,” she said, pointing to inspirations including Shirley Manson of Garbage. “And now I can look back and I don’t feel like I’m fighting anymore. I’ve seen a change in the industry since we began and that makes me excited and inspired, … Women are definitely rocking the scene right now.”

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Two people were killed, and four others were wounded in shootings Dec. 7, 2021, in Chicago. | Sun-Times file photo

The fatal attacks happened in Chinatown and Marquette Park.

Two people were killed and four others were wounded by gunfire in Chicago Tuesday.

A man was found fatally shot in Marquette Park on the Southwest Side around 12:15 a.m. Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert in the 7000 block of South Maplewood Avenue found the man, 20, with gunshot wounds to his head, shoulder, torso and arm, police said. He was pronounced dead at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. His name has not been released.
One person was taken into custody after a 71-year-old man was fatally shot while walking in Chinatown. A person driving a silver two-door car opened fire about 12:30 p.m. in the 200 block of West 23rd Place, striking the man on the sidewalk, police said. The shooter then got out of the car and shot the man again before fleeing. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Four others were wounded in shootings across the city.

Three people were shot Monday in Chicago.

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The Chicago Bulls are off and running, posting a 17-8 record and currently sitting at the number two seed in the East just over a quarter way through the season. Things are going as planned. DeMar DeRozen and Zach LaVine are gelling. Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are the models of consistency on both ends […]

Chicago Bulls: 2 Indiana Pacers big men to consider via trade – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

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