Mayor Lightfoot refuses to let the pandemic ruin Chicago's holiday spirit. In a press release issued with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), she has invited everyone to watch this year’s Tree Lighting ceremony on YouTube.
A 30-minute program titled, Millennium Park at Home: Chicago Holidays, debuted November 19 at 6:30 p.m. Presented “in lieu of an in-person, public tree lighting ceremony,” it was hosted by Kurtis Productions with support from the Millennium Park Foundation and DCASE. The show remains viewable on the DCASE Facebook Channel.
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) are pleased to present “Millennium Park at Home: Chicago Holidays,” presented by Powering Chicago: IBEW Local 134/NECA with support from the Millennium Park Foundation and Chicago Transit Authority.
“Millennium Park at Home: Chicago Holidays” program is produced by Kurtis Productions with support from the Millennium Park Foundation and DCASE. It includes a holiday greeting from Mayor Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman, special acknowledgements of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and music performances recorded at the Epiphany Center for the Arts featuring the Chicago Children’s Choir, Sones de México Ensemble and Percy Bady and friends – with a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” "This Christmas" is used with permission by Universal Music Publishing Group.
Due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns, DCASE will not present an in-person Tree lighting ceremony for the public, but Chicagoans and visitors are invited to enjoy this new virtual holiday program – and visit Millennium Park to see the 107th Annual City of Chicago Christmas Tree shining brightly near the intersection of Michigan Ave. and Washington St. from November 20 through January 7. The Park is open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., for groups of 10 persons or fewer who practice physical distancing and wear face coverings. For information about where to enter/exit the Park and other details, visit MillenniumPark.org.
Powering Chicago: IBEW Local 134/NECA:
Bringing together the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 134 electricians and the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) of the City of Chicago, Powering Chicago is an electrical industry labor-management partnership (LMCC) that invests in consistently better construction, better careers and better communities within the metro Chicago region. Employing the latest technology, our members are elevating industry performance through their commitment to safety, level of experience and reliability, while also investing in the future of skilled labor through an innovative, five-year apprenticeship program.
During the early part of this presentation there are moments of text on screen without sound. The texts read:
“Chicago is the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: The Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi Nations. Many other Tribes like the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox also called this area home. Located at the intersection of several great waterways, the land naturally became a site of travel and healing for many Tribes. Today, Chicago continues to be a place that many people from diverse backgrounds call home. We make this acknowledgement to bring awareness and understanding of the history of indigenous peoples and their territories, and as a call to rethink one’s own relationship with the city, the land and the environment.”
“The views and opinions expressed here are those of the artist(s), and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any department or agency of the City of Chicago – or its partners.”
Program highlights included pre-recorded musical performances by the Chicago Children’s Choir, Sones de México Ensemble and Percy Bady and friends.
“We are extremely excited to be continuing our city’s beloved winter traditions this season in a safe and healthy way,” said the mayor. “Despite the historic challenges presented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been unceasing in finding workable solutions at every turn.”
Besides electrifying the 45-foot Blue Spruce donated by the family of Morgan Park resident Catherine Townsend, the program will also feature a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of Donny Hathaway’s This Christmas and acknowledgements to both Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
And once the tree is twinkling, people may view it in person near the intersection of Michigan Ave. and Washington St. from November 20 through January 7.
The YouTube presentation is among many events happening across the Millennium Park Campus this holiday season. Others include:
Virtual tours of the Chicago Cultural Center – plus outdoor public art tours of the Millennium Park Campus on the first and third Saturday of the month, DCASEVolunTours.org
In lieu of the annual Dance-Along Nutcracker event at the Chicago Cultural Center, which remains closed to the public, the original Dance-Along Nutcracker will be streamed for free by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (December 12 & 13, DanceAlongNutcracker.org) – and Ballet Chicago will present two virtual versions of The Nutcracker (December 18–30, ticket at BalletChicago.org).
Holiday shopping at Buddy, a new store created by the Public Media Institute selling Chicago-made art, objects and more – online for now at hi-buddy.org and on the first floor of the Chicago Cultural Center when it reopens (Additionally, show off your Chicago pride with artist-designed Official Summer Festival Merchandise created in collaboration with the Design Museum of Chicago, dcase.tsmgi.net)
Comedy Tailgate to Skate, December 1, and other special events at the Ice Skating Ribbon in Maggie Daley Park, MaggieDaleyPark.com
CMS at Home: Brandenburg Concertos presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Harris Theater for Music and Dance, streaming December 17–21, HarrisTheaterChicago.org
Monet and Chicago, through January 18, and other exhibitions and events at the Art Institute of Chicago, artic.edu
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