Chicago is preparing for the holiday season. Events include everything from special holiday exhibitions at Chicago museums to popular traditions like the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and the Daley Plaza Christmas Tree lighting ceremony to celebrations of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Visitors to the city are invited to make their first stop the Chicago Office of Tourism's Visitor Information Center in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

Nov. 22

Attend this free event featuring the festive lighting of more than one million lights along North Michigan Avenue followed by a fireworks show over the Chicago River.

FYI: Visit www.themagnificentmile.com for holiday offers and discounts, as well as a schedule of events for the day of the festival.

Christkindlmarket Chicago

Nov. 27 through Dec. 24

Opens daily at 11a.m.; Closes at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Watch as Daley Plaza is transformed into a little piece of Germany, known as the Christkindlmarket Chicago. Visitors will find Chicago's Picasso sculpture surrounded by red and white crested huts. Nutcrackers, cuckoo-clocks, beer steins, European chocolates, toys, jewelry, clothing and a wide variety of holiday ornaments are just a few of the items for sale from more than 50 vendor booths.

FYI: Visit www.christkindlmarket.com.

Santa Clause House

Nov. 27 through Dec. 24

Opens daily at 11am; Closing hours vary

Admission Free!

Santa Claus and crew have setup shop at Daley Plaza. Snap a souvenir photo and give him your wish list. Santa takes a break from 3 to 4 p.m. daily. FYI: Visit www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents.

FYI: Visit www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents. GlitterNov. 19Admission is free to Glitter at the Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago designers and boutiques take over the second floor of the Cultural Center for one day to offer special holiday items, sales and original fashions.

Glitter

Nov. 19

Admission is free to Glitter at the Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago designers and boutiques take over the second floor of the Cultural Center for one day to offer special holiday items, sales and original fashions. FYI: Visit www.chicagofashionresource.org.

FYI: Visit www.chicagofashionresource.org.Zoo Lights Weekends Nov. 28 through 30; Dec. 5 through 7; Dec. 12 through 14 Nightly Dec. 15 through Jan. 5 to 9 p.m. Lincoln Park Zoo transforms with a series of free seasonal festivities. Enter a winter wonderland illuminated by more than two million lights at the zoo's annual ZooLights. Animal exhibits stay open late as guests roam the grounds to take photos with Santa, prepare family crafts and enjoy the zoo's animals immersed in an atmosphere unlike any other.

Zoo Lights

Weekends Nov. 28 through 30; Dec. 5 through 7; Dec. 12 through 14

Nightly Dec. 15 through Jan.

5 to 9 p.m.

Lincoln Park Zoo transforms with a series of free seasonal festivities. Enter a winter wonderland illuminated by more than two million lights at the zoo's annual ZooLights. Animal exhibits stay open late as guests roam the grounds to take photos with Santa, prepare family crafts and enjoy the zoo's animals immersed in an atmosphere unlike any other. FYI: Visit www.lpzoo.org.

FYI: Visit www.lpzoo.org."A Christmas Carol"Nov. 21 through Dec. 31The Goodman Theatre will present Charles Dickens' classic story of "A Christmas Carol."

"A Christmas Carol"

Nov. 21 through Dec. 31

The Goodman Theatre will present Charles Dickens' classic story of "A Christmas Carol."FYI: Visit www.goodmantheatre.com.

FYI: Visit www.goodmantheatre.com.