Things to Do in Chicago in November

The calendar definitely winds down in November. The summer festivals and outdoor concerts are long gone, and so is baseball. But it's not all humdrum and dreary. The action moves indoors for the first few weeks, and then, in the week before Thanksgiving, the holiday season arrives all at once and pulls everyone back outside in their warmest coats.

Plan for the cold. By the 1991-2020 normals at O'Hare, November averages a high of 48.4°F and a low of 34.1°F, with 1.8 inches of snow over the month. Clocks go back on the first Sunday of the month, and by late November the sun sets around 4:20pm. More on that on our weather page and in what to wear in Chicago in fall. Dates below are the usual pattern; check each event's site for this year's.

Early November

Farmers markets. Green City Market now stays outdoors into late November, at 1817 N. Clark St. in Lincoln Park (Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7am to 1pm) and 900 W. Monroe St. in the West Loop (Saturdays, 8am to 1pm). The market's site has the last outdoor day. It's squash and apple season.

Talks. The Chicago Humanities fall season runs into November, with talks, performances and conversations at venues around the city.

Museums. November is a good month to take the museums slowly. We keep track of free museum days (mostly for Illinois residents) and have a guide to museums in Chicago. The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen is free every day, and its Día de los Muertos exhibition is usually still up in early November.

Somewhere warm. The Garfield Park Conservatory on the West Side is a greenhouse full of palms and ferns, and on a gray November day it feels like a short vacation. It's free for Chicago residents and $10 for adults from elsewhere, and reservations are strongly recommended.

A river cruise before it stops. The Chicago Architecture Center's 90-minute river cruise runs from March through November, so this is the last month to catch it. Bring a hat; it gets cold on the water.

Games. The Bears are at Soldier Field, right on the lake, which makes a November game a cold one. The Blackhawks and Bulls play indoors at the United Center. Evenings are also good for theater.

The week before Thanksgiving

Christkindlmarket. The German-style Christkindlmarket started on Pioneer Court in 1996 and moved to Daley Plaza in 1997. It opens on the Friday before Thanksgiving and runs daily until Christmas Eve. There's a second market at Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field that stays open through New Year's Eve. Entry is free. You'll pay for the glühwein, which comes in a collectible mug. (We used to say it opened after Thanksgiving. It doesn't.)

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. The next day, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival kicks off the season on Michigan Avenue. There are daytime activities along the street, and in the evening a parade heads south on Michigan Avenue from Oak Street toward Wacker Drive, followed by fireworks over the river. It's free, it's crowded, and you'll want a spot on the curb well before the parade starts. Our Magnificent Mile guide has more on the street.

Ice skating. The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park opens in mid-November and runs into early February. Skating is free, you pay for rentals, and you need an online reservation.

ZooLights. ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo opens in late November and runs into early January, with millions of lights and evening hours. The zoo itself is always free, but ZooLights is ticketed, and tickets bought ahead cost a lot less than the $20 day-of price.

Thanksgiving

Turkey Trot. If you want to earn your dinner, Turkey Trot Chicago runs a 5K and an 8K on Thanksgiving morning in Lincoln Park, starting just south of Diversey near Cannon Drive, with a kids' run too.

Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade goes down State Street on Thanksgiving morning, the fourth Thursday of November, from about 8am to 11am. It started in 1934, during the Depression, as a way to boost business and public spirit. When this page was first written it was the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade; it no longer carries that name. It's on local TV if you'd rather watch from somewhere warm.

More on the holiday in Thanksgiving in Chicago. After that, it's all Christmas events and December. For the season as a whole, see things to do in Chicago in fall and our holidays and events calendar.

Photo by photoentropy