Category: News
Christkindlmarket 2025: Heart-shaped mugs, cultural tours — and partying with Krampus
Naughty or nice, Christkindlmarket offers sugar and some spice.
For those who have been good this year, a heart-shaped gingerbread — or Lebkuchenherz, in German —awaits at the Sweet Castle. The delicious treat is the inspiration for this year’s collectible mugs ($10), ornament ($39) and pins at the open-air German-style market’s three locations — two in Chicago and one in Aurora.
But if you’ve been bad, then maybe partying with Krampus is more your speed. For the first time, the Timber Haus at Daley Plaza will turn eerie during a ticketed event on Dec. 14, to celebrate the goat-like figure with antlers who punishes bad children ($35 per person plus taxes and fees).
A participant wearing a traditional Krampus costume and a mask performs in Hollabrunn, Austria, on Nov. 26, 2022. (Michael Gruber/AP)
Culture & cheer tours, which sold out last year, take visitors through the market before it opens on select days ($45 per person plus taxes and fees), and are a good way to beat the downtown crowds.
Can’t make it to the city? The Aurora location sells tickets for glass ornament-making workshops (from $42 per person), lantern parades for children ($15 per person) and wine tastings for adults (from $40 per person).
Where to buy this year’s mugs
A 2025 Christkindlmarket mug design on Nov. 19, 2025. (Peter Tsai/Chicago Tribune)
This gingerbread-themed mug design is available during the 2025 holiday season at Christkindlmarket’s three locations, and is specifically for non-alcoholic beverages like hot chocolate or cider. (Peter Tsai/Chicago Tribune)
A vessel for which to sip Gluhwein has been a staple of German American Events’ Christkindlmarket since it premiered in Pioneer Court off the Magnificent Mile in 1996. A variety of colors, designs and shapes have been used to make each year’s design.
People shop and eat at Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, Chicago, on Nov. 26, 2013. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.
Open Nov. 21-Dec. 24. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and Christmas Eve (Dec. 24).
Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville
People ice skate at Christkindlmarket at the Park beside Wrigley Field in Chicago on Nov. 28, 2017. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St.
Open Nov. 23-Dec. 31. 3-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thanksgiving (Nov. 27), 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Dec. 22-23; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31); 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Dec. 29-30. Closed Christmas Day (Dec. 25).
People enjoy the opening day of Christkindlmarket at RiverEdge Park in Aurora on Nov. 17, 2023. (H. Rick Bamman/for the Beacon-News)
RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway in Aurora
Open Nov. 17-Dec. 24. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday- Saturday; and 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thanksgiving (Nov. 23) and Christmas Eve (Dec. 24); 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Dec. 18-20.
Previous designs: 1996-1998
The original Christkindlmarket mug photographed on Nov., 10, 2015. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Thirty-five wooden booths were built in Germany and shipped to Chicago for the first Christkindlmarket, which lasted 17 days and had 15 vendors. The event moved from Pioneer Court on Michigan Avenue to Daley Plaza in 1997, where its opening coincided with the city’s Christmas tree lighting.
1999
The Christkindlmarket mug from 1999. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Food options ranged from chocolate-dipped strawberries on skewers to bratwurst, and from cheese pretzels to doughnutlike churros with strawberry, chocolate and Bavarian cream fillings.
2000
The Christkindlmarket mug from 2000. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Items for sale included handcrafted glass ornaments, cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers, wooden toys, jewelry, sweaters and food.
2001
The Christkindlmarket mug from 2001. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
The market’s footprint expanded beyond Daley Plaza to include the vacant Block 37.
2002
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2002. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Glass blowers from the Bavarian Forest demonstrated their craft and sold the finished products.
2003
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2003. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Displays included the Guinness World Records’ largest beeswax candle.
2004
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2004. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
The market opened on Thanksgiving to give shoppers a sneak preview.
2005
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2005.(Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Christkindlmarket celebrated 10 years in Chicago and offered its first souvenir boot mug.
2006
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2006. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Tribune restaurant critic Phil Vettel gave “a big yodeling ja” to Helmut’s Original Austrian Strudel and a “hearty ja” to the spiced red wine in a boot.
2007
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2007. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Mader’s, a famous Milwaukee German restaurant, participated.
2008
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2008. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
The number of vendors reached 50.
2009
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2009. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Christkindlmarket lasted almost one full month in Daley Plaza.
2010
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2010. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
German food, drink and trinkets still attracted crowds to Daley Plaza 15 years after the event began in Chicago.
2011
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2011. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
In addition to running Christkindlmarket, German American Services expanded to put on an Oktoberfest celebration at Navy Pier.
2012
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2012. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
More than 50 vendors sold items including ornaments, beer steins, wooden toys, jewelry and European chocolates.
2013
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2013. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
The official mug was not a boot and people took to the market’s Facebook page to complain. (The market’s mug has been a boot just nine times.)
2014
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2014. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2014. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
A snowman mug was introduced for the market’s Kinder Club. More than half of the 50 vendors traveled from Germany to Chicago to sell their wares.
2015
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2015. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2015. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
In its 20th year in Chicago, the market was void of one accessory — the city’s official Christmas tree. After 50 years in Daley Plaza, the tree moved east to Millennium Park.
2016
A Christkindlmarket mug from 2016. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
For the first time, the market expanded to two locations — the Daley Plaza mainstay and a suburban outpost in Naperville.
2017
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2017. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2017. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
The market opened a third location at The Park at Wrigley, just outside Wrigley Field. For the first time in its 22 years, Christkindlmarket offered three mug designs — two of them in “punch kettle” shape.
2018
The Christkindlmarket mugs for 2018. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
The market opened its first location in Wisconsin, just outside the new Fiserv Forum. The gingerbread-inspired mug designs were unique to each location and featured a heart-shaped opening at the top.
2019
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2019. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2019. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
The boot design returned after four years.
2020
Organizers of the popular outdoor holiday market cancelled the event and sold items online as the coronavirus pandemic hampered large-scale events and international travel.
2021
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2021. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2021. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The same flute-shaped design, about as tall as an iPhone, was sold at both the Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville locations to commemorate the market’s 25th anniversary in Chicago. The children’s “Peppermint Penguin” design was dressed up to celebrate the first Christkindlmarket in almost two years.
2022
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
The official mug celebrated “Year of Chicago Dance” and the Kinder Club hosted a naming contest for the dancing penguin mug.
2023
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2023. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2023. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
A Christkindlmarket mug for 2023. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
The market returned in three locations — Daley Plaza, Wrigleyville and Aurora. For the first time, a fast-entry pass was sold for $25 (and included a souvenir mug).
2024
A 2024 Christkindlmarket mug on Nov. 12, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
A 2024 Christkindlmarket mug on Nov. 12, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Mugs for spiced wine or non-alcoholic beverages were both nutcracker-themed and sold at both the Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville locations. Culture and cheer tours let visitors enter Christkindlmarket before it opened on select days.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/21/christkindlmarket-heart-shaped-mugs-krampus/
Trump To Meet With Mamdani At The White House
Trump To Meet With Mamdani At The White House
Authored by Arjun Singh and Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times,
President Donald Trump will meet New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House today.
“Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting. We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st,” Trump announced on Truth Social.
Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist whose campaign to run America’s most populous city drew national attention, is set to take office on Jan. 1, 2026. The mayor-elect has already sparred publicly with Trump, who has threatened to reduce federal funding to the city.
Mamdani commented on the planned meeting during a Nov. 20 press conference, describing it as “customary.”
“I will be heading to Washington, D.C., tomorrow to meet with President Trump in the White House,” Mamdani told reporters.
Mamdani said the meeting is “more critical than ever given the national crisis of affordability, one that New Yorkers know very well across these five boroughs, and the specific challenge many cities are facing with balancing public safety against steps taken by [the Trump] administration.”
Mamdani said his team arranged the meeting.
“The mayor-elect will be coming to the Oval Office, so our teams are arranging those details,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Nov. 20 when asked about the upcoming meeting.
Mamdani and Trump, who are both from Queens, have spent months publicly criticizing each other, ever since Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination.
Trump has repeatedly called Mamdani a “communist” due to his professed affinity for democratic socialism, and threatened to withhold federal funds from the city’s government if Mamdani seeks to implement some of his campaign promises.
Mamdani, by contrast, has attacked Trump’s nationalist, populist, and conservative initiatives during his second term, such as his effort to remove illegal immigrants from the United States.
During his campaign, Mamdani vowed to use city resources to provide legal counsel to foreign nationals facing deportation.
When asked whether there was anything Mamdani could do to calm Trump’s concerns, Leavitt declined to answer.
“I won’t get into the president’s thinking on it. I think you’ll all hear from him directly,” she said.
Once he takes office, Mamdani will be among the highest-profile elected officials in the United States as the leader of a city that’s home to more than 8 million people, America’s wealthiest city by GDP.
The job has often been described by occupants as being the “second toughest job in America,” behind only the U.S. presidency.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 11/21/2025 – 10:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-meet-mamdani-white-house
UMich Consumer Expectations Hit A Record (48 Year) Low
UMich Consumer Expectations Hit A Record (48 Year) Low
The weakness from the preliminary UMich data for November has been confirmed with the final sentiment print confirmed the so-called ‘K-shaped’ economy as sentiment slumps with stocks near record highs.
However, the small silver lining with today’s UMich data was an improvement intra-month from 50.3 to 51.0 for the headline (but still at its lowest since June 2022).
After the federal shutdown ended, UMich Director Joanne Hsu notes that sentiment lifted slightly from its mid-month reading.
However, consumers remain frustrated about the persistence of high prices and weakening incomes.
Under the hood, Expectations picked up modestly from 50.3 to 51.0, just off record lows, while Consumer Expectations plunged to 51.1 – the lowest in the survey’s history going back to 1977…
Source: Bloomberg
Who the hell are they surveying?
Interestingly, while Democrat’s confidence remains vastly worse than the rest of the political cohorts, November saw Republicans and Independents lose some faith too…
Source: Bloomberg
On the bright side, inflation expectations tumbled. After four months of sharp increases to start 2025, long-run expectations fell for three consecutive months through July, followed by three more months of small increases. Long-run expectations softened considerably this month. The November reading is well below peaks in monthly readings from June 2022 and April 2025, but still above 2024 readings.
Source: Bloomberg
Expectations exhibit substantial uncertainty, particularly in light of ongoing developments with economic policy and concerns that impacts on inflation are still to come.
Democrats continue to lead the fear of inflation (though dropped to January lows this month)…
However, this month, current personal finances and buying conditions for durables both plunged more than 10%…
and young and old alike are worried about their jobs…
By the end of the month, sentiment for consumers with the largest stock holdings lost the gains seen at the preliminary reading.
This group’s sentiment dropped about 2 index points from October, likely a consequence of the stock market declines seen over the past two weeks.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 11/21/2025 – 10:15
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/umich-consumer-expectations-hit-record-48-year-low
Don’t Fight The Fed… But Is China Worth A Shot?
Don’t Fight The Fed… But Is China Worth A Shot?
By Daniel Moss, Bloomberg Markets Live reporter
The idea of taking out insurance against worst-case scenarios, mostly by cutting interest rates, became a popular choice among the world’s big central banks over the past quarter century. Beijing has shunned this doctrine lately. It may come with a price.
The People’s Bank of China recently downplayed concerns that the world’s second-largest economy is in trouble. The PBOC’s latest quarterly statement emphasized long-term prospects and discouraged investors from focusing on what it sees as merely short-term hurdles. Translation: Rein in those bets on rate cuts. Goldman Sachs was among those that got the message, pushing back its forecast for the next reduction to the first quarter of 2026. Other large institutions, including Citigroup Inc., had already thrown in the towel.
It’s natural that firms adjust projections to reflect what central banks are saying, as opposed to relying entirely on data for guidance. It has long been an article of faith in finance that you don’t fight the Federal Reserve. It has too much firepower and, if officials want markets to see things their way, they can jolt traders through words and deeds.
And while the PBOC can’t shake the global economy in quite the same way, and doesn’t have the same independence as the Fed, its sway is significant. If Beijing is hinting that it’s not inclined to crank up the expansion, it would be brave to dismiss that signal.
Would it be entirely wrong, though? Central banks do make mistakes, sometimes big ones. The Fed’s famous dot-plot projected four hikes in both 2015 and 2016. It delivered one in each of those years. The European Central Bank lifted borrowing costs shortly before Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. collapsed, and the PBOC itself botched an effort to revalue the yuan in 2015. And during the pandemic, the Reserve Bank of Australia vowed to control bond yields, until markets forced a capitulation.
China’s economy hasn’t fallen apart, but nor is it buoyant. After a solid start, progress has been disappointing. Industrial production has slowed, and investment has declined. Retail sales could be better. Exports unexpectedly shrank in October, and credit growth was the least in more than a year. Deflationary pressure persists. Bonds are sending a dour signal: The yield on China’s 10-year treasury is hovering near the lowest in two months.
Thanks to a decent first quarter, China will likely achieve the 5% annual growth target set by President Xi Jinping. That might discourage the need to act quickly to crank up the expansion, as might the desire to keep some ammunition in case the trade war with the US intensifies and takes a greater toll on the economy. Faced with a similarly tepid picture and anemic inflation, however, the Fed has a record of staying ahead of the curve.
Risk management — the practice of making policy a bit easier than might be justified by conditions — was pioneered by Alan Greenspan and deployed by each of his three successors. It was revolutionary when the Fed first began this approach in the late 1990s, and was used more forcefully in 2003 when officials were starting to get really worried about the prospect of deflation in the US. When the Fed cut rates in September, Chair Jerome Powell framed the step in a similar way. “The projections for growth this year and next actually ticked up just a little bit,” he told reporters. “What’s different is now you are see a very different picture of risks … it’s time to take that into account in our policy.”
It has been a tough year for PBOC watchers. Twelve months ago, China’s leaders signaled active support for the economy. The decision-making Politburo, to which the People’s Bank ultimately answers, vowed to implement “moderately loose” policy in 2025. That was trumpeted as a marked shift from the “prudent” approach that dominated for more than a decade. Wall Street forecast a wave of rate cuts and a notable relaxation of reserve requirements at big lenders. That confidence proved wide of the mark. Instead of a pronounced easing, the PBOC delivered only a single 10-basis point trim to the main rate. That was in May; there’s been nothing since.
It’s true that monetary policy won’t solve all China’s ills. If PBOC chief Pan Gongsheng wants to go all out in a bid to banish deflation, it will likely require more than taking the price of money down a few notches. The seven-day repurchase rate, the main policy rate, stands at 1.4%. Once it gets below 1%, what happens next? The PBOC’s peers have found it difficult to extricate themselves from quantitative easing, and other unconventional measures. If Pan reckons the economy will muddle through, then hunkering down is understandable. It can also look indecisive.
The PBOC fancies itself as playing a long game. Let’s hope it’s right and the world economy, let alone China’s, doesn’t pay for an abundance of caution. Looking beyond the horizon has merit, but possesses its own dangers. Insurance shouldn’t be frowned upon.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 11/21/2025 – 10:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/dont-fight-fed-china-worth-shot
Government has reopened but Chicago area’s hunger crisis is far from over
Hunger hit Chicago and its suburbs especially hard these past
few weeks.
And it’s only going to get worse.
During the first half of November, unpaid federal workers, SNAP recipients cut off from benefits, and immigrants too scared to venture out to work swelled the already long lines of desperate people seeking assistance at food pantries across Chicago and northern Illinois.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Northern Illinois
Food Bank, two nonprofit organizations that supply food to
local pantries, rushed to meet a rapid surge in demand.
“Food insecurity has been an issue for a long time,” said Man-
Yee Lee, director of communications at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
The recent government shutdown, she said, “exacerbated the
problem, showing everyone what happens when you switch off
a vital resource like SNAP (the federal government’s
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), which is a critical
lifeline for 1.9 million people in Illinois.”
The crisis of the past few weeks, she added, also served as a
preview of far worse things to come.
Written into the recently passed federal “Big Beautiful Bill” are new eligibility restrictions on SNAP, she said, and an expectation for states to shoulder some of the cost of the program.
“It is going to get harder” for low-income people to receive
benefits, beginning in December, Lee said. “A lot of people are
at risk of being kicked off the program.”
The shutdown was temporary, Lee said. The new changes are
not.
“We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of people
potentially losing benefits. We are very concerned about what
that is going to do to our network of 840 food pantries,
kitchens and shelters across Cook County,” Lee said.
Similarly, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which distributes
food to pantries and shelters across 13 counties in northern
Illinois, is equally concerned about the coming crisis.
“Now that SNAP is reactivated, there’s this misconception that
the need will not be as great,” said Colleen Ahearn, chief
philanthropy officer at the NIFB. But even before the recent
crisis, the food bank was dealing with a $3-$4 million cut in federal funding, she said.
Now, because of coming cuts to SNAP, she added, “We’re
anticipating need to continue to increase.”
The Food Depository, which stocks pantries across Chicago and
Cook County suburbs, saw a 38% increase in visits to sponsored food pantries, compared to the first week of October, Lee said.
The organization responded by opening six temporary Saturday
emergency distribution sites in areas where there is a high
concentration of SNAP recipients.
On Nov. 1, it handed out 1,700 boxes of peanut butter, soup, canned fruit and other staples in two hours, Lee said.
More than a quarter of the boxes went to first-time visitors.
A week later, Lee said, “We expanded the response to 10
locations and serviced more than 2,500 within two hours.”
Even after the shutdown ended, the demand continued as
SNAP recipients waited for their cards to reload. On Nov. 15,
the depository gave out 300 to 600 emergency food boxes at each of its nine temporary sites.
Each box, Lee said, represents a household in need.
Likewise, the food bank, which services many Chicago area suburbs, saw visitorship rise by 26% across its network of 300
pantries during the first two weeks of November, compared to
the previous month. As of Nov. 17, there was a nearly 400%
jump in searches on the bank’s online food finders site, Ahearn
said.
The bank also saw a 190% increase in November on its online
order service, Ahearn said.
Emergency mobile popup sites at Elgin Community College and
Joliet Junior College were inundated, she said.
“We were prepared to give out 750 boxes” but some 1,000
people showed up in Elgin, Ahearn said.
“When we ran out of food boxes, we provided gift cards. When
we ran out of those, we had to turn people away,” she said.
The need, she added, is not unprecedented, but the gap to fill it
is.
Ahearn said there was a similar spike in inquiries and visits
during COVID but, back then, the food bank also saw an
increase in government funding to meet that demand.
“Now, we’re seeing a decrease in resources” and a jump in
need, she said.
The bank is seeking more private donations and grants to fill
the gap, she said.
At the Food Depository, Lee said, retailers, manufacturers and
growers are taking on bigger roles, donating food that has been
discontinued, has minor cosmetic imperfections, is nearing “sell
by” dates or has underweight packaging.
“We rescue the food that these suppliers might otherwise
throw away,” she said.
Additional food comes from the USDA and donations from the
public.
In fiscal year 2025, Lee said, “we collected 46.5 million pounds
of food” to help feed the “1 in 5 families in the metro Chicago
area that are facing food insecurity.”
As we head into the holidays, a time when hunger seems
harsher and the haves may be more inclined to think of the
have nots, Lee said, “We believe food is a basic human right.”
Get help
If you need food and you live in Cook County, go to the Greater
Chicago Food Depository’s website to find a pantry near you.
If you live in Will, DuPage, Kankakee, Kane, Lake, Kendall, McHenry, Grundy, Stephenson, Ogle, Boone, Dekalb or Winnebago counties, go to the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s website to find a pantry near you.
Give help
If you are blessed and want to help, go to either website and
make a donation, sign up for monthly automatic donations,
become a volunteer or, the next time you’re at the
supermarket, buy two and donate the second.
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years. She can be reached at donnavickroy4@gmail.com.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/21/chicago-areas-hunger-crisis-far-from-over/
‘Soft’ Survey Data Shows Services Strong, Manufacturing Weak In Nov
‘Soft’ Survey Data Shows Services Strong, Manufacturing Weak In Nov
As official US macro ‘hard’ data starts to creep out from Washington, we get more private ‘soft’ survey data this morning (for preliminary November period) and it is ‘mixed’ for want of a better word.
S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI fell from 52.5 to 51.9 (worse than the 52.0 expected) – 4 month low
S&P Global US Services PMI rose from 54.8 to 55.0 (better than the 54.6 expected) – 4 month high
This mixed bag comes in the face of ‘strong’ hard data…
Source: Bloomberg
The headline S&P Global US PMI® Composite Output Index rose for a second successive month in November, up from 54.6 in October to 54.8, according to the ‘flash’ reading (based on about 85% of usual survey responses).
The latest reading is the highest since July, signaling an acceleration of growth over the fourth quarter so far.
Output has now grown continually for 34 months.
“The flash PMI data point to a relatively buoyant US economy in November, signalling annualised GDP growth of about 2.5% so far in the fourth quarter.,” according to Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“The upturn also looks encouragingly broad-based for now, with output rising across both manufacturing and the vast services economy.”
Rate-cuts and optimism:
“A marked uplift in business confidence about prospects in the year ahead adds to the good news.
Hopes for further interest rate cuts and the ending of the government shutdown have boosted optimism alongside a broader undercurrent of improved economic optimism and reduced concerns over the political environment.”
Jobs vs Inflation:
“Furthermore, although jobs continued to be created in November, the rate of hiring continues to be constrained by worries over costs, in turn linked to tariffs.
Both input costs and selling prices rose at increased rates in November, which will be of concern to the inflation hawks.”
However, Williamson notes that manufacturers reported a worrying combination of slower new orders growth and a record rise in finished goods stock noting that “this accumulation of unsold inventory hints at slower factory production expansion in the coming months unless demand revives, which could in turn feed through to lower growth in many service industries.”
Tyler Durden
Fri, 11/21/2025 – 09:55
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/soft-survey-data-shows-services-strong-manufacturing-weak-nov
Introducing the 2025 Post-Tribune Girls Volleyball All-Area Team
The team includes four players from Chesterton and three players each from Boone Grove, Hanover Central and Lake Central.
FIRST TEAM
Luca Bombacino, Chesterton, junior, outside hitter: Had 452 kills, 226 digs and 42 aces for Class 4A sectional champion. All-America honorable mention, all-state second team, all-district, all-conference. Michigan commit.
Tenley Davis, Chesterton, senior, outside hitter: Had 452 kills, 273 digs and 37 blocks for 4A sectional champion. All-district, all-conference. Loyola commit.
Bella Del Real, Crown Point, senior, libero: Had 687 digs, 110 assists and 51 aces for 4A regional champion. All-America honorable mention, all-state first team, all-district, all-conference.
Aleece Ehler, Andrean, freshman, outside hitter: Had 278 digs, 178 kills and 54 aces. All-district, all-conference.
Alexa Iwema, Lake Central, senior, outside hitter: Had 302 digs, 291 kills and 40 aces. All-district, all-conference. Indiana softball commit.
Avery Mullin, Valparaiso, senior, outside hitter: Had 347 kills, 287 digs, 40 aces and 31 blocks. All-district, all-conference. Purdue Northwest commit.
Danielle Poskin, Andrean, senior, outside hitter: Had 653 digs and 66 assists. All-state second team, all-district, all-conference. Lewis softball commit.
Elle Schara, Crown Point, senior, outside hitter: Had 571 kills, 389 digs, 73 aces and 47 blocks for 4A regional champion. All-America third team, Indiana Miss Volleyball finalist, Indiana Senior All-Star, all-state first team, all-district, conference MVP. Purdue commit.
Lauren Voudrie, Boone Grove, junior, libero: Had 654 digs, 64 assists and 39 aces for 2A sectional champion. All-district, all-conference.
Mya Wargo, Boone Grove, sophomore, setter: Had 898 assists, 277 digs and 54 aces for 2A sectional champion. All-district, all-conference.
Olivia Zmuda, Marquette Catholic, freshman, libero: Had 682 digs, 82 aces and 65 assists. All-state second team, all-district.
SECOND TEAM
Brooklyn Barth, Lake Central, senior, libero: Had 315 digs, 54 assists and 26 aces. All-conference.
Gabi Esparza, Hanover Central, senior, setter: Had 775 assists, 288 digs, 143 aces and 115 kills for 3A sectional champion. All-conference.
Madison Gilliam, Chesterton, junior, middle blocker: Had 145 kills and 103 blocks for 4A sectional champion. All-conference.
Brooklyn Gluth, Boone Grove, sophomore, right-side hitter: Had 235 kills, 82 digs and 51 blocks for 2A sectional champion. All-conference.
Lucy McCollum, Merrillville, senior, setter: Had 492 assists, 311 digs, 102 kills, 70 aces and 41 blocks. All-conference. Ball State commit.
Ellie Nemeth, Kouts, junior, middle hitter: Had 249 kills, 82 digs, 43 aces and 39 blocks. Indiana Junior All-Star, all-district, all-conference.
Abigail Parrish, Chesterton, senior, setter: Had 492 assists, 236 digs, 103 kills, 42 aces and 33 blocks for 4A sectional champion. All-conference. Wayne State commit.
Sierra Ricke, Morgan Township, junior, setter: Had 598 assists, 221 digs, 92 aces and 77 kills. Conference MVP.
Evelyn Shirk, LaPorte, freshman, setter: Had 488 assists, 295 digs, 195 kills, 59 aces and 55 blocks. All-conference.
Kailey Skurka, Lake Central, junior, outside hitter: Had 311 kills, 184 digs and 28 aces. All-conference.
Mackenzie Snyder, Marquette Catholic, junior, outside hitter: Had 322 digs, 294 kills and 36 aces. Indiana Junior All-Star, all-district.
Lake Central’s Kailey Skurka serves during a Duneland Athletic Conference match against Crown Point in St. John on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune)
HONORABLE MENTION
Ava Bercot, Illiana Christian, senior, defensive specialist
Isabella Borrero, Illiana Christian, senior, setter
Liliana Chorba, Hanover Central, sophomore, libero
Avery Diener, Kankakee Valley, sophomore, outside hitter
Gabrielle Diener, Kankakee Valley, senior, setter
Nora Edgerton, Hanover Central, junior, outside hitter
Alissa Hope, Hobart, junior, middle blocker
Izabela Schumacher, Wheeler, junior, outside hitter
Lily Simpson, Valparaiso, junior, defensive specialist
Elizabeth Skubisz, Bishop Noll, sophomore, outside hitter
Erin Stewart, Kouts, senior, outside hitter
Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/21/2025-post-tribune-girls-volleyball-all-area-team/
Justicia de Perú ordena 5 meses de cárcel para ex primera ministra asilada en embajada de México
Associated Press
LIMA (AP) — La justicia de Perú ordenó el viernes cinco meses de prisión preventiva y la captura nacional e internacional de la ex primera ministra Betssy Chávez, quien recibió asilo de México a inicios de noviembre y se encuentra en la embajada de ese país en Lima.
El juez supremo Juan Carlos Checkley aceptó un pedido de la fiscalía para que se modifique la comparecencia con restricciones de la que gozaba Chávez por una prisión preventiva luego de que la ex primera ministra incumpliera las reglas de conducta a las que estaba sometida en libertad y se asilara en la embajada mexicana.
Chávez está acusada de coautora del delito de rebelión por su participación el 7 de diciembre de 2022 cuando el expresidente Pedro Castillo (2021-2022) dispuso la disolución del Congreso, lo que finalmente derivó en su destitución.
Perú rompió relaciones con México tras el asilo concedido a Chávez e informó a inicios de esta semana que había resuelto “demorar” la decisión de concederle un salvoconducto para que abandone el país hacia México hasta que consulte con países miembros de la OEA sobre una convención de asilo.
Perú sostiene que en el caso de Chávez la Convención de Caracas se ha usado de forma “indebida” porque la ex primera ministra está acusada de un delito común y no es víctima de una persecución política.
Días después de que México le otorgó el asilo a Chávez el Congreso peruano declaró persona no grata a la presidenta mexicana Claudia Sheinbaum en rechazo a lo que legisladores calificaron como una “reiterada injerencia” en los asuntos internos del país sudamericano.
México objetó la decisión de los congresistas peruanos y dijo en un comunicado, difundido por la Cancillería, que la medida estaba motivada por “planteamientos falsos”.
Arqueólogos descubren un sarcófago romano de 1.700 años en Budapest
Por JUSTIN SPIKE
BUDAPEST, Hungría (AP) — Un sarcófago romano notablemente bien conservado fue desenterrado en la capital de Hungría, ofreciendo una inusual ventana a la vida de la joven mujer en su interior y al mundo que habitaba hace unos 1.700 años.
Arqueólogos del Museo de Historia de Budapest descubrieron el ataúd de piedra caliza durante una excavación a gran escala en Óbuda, un distrito al norte de la ciudad que una vez formó parte de Aquincum, un bullicioso asentamiento romano en la frontera del Danubio.
Intacto de saqueadores y sellado durante siglos, el sarcófago fue encontrado con su tapa de piedra aún fija en su lugar, asegurada por abrazaderas de metal y plomo fundido. Cuando los investigadores levantaron cuidadosamente la tapa, descubrieron un esqueleto completo rodeado por decenas de artefactos.
“La peculiaridad del hallazgo es que era un sarcófago herméticamente sellado. No fue perturbado previamente, por lo que estaba intacto”, explicó Gabriella Fényes, la arqueóloga principal de la excavación.
El ataúd yacía entre las ruinas de casas abandonadas en un barrio de Aquincum desocupado en el siglo III y más tarde reutilizado como cementerio. Cerca, los investigadores descubrieron un acueducto romano y ocho tumbas más simples, pero ninguna se acercaba a la riqueza o condición prístina de la tumba sellada.
Siguiendo las costumbres funerarias romanas, el sarcófago contenía varios objetos: dos vasos de vidrio completamente intactos, figuras de bronce y 140 monedas. Un alfiler de hueso para el cabello, una pieza de joyería de ámbar y rastros de tela con hilos de oro, junto con el tamaño del esqueleto, indican que la tumba pertenecía a una joven.
Fényes comentó que los objetos eran “artículos que sus familiares dieron a la fallecida para su viaje eterno”.
“La fallecida fue enterrada con mucho cuidado por sus familiares. Debieron haber amado mucho a quien enterraron aquí”, expresó.
Durante el período romano, gran parte de lo que hoy es Hungría formaba la provincia de Panonia, cuya frontera corría a lo largo de la orilla derecha del río Danubio a menos de 1,6 kilómetros (1 milla) del sitio. A poca distancia se encontraba un campamento legionario que custodiaba la frontera del imperio, y se cree que las estructuras recién encontradas formaban parte del asentamiento civil que creció a su alrededor.
Antropólogos examinarán ahora los restos de la joven, un proceso que se espera revele más sobre su edad, salud y orígenes. Pero incluso ahora, la ubicación de la tumba y la abundancia de artefactos ofrecen pistas contundentes.
“El sarcófago y su contenido definitivamente lo hacen destacar”, indicó Gergely Kostyál, especialista en el período romano y colíder del proyecto. “Esto probablemente significa que la fallecida era acomodada o de un estatus social más alto”.
“Es realmente inusual encontrar un sarcófago como este, intacto y nunca antes usado, porque en el siglo IV era común reutilizar sarcófagos anteriores”, añadió. “Es bastante claro que este fue hecho específicamente para la fallecida”.
Los excavadores también retiraron una capa de barro de aproximadamente 4 centímetros (1,5 pulgadas) de grosor del interior del ataúd que Fényes espera pueda contener más tesoros.
“Sospecho que podríamos encontrar joyas. No hemos encontrado pendientes u otras joyas pertenecientes a la mujer, así que espero que estos pequeños objetos aparezcan durante el tamizado del barro”, manifestó.
Para Fényes, el descubrimiento del sarcófago romano no solo tiene un significado científico, sino que también ofrece una visión emocionalmente resonante de la devoción mostrada por las personas en un tiempo antiguo.
“Me conmovió mucho el cuidado y la expresión de amor que pudimos vislumbrar”, dijo. “Incluso ahora, me estremezco al pensar lo doloroso que debió haber sido para las personas de esa época enterrar a esta joven dama”.
______
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Christmas, holiday events in Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook, Glencoe, Winnetka
Starting now, Chicago’s North Shore suburbs are offering an abundance of twinkling lights, photos with Santa, Christmas tree lightings, carolers, gingerbread, cocoa, menorah lightings, holiday teas, skating, concerts and more. Here’s a list to get you into the merry mood of the holidays.
Nov. 14 through Jan. 4
Lightscape at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. A 1.3 mile walking trail featuring designer-curated holiday lights, art and music, with festive treats available. chicagobotanic.org/lightscape
Willow Hill Lights, 1350 Willow Road, Northbrook. Opens nightly at 5 p.m. A 2.5 mile drive-through holiday lights show. $40 per car. Advance purchase recommended, some tickets available at venue. Entrance is on Willow Road, west of Route 43 and in between I-94 and I-294. willowhilllights.com
Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Dec. 7
Santa’s Mailbox, Mallinckrodt Park Gazebo, 1041A Ridge Rd., Wilmette. Drop a letter to Santa with a self-addressed stamped envelope in the magical mailbox, receive a reply. Free.
Friday, Nov. 28
Glencoe’s Annual Light the Lights Festival, downtown Glencoe. Lighting Ceremony on Village Court at 5 p.m.,
live music, meet the characters of “Frozen,” trackless train rides, photos with Santa at Writers Theatre , live reindeer,
Writers Theatre bar and live music, crafts at Glencoe Public Library, tunnel of lights connecting Park Avenue and Tudor Court. villageofglencoe.org/
Nov. 28 and continuing
Fresh Christmas and holiday trees, daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Historic Wagner Farm, 1510 Wagner Road, Glenview.
Dress up your home and yard with the Farm’s cut
holiday trees and wreaths. All sales help to support the animals on the Farm. glenviewparks.org.
Saturday, Nov. 29
Holiday in the Park & Parade 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Follow the parade down Glenview Road from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church going west to Jackman Park, 1011 Lehigh Avenue, Glenview. Festivities in the park include a visit with Santa, hay rides, a train ride for kids, carolers, cookies, hot chocolate and popcorn.
A snow machine was popular at Jackman Park during the Nov. 30, 2024 Holiday in the Park and Parade in downtown Glenview. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
Thursday, Dec. 4
Holiday Sip & Shop, 4 to 7:00 p.m. Downtown Wilmette. Enjoy shopping, in-store promotions, refreshments, and festive cheer at participating downtown merchants. Free gift wrapping. https://www.wilmettekenilworth.com/
Friday, Dec. 5
Winnetka Annual Tree Lighting, 5 p.m., Dwyer Park, near the intersection of Elm and Birch, Winnetka. Visits with Santa, caroling, hot chocolate, shopping at downtown businesses. wngchamber.com
Saturday, Dec. 6
Holiday Craft Fair, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Techny Prairie Activity Center, 180 Anets Drive, Northbrook. Browse new and handmade jewelry, arts, crafts, kitchen items, pens, etc. Free admission for shoppers, free hot chocolate.
Flapjacks & Flannels, 9 to 11 a.m. Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St., Evanston. Families will enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast, festive winter crafts and a visit with Santa. $10 for youth/$15 for adults. Register at cityofevanston.org/recreation.
Festival of Trees, 4 to 6 p.m., Park Center, 2400 Chestnut Ave., Glenview. View the decorated trees and vote for your favorites. Take pictures with Santa Claus and The Grinch. Enjoy carolers, children’s crafts and activities. $5; children ages 2 and under are free. glenviewparks.org
Holiday Happenings in Wilmette. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wilmette Village Green and various locations. Visit with Santa, enjoy a giant snow globe, curling in Ouilmette Way, live performances, and New Trier carolers. See a showing of “Elf” at the Wilmette Theatre. At 9 a.m., enjoy a Frozen Character Breakfast at Convito Café (reservations required: 847-251-3653 or convitomanager@gmail.com). Caroling, cocoa, and the annual tree lighting take place at 5 p.m. on Village Green. wilmette.gov/745/Holiday-Events-2025
Downtown Evanston Tree Lighting, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Fountain Square, Evanston. Includes performances from the Evanston Children’s Choir, Evanston Folk Choir and others, followed by visits with Santa at The Merion, 1611 Chicago Ave., Evanston. downtownevanston.org/treelighting
Friday, Dec. 5-Saturday, Dec. 6
Adult Gingerbread House Workshop, 7 p.m. Lakeview Center, Wilmette. Build an artisan gingerbread house with BYOB beverages, refreshments. R-$49 / NR-$61, age 21+. Register at wilmettepark.org
Saturday, Dec. 6 – Sunday, Dec. 7
Chicagoland Holiday Bookstore Trolley. Climb aboard a holiday trolley for a festive ride, stopping at indie bookstores along your route! Our first ever Chicagoland Holiday Bookstore Trolley brings together 43 indie bookstores across the city and suburbs. Route 1: 9:30 a.m. Dec. 6 tour begins and ends at Bookends & Beginnings 1620 Orrington Ave, Evanston. Route 3: 10:30 a.m. Dec. 7 tour begins and ends at The Book Stall, 811 Elm St, Winnetka.
Family Gingerbread House Workshops, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Community Recreation Center, Wilmette. Create a holiday house, decorate it with frosting and sweets.
R-$49 / NR-$61, age 3+. Register at wilmettepark.org.
Saturday, Dec. 6-Saturday, Dec. 20
Breakfast with Santa, Various times and dates. The Lawn Grill at Wilmette Golf Club, 3900 Fairway Dr., Wilmette. Enjoy breakfast, photos with Santa, a goodie bag and hot chocolate decorating. Adults R-$41/NR-$51, Children 3-17 R-$20/NR-$25, age 2 and under free. Register at wilmettepark.org.
Santa and all his helpers wave to the crowd at the Wilmette Holiday Parade in a previous year. (Pioneer Press)
Sunday, Dec. 7
Welcome to Winter, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Weinberg Family Recreation Center, 305 Randolph, Glencoe. Enjoy Happy Land Mini Golf on ice, skating, games, music, and refreshments! Free for passholders; $24 for non-passholders. Learn more at glencoeparkdistrict.com
Shine: A Chanukah Celebration, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Techny Prairie Activity Center, 180 Anets Drive, Northbrook
Music, cookie decorating, crafts. $15/$19 residents/nonresidents. Register at nbparks.org.
Breakfast with Santa. 11:30 a.m. Glenview Park Golf Club, 800 Shermer Rd., Glenview. Meet Santa and enjoy an Italian-inspired breakfast from Coarse Italian. $50 adults; $25 for children 11 and under (plus tax and gratuity). Children under 2 free. 847-657-3200 for reservations.
Holiday Teas at Evanston History Center. 225 Greenwood St., Evanston. Family tea at 10:30 a.m., adults-only tea at 4 p.m. $10-$40. evanstonhistorycenter.org/events/
Thursday, Dec. 11- Sunday, Dec. 14
The Nutcracker, Various times. Community Recreation Center, Wilmette. The beloved holiday production is presented by Wilmette Center for the Arts. $13 reserved seating. Register at wilmettepark.org.
Friday, Dec. 12
Visit and photos with Santa. Timeslots between 4 to 8 p.m., Weinberg Family Recreation Center, 305 Randolph, Glencoe. Picture times are scheduled every 10 minutes and families can gather for a group photo within a single time slot. $15/$20 R/NR per group. Register for Activity #220321 at glencoeparkdistrict.com.
Senior Holiday Party, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunset Ridge Country Club, 2100 Sunset Ridge Road, Northfield. Enjoy a delicious lunch (three choices) amidst beautiful decorations, a raffle with holiday prizes and live music by Maureen Christine. Ages 55 and up. $65 Senior Center members, $85 nonmembers. Register at nbparks.org.
Christmas Candlelight Tours, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., The Grove, 1421 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview. Step back into time to discover the sights and sounds of a traditional 19th
century family Christmas. Guests will be ushered through the festively adorned, candlelit rooms of the 1856 Kennicott House by a historically-dressed guide. Tours end with a visit and small gift from Santa. $12/$15 resident/non-resident.
Register at glenviewparks.org.
Friday, Dec. 12- Sunday, Dec.14
Nutcracker on Ice. Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.; Dec.13 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main St., Evanston. Attend the 50th anniversary of Evanston’s Nutcracker on Ice with stars from the present and past. $12. Tickets at cityofevanston.org/recreation or at the performance.
Saturday, Dec. 13
Downtown Skokie Holiday Cookie Walk, 1 to 3 p.m. Visit 20 downtown Skokie locations and receive a unique Christmas/holiday cookie at each. Start at FLX Move, 5117 Brown St., Skokie. $36.35, benefits Skokie Community Foundation. downtownskokie.community/cookiewalk
Saturday, Dec. 13 – Sunday, Dec. 14
Northbrook Community Theatre Presents: ‘A Christmas Chaos.’ Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook. When the Royal Shakespeare Company fails to show up for their performance of “A Christmas
Carol” in Northbrook, it is up to a rag-tag bunch of community members to put on the full production with only five minutes’ notice! Fun for the whole family. Tickets $17 at nbparks.org.
Sunday, Dec. 14
Holiday Exhibition, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Centennial Ice Rinks, 2300 Old Glenview Rd., Wilmette. Cheer on skaters at a festive holiday showcase. Free, all ages.
Log Cabin Christmas, The Grove, 1421 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview. Enjoy an evening filled with a crackling fire, holiday songs, tree decorating and games. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
$10/$12 resident/non-resident. glenviewparks.org.
Menorah Lighting, 5:30 p.m. Wilmette Village Hall, 1200 Wilmette Ave., Wilmette. Features the Wilmette Junior High Choir, hot cocoa, a 12-foot menorah, songs, stilt walker.
Wednesday, Dec. 17
The Great Holiday Wrap-Up, Noon to 6 p.m. Mallinckrodt Center, 1041A Ridge Rd., Wilmette. Drop off up to 10 gifts for wrapping; free with non-perishable food pantry donation.
Thursday, Dec. 18
Cultural Carousel, 5 to 7 p.m., Takiff Center, 999 Green Bay Road, Glencoe. Dive into festive winter activities like making a snowman, decorating holiday cookies, and building a LEGO® dreidel. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. $13/$16 R/NR. Register for Activity #220838 at glencoeparkdistrict.com.
Friday, Dec. 19
‘Tis the Season Bingo, 1:30 to 3 p.m., Northbrook Senior Center, 3323 Walters Ave., Northbrook. Bingo, treats and prizes with friends. Wear festive attire to spin the wheel and possibly win a holiday treat. Light refreshments. Ages 55 and up. $6 Senior Center members, $19 nonmembers.
Register at nbparks.org.
Women of Note: Happy Holidays, 2:30 p.m. Mallinckrodt Center, 1041A Ridge Rd., Wilmette. Enjoy a free holiday performance by the Women of Note chorus followed by light refreshments.
Winter Solstice Parade of Lights, 5 to 6 p.m., Shelton Park (251 Harbor Street, Glencoe). Decorate yourself, pets or strollers with lights for a festive stroll down the Green Bay Trail, ending with songs, hot chocolate, and refreshments by the fire pit. Learn more at glencoeparkdistrict.com. Free.
Left, Meridith Clement of Glencoe, FGBT trustee, addresses the audience. In the foreground is an illuminated stroller with parent Mariah Cunnick of Winnetka and children Ava Scovil, 2, and sibling Charlie Scovil, 1, at the ninth annual Winter Solstice Trail of Lights event and parade on Dec. 20, 2024 in Glencoe at Shelton Park. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
Saturday, Dec. 20
Santa Paws Pop-Up Holiday Dog Photos, Village Green Center, 1810 Walters Ave., Northbrook. What’s cuter than your dog posing for a photo with Santa? Receive a doggie goodie bag and five-minute photo time slot. Dogs must be on a leash. Northbrook Park District staff can assist with capturing the perfect shot on your phone. $7 per dog. Register at nbparks.org.
Winter Solstice Bonfire, 7 to 8:30 p.m.Lighthouse Beach, 2603 Sheridan Road, Evanston. Learn about the winter solstice and traditions and enjoy s’mores and cocoa. $19.52. Register at cityofevanston.org/recreation.
Dec. 22 to Jan. 2
Winter Break Fun. The Northbrook Park District offers camp plus field trips for ages 5 to 13 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the school holiday break. Camp takes place at Greenbriar Gym, 1225 Greenbriar Lane, Northbrook. Field trip destinations include Kids Empire, ClimbZone and Enchanted Castle. Additional afternoon care is available from 3 to 6 p.m. Visit nbparks.org/programs/schooldayoff.
Wednesday, Dec. 24
Skate with Santa, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Centennial Ice Rinks, 2300 Old Glenview Rd., Wilmette. Enjoy cocoa and skating. $5 with food donation, standard fees otherwise, all ages.
Friday, Dec. 26
Kwanzaa Celebration, 6 p.m. Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main St., Evanston. Commemorate Kwanzaa by joining in an African Drum Circle, watching dance performances, enjoying food, and more. Free for all. No registration required.
