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.
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.”
