This December, one of Chicago’s most beautiful historic mansions is turning into a holiday dream. The Driehaus Museum has teamed up with The Joffrey Ballet to launch “Drie-cember,” a month-long celebration of holiday programs for the whole family, headlined by a brand-new Nutcracker-inspired installation.
On view from December 2 through January 3, the immersive installation fills the first-floor galleries of the 1883 Nickerson Mansion with World’s Fair memorabilia, souvenirs, and printed materials drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection. Gleaming treasures from the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company and Gorham Manufacturing Company bring the Gilded Age to life in spectacular fashion.
The installation was created in partnership with The Joffrey Ballet and draws inspiration from Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker, which takes the stage at the Lyric Opera House from December 4 to 27 — a production reimagined around the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Together, the two beloved institutions are telling Chicago’s history through the magic of the season.
Families will love Santa Saturday and Sunday on December 12 and 13, with story time led by costumed dancers from Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, a World’s Fair scavenger hunt, and festive photo opportunities in the mansion’s decked halls. The month also includes a Holiday Market on December 5, a cozy Carols and Cocoa sing-along on December 13, a December Lights concert on December 16, and the current exhibition Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History.
It is the perfect holiday outing for families, art lovers, and anyone who wants to experience Chicago history wrapped in sparkle.
Photo: Lmh9y6, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
