Take a magical adventure to a winter wonderland of twinkling lights and holiday beauty at the Chicago Botanic Garden! Outside, 750,000 lights sparkle and welcome you and your family to the Garden's wonderland. Inside the Regenstein Center, a 10,000-square-foot exhibition of miniature trains winds through more than 80 small replicas of Chicago-area landmarks, including Navy Pier, Soldier Field, Chicago Stadium, the Chinatown Arch, the Art Institute, and much more!

In addition to the Wonderland Express exhibition, the Joutras Gallery will feature decorated trees and a gingerbread village display. Visitors will also see the handiwork of Garden staff at the wreath display and sale in the Greenhouse Gallery.

Burnstein Hall will host Family Drop-in Activities where families with children of all ages can explore snowflakes, discover conifers, and create small bird feeders. Children will take their craft home!  

For more information on the schedule for family drop-in activities, caroling performances and tickets to the Wonderland Express and its special events, such as Supper with Santa and Hanukkah Dinner, visit the Chicago Botanic Garden website. 

Start a new family tradition at Chicagoland's largest light festival featuring over one million twinkling lights, animated light displays and a laser light show!   

Many of the zoo's indoor exhibits will be open for viewing favorite animals, including the newest, Great Bear Wilderness. In addition, the zoo restaurants and food stands will be open with full menus and holiday treats, and gift shops will have hundreds of unique items for those hard-to-shop-for loved ones.

Enjoy a full schedule of nightly music and entertainment in the Pavilions. Outside enjoy nightly ice carving and an amazing magic show. Then step inside the Holly Jolly Theater and enjoy Those Funny Little People, local choirs and many more holiday themed performances.   

And, of course, Santa will be here every evening through December 18th to hear children's wishes!

To download the full schedule of entertainment and activities at Holiday Magic, including carolers, cookie decorating and zoo chats, please visit Brookfield Zoo's website.     

• Evening Owl Hike - Join us for an informative talk about these nocturnal hunters. Afterwards we'll take a look for these unique predators. Registration Required. Friday December 16 at 7pm

• Who-o-o-o's Out There - Discover the curious world of owls. We'll take a close-up look at these nocturnal hunters to identify survival adaptations and examine owl pellets. Registration required.  Sunday, December 11 at 1pm

• Wonderful Winter Wildlife - Our Forest Preserve's wild residents must sleep, go somewhere else, or make other changes to survive winter. Come to find out more about seasonal survival.  December 11 & 18 at 1:30pm

•  Nightlife Winter Solstice Celebration - Join us for a magical night with a walk at the beginning of winter. Then warm up with snacks and hot chocolate. Registration required; $2.00 per person.  Friday, December 16 at 7pm  

• Somme Woods Winter Solstice - Join volunteers around a bonfire.  For further information log onto www.northbranchrestoration.org.  Sunday, December 18 at 2pm    

For more information on the contact information and directions to the nature centers, please visit the Forest Preserve District website.  You can also download a copy of all December events in the Forest Preserve District here.    

The Cook County Board approved the following items at last week's County Board Meeting: 

New Trier Township

• Approved variation to increase height of two existing brick pillars from 3 feet to 3.6 feet in the R-3 Single Family Residence District. The Subject property consists of 1 acre located on the north side of Woodley Road, approximately 2,149 feet west of Locust Road.

Northfield Township  

• Approved variation to reduce right side yard setback from 10 feet to 1 foot (existing) for an attached garage addition in the R-5 Single Family Residence District. The subject property consists of approximately 0.33 acre, located on the west side of Elmdale Road, approximately 145 feet north of Central Road.

• Approved change in plans and extra work on Lake-Cook Road, East of Wilmot Road to Pfingsten Road in the Village of Deerfield. This change represents the difference between estimates and actual quantities of work performed, with increases in patching, curb and gutter, pavement removal and replacement, diamond grinding of pavement and drainage-related work due to existing field conditions. Adjustment of quantities: $182,664.21 (addition).

Palatine Township  

• Approved Motor Fuel Tax Project Improvement Resolution for Euclid Avenue over the Illinois State Highway 53 (IL-53) in the City of Rolling Meadows. Fiscal Impact: $850,000.00. This improvement will consist of repair of the existing bridge including removal and replacement of all strip seal joints, approach slab repairs, epoxy crack injection.

Wheeling Township  

• Approved change in plans and extra work on Arlington Heights Road, University Drive to Lake-Cook Road in the Village of Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove. This change represents the difference between the estimated quantities and actual field quantities of work performed with a savings due to the box culvert being installed using open cut method, so that the costly sheet piling items could be eliminated. New items were required for additional traffic control, temporary striping, controlled low strength material and value engineering. Water valve related items were added to minimize disruption of water service to residents' water, as requested by the Village of Buffalo Grove, but no included in the original contract. Adjustment of quantities and news items: $12,401.25 (deduction).