15 January Events in Chicago Suburbs Worth Going Out For

15 January Events in the Chicago Suburbs Worth Going Out For

January can be a tough month with a bit of a holiday letdown. Fortunately, there are some fabulous events in the Chicago suburbs and surrounding areas to go out for! Here are some fun events coming up in January to inspire you to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air:

• Ice Sculpting at Chicago Botanic Garden January 5 & 6 11AM and 2PM in the Runnells Courtyard, parking $25 per car. You can also check out the Wonderland Express but check ticket prices for that.
• Chilly Open, Arlington Lakes Golf Club, 8:45AM-3PM, January 12 all ages welcome, variety of choices of number of holes, indoor mini golf, raffles, all you can eat chili and more, $25 per player for 3-6 holes, $35 for more, must pre-register.
• Frosty Fest at Bittersweet Golf Course in Gurnee on January 12 10:30AM-1:00PM. Ice sculpting (live sculpting and interactive play), horse drawn carriage rides, dog sled demos, festive winter games and more, free.
• Vernon Hill's Winter Fest: January 12 Vernon Hills Winter Fest at Century Park Pavilion from 11AM-2PM. Ice sculpting, sled hill, sled dogs, ice rink, s'mores, carriage rides and more fun for the whole family. Some activities are weather permitting. Admission is free.
• Winterfest at Volo Bog January 13. Visit the Volo Bog from 12PM-4PM for an afternoon of live music, winter nature crafts, bog tours,cross country skiing, snow sculpting contest (weather permitting), hot cocoa and more. Admission is free but donations are welcome.
• Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition at Sinnissippi Park in Rockford January 16-19. Witness the snow sculpting talents of area snow sculptors. Viewing is daily  from sunrise until 10:30PM. Admission is free but donations are welcome***Date has been changed to Feb 6-9***
• Enchanted Railroad at The Morton Arboretum: January 18-February 24 The Morton Arboretum in Lisle will be hosting its annual Enchanted Railroad event. The display is quite intricate and families will enjoy picking out a variety of miniatures. Get out outside and enjoy the Gnome Hunt in the Children's Garden or discover the trolls. Admission rates apply.
• Winter Carnival in Northbrook January 19 11:00AM-1:30PM at Village Green Park. Horse-drawn trolleys, singalongs, crafts, a DJ, hot cocoa and more fun will be available for families. Admission is free.
• Snow Day Festival at Plum Creek Forest Preserve in Beecher, 12PM-4PM, ice sculpting, campfire and s'mores, visits from Anna and Elsah, Frozen shown indoors, a variety of other outdoor and indoor activities, free.
• Spring Valley Winter Fest January 19 & 20 at Spring Valley Nature Center in Schaumburg. Snowshoeing, horse drawn wagon rides, marshmallow roasting, visits from a live wolf and coyote and more fun will brighten your winter day. The event is 12PM-3PM each day and costs $3 pp. 
• Family Winter Scavenger Hunt and Campfire January 26 at Trailside in River Forest, 1PM-2:30PM, hunt for signs of animal and plant life in winter, warm up with s'mores and a campfire, $2 per person.
• Norge Ski Jump in Fox River Grove January 26 & 27. A exhilarating ski jumping tournament and true and traditional Illinois experience! Event runs 12PM-4PM each day with gates opening at 11AM. Tickets are $15 at the door, $10 at select local merchants and $11 online. Kids 12 and under are free. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. We usually pack a lunch to eat in the lot, there are a few items for purchase including chili.
• Husky Heroes: January 26-27 The Morton Arboretum. Husky sled dogs demonstrate sled-pulling and skijoring. You can check out equipment, meet sled dogs and learn about adopting huskies. There will also be a wildlife photo exhibit. Free with regular Arboretum admission.
• Winterfest in Lake Geneva January 26-February 3. The event's focus is the US Snow Sculpting Championship (January 30-February 2). Other events include the Human Dog Sled Race, Cocoa Crawl, Amazing Ice Castles, chili cook off and more. See schedule for details.
• Bald Eagle Watch Weekend at Starved Rock in Utica January 26-27. The event includes a variety of hikes, kids activities, talks and birds of prey shows. There are some advance ticket sales. Day of is free admission but first come first serve to shows without tickets. There is a trolley that can take you from place to place for $2 per person.

**Please check and make sure the event is still running before going out in case there have been changes due to the weather.