“Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all the way…” Did you hear that? That’s the music of a dreamscape opening her arms to embrace you. Quietly, the Historic Medinah Temple in Chicago has turned into an artistic collaboration. Filled with sculptures, mural arts, and an iconic kaleidoscope ice cave, Sleigh Bells is now the hottest holiday pop-up in town.
What is Sleigh Bells? Simply put, it’s a pop-up experience put together by a bunch of passionate artists, showcasing the coolest artwork, murals, sculptures, and installations related to Christmas for a limited time this year in the renowned historic Medinah Temple of Chicago.
“Chicago is home to a variety of Christmas markets, holiday themed bars and pop-ups, but we wanted to present a totally unique experience that stands out from the rest by using lighting, technology, projection and art to put the spotlight on local Chicago culture,” says Superfrüit’s John Schroeder.
Walking into the Medinah Temple, we were instantly transported to the North Pole. Following the road signs, we walked across a flashing light dome, announcing the official entrance of Santa’s reign. “Where’s Santa?” A perplexed elf ran by, “Could you let me know if you see him? Follow the beer cans!” And that got us in the Holiday mood right away (wouldn’t you too?) — supposedly our Santa had a bit of a drinking problem. But hey, didn’t we all?
As we ventured deeper into a land nobody had ever been, we were so impressed — seriously, this must be the most developed and systematic North Pole we’d ever seen? There was a whole infrastructure here! Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, the elf’s workshop (with miniature tools!), Santa’s armory (wait, what!? Apparently being Santa is a dangerous job!). The coolest part? Each structure, sculpture, and mural was created by a local artist, many of whom cannot be more familiar to the public ears: Birdmilk, Matr, Eva Lucia, Jeremy Stefen… So come down to Sleigh Bells, and let’s play spot an artist.
Finally, the most iconic stop throughout Sleigh Bells — the Kaleidoscope cave. Trust us, pictures cannot do this place justice because of how the colors were contorted with the laser lights and the mirror surroundings. You must experience this yourself to understand why everyone was making so much buzz about it.
Starting with a giant throne full of Narnia’s Ice Queen vibe, we turned around and headed into a crystal tunnel. Then the view opened, and here it was, the most fun, bedazzling, trippy moment throughout the pop up — a cave made with mirrors from ceiling to floor, decorated with glittery Christmas ribbons, where colorful lights shower down everywhere with a northern star hanging in the center to guide our way.
Image Credit: UrbanMatter Chicago
So, if you haven’t got your tickets for Sleigh Bells, this is your last chance as we’re heading into the final week of the pop-up! Treat yourself to interactive art, an outer space experience, and tons of Instagrammable moments, and don’t forget to grab a specialty brew from the bar. Tickets are available via Fever Up Events. Guests are recommended to arrive 10 min early. Face coverings are required throughout the experience.
Featured Image Credit: UrbanMatter Chicago
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