News

Done. Ready For Next Year.

After nearly two weeks of re-organization, our Ivan Carlson Elves had not only re-organized & re-prepped everything, but we also tackled designing the theme trees for NEXT year’s Winter WonderFest. Whoo-hoo!!! The decorations for each theme tree are packed up, stacked on skids, wrapped, labeled and waiting for another year. Kinda like the scene at • Read More »


Glitter & Gold at Navy Pier

The Sales & Events Team at Chicago’s Navy Pier hosted some of the area’s finest DMC’s for a luncheon in the Grand Ballroom. Guests were surrounded by glitter & gold as they were dazzled with the possibilities of hosing their next event at Navy Pier. We were proud partner with Navy Pier for this exciting • Read More »


It’s Not Quite Over Yet…

The holidays may have come & gone… but our work at Winter WonderFest is not quite over yet. After weeks of giggling children playing throughout Festival Hall, it was finally time to take everything down again. We had a couple days of careful strike & deconstruction Our team of Elves promptly moved into “organization mode.” • Read More »


Cruisin’ To The Holiday Party

Not every corporate holiday party has to be traditional red & green with Santa! And luckily, we have a wonderful client that hosts some of the best Holiday Parties EVER!!! This year, the theme was a Holiday Cruise… and all of the crazy antics you might run across along the way! The Park West was • Read More »


An Annual Favorite From Around The World

It’s a yearly tradition for Santas From Around The World to make an appearance at Navy Pier’s Winter WonderFest. This year eight Santas from eight different countries were featured. Special thanks to our favorite milliner & costume maker Laura Whitlock for her help in making our Santas look incredible. We love having Laura as part • Read More »


Getting Into The Holiday Swing

New this year down at Navy Pier’s Winter WonderFest is a chilly miniature golf course in the Lobby area for the kids to play… and their parents too. A frozen golf course complete with polar bears, penguins, igloos & reindeer. Families are encouraged stop by the Pro Shop to grab their foam golf clubs and • Read More »


Not Your Normal Christmas Trees

The Ivan Carlson Elves have been working hard getting ready for the holidays. And for the fourteenth year, we we thrilled to again be part of the magic at Navy Pier’s Winter WonderFest. One our favorite design challenges every year is coming up with thirty different theme trees. Each year, we re-design & re-employ the • Read More »


Home For The Holidays

After doing so many large-scale Christmas decor projects, it’s always refreshing to get back to “reality” and decorate a private residence. Nothing too huge. Nothing over-the-top. Just pretty decorations appropriate for the home. And that’s one less task for the family to deal with during this hectic holiday season. The chandelier in the Dining Room • Read More »


Mayor Burl Evergreen

The Mayor has decreed… Winter WonderTown is open! Yep, Mayor Burl Evergreen has declared that Winter WonderTown is open to children of all ages. Stroll through the quaint holiday town and interact with all of the festive residents. Meet the Mayor, sing with strolling carolers, or even do some calisthenics at the gym. But by • Read More »


Take A Ride On Reindeer Express

While playing at Navy Pier’s Winter WonderFest, children of all ages have the chance to take a leisurely train ride aboard “The Reindeer Express.” Travel through a cute village of shops to see what’s going on “up North.” The kids even get to ride around Santa’s House, exit through the Train Depot and then sit • Read More »