Stranger Things Holiday Pop-Up Takes Over Replay Lincoln Park With Hawkins Christmas Magic

Chicago has officially torn a hole in reality, and it’s glowing with Christmas lights.

This holiday season, Replay Lincoln Park flips the switch and drops visitors straight into Hawkins with “Stranger Christmas: A Hawkins Holiday”, a full-blown Stranger Things pop-up that feels like Santa crash-landed in the Upside Down and decided to stay awhile. Running now through December 31, the experience celebrates the highly anticipated final season of Stranger Things by wrapping 80s nostalgia, neon glow, and festive chaos into one seriously binge-worthy destination.

From the moment you step inside, Replay hums like an arcade cabinet left on too long. Vintage games blink and beep like they’re possessed, while walls drip with Hawkins-inspired décor, holiday lights flicker like something’s about to crawl through them, and the spirit of the season gets a synth-heavy remix. It’s less “Silent Night” and more “Running Up That Hill… in a Christmas sweater.”

Replay doesn’t just dress the set. They build the world. Themed cocktails channel your favorite characters with enough kick to make you feel like you’ve gone twelve rounds with a Demogorgon. Every corner offers a photo op begging for Instagram immortality, whether you’re striking a pose in Hawkins High or mugging for the camera like you just escaped the Upside Down by inches.

The programming keeps things rolling all season long. Trivia nights every Thursday separate the casual fans from the true Hawkins heads, while Sunday live screenings turn Replay into the ultimate communal watch party, where gasps, cheers, and collective nostalgia fill the room like static on a walkie-talkie.

And because no trip to Hawkins is complete without costumes, a cosplay contest is coming soon, inviting fans to show up as Eleven, Dustin, Max, Vecna, or even a holiday-ready Demogorgon. Ugly Christmas sweaters encouraged. Psychic nosebleeds optional.

Replay’s Stranger Things holiday takeover is equal parts fan service, festive fever dream, and joyful throwback. It’s a reminder that pop culture doesn’t just live on screens. Sometimes, it strings itself up with Christmas lights, hands you a cocktail, and invites you to hang out until the portal closes.

Call it nostalgia. Call it fandom. Call it the Upside Down dressed for the holidays. Whatever you call it, Hawkins has landed in Lincoln Park, and Chicago is all the better for it.

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