Generations of families have kicked off the holiday season in Chicago with a trip to Macy’s —formerly Marshall Field’s — store on State Street, peeking at animated window displays before visiting the 45-foot-tall, 3,000-pound decorated tree at the center of the Walnut Room restaurant.
© Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune/TNS
Katherine Nguyen, left, owner of Building Blocks Toy Store, helps shopper Erica Ozbek find a gift for a toddler at the store on Aug. 31, 2020, in Chicago.
The coronavirus pandemic won’t stop a tradition that began 113 years ago: The Walnut Room, closed since March, opens Nov. 7. But where diners used to stand in a rope line to wait for a table, this year, they will need to plan ahead.

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Macy’s is requiring reservations and will start taking bookings on OpenTable this week. To limit crowds, only groups having a meal will be able to