These are the updates I just got about Memorial Day Parade and Street Closures in Chicago. If you are planning on attending the Chicago Memorial Day Parade, The JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge Race, The Memorial March, or the Bike the Drive event, check this list first to find out where the streets are closed and where/when the events happen. I hope eveyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend and have a burger from the grill for me!

J. P. MORGAN CHASE CORPORATE CHALLENGE (3.5 miles) on Thursday, 21 May 09, 6pm – 10pm:

This event site will be in Grant Park, Lower Hutchinson Field.

The run will take place on Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Rd to Wacker Drive.

Start time for the run is at 7:10 pm.

Columbus will close at 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm from Roosevelt Rd to Balbo.

Columbus from Balbo to Wacker Drive, as well as the east west streets in this area will remain open for as long as possible to allow for the end of rush hour traffic.

The on site CPD Commander will give the order to close the streets shortly before the race begins.

At the end of the race, as soon as it is safe to do so, Columbus from Balbo to Wacker Drive and the east west streets in the area will be opened.

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE on Saturday, 23 May 09:

The parade route is from Wacker Drive to Van Buren on State Street, step off 12 noon.

State Street and the east west streets along the route will close at 11:30 am.

Wacker Drive will be closed for staging from Wabash to Lake Street at 8:00 am.

Van Buren will be closed for vehicles and disbanding from Michigan to Franklin at 8:00 am.

The parade will last approximately 2 hours and streets will be opened to traffic as soon as it is safe.

BIKE THE DRIVE on Sunday, 24 May 09:

The event site will be in Grant Park, Butler Field the bike route is on Lake Shore Drive.

Lake Shore Drive will be closed to vehicle traffic from 5:00 am to 10:30 am from Hollywood to 63rd Street.

AMERICANS FOR LIFE, LIFE MEMORIAL MARCH on Friday, 22 May 09:

This group will meet at the Thompson Center Plaza; the march will step off at 11:30 am.

A group of 2000 to 3000 people will march south on Clark St to Adams, east on Adams into Federal Plaza.

The group will hold a rally at Federal plaza until approximately 2:30 pm.

During the march traffic will be affected from Wacker Drive to Jackson and State to LaSalle.

As soon as it is safe, streets will be opened to traffic.

Rock out with your _ out.

Lollapalooza Tickets are on Sale now! The Lollapalooza 2009 tickets went on sale today and are available at variable prices with the first come first served lowest price model. Here is how it works. Right now the early bird 3-day pass is $175. That is a great deal for 3 whole days and nights of concerts and bands. Then when those sell out, the advance tickets will be available at $190 each. Then when those advance Lollapalooza 2009 tickets sell out the price may go over $250. Then when all the tickets are sold out (in July) the re-sellers start charging around $350 for 3 day passes. If you are a rich exec or company looking to get VIP access those VIP Tickets are $850! (YIKES!)

Nine inch nails play for the crowd in Grant Park in 2008.

It is in your own best interest to go over to the Lollapalooza.com site and buy the tickets now and get them for around 1/2 price as an early bird. They get sent in the mail closer to the concert festival date so you don’t have to worry if you forget about them, and you don’t have to save up a ton of money later in the summer when there are lots of events going on that fill up the budget.

In this economy I think that the regular Lollapalooza tickets will probably still sell out since it’s such a festival about all kinds of people, music and ideas. People will still want to come together and be a part of the music because it is a unique experience (some call it a big hippie-fest) they can’t find anywhere else. It’s worth it to cut out other high priced items and keep Lollapalooza on your summer todo list or keep it on the agenda to travel to Chicago to see.

The concerts are usually from very popular bands and singers also so most everyone finds a few bands they love and a few new groups they have not heard of yet that they discover. (although somewhat less discovery these days) The lineup for 2009 has not been announced yet, but it is usually expected to have some of the biggest names in music on it. Check back for more details when they become available.

Spring is the time that most people look for an apartment in Chicago. Rental Leases are up and it is the first time for the year that it is warm enough that you can actually move furniture our of one apartment and into a new apartment without freezing. April-June are the high points for most apartment rental searches so that means most people start looking in February, March and April in order to see enough places to make a decision on which lease to sign and where to move to in Chicago by May or June.

There are many ways to start your search for a new apartment in Chicago. If you are moving here from out of town most people find that making an appointment with an apartment rentals listing/finder service is an efficient way to see a lot of apartments over one or two weekends (with a guide) that they visit and then they can make their decisions within a few weeks. This way of searching for a new apartment in Chicago has a higher price though because there is always a finder’s fee involved in the cost of the apartment.

Lots of vintage buildings have apartments available that have charm and character you won't find in new apartment rentals.

Other people prefer to go it alone looking at craigslist or other apartment rentals listing sites (like apartments.com) for individual apartment listings and see the units on their own time schedule. This is more convenient if you already live in the neighborhood and generally you find better deals this way,but it may take 2-3 months to find the right apartment unit. Craigslist has many search options and ways to filter the search results and RSS feeds so you only see what you can afford and most listings have some photos that help you weed out the seedy/gross places. 

A lot of people consider the night life and amenities in a particular Chicago neighborhood to be a large part of their decision on where to find an apartment. Getting around in Chicago with 9.5 million other people isn’t easy, so being as close to work, friends and convenient places to hang out is definitely an asset. The problem is that the places closest to downtown are the most expensive and the places closest to a lot of bars and trendy hangouts in Lincoln Park and Lakeview are also in high demand and therefore cost a lot also.

A typical 1 bedroom apartment floorplan in Chicago

Sometimes you can find better prices on rent for apartments further north in the city like Buena Park, Uptown and Lincoln Square. These neighborhoods have a longer commute if you work downtown, but you can save $200-$300 per month on your rent. Another option may be to rent a condo that someone can’t sell in this bad real estate economy. Many condo owners who have moved or gotten married just want to recoup some of the cash they are paying in monthly mortgage payments so they are usually very negotiable on rental prices. You also get someones home that was probably taken care of much better than a rental unit. A lot of newly rehabbed condos with luxury details are available for rent from individual owners listed on craigslist or other classified sites.  

How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Chicago?

I know people in Lakeview/Lincoln park that pay $750 per month for a 500 sq ft studio apartment without parking, and the price goes up from there. A 1 bedroom might be around $1,200 per month and a 2 bedroom might be around $1,800 especially if you want parking. Extra parking rental spaces can run from $150 – $300 per month depending on where it is located and if it is a garage or not.

A modern apartment that would be typical in Lakeview or Wicker Park neighborhoods in Chicago.

If you go further north the prices drop a few hundred dollars per unit. Also, Oak Park is a convenient alternative where a 1 bedroom might only be $850 per month and the parking is free. Oak Park apartments are still walking distance to the el for commuting to work downtown every day and the suburb is right next to the city so you can enjoy all the nightlife. Other people have found Evanston to be an alternative to living in Chicago and paying high apartment rentals prices. Evanston prices are very comparable to Oak Park and the buildings there are very similar also. The only difference is which train line you take to work. The Purple line instead of the Green line.  

Even cheaper apartment rent yet is available the south side of the city or some of the near west neighborhoods like Humboldt Park in Chicago.These neighborhoods may have lower rent rates for a reason though and it is always important to feel safe in the area that you decide to rent an apartment and live for a few years. Checking the crime reports through the local newspapers online is a good way to assess the situation and decide. 

How much of your income should you spend on rent each month?

A typical starter apartment where someone brings their bikes in because in Chicago cutting the locks & stealing bikes is all too common.

I think the guide to getting approved for a lease is around 25-30% of your monthly after tax income.Don’t forget you have to figure in the cost of utilities, parking, food and transportation also each month on top of rent. Some apartments come with heat or water included in the rent price, but not all of them do. If you find one that does, it is rare. The cost of food and utilities is about 25% more in the city than in the suburbs also. Finding roommates can help share the costs of rent but finding someone you can live with and share a bathroom with can be a serious challenge.

Wherever you decide to live in Chicago I hope this information helps you find the best deal on cheap apartment rent while finding a place you really like to live in. After you find your new apartment that you love you may want to check out whitefence.com for finding the cheapest utilities in your area also.

The Downtown Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 12:00 noon, Saturday March 14th. This year like in many years the Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parade is not held on the actual holiday in order to make it more convenient to attend. (it’s also a fun free thing to do for the holiday) The parade will be held starting at Balbo and Columbus and runs north on Columbus to Monroe.

Taking Public Transportation to the Chicago St Patrick’s Day parade is strongly encouraged since parking is scarce and expensive. Any of the EL loop lines are accessible, get off at the train at Randolph, Madison or Adams and walk east to Columbus. If you are coming in from a Metra line to Union Station, the walk is much further, and you will probably want to take a cab from the station to Columbus. Plus it will most likely be cold, so walking 10 blocks or so isn’t fun when it is that cold. If you are lucky to be coming in to Millennium Station, exit on Lake Street and walk 2 blocks east to Columbus.

Dyeing the Chicago River also happens downtown at 10:45am: Saturday March 14th. You can see the green river dyeing process from the East side of the Chicago River bridge at Columbus Drive or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive. This is a new location due to construction taking place this year. There is all kinds of mystical folklore about leprechauns that surrounds the dyeing of the river but basically the local Journeymen Plumbers use 40 gallons of vegetable dye to change the color of the river for a few hours in celebration and spirit of St Patrick’s Day and Irish Traditions. It is enjoyed by everyone and quite a sight to see in person. Stay downtown for the Parade at Noon.

There is also a2009 Naperville St Patrick’s Day parade on the same day in the SW suburbs. The west suburban residents will be able to celebrate their Irish heritage in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14. The 2009 Naperville St Patrick’s Day parade kicks off at 10 am from Naperville North High School, located at 899 N. Mill Street. The parade moves south on Mill Street, east on Jefferson Avenue, south on Main Street and west on Water Street to the Municipal Center. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is hosted by the West Suburban Irish group. All residents are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item at the parade to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Pantry Charity.

And last but not least, there is the ever popular South Side Irish Parade at noon on Sunday March 15th. This is the parade where people get the most drunk and rowdy although I hear it is a lot tamer than it used to be. If you would like to attend the South Side Irish Parade also, wear your green and go hang out between 103rd-115th Streets and Western Ave. & 103rd St in Chicago, IL 60643. The parade is free and it usually lasts about 2 hours. They actually mention on their website at southsideirishparade.org that this St Patrick’s Day Parade is a celebration of Irish heritage in the Beverly-Morgan Park community on the South Side of Chicago and in order to be respectful of it, please refrain from public drinking in areas where it is not permitted.

Lilly Allen is playing the Riviera Theater on April 12, 2009 at 7:30 pm. Doors will open at the Riviera Theater at 6pm. Tickets can only be purchased at Ticketmaster. (I know, boo for extra fees) Luckily general admission tickets only cost $26.50 to start. Maybe including all the fees the total price will end up being around $40.  Click Here to see the seating chart for the Riviera Theater. A band called Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head will be opening for Lilly Allen. The Lilly Allen concert was originally scheduled for another uptown venue The Vic Theater, but was moved to The Riv when the demand for tickets skyrocketed. This concert is one of only 11 planned for the US and only 7 listed on Ticketmaster. At the time of this post there were general admission tickets still available.

Lilly Allen’s first album “Alright, still” was a great indie music hit in Chicago in 2006-2007 and her new album “It’s not me, it’s you” is currently on sale so the concert tour is in full blast right now. From the songs I have heard on Lilly Allen’s new album (The Fear) the sound is similar but the songs seem more developed and mature. Lilly continues her “the world sucks” themes on this album and I think a lot of people really relate to that. How many times have we all had nothing go right in a week and wondered why this all happens? Lilly’s music is a little bit of everything with her style being considered a blend of retro, urban, ska, and pop genres.

Lilly Allen captures that feeling of young adulthood bewilderment with how the world works around us that many of us feel. She is just really making it big with the music she created in this image. (to get that big of a hit the first time out of the box is rare) I’m glad that she has done well telling it like it is, but now that she is wealthy and famous and decides to get plastered all over the place I wonder how much I still relate. She has had some personal strife to speak of, so maybe that continues to be her inspiration in writing new songs.

Regardless of what you think about Lilly Allen as a person, her music usually still resonates with most people under 35. I bought the last album and will most likelybuy this one too. Check out the concert in person for one of the rare stateside appearances she is making. I hear the concerts are usually peppered with the stories behind the songs and some sry humor so it looks like a great show.  I am not sure Lilly Allen has ever played Chicago before or how long it will be before she does again.

January 26 is Chinese New Year in 2009 and in Chicago there is always a big celebration. Chicago has a large Chinatown on the SW side of the city that has a lot of spectacular traditions and treasures to be discovered if you plan to visit during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Every year in the Chinese (or Lunar) calendar has an animal theme (from the zodiac) with special meaning. 2009 is the year of the Ox. This year is all about prosperity, fortitude and hard work. How fitting considering our current economic situation. People born in a year of the ox (every 12 years) are known to have certain personality traits like being very determined, individualistic and logical people.  

How can you celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chicago there are a few things you can do:

1. You can visit Chicago’s Chinatown area and see the Dragon Dance/Lion Dance in the parade and stay for the fireworks. If you go to dinner in Chinatown the Chamber of commerce has this coupon for 15% off at certain restaurants. Also hereis a downloadable and printable travel brochure and visitor’s guide for visitors to Chinatown. The Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown is scheduled for Sunday February 1 at 1 pm CST on Wentworth from 24th Street to Cermak Road. The The Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade will be celebrating the Lunar New Year and the “Year of the Ox, 4707” with local marching bands, beautiful floats, dancing lion teams, a100’ Mystical Dragon, and a Miss Friendship Ambassador. Many people will be saying “Gung Hay Fat Choi” to everyone there, which means: Best wishes and Congratulations! (for the new year) Parade start time is 1:00PM though there are other activities starting as early as 11:30 am.

2. You can get red envelopes and give them to family. These are traditional ways to gift money (even numbers of bills only, $8 is particularly lucky but don’t use $4, four means death) to suppress the evil spirits during the celebration. Traditionally they are given by parents to children or by married elders to younger unmarried relatives.

3. Check out the Chinese New Year markets (stores) for unique and traditional gifts like flowers, fireworks or clothing. These make more interesting gifts when you go to someone’s house for a Chinese New Year Celebration. Also buy some moon cakes to try, they are beautifully molded mini cakes with different flavored fillings and flavors.

4. Check out the fireworks and if you have some small ones set those off to celebrate too. In Chicago most Fireworks are not legal although small 4th of July fireworks like sparklers and poppers are. If you have any fireworks use them responsibly.

5. Do these things for good luck in the New Year: Open windows or doors (maybe when it gets warmer?), switch on lights at night to scare away evil spirits (do Christmas lights count? because mine are still up), eat sweets to ensure you have a “sweet” year, clean the house before the New Year (and apparently not just for guests sake).  (courtesy of Wikipedia)  

2008 was a busy and eventful year in Chicago. People started off on edge about the war in Iraq and ended with more hope for the future even amidst more problems with the economy. 

Chicago had it’s fair share of events, news, trends, buzz and history made in 2008. The biggest most popular news and events in Chicago happened in the last few months with Barack Obama winning the presidential election and Rod Blagojevich being arrested and then released with corruption charges. 

Chicago also remained in the bid process for the 2016 Olympics ( despite my disagreeing about it’s appropriateness here) and we got monsoons of rain in June and Snow in December, January, February and March. The precipitation levels in Chicago have been on the rise in 2007 and 2008, nobody seems to know why. Bernie Mac passing away was big news in Chicago because it was so unexpected and he was (and is) so popular here. Politics is always new in Chicago but I haven’t gotten into the fray there. We try to keep things clean on the Chicago Weekend Fun Blog.

Not all of these topics are things we can post about here with our main focus being about entertainment, events and fun things to do in Chicago. It is also a secondary goal that we cover any other issues that people living in Chicago have to deal with and try and always remain open minded about all different people, cultures and ideas.

The trends in 2008 news coverage popularity by topic: (from the Pew Trust)

Some of the most popular posts we had on Chicago Weekend Fun in 2008 are listed below in no particular order.  I was happy that these posts got a lot of comments and seemed popular with readers. There were many more posts that were well received but too long a list to include here and I always appreciate the comments, emails and contact form submissions about the blog. All comments are welcome, even the ones about my spelling errors. (I am human like anyone else, and sometimes forget the spellcheck) I also appreciate the people who comment with additional information that I did not have at the time of the post, after all this is a blog and a news/events/information conversation.

Our goal in 2009 is to write more posts and provide even more information about the topics that are requested and commented on. We enjoy working on this blog immensely and would like to continue doing so for a long time. I never thought that writing or running a web site would be this enjoyable as work, but I find that we always have something to say so the topics and words come quickly. We also know that this is a learning process so if there are revisions and changes along the way it is because we are doing our best to provide the best site possible and work out the kinks as they come at us.

Your readership is always appreciated as is your feedback. If you would like to help out the Chicago Weekend Fun blog in 2009 you could send us a note in our feedback form, add a link to us in your blogroll, send a link to the site to your friends, bookmark us or advertise your company in ad words in the content network that runs on the blog. Any or all of those things would be greatly appreciated.

Top Topics, News and Post Trends for 2008 – comments and views – in no particular order

 Chicago Area Cook County and DuPage Sales Tax Increase

 Chicago Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

 Apple Orchards Autumn Apple Picking

 Top 5 Chicago Tourist Attractions

 Chicago now has 2 Christmas Music Radio Stations

 Naperville Ribfest Festival July 4th Weekend

 Chicago Black Friday Sales and CyberMonday Deals

 Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse Restaurant

 Chicago Neighborhood and Suburbs Zip Codes

 Chicago Halloween Haunted House

 Chicago Street Closures for Barack Obama Rally

 Taste of Chicago

 Big New Year’s Eve in Chicago 2008  

 Tommy Hillfiger Lighting Christmas Tree at Macy’s 

The Chicago Sketchfest has been a great event to see the top comedy sketches in Chicago(and from across the country) for the last 8 years. Brian Posen does a great job with the team he has working on the event and they really find some creative and inventive new comedy sketch acts to showcase. I have been to the sketchfest for the last 2 years and always end up laughing my arse off. I am also impressed by sponsors ways of showing unique support like the redbull sketchfest sign made from red bull cans and the giant Chipotle burrito that is about 10 ft long hanging from the celing.

There are schedules posted for the performers and shows now, so check them out and buy your passes early because they always sell out. The best deals are usually the weekend passes. This year the event is at the Chicago Theater Building again and the individual shows are $12.50 each for tickets and the full all-sketchfest pass is $150.00.That really is a good deal if you can spend 8 nights of your life in the Chicago Theater Building laughing at comedy. Even if you don’t have that much time on your hands it is still worth going. Especially since it is so f-ing cold, what else can you do in January? Its pretty much see original new comedy at the Sketchfest or see reruns on cable every night? I’d go see Sketchfest.

One of my favorite shows is always Big News, but they aren’t listed for this year nor are they listed on IO’s schedule where they launched a Chicago version of the show earlier in the year. This event is really about discoveringnew shows and new talent so I will go pick something I have never heard of before and be suprised at how random and funny it can be. Maybe I will laugh as hard as I did at the space musical I saw last year.

You may also be asking: “what is the difference between Improv and Sketch comedy?” That is a good question. There are many flavors of comedy in Chicago and the sketchfest specializes in written material that uses some props, video, music and costumes if needed, although it is somewhat low tech compared to SNL or other sketch based comedy shows. Improv is well, improvised on the spot. There is no script, so you make it all up as you go. The Chicago Improv Festival is the home of the Improv fest yearly and both fests are worth attending.

Yet you see a lot of the same people at both events. Both performers and audience members. I think a lot of people learn to create and write great comedy through improv as a process so the worlds overlap and collide in these festivals as well as in the permanent shows around town. You never know who you will see that will end up on SNL in a few years. We have almost too much talent in this city, it is impossible to see it all.

Additionally there is a new sketchfest kids day this year. This is always great for kids who like the performing arts or are just into laughing at wacky stuff. I am sure that these performances have been monitored for language and such so they are clean humor and safe for kids. Think more silly slap stick comedy. The details are:

Sketch Day for Kids presented by the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival on Sunday, January 10, 2009
1PM – Unintentionally Hilarious & 2PM – Bri-Ko
Location: Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont
Adult Tickets - $12.50 each, or $20 for both shows
Kids Under 12 Tickets - $8 each, or $12 for both shows.
Website: ChicagoSketchFest.com or Call (773) 539-4596 for tix

There is just one word of warning about the Sketchfest. (And I hate to mention it since everything else about the fest is so good) The sketchfest is way to big for the Chicago Theater Building. It outgrew it’s venue about 3 years ago and there is not enough room for people to enter and exit each set of shows on the hour and there is absolutely no parking. The valets don’t even have any parking spaces most nights. I sat outside in the cold for a 1/2 hour waiting for someone to leave last year so we could have the valet park our car. So, you *must* take public transportation and walk outside in -20 degree weather to get there, it is the only option. Or take a cab. That would work too. Somehow though, these tickets are always sold out despite the hassle of getting there and maneuvering between theaters in the mobs of people in line out the door and down the sidewalk. Make sure to get your show tickets at least a few weeks in advance.

Everyone may be loathing the recession we are in right now, but that is no reason to not have a Happy New Year. There are plenty of New Years Parties happening in Chicago to ring in 2009. Or, if you really don’t want to spend a lot of money you can always to the frugal thing and host a party at your place. I still think it is important to celebrate. Plus I like non-denominational holidays like this where everyone can participate. It is good to balance things out after all that Christmas stuff.

If we are going to really have hope for 2009 to get better we are all going to have to pitch in and help. And that is a lot easier if we get to relax once in a while and have some fun, especially on New Years Eve. I know there are endless Chicago New Years Eve parties planned but these are the ones that I have heard about and think might be the better ones to recommend.

1. First off the major New Year’s Eve party in Chicago is always at Navy Pier. This year Kiss 103.5is hosting/sponsoring it so the music should be more up to date than it was when it was with 101.9. Some people think it is too crowded, but it really does give you a great view of the city, fireworks, bands and convenient parking inside the building. It isn’t as hip as some parties up north in the city at posh restaurants or clubs but for the most people this is a fun night and a great party. Tickets are still available at thenyegala.com from $154.80 per person to a $2,000.00 VIP Package. I am not sure what the point is of the VIP Package, but if you have the money to burn, have fun. The rest of us are ok with the regular admission. The Music is being provided by 7 local DJs. (what no live bands?) The tickets include a 5 hour Premium Top-Shelf Liquor Package, 3-Course Hors d’Oeuvres, 2 Ballrooms of Entertainment, Midnight Firework Celebration, Confetti Countdown, Champagne Toast, Giveaways, Party Favors, Raffles, and the Balloon Drop at midnight.

2. NYE at the Hard Rock Hotel is also an option if you like a modern rock style to your New Years Eve. This is also a great place to book a very stylish suite that has a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline and stay there without having to drive home. The party starts at 9 pm in the Fender Ballroom and tickets are $125.00. Attire is FORMAL. It is sponsored by the Lincoln Park Young professionals so be on the lookout for yuppies. The Hard Rock Hotel’s Address is 230 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL. ChicagoNYEInfo.com is the address to go to for tickets.

3. The Chicago Hilton is also having a large New Years Party in Chicago for 2009. It includes a 4 hour open br starting at 9 pm, a buffet, champagne toast at midnight and all kinds of music and video stuff going on. Tickets are $155.00 for the event, get them at newyears09.com. Or if you really want to live it up there is a $2,000 VIP package for 8 people that includes reserved seating and more goodies. But who really needs to spend 2K on NYE this year?

4. The Chicago House of Blues is also known for it’s New Year’s Eve Parties because of the performers they bring in and the venue itself. This year I can’t find anything listed there even though I have been to NYE parties there in the past. Why no party HOB?

So if none of those New Year’s Eve parties seem to sound like a place you would like to go for the evening, try Checking Going.com or there is always the house party for cheap. Nothing wrong with staying in on NYE, it is more recession proof for your wallet that way. 

From December 5th 2008 through January 4th 2009 the Bank of America Winter Wonderfest will be open at Navy Pier in Chicago. This is one of the many Chicago Christmas events that are perfect for the family to attend while kids are on holiday break. A trip downtown on the metra is always an exciting day for kids. The Bank of America Winter Wonderfest is a spectacular holiday event that begins its 8th holiday season with more attractions and over 170,000 sq ft of indoor family activities.

The Chicago Winter Wonderfest includes lots of amazing decorations with over 750,000 Christmas lights, 25,000 ornaments and hundreds of Christmas trees. The activities at Winter Wonderfest include Winter Themed carnival rides, games, music and live bands and entertainment daily. Many families found that this was a great yearly tradition to go to with the kids and return every year. (in addition to going to the walnut room at Macy’s for dinner under the great tree.

One of the attractions at the Winter Wonderfest is the eWish Center. The ewish center is open in Festival Hall from December 5th through January 4th. Kids can email Santa Claus their holiday wishes on the internet. Elves are there to help the kids write or send the emails. The emails go direct to Santa Claus. This is far more hip than the old write your list on paper and send it through snail mail method.

strong>Santa Claus arrives at Winter Wonderland at Navy Pier on Saturday November 29th at 5 pm on the Grand Staircase. This was for the opening of the holiday season and the official lighting of the pier for the holidays. Santa Claus also made a stop on the Family Pavilion Stage. Then he and Mrs. Claus listened to the holiday wishes of children from 6:00 pm. until 9:00 pm. Since Santa can’t be there every day, the ewish center makes sure that Santa Claus gets all the wish information and everyone gets their wish.

The Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is free to enter and walk around but it is either $12 or $16 to ride the activities and rides. The $16 wristband includes ice skating, the $12 wristband ticket does not include ice skating. There are a few family packs that include parking and 4 wristbands that offer some discounts. There is a winter wonderfest family pack for $64 that includes 4 premium wrisbands (the ones that include skating) and free parking if you drive downtown. Navy Pier is located at 600 East Grand Avenue. Phone Number: (312) 559-1212.

The hours that the Chicago Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is open are:
Bank of America Winter WonderFest will be open:
 
December 5, 2008 to December 18, 2008
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm December 19, 2008 to January 4, 2009
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Special Holiday Hours:
Wednesday, December 24, 2008: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday, December 25, 2008: CLOSED
Wednesday, December 31, 2008: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Notes:

In addition to the Winter Wonderfest, Navy Pier is also the location for the largest New Year’s Eve Party in Chicago. Get tickets online to experience the best fireworks presentation and festivities of the New Year in Chicago!

Every winter the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has a Zoolights festival to celebrate the season. The Lincoln Park Zoo is a free admission zoo in the center of Chicago located on the north side of the city. When you get all those zoo lights up for the holiday and a free admission Zoo to see the animals, why not take the family to the zoo for the day? (parking us usually not free though)

The Lincoln park Zoo’s Zoo lights winter festival runs from December 5th 2008 through January 4th 2009 from 5-9 pm. (closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) The sun goes down at about 4:30  pm in Chicago in the winter so there is more time to view all the beautiful tiny colored lights and decorations. I hope the animals enjoy the festivities too. Every evening there is a musical lights show extravaganza on the south lawn.

The Lincoln Park Zoo is located at 2001 North Clark Street in Lincoln park in Chicago, IL 60614. Phone number 312-742-2000.

The Zoo Lights festival at Lincoln Park Zoo also has a number of activities and food available at the park. Crafts, gifts and holiday foods will all be for sale at the event. On December 5th and 6th visit the starbucks there for a free hot cocoa drink to celebrate the season. And as always the Lincoln Park Zoo has a large collection of animals living there from all around the globe.

The different animal sections of the zoo that you can visit are: Reptiles & Amphibians, Birds and Mammals. The Regenstein African Journey, McCormick Bear Habitat, McCormick Bird House, Regenstein Birds of Prey Exhibit, Kovler Penguin and Seabird House, Helen Brach Primate House, Kovler Lion House, Kovler Sea Lion Pool, Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, Hope B. McCormick Swan Pond, Flamingo Habitat, Regenstein Center for African Apes, Antelope & Zebra Area, Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere and The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. 

Chicago Restaurant Week is back again for 2009. This is a great winter festival type event for gourmet foodies (and the rest of us too). Chicago Restaurant Week is unique because it is an event where 42 130 local fine Chicago restaurants offer three-course prix-fixe menu lunches for $21.95 $22and three-course prix-fixe menu dinners for $31.95 $32 just during that week. (February 20-27) It works well because you go online and reserve your meal at the Chicago Convention & Tourism Site (or Opentable.com) for Restaurant Week and then just go enjoy your reservation and experiment with some new restaurants.

UPDATE: The Chicago Restaurant Week promotion has been extended to March 6th!

Chicago Restaurant Week is a promotional time to get people out to try new restaurants with lower prices and also liven up the bitter cold winter with some great food and wine in Chicago. This type of event program is popular in other areas of the country and the  Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau decided to launch one here in the city in 2008. It was a huge success and all the media coverage for the restaurants and the city of Chicago made it a sure thing for 2009. The restaurant list and pricing have not been released yet for the 2009 Chicago Restaurant Week but as soon as I find out I will post them here.

A full list of the 2009 participating restaurants can be found at choosechicago.com/eatitup. The restaurants listed below from 2008 have returned and many more from the suburbs have been added also. One dissapointing note was that I searched for restaurants located in the loop and there were only 2 even though there were many more if you page through the listings yorself. So the search sin’t working properly. The menus are also listed online although they are burried several clicks into the site and hard to find.

This is the list of downtown loop restaurants that participated in last year’s 2008 Chicago Restaurant Week and some items they offered on their prix-fixe menus last year:

• 17 West at the Berghoff, 17. W. Adams Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 427-3170
• Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery, 230 W. Kinzie Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 329-9400 Lunch: Choice of Slow baked salmon with curried parsnip puree, braised endive and citrus emulsion or Butternut squash veloute with black trumpet mushrooms Dinner: Slow-baked salmon with artichoke barigoule and crispy polenta or Sweet and sour braised short rib with sweet potato puree and sautéed swiss chard.
• Alhambra Palace, 1240 W. Randolph Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 666-9555
• Aria,200 N. Columbus Chicago, IL Phone: 312 444-9494 Lunch: Shrimp and chicken pad thai with thai basil, bean sprouts, peanuts and sweet citrus Dinner: Pan-seared filet of walleye pike with herb gnocchi, wilted greens, capers and brown butter-memon sauce
• Atwood Café,1 W. Washington Chicago, IL Phone: 312 368-1900 Lunch and Dinner: Gunthorp Farms organic chicken breast with mashed sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, bacon and chicken jus or Pan-roasted market fish with saffron risotto, swiss chard, sherry vinegar gastrique and bacon lardons or Moroccan-braised lamb shank with golden raisin and pistachio couscous, minted yogurt and baby carrots
• Bistro 110, 110 E. Pearson, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 266-3110
• Blue Water Grill, 520 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 777-1400 Lunch: Black Angus tataki roll with piquillo pepper, asparagus, arugala and ginger soy, Smoked potato soup with lobster croutons and braised leeks, Mesclun green salad with duck confit, roasted forelle pear and banyuls vinaigrette Dinner: Sauteed mahi mahi with lobster and shrimp dumplings, bok choy and lobster miso broth
  Bento box with spicy tuna roll, Asian soba noodle salad, Thai lobster soup and tropical fruit bubble tea
  Garlic roasted amish chicken with goat cheese potato croquette, haricot verts and chicken jus
• Brazzaz, 539 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 595-9000
• Buca di Beppo, 521 N. Rush, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 396-0001 Lunch and Dinner: Chicken with lemon, Chicken parmigiana, Eggplant parmigiana, Veal parmigiana, Fresh salmon with pesto, Chicken saltimbocca, Fetuccine alfredo, Fettucine supremo, Lasagna, Spaghetti with meatballs, Spaghetti marinara, Ravioli al pomodoro or Penne arrabbiata 
• Café des Architectes, Sofitel Water Tower, 20 E. Chestnut, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 324-4063 Dinner: Lobster and mango salad with organic avocado tian, citrus cream and black caviar, Corn gnocchi with winter black truffle and cheese sabayon, Crispy duck breast with butternut squash puree, pearl onions and cardamom red wine sauce and Dark chocolate raspberry and cinnamon cake
• Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 850-5005Lunch or Dinner: Gunthorp Farms pork shoulder with red beans and rice and winter vegetable escabeche, Arctic char with quinoa and Meyer lemon chile broth
• China Grill, 230 N. Michigan, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 334-6700 Lunch or Dinner: Grilled szechuan beef with sake, spicy soy, shallots and cilantro, Grilled garlic shrimp with black fettucini and red curry coconut sauce, Wok-sauteed vegetables with choice of wasabi mashed potatoes or five vegetable fried rice
• David Burke’s Primehouse, 616 N. Rush, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 660-6000 Lunch: Prime dry-aged ribeye sandwich with smoked mozzarella, caramelized onions, wild mushrooms, tomato tapenade and herb frites or Rock shrimp pasta with cavatappi, peas, mint and sweet butter or Aged 207L marinated filet salad with arugala, maytag blue cheese, baby tomatoes, red onion and balsamic vinaigrette  Dinner: Petite southside bone-in filet with basil-whipped potatoes and tempura green beans or Baby delmonico steak with truffle asiago skins, asparagus and shallots or Bacon-wrapped shrimp benedict with a potato cake, quail eggs and chili oil tapenade
• Devon Seafood, 39 E. Chicago, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 440-8660 Lunch: Pan-roasted chicken breast, Veggie or shrimp ravioli, Grilled salmon salad, Almond-crusted tilapia, Maryland-style crab cakes Dinner: Pan-roasted chicken breast, 6 oz. center cut filet, Veggie or shrimp ravioli, Maryland-style crab cakes, Seared George’s Bank scallops
• Dine Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro, 733 W. Madison, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 602-2100
• The Drawing Room at Le Passage, 937 N. Rush, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 255-0022 Dinner: Lemon risotto with mascarpone, meyer lemon and lavender gremolata or Skate with sauteed skate wing, baby arugala, roasted sunchoke, sultanas and caper emulsion or Verjus braised pork belly, shaved spicy pecans, smoked eggplant puree and apricot
• Fogo de Chao, 661 N. LaSalle, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 932-9330 Argentinian Beef!
• Fulton’s on the River, 315 N. LaSalle, Chicago, IL Phone: 312 822-0100
• Kiki’s Bistro, 900 N. Franklin St Chicago, IL Phone: 312 335-5454  Lunch: Duck leg confit with green lentils, Steak frites with mâitre de beurre, Grilled salmon with hollandaise sauce or Lamb brochette with couscous and lamb jus or Duo of duck breast and duck confit with green peppercorn sauce or Poached king salmon with hollandaise sauce Dinner: Lamb brochette with couscous and lamb jus
  Duo of duck breast and duck confit with green peppercorn sauce or Poached king salmon with hollandaise sauce
• Landmark Grill & Lounge, 1633 N. Halsted St Chicago, IL Phone: 312 587-1600 Dinner: Barbecue-glazed swan creek heirloom pork chop with white cheddar grits and sweet onion marmalade or Wood-grilled mahi mahi with braised red cabbage, Northern Spy apple and cippolini onion
• The Lobby at The Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior St Chicago, IL Phone: 312 337-2888 Dinner: Roasted organic chicken breast with wild mushrooms, brussels sprouts, bacon and chicken jus or Grilled king salmon with ricotta gnocchi, basil sauce and tomato confit
• The Melting Pot, 609 N. Dearborn st Chicago, IL Phone: 312 573-0011
• NAHA at 500 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 321-6242  Dinner: Wild Great Lakes whitefish with a warm salad of hoop house spinach, wood-grilled bermuda onions, roasted turnips, chervil and red wine lobster sauce or Roast quail with a fondue of Anson Mills soft corn polenta, North Country slab bacon, cavolo nero greens, confit garlic, cured tomatoes and tarragon or Organic carnaroli risotto, butternut squash, hen of the woods mushrooms and wilted beet greens
• Nick’s Fishmarket Grill at 51 S. Clark street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 621-0200
• one sixtyblue 1400 W. Randolph street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 850.0303 Dinner: Lake Superior whitefish with suckling pig, brussels sprout, baby carrot, leek puree and red wine reduction or Hudson Valley magret duck breast with fuyu persimmon, fennel seed crust, Chicago co-op honey, manzanilla olive and licorice emulsioin or Korubuta pork tenderloin with crispy pork belly, red cabbage confit, Carolina Ruby sweet potato, Seedling apple salad and juniper berry sauce
• Park Grill at Millennium Park 11 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL Phone: 312 521-PARK Dinner: Rushing Waters rainbow trout with celery leaf salad, preserved lemon, pumpernickel croutons, crème fraiche and american caviar or Hand-cut papardelle pasta with slow-cooked rabbit ragout, parmesan and chives or Slow-cooked Berkshire pork with annatto seeds, smoked cheddar grits and caper-raisin relish
• Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush at 437 N. Rush street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 222-0101  Dinner: homemade tortellini of ground veal with brown butter, parmigiano and sage or Grilled chicken mattone, marinated whole-grilled chicken under a brick with mixed greens and chianti vinaigrette or Grilled Lake Superior whitefish
• Prosecco 710 N. Wells street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 951-9500 Dinner: Cavatelli pomodori pesto, housemade ricotta dumpling with tomato, pesto and goat cheese or Petto di pollo gratinato, balsamic-marinated chicken breast with grilled portabello mushroom, fresh mozzarella, dolcetta d’alba reduction and grilled asparagus or Rigatoni norcina, grooved tube of pasta with pancetta, mild sausage and light tomato cream sauce or Tilapia with Sicilian cherry tomatoes, spinach, cremini mushrooms and marinara broth or Melanzane griglia e forno, grilled and baked eggplant with fresh and smoked mozzarella and tomato sauce
• The Pump Room 1301 N. State Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 266-0360 Lunch menu selections: Roasted Amish chicken with boudins, cabbage, caramelized shallots and sherry chicken jus or Apple-scented risotto with roasted apples, fennel and almond emulsion or Braised beef shortrib panini with grilled red onions, whole grain mustard on potato-rosemary bread and fries or chips Dinner menu selections: Roasted Amish chicken with boudins, cabbage, caramelized shallots and sherry chicken jus or Roasted line-caught codfish with white bean cassoulet, crispy berkshire bacon and chicken-scented nage or Braised beef shortrib with carrot soubise, shitake mushrooms and braising liquid
• Republic Pan Asian Restaurant & Lounge 58 E. Ontario Chicago, IL Phone: 312 440-1818 Dinner: Hong Kong steak, Shiro miso salmon, Fried garlic prawns, Sushi and sashimi melange Lunch menu selections: Sesame sauce with tofu, chicken, beef and shrimp, Orange sauce with tofu, chicken, beef and shrimp, Lemongrass grill of tofu, chicken, beef and shrimp, Sushi combo of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, ebi, unagi and california maki, Sushi combo of tuna, salmon, yellowtail and dragon maki
• Riva 700 E. Grand Avenue Chicago, IL Phone: 312 644-7482 Lunch menu selections: Whitefish with haricot verts and lemon caper butter sauce or Pistachio and cheese ravioli with brown butter and sage or Lemon chicken breast with mashed potatoes and pan jus Dinner menu selections: Atlantic salmon with haricot verts and lemon caper butter sauce or Pistachio and cheese ravioli with brown butter and sage or Blue cheese-crusted sirloin with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes
• Roy’s Restaurant 720 N. State Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 787-7599
• Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse 431 N. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 321-2725
• Seasons Café, Lounge, and Restaurant Four Seasons Hotel 120 E. Delaware Chicago, IL Phone: 312 649-2349 Dinner: Plum snapper with crisp calamari winter citrus salad, roasted garlic and saffron aioli
  or Kurobuta pork shank with parmesan polenta, swiss chard and red pepper coulis
• Seasons Restaurant participating and the Seasons Café and Lounge Chicago, IL Phone: 312-649-2349
• Shor Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency in McCormick Place 2233 Martin Luther King Drive Chicago, IL Phone: 312 528-4140
• Shula’s Steak House 301 E. North Water Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 670-0788
• Smith & Wollensky 318 N. State Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 670-9900 Dinner: Sliced steak sandwich or Atlantic salmon or Lemon pepper chicken breast with choice of whipped potatoes, fresh cut french fries or vegetables
• Sullivan’s Steakhouse 415 N. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 527-3510 Dinner menu selections: 8oz. filet, Stuffed shrimp, Garlic lemon chicken breast
• SUSHISAMBA rio 504 N. Wells Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 595-2300 Lunch: Hanger steak teriyaki or Pan-seared scallops Dinner: Black bass or Kurobuta pork chop
• Viand 155 E.Ontario Street Chicago, IL Phone: 312 255-8505 Lunch or Dinner menu: Any sandwich on menu or Any pasta on menu
• Zest Restaurant in the Intercontinental Hotel at 505 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL Phone: 312 321-8766  Dinner menu selections: Thai mint gravlox on yellow corn pancake with with mango sour cream or Cajun-crusted New York strip with horseradish-baked potato, yellow beans, bacon and homemade barbeque sauce

Oktoberfest is a rite of passage every October in the German Neighborhoods of Chicago. The locals get together at St. Alphonsus and enjoy the beers, music and comraderie before it gets cold for the winter and we all hibernate until spring. If we lived in Bavaria Oktoberfest would be a 16 day long festival of 6 local beers but here in Chicago we settle for one weekend and all kinds of beer. Oktoberfest will be held on September 26, 27 and 28th this year at the Beer Garden Tent outside St. Alphonsus Church at 3000 North Lincoln Ave in Chicago, IL 60657. (in South Lakeview Neighborhood)

The Oktoberfest beer garden tents will be open from 5-11 pm on Friday September 26. From 11 am to 10 pm n Saturday September 27 and from Noon to 9 pm on Sunday September 28th.  

This year’s Oktoberfest will feature live German bands, lots of fantastic German food (Brats!) and a cornhole/bags competition. (When I was a kid we called this game Bozo Buckets, but hey whatever keeps you entertained.) The cornhole competition sounds somewhat serious as it requires pre-registration before Oktoberfest at Illinoiscornhole.org.  It is the 8th annual Oktoberfest held in Chicago by St Als and they are celebrating with a larger event, more hours and even more fun. Come enjoy the great German food and plentiful Beer at this year’s Oktoberfest.

I should note that because this is a event specifically planned around beer consumption it is not kid friendly nor is it a family event. I would not bring kids anywhere near this tent or all the beer. I think mostly young single yuppies end up going to the oktoberfest at St. Als and drinking with their buddies, coworkers and neighbors. If you aren’t looking for that type of atmosphere (being drunk is common at Oktoberfests and sometimes the sole purpose) it is not for you. That said there are a lot of other October activities that would be fun instead.

The bands and scheduled to perform at Oktoberfest this year are:
Friday, September 26
5:00pm – 10:00pm
5:30 pm – BrauHaus Band
8:00 pm – Mike and Joe

Saturday, September 27
11:00am – 10:00pm
11:00 am – Kinderfest
3:00 pm – Die Lustigen Musikanten
6:00 pm – Rock Candy
8:00 pm – 16 Candles

Sunday, September 28
12:00pm – 9:00pm
Noon – Paloma
4:00 pm – Hooked on Sonics
6:00 pm – Maggie Speaks

Oktoberfest Bags (cornhole) Tournament
Saturday, September 27, 2008
3000 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, IL 60657

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I have been to the Chicago Inaternational Film Festival every year for the past 3 years and it has been an event not to miss in Chicago. The Chicago International Film Festival runs for two weeks from October 16th to 29th showing scheduled independent movies from all over the world at three theater locations in the city. The locations of the theaters selected for showing the scheduled ”movie buffet” at the festival this year are the AMC River East 21 theater (322 East Illinois Street Chicago, IL) and the AMC 600 North Michigan 9 (600 North Michigan Avenue) as well as the Harris Theater (205 East Randolph Drive) for the opening and closing night ”Gala” events. I always like that it is like an advance screening to several films that you get to see months before they come out to the general public.

Right now theChicago International Film Festival early bird advance passes are available at a 40% discount through the chicagofilmfestival.org website (which has mostly 2007 information on it) before September 30. They have the 10 movie ticket pass for $110, the 20 movie ticket pass for $210 and the 40 movies ticket pass for $385. (non member prices, membership is $60 for the year but knocks off $30, $55 or $100 off the price passes) I do not have a membership but I attend the Chicago International Film Festival yearly anyway.

This year looks like it won’t disappoint in the range of independent films and themes that will be presented at the Chicago International Film Festival. There are simultaneous showings on most nights so download the entire schedule here (when it becomes available) and mark off which films you want to see ahead of time. With a 10 movie pass ticket it makes it easy to plan your 2 weeks of movies and just show up wherever they are playing ready to go.

I usually always go to the Chicago International Film Festival’s opening night gala and closing night gala. These events will be held at the uber modern Harris theater in Millennium Park in Downtown Chicago. They aren’t saying which films will be scheduled or featured on which nights but these are the 3 gala feature films:

A Christmas Tale / Un conte de Noël  from France and Director Arnaud Desplechin. A Christmas Tale stars Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, and Mathieu Amalric who play members of a family who conceive a third child in the hopes of using its bone marrow to save the dying firstborn child. 

Happy-Go-Lucky  from the UK and  Director Mike Leigh. The perennial optimist Poppy is played by Sally Hawkins and charges through life with breathless enthusiasm and a sincere desire to help others, struggling as she encounters fellow Londoners who do not always share her sunny outlook.

Pride and Glory  from the USA and Director Gavin O’Connor. Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, and Jon Voight star in a gritty and emotional portrait of a multigenerational New York City police family forced to choose between loyalties to each other and loyalties to the department.

Check back to this post in a few weeks. I will post more information about the films and Chicago International Film Festival schedule as it becomes available.

This year the Chicago Windy City Wine Festival is being held on September 5th and 6th at Daley Plaza downtown in Chicago. The Wine Festival starts on Friday evening at 4pm and goes until 10 pm. It continues on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm and is open until 10 pm again. Tickets are available to purchase for the Windy City Wine Festival Online at windycitywinefestival.com/buy.html or call 847-382-1480 to purchase them by phone.

Tickets are $25.00 for the wine tasting in advance and $30.00 each at the door. Additional tasting coupons can be purchased for more tasting at the festival for $5.00. There is even a designated driver ticket available for $10.00 which gets you 2 non-alcoholic drinks and food as well as access to cooking demonstrations and a copy of the festival program.  

They have also included live bands performing at the event to add to the relaxed atmosphere and they have brought in several local wine experts and Sommeliers to present information about choosing, buying and pairing wines with food as well as information about the wine making process.

It is interesting that even though the economy has slowed down people have certainly not stopped drinking wine. People have decided that buying cheaper food and clothing as well as saving energy were all bearable changes but the Chicagoans are not giving up their wine drinking. Wine sales have increased an enormous amount in the last decade thanks to movies like Sideways that made it a cool, independent, social and cultural hobby to have.

Chicago may not have any vineyards or be written about much in Wine Spectator but we have a lot of wine drinkers and buyers in the Chicagoland area. They have been a fan of the Chicago Wine Festival and the Naperville Wine festival the last few years. Also a few stores like Armanetti’s, Sam’s Wines and Spirits and Binny’s have made buying from huge selections of wine from all over the world possible under one roof for very affordable prices. Also, hundreds of small wind boutiques have popped up like Wine Expressions and Wine Styles in all the small shopping centers in the suburbs.

Yuppies and baby boomers liked taking a bottle of wine to dinner at a friend’s house or serving a new wine guests had never tried before at parties. This novelty as well as great taste has kept wine popular while other luxury items have trailed off in popularity since the economy has slowed down. Click here for a map of the wine festival grounds and plan your trip today.

The entertainment and educational presentation schedule for the fest:

Friday, September 5 – 4-10pm

5:00-5:25pm – Tim Laird, Mixology, The Art of the Wine Cocktail.
5:30-6:00 pm – “Cutting Edge White Wines” Serafin Alvarado, Master Sommelier Director of Wine Education, Southern Wine and Spirits of Illinois
6:05-6:35 pm – Sheri Sauter Moran, Wines of France
6:40-7:10 pm – Colleen Stewart, The Bonterra Vineyards Organic Road Show
7:15-7:45 pm – THE HEARTY BOYS
8:00-9:45 pm – KIM MASSIE

Saturday, September 6 – 3-10pm

3:30-4:05 pm – Sheri Sauter Moran, Wines of France
4:10-4:40 pm – Steve Ciappette Viand
4:45- 5:15pm – Fetzer Eco Tour “Growing Green”
5:30-6:40 pm – DAYNA MALOW
6:50-7:20 pm – Tim Laird, Mixology, The Art of the Wine Cocktail.
7:25-7:55 pm – THE HEARTY BOYS
8:15-9:45 pm – MICHAEL HEATON BAND

The Labor Day Weekend and Holiday Monday are so jam packed with events you won’t be able to stay home for long. Both in the City of Chicago and in the suburbs there are large events and parades happening in addition to all the shopping sales all over Chicagoland. The Chicago Jazz Festival is this weekend, the JayCees Naperville Last Fling and the Labor Day Parades are all day Monday. I know the weather will also be good this Labor Day Weekend, it should be in the upper 80’s and no rain is in the forecast.

First, on Friday at 5pm there is the monthly Critical Mass Bike ride through downtown and the streets of Chicago. Join up wiht them at Daley Plaza at 5pm if you want to ride along. There is a police escort at the front of the pack and bike riding helmets may be required….

The Chicago Jazz Festival is also this weekend in Grant Park. The 30th Annual Jazz Festival runs Thursday through Sunday.  In the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park they will be celebrating 30 years of jazz with two time Grammy Award winner Sonny Rollins. The admission to the Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park is Free! The Jazz Festival will run August 29-31 for three days of free music on three stages from 10:00 am-9:30 pm per day. No Dogs or Alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the festival. The Grant Park Petrillo Band shell Schedule is as follows:

Friday, August 29, 2008
5:00-5:50 T.S. Galloway’s Tribute to Capt. Walter Dyett featuring Julian Priester, Ken Chaney, Mwata Bowden, Edwin Daugherty, Ari Brown and Von Freeman
6:00-6:55 AACM Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Amina Claudine Myers, Michael Logan and Thurman Barker
7:10-8:10 Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Tribute to Betty Carter
8:30-9:30 Eddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Band

Saturday, August 30, 2008
4:30-4:45 – Remembering Franz Jackson
5:00-5:50 – Pharez Whitted Sextet
6:00-6:55 – Vijay Iyer Quintet
7:10-8:10 – Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy
8:30-9:30 – Gerald Wilson Orchestra with a special guest Kenny Burrell

Sunday, August 31, 2008
5:00-5:50 – Ron Dewar Quintet
6:00-6:55 – From the Netherlands: The Instant Composers Pool
7:10-8:10 – 8 Bold Souls with a Special Guest Dee Alexander
8:30-9:30 – Ornette Coleman

Naperville is also hosting it’s Jaycee’s Last Fling Concert Event in the downtown area. This is the traditional last event of the summer to celebrate and socialize before the official fall season and back to school craziness takes off and fills the calendar. Click here to see the full last fling booklet with the map, directions, schedule and more info you may need.

The Naperville JayCee’s Last Fling 2008 features a Carnival, Main Stage Performances featuring Nationally known Artists, Free performances on the Entertainment Stage daily, a Beer Garden and Dozens of Great Food Vendors and Business Expo Booths From local Naperville Businesses. It is a great place to take the family for a fun night out. Tickets are $10.00 per person on Friday night and $12.00 per person on Saturday and Sunday night. Tickets can be purchased at Oswald’s Pharmacy at 88 Gartner Road in Naperville, 60540 (in the Naperville Plaza Shopping Center) or at Dean’s Clothing at 226 South Main Street in Naperville, 60540 (in Downtown Naperville). The actual location of the Last Fling is: The Naperville Riverwalk, 100 West Jackson Avenue Naperville, IL 60540 phone: 630-961-4143

Naperville Last Fling Dates and Times:

• Friday August 29 @ 5 pm – 11 pm
• Saturday  August 30 @ 10 am – 11 pm
• Sunday  August 31 @ 10 am – 11 pm
• Monday September 1 @ 10 am – 6 pm

Music Concert Schedule
Friday August 29th
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Dennis DeYoung
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm The Music of Styx – Hi Infidelity

Saturday August 30th
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm The Doobie Brothers
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Painkiller Hotel
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Josh Holmes

Sunday August 31st
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Gavin DeGraw
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Absentstar
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Kimi Hayes

Monday September 1st
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm The Hat Guys
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Stellar Road 

Enjoy the Labor Day Holiday and have a great weekend!

This weekend in Chicago there are plenty of events to attend if you are still making your plans. First off the Olympics are ending this weekend and the closing ceremony will be on Sunday evening NBC Channel 5 in Chicago at 8pm.

Everyone is a Buzz over Barack Obama announcing his Vice President Choice via Text Message today. We still await the text message. Barack has chosen Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware. We hope there wasn’t a server crash sending out all those emails and texts… I am sure most people will be tuned in to the Democratic National Convention on Monday since Obama-mania is sweeping Chicago. Everywhere I go people are wearing Barack Obama T-Shirts, buttons, hats and other merchandise. He really is a phenomenon in Chicago. We may not win the Olympic bid for 2016 but we may get to have a cool connection with the next president of the United States.

Another event happening this weekend that will be a lot of fun is the Chicago Viva Latin Music Festival August 23-24 in Grant Park downtown.  (200-300 East Jackson. Jackson Street will be closed from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive Thursday to Monday for the Festival) Viva is a two day festival that features all styles of Latin Music along with food, a low rider car show and latin dancing too. The Viva Latin Music Festival is free and open from 10:30 am to 9:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday! The CTA is the best way to get to the festival. Please see the CTA web site for directions from where you live. The schedule of music performers is as follows:

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Saturday August 23rd 2008
2:30-2:35 pm Opening National Anthem
2:35-3:30 pm Everardo Rey y su flota musical
3:40-4:35 pm Malo featuring Jorge Santana
4:45-5:30 pm Don Tetto
5:40-6:20 pm Tommy Torres
6:25-7:05 pm The Dey
7:10-8:20 pm Yamil, El orgullo de México con el Mariachi, Zapopan y el Ballet C’Acatl
8:30-9:30 pm Alexis y Fido El Duo Sobrenatural

Sunday August 24th 2008
2:30-2:35 pm Opening National Anthem
2:35-3:05 pm Menudo
3:15-3:30 pm MTV Winner
3:40-4:40 pm Cruz Martínez y Los Súper Reyes
4:50-5:50 pm Los Creadores del Pasito Duranguense
6:00-7:00 pm Fobia
7:10-8:00 pm Mike Roman & The Tellstars Featuring Jose Chepito Areas and Armando Peraza
8:10-9:30 pm – Los Lobos

Also, you should tickets if you want to see Dirty Dancing the Musical when it opens at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago September 28th. These tickets are selling fast because this show got such great reviews in New York. And remember, nobody puts baby in a corner. Broadway in Chicago sells all the tickets for the theater and musicals in Chicago and they are also listed on Ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $27.50 to $125.50 each. 

The Accenture Triathalon is also happening this weekend in Chicago. You probably wouldn’t think of entering unless you have already been training for 6 months, but if you want to go watch very fit people compete and get some inspiration for your own fitness goals you can watch the triatheletes. The race starts early on Saturday Morning at 6 AM at Chicago’s Foster Avenue Beach. It is all over by 11 am  though so you have to be an early riser to compete or be a spectator. The weather should be nice for a day at the beach in general though…

The Labor Day Holiday is also just around the corner and planning your shopping trip, camping expedition or last cookout BBQ of the season would be good right about now.  Or maybe it is just more fun to stay home and play Rock Band or the Wii. Personally I may go see the new movie The Rocker with Rainn Wilson in it and I have some Fantasy Football Drafts to attend. (although I am only playing fantasy football because my boyfriend asked, not because I understand anything about Football) Whatever you do this weekend, have fun with it!  

What is there to do in Chicago this weekend? Well, the big event for everyone between the ages of 20 and 40 is Lollapalooza. The concert series in Grant Park will draw thousands from the suburbs and all over the country. It is sold out though. (and so are all the hotels and motels) So, if Lollapalooza isn’t on your calendar this weekend what events and fun things to do are still available? I have some suggestions and recommendations for you.

First off EAA Airventure is happening all week and ends this weekend in Oshkosh Wisconsin. It is a long drive from Chicago (4 hours) but worth it to view jets and classic airplanes up close and personal and see a bigger airshow than the Chicago Air and Water show. If you want to stay in the city and hunt for new food and drinking spots, Blue 13 Restaurant, Old Oak Tap, The Cat’s Meow in West Town and MANA Food Bar open this weekend. First Fridays is this August 1st at the Museum of Contemporary Art and it is a classy place to mingle and watch the meat market for $10.00. OR go to a bunch of the Lollapalooza after parties located at the clubs in Chicago. (party 48 hrs straight) Check out the Lolla Parties at Debonair or Sonotheque until sunrise. Want to mellow a bit more? There is always the Chicago beaches (Oak street beach and North Ave Beach) and there is a fun Used Book Sale to leaf through in Andersonville. Check out all the details below.

1. EAA Airventure OshKosh – Check out Airventure.org for the details. It is a 4 hour drive up highway 45/41 all the way to the middle of Wisconsin to see this festival of aviation, but it is well worth the drive. Pack the kids in the minivan early and get on the road. Go walk through giant carrier planes in AeroShell Square and watch the daily airshow at 3pm that is bigger and better than the Air and Water show in Chicago. Bonus: if you go on Saturday you get to see the Warbird Spectacular in the Airshow at OshKosh, which brings together more vintage war planes than in any other place in America in a salute to the men and women in the armed forces of yesterday and today. The tickets can be bought at the gate there. Parking is usually about $15 and admission tickets run from $23 for members of the EAA and $35 for non-members and $15 for kids. It is well worth it for the direct access to the planes and pilots that you can’t really see anywhere else in America.

2. Blue 13 Restaurant- This new restaurant brings Rock and Roll to chic cuisine in Chicago. Check out the Lobster Pizza, it is very good. Check out Blue13Chicago.com for the menu and pictures of the restaurant. Located at 416 West Ontario Street River North in Chicago, IL phone: 312.787.1400 for reservations.

3. Old Oak Tap – This new rustic bar and grill has a great patio and a new twist on some comfort food favorites. Located at 2109 West Chicago Avenue in West Town Chicago, IL Phone 773-772-0406 for reservations or information.

4. The Cat’s Meow Bar – They have taken a 1920’s saying and made it mod. Check out the swanky cool decor and the crabcakes over some kitchy named drinks. Located at 2700 West Chicago Avenue in the West Town neighborhood in Chicago, IL. The Phone number is 773-489-6998.

5. First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) – Tickets are 10 in advance or $15 at the door for this mixer that attracts artists, business types and city culturalists. Also fun if you like people watching as much as ooking at modern art. (remember it could mean anything you want it to) Located at 220 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.

6. MANA Food Bar – A great new multicultural (Asian, American, Latin) vegetarian restaurant in hipsterville. Located at 1742 West Division Street in Wicker Park Chicago, IL Phone 773.342.1742 for more info.

And…Have a great weekend!

It is officially Fourth of July weekend now and we have a lot going on around Chicagoland. I am not sure how anyone would go to all these events, but here is a list of things going on from the family friendly to the avant gard. If nothing else, enjoy the holiday weekend and relax while celebrating our independence one more time. It is a good time to pause and reflect on patriotism, freedom, our values and the upcoming presidential elections in November. It is also a time for food, family and flags. So it’s your 3 day weekend, have fun with it!

1. Taste of Chicago is still running. If you haven’t had your giant turkey leg yet this year, this is the place to do it. Downtown in Chicago in Grant Park. Admissions is free, food is sold by a ticket system and expect drinks to be expensive.

2. The Naperville Ribfest (the suburban anti-taste) is running this weekend also. This festival celebrates the joy that is barbecued ribs with rib cooking specialists from all over the country. My favorite is still Sweet Baby Ray’s though. There will be Fireworks at 9:30 pm on Friday night for the 4th of July.

7/4/08 Update: If you go to the Ribfest, you must-must-must park at one of the lots and take a shuttle to the event. We found no parking within a mile of Ribfest yesterday and we ended up parking at the 5th Avenue Metra Station in Naperville and taking the bus shuttle to Knock park behind Edwards Hospital. (the Ribs were great though!!!) And Ted Nugent was mighty entertaining.

3. The Lisle Eyes to the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival is also happening this weekend in the  SW suburbs. The Lisle Eyes to the Sky festival is off Route 53 in Lisle,IL at Short Street between Maple and Ogden Ave. But much like Ribfest, if you go there isn’t any parking located there. You have to go into downtown Lisle at the Metra station, park there and walk or take a shuttle to the festival. Also much like Ribfest there are live musical acts, fireworks and all the carnival foods and rides you would expect of these summer carnival fests. The balloons usually launch at 6:30 pm each evening and 5:30 am each morning. The one bummer of this fest is that you can’t actually ride in a balloon yourself and the wind sometimes grounds the launches all together. It is a free event though, so at least there is no cover charge.

4. The Navy Pier City of Chicago fireworks display will be the day before the 4th on July 3rd at 9:30 pm. The fireworks are from Navy Pier but are viewable from most places near the lakefront downtown.

5. Summerdance is back at the Grant Park Spirit of Music garden in Chicago. Sunday July 6th is a Swing night with a USO swing band and free dance lessons beforehand by the professionals of Big City Swing. Lesson is at 4 pm and big band swing music starts at 5pm and goes until 7pm. The park is located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Harrison Street. Summerdance does happen every weekend all summer long, so mark your calendars for next week too.

6. Free workouts in Millennium Park in Chicago on Saturday Morning. Work off all those BBQ ribs…

7. The Chicago beaches are open but there has been a swimming ban put out by the National Weather Service because of a seiche (wave) warning so please stay out of the water. Picnics and volleyball on the beach are still ok though.

8. Most cities and towns in the suburbs will have fireworks on July 4th at dusk. My favorite has always been the Darien/Downers Grove/Woodridge fireworks at 75th street and Main street (Lemont Road). They are viewable from all 4 corners of the intersection in the shopping mall parking lots. I also have seen a great fireworks show in Carol Stream at the intersection of Idaho St and Lies St. They use a retention pond area to display the fireworks over and they are really close to where you sit on Lies Street so you end up watching the fireworks overhead most of the time. They are even more dynamic up close like that. I have also heard that DesPlaines has a nice fireworks show over Oakton Community College and that Glen Ellyn’s Fireworks are really good too, over Lake Ellyn.

9. And lastly, if all these events aren’t risque enough for you Going.com is listing an event at Crowbar for “P*rn on the 4th” with a p*rn star Jesse Jane. I guess that is celebrating freedom of a completely different kind. You can RSVP for no cover charge early at the going.com/pornonthefourth website.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July in Chicago!!

There are so many places to see Fireworks on the 4th of July in and around Chicagoland this fourth. If you are looking for your local town or city’s listing or looking for options to see fireworks near you this list we have rounded up may help. View the list below and all the city websites are listed too so you can copy past them into your browser address bar and see what details and schedule information they have also. Have a great fourth of July and enjoy the fireworks!!

All the cities listed below in alphabetical order, scroll to see your city listing in detail: Addison, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Batavia, Beecher, Bensenville, Berwyn, Blue Island, Buffalo Grove, Calumet City, Carol Stream, Chicago, Country Club Hills, Darien, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Forest Park, Fox Lake, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glenview, Gurnee, Hoffman Estates, Huntley, Itasca, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lockport, Lombard, Lyons, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Naperville, New Lenox, North Aurora, Northbrook, Oak Brook, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Oswego, Palatine, Palos Heights, Park Forest, Park Ridge, Roselle, Skokie, South Holland, Streamwood, Vernon Hills, Warrenville, Wauconda, Waukegan, Wheeling, Wilmette, Winnetka, Woodridge and Zion.

Addison fireworks at Community Park
Location: 120 E. Oak street in Addison, IL
Call 630-833-0100 for the full schedule or view the website at addisonparkdistrict.org
Show Time:  July 4th @ dusk set to music

Arlington Heights fireworks at the Arlington Park Racecourse
Location: 2200 W. Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights, IL 60006
Call 847-385-7500 for the full details or check out the website at arlingtonpark.com
Show Time: July 3rd at 7:30 after the racing ends.

Aurora fireworks at Aurora Central Catholic High School
Location: Indian Trail and Edgelawn in Aurora, IL
Call: 630-844-3640 for the full schedule or visit aurora-il.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Barrington fireworks at Barrington High SchoolLocation: 616 West Main Street in Barrington, IL
Call 847-304-3400 for the full event details or view barrington4thofjuly.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk on the front lawn of the HS

Bartlett fireworks in Apple Orchard Community Park
Location: South Bartlett and Stearns Roads in Bartlett, IL
Call 630-837-0800 for the full event details or go to the website village.bartlett.il.us
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (community party beforehand)

Batavia fireworks at the Batavia High School
Location: 1200 W. Wilson in Batavia, IL
Call 630-879-7134 for the full event details or go to cityofbatavia.net online
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Beecher fireworks at Firemen’s Park
Location: 711 Penfield in Beecher, IL
Call 708-946-2261 for more info or visit villageofbeecher.org online
Location: July 4th at 9:30 pm Parade beforehand at 4pm

Bensenville fireworks at the Redmond Recreational Complex
Location: 735 E. Jefferson in Bensenville, IL
Call 630-766-8200 for more information or go to bensenville.il.us for details.
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following a free concert at 7:30 pm

Berwyn fireworks at the Morton West High School
Location: 2400 Home Avenue in Berwyn, IL
Call 708-788-2660 for more event information or go to berwyn-il.gov for details
Show Time: July 4th at 7 pm from the football stadium

Blue Island fireworks at Eisenhower High School
Location: 127th Street and Sacramento in Blue Island, IL
Call 708-388-1000 for more detailed information about this event
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following the parade at 11:30 am at 123rd st and Western.

Buffalo Grove fireworks at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course
Location: Lake Cook Road and Raupp Boulevard in Buffalo Grove, IL
Call 847-459-2500 for the full event listing or visit vbg.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following a symphonic band concert

Calumet City fireworks at Thornton Fractional North
Location: Pulaski in Calumet City, IL
Call 708-868-2530 for details
Show Time: July 3rd at 9:15 pm following a 6pm free community concert

Carol Stream fireworks in the Town Center
Location: Gary St and Lies St in Carol Stream, IL
Call 630-665-7050 for more details or visit carolstream.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (about 9:30 pm)

Chicago Grant Park fireworks
Location: Grant Park 337 E. Randolph Street in Chicago, IL 60602
Call the city at 312-744-3370 for full details or visit egov.cityofchicago.org
Show Time: Thursday, July 3rd at dusk (9:30 pm) following a 8pm free concert from the Grant Park Orchestra

Chicago Nay Pier fireworks at Navy Pier
Location: 600 E. Grand Avenue in Chicago, IL 60611
Call 312-595-7437 for more information or go to navypier.com
Show Times: Wednesday, July 2nd at 9:30 p.m.; Friday, July 4th at 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 5th at 10:15 p.m. (set to music)

Chicago White Sox fireworks at the U.S. Cellular Field
Address Location: 333 W. 35th Street in Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 312-559-1212 or view chicago.whitesox.mlb.com
Show Time: July 4th after the Sox game presented by Pontiac

Country Club Hills fireworks in the Community Park
Location: 175th and Maple in Country Club Hills, IL
Call 708-798-2616 for event schedule or view countryclubhills.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following a concert (concert is not free)

Des Plaines fireworks at the Oakton Community CollegeLocation Address: 1600 E. Golf Rd in Des Plaines, IL
Call 847-391-5301 for full event schedule and listings or visit desplaines.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm (campus grounds open beforehand for picnics and free concert from 5-7 pm)

Downers Grove-Woodridge-Darien Fireworks at Four Corners
Location Address: 4 shopping center corners parking lots of 75th Street and Lemont Rd (also known as Main St DG) or near the ZigField Troy Golf Course
Show Time: July 4th at Dusk (9:30 pm)

Elgin fireworks at the Elgin Sports ComplexAddress Location: 601 S. McLean St in Elgin, IL
Call 847-931-6120 for full event schedule or go to enjoyelgin.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (free concert beforehand at 7pm)

Evanston fireworks at the Clark Street Beach
Location: Clark Street and the lakefront in Evanston, IL
Call 847-328-2100 for schedule details or visit evanston4th.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:15 pm (free concert from 7:30-9pm and parade at 2pm beforehand)

Evergreen Park fireworks in Duffy Memorial Park
Location Address: 92nd and Millard in Evergreen Park, IL
Call 708-422-1551 for full event schedule or view the website at evergreenpark-ill.com
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk following the parade at 6:30pm at 95th and Pulaski

Forest Park fireworks in the Town Park
Location Address: South of I290 just east of the Desplaines Avenue Exit in Forest Park, IL
Call 708-366-7500 for the full event schedule or view forestpark.net
Show Time: July 4th at 9:15 pm following the 4pm parade and a free 6pm concert

Fox Lake fireworks at Mineola Bay
Location Over the Fox Lake in Fox Lake, IL
Call 847-587-2151 for more specific directions
Show Time: July 7th at dusk (9:00ish)

Glen Ellyn fireworks in Lake Ellyn Park
Address Location: 645 Lenox in Glen Ellyn, IL
Call 630-469-5000 for full schedule of events or go to the website at glen-ellyn.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following food and music in the park at 1:30 pm. $2.00 admission for all the events

Glencoe fireworks at the Lakefront Park
Location: Park Avenue and the beach in Glencoe, IL
Call 847-835-3030 for more schedule details or visit goglencoe.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm following a parade at 2 pm and a BBQ on the beach at 6:30 pm

Glenview fireworks at the Glenview Park District Golf Course
Address Location: 800 Shermer Road in Glenview, IL
Call 847-724-1700 for the full schedule or visit glenviewparkdist.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm set to music following 7:30 free community concert

Gurnee fireworks at the Warren Township High School’s O’Plaine Campus
Address Location: 500 N. O’Plain Road in Gurnee, IL
Vistit gurnee.il.us for the full event schedule
Show Time: July 4th at 9:25 pm

Hoffman Estates fireworks on the Village Hall Grounds
Address Location: 1900 Hassell Road in Hoffman Estates, IL
Call 847-781-2660 for the full event schedule or visit hoffmanestates.com
Show Time: July 4th and July 7th @ 9:30 pm

Huntley fireworks at the Prime Outlet Mall
Address Location: 11800 Factory Shops Blvd in Huntley, IL
Call 847-669-9600 for schedule and details
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm )

Itasca fireworks at the Hamilton Lakes Office Park
Address Location: Illinois 53 and Thorndale Road in Itasca, IL
Call 630-773-0835 for full schedule or view the website at itasca.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following 4pm food vendors and picnicing grounds open and 7pm concert

Lake Forest fireworks in the Deerpath Community Park
Location Address: Hastings and Deerpath in Lake Forest, IL
Call 847-234-6702 for full event schedule or visit cityoflakeforest.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Libertyville fireworks at the Butler Lake Park
Location: Lake Street, west of Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville, IL
Call 847-362-5664 for the full event schedule
Show Time: July 4 at dusk (9:30 pm) free music concert beforehand

Lincolnshire fireworks at Spring Lake Park
Location Address: Oxford Drive, just east of Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolnshire, IL
Call 847-883-8600 for full event schedule or visit village.lincolnshire.il.us
Show Time: July 4th at dusk

Lisle fireworks in Lisle Community Park with the Lisle Eyes to the Sky Festival
Address Location: Short Street and Illinois 53 in Lisle, IL
Call 630-769-1000 for full event schedule or visit eyestotheskiesfestival.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:45 pm

Lockport fireworks in Dellwood Park
Address Location: Route 171 & Woods Drive in Lockport, IL
Call 815-838-0549 for full schedule of events or visit lockport.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk

Lombard fireworks in Madison Meadow Park
Location Address: Madison and Ahrens in Lombard, IL
Call 630-620-5700 for full schedule of events or view tasteoflombard.com website
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm in association with the taste of Lombard festival with food and live music performances

Lyons fireworks
Address and Location: Lawndale & Ogden Avenue in Lyons, IL
Call 708-447-8886 for full details or view lyonspolice.org website
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm follwing a parade at 1pm and music at 8pm.

Morton Grove fireworks in Harrer Park
Address: 6250 Dempster in Morton Grove, IL
Call 847-965-7447 for full event schedule or go to mortongroveparks.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following the parade at 2:30 pm

Mount Prospect fireworks in Melas Park
Location Address: Central Road and Busse Road in Mount Prospect, IL
Call 847-392-6000 for full event schedule or go to the website mountprospect.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (additional fireworks on July 2nd and July 3rd at 9:30 pm also)

Mundelein fireworks on the Mundelein Festival Grounds
Location Address: Seymour and Courtland in Mundelein, IL
Call 847-949-3200 for full holiday event schedule or visit mundelein.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Naperville fireworks at the Naperville Ribfest in Knoch Park
Address Location: West Street and Martin Avenue in Naperville, IL
Call 630-848-5000 for full Ribfest Event Details and Schedule or go to ribfest.net (if the site is not down again)
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

New Lenox fireworks at The CommonsLocation Address: Veterans Parkway between Haven Avenue and U.S. 30 in New Lenox, IL
Call 815-485-6452 for full event schedule or go to newlenox.net for details
Show Time: July 4 at dusk (9:30 pm)

North Aurora fireworks at the Village owned property adjacent to the North Aurora Towne Center
Address Location: I-88 & Orchard in North Aurora, IL
Call 630-897-8228 or go to vil.north-aurora.il.us for full event schedule and details
Show Time: July 4th @ 9 pm

Northbrook fireworks in Techny Park
Address Location: 1750 Techny Road in Northbrook, IL
Call 847-291-2980 for full event schedule or details or view northbrookjuly4th.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following a float filled parade at 2:30 pm

Oak Brook fireworks in the Oak Brook Polo Fields
Address Location: 31st and York Road in Oak Brook, IL
Call 630-990-3000 for full event schedule details or view the website at oak-brook.org
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk following the Taste of OakBrook festival

Oak Forest fireworks at 159th and Central at OakFest
Address Location: 159th and Central in Oak Forest, IL
Call 708-687-4050 for full event schedule or view website at oakfest.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm)

Oak Lawn fireworks at the Richards High School football fields
Address Location: 106th and Central in Oak Lawn, IL
Call 708-857-2200 for full event schedule and details olparks.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following the Centenial Park festival and a free corchestra concert at 7:30 pm

Orland Park fireworks at Centennial Park
Address and Location: 156th and West Avenue in Orland Park, IL
Call 708-403-6100 for full event schedule and details or view the website at orland-park.il.us
Show Time: July 4th set to music at 9:15 pm following a free concert at 6pm

Oswego fireworks at PrarieFest Park
Address Location: 313 E. Washington Street in Oswego, IL
Call 630-554-3259 for the full event schedule or view the website at oswegoil.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Palatine fireworks at Community Park
Location Address: Northwest Highway and Palatine Road in Palatine, IL
Phone 847-604-0288 for more schedule details or view the website at palatine.il.us
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk (9pm) after a carnival at 4pm

Palos Heights fireworks at Lake Katherine
Illinois 83 and 76th Avenue in Palos Heights, IL
Phone: 708-361-1807 for schedule details
Show Time: July 3rd at 9:15 pm

Forest fireworks at Central Park
Address Location: Lakewood Boulevard, next to Freedom Hall in Park Forest, IL
Phone: 708-748-2005 or view the website at villageofparkforest.net for more schedule details
Show Time July 4th at 9:15 pm following a free orchestra concert at 7pm

Park Ridge fireworks at Maine East High School
Location Address: Dempster and Potter in Park Ridge, IL
Phone: 847-692-5127 or view the website at parkridge.us for schedule details
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk (9:15 pm)

Roselle fireworks at Lake Park High School
500 West Bryn Mawr in Roselle, IL
Phone: 630-980-2000 for more info or view the town website roselle.il.us for the schedule listings
Show Time: July 4th at 9:40 pm following free music entertainment at 5:30 pm

Skokie 3-D fireworks at Niles West High School
Oakton Street and I-94 in Skokie, IL
(847) 674-1500 or view the schedule online at skokieparkdistrict.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:15 pm)

South Holland fireworks at Thornwood High School
170th and South Park in South Holland, IL
(708) 210-2900 or view the schedule at southholland.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm

Streamwood fireworks at Dolphin Park
Location: Park Boulevard north of Irving Park Road in Streamwood, IL
Call 630-837-0200 for a full listing of events or chekc the town website at streamwood.org
Show Time: July 4 at dusk around 9 pm

Vernon Hills fireworks in Century Park
Location: 1001 Lakeview Parkway in Vernon Hills, IL
Call 847-367-3700 for the full schedule of events or check out the website at vernonhills.org
Show Time: July 4 @ 9:30pm
Music starts at Century Park at 6:30 pm followed by fireworks at 9:30 pm.

Warrenville fireworks at Cerny Park
Location: Forestview Avenue & River Road in downtown Warrenville IL
Call 630-393-9427 for the schedule of events
Show time: July 3rd 5-10pm
The celebration runs from 5 to 10pm with a parade, food and fun. It ends with fireworks at 9:30pm.

Wauconda Fireworks at Cook Park
Location: Main Street & Garland Drive in Wauconda, IL
Call 847-526-9600 for full information and schedule or check out the Wauconda Park District Web Site at waucondaparks.com
Show Time: July 3 @ dusk (usually 9:30 pm)

Waukegan Fireworks at Waukegan Harbor
Location: the lakefront near Grand & Sheridan in Waukegan, IL
Call 847-599-2949 for the full details or check out the Waukegan Website at waukeganport.com
Hours: July 4 @ 9pm

Wheeling Town Fireworks
Location: Park District behind the Saint Joseph Worker Catholic Church
Address: 181 West Dundee Rd in Wheeling, IL
Call: 847-459-2600 for more details and info or visit the Wheeling Town Website at vi.wheeling.il.us
Show Time: July 4 @ 9:15pm

Wilmette fireworks at Gillson Park in Wilmette, IL
Call 847-256-6100 for more details or visit the Wilmette Park District website at wilmettepark.org
Show Time: July 3rd over the lake @ 9:30 pm

Winnetka fireworks at Duke Child’s Field
Location: Willow and Hibbard Streets in Winnetka, IL
Call 847-501-2040 for details or check the Winetka Park District website @ winpark.org
Show Time: July 4th @ 9:15pm
The Fireworks are also accompanyied by recorded music which is nice.

Zion fireworks at Shiloh Park
Location: 25th and Emmaus Avenue in Zion, IL
Call 847-746-5500 for more information or check the Zion website at zionparkdistrict.com
Show Time: July 4th @ 9:30pm

The 4th of July is almost here and everyone is heading out to their favorite restaurants with outdoor patios and putting on the sunblock to go to the beach in Chicago. It is that rare time of year when we forget that Chicago is really a cold and desolate place the rest of the year and we enjoy the outdoors. But we also like our air conditioning because Chicago is humid in the summer, so you have to balance your activities between indoors and outside. This weekend there is a bevy of new restaurant openings, events and concerts to go to. So enjoy your weekend and plan for next week on July 4th also.

1. The Grant Park Music Festival is going on all Summer long from June 11 through August 16th. They have found sponsors to cover the costs of the musicians and facilities so that the city can offer free classical music concerts to the public all summer. This weekend they have 2 concerts scheduled, one on Friday at 6:30 pm and one on Saturday at 7:30 pm both at Harris Theater. (which may not be free, but there is no note about ticket costs on the booklet they sent me in the mail) The classical music concert is featuring 20th Century Masters played by the Grant Park Orchestra. The Harris Theater is a very box-like uber-modern concrete structure at the northern most edge of Millennium Park.

2. C-House Restaurant opens at the Affinia Chicago 166 East Superior Street Downtown. (312.523.0923) Expect a high class experience with a nautical theme. I wonder what the draw is for bringing high quality seafood to Chicago when transportation and fuel costs are so high. Anyway, I am sure the food is divine.

3. The (BAM) Belmont Arts and Music Fest  is on this weekend with plenty of indie bands to delight the senses. As they say it is “2 days of Beats, Art & Eats” (and drinks) The Belmont Arts and Music Fest is open from 12pm noon until 10pm on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Check it out on Belmont Avenue between Damen and Leavitt in Roscoe Village. The music lineup includes (in reverse order):

Saturday: Cursive @ 9:00 pm, The Redwalls @8:30 pm, Maritime @ 7:55 pm, Waco Brothers @7:00 pm,
Sybris @ 6:45 pm, Dot Dot Dot @5:30 pm, Unwed Sailor @ 5:40 pm, Steepwater@4:00 pm; Parlor Mob @ 4:35 pm Rockit @2:30 pm, Mark Rose @ 3:50 pm, Hey Champ @1:00 pm, Everthus The Deadbeats @ 3:00 pm,

Sunday: American Music Club @ 9:00 pm, Smoking Popes @ 8:30 pm, Johnathan Rice @ 7:55 pm, Justin Townes Earle @7:00 pm, Maria Taylor @ 6:45 pm, Air This Side Of Caution @5:30 pm, Casiotone For The Painfully Alone @ 5:40 pm, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons @4:OO pm, Nik Freitas @ 4:35 pm, Anne Harris Band @2:30 pm, Yourself and The Air @ 3:30 pm Cavashawn @1:00 pm 

4. Cirque du Soleil has a new show in the parking lot around the United Center called KOOZA. The concept of highly trained acrobats with lighting and special effects and clowns is getting a little old, they have been pushing it since the Albertville Olympic Games in 1992. I am really tired of it and most of us realize it’s still just a bunch of circus performers. Yes it can be awe inspiring to see once in a while, but not anything new, exciting or ground breaking. Hence all the advertising they had to do in order to sell tickets. If you love the circus, this is for you, if not, skip it.

5. The Joffrey Ballet  is selling tickets to their new home location opening coming up this September, so if you really miss having a local Ballet Company downtown, book these dates. 

• Thursday, September 11th, 2008 – 6:00pm Joffrey Ballet Performance at Millennium Park
• Friday, September 12, 2008 – 7:00 pm The Opening Night at the Joffrey Tower. A Black Tie Dinner and Performance Limited Seating is available.
• Saturday, September 13, 2008 – 3:00pm Joffrey Tower: Community Open House
• Monday, September 15, 2008 – 6:30pm Couture and Cocktails Fashion Show by Maria Pinto

6. Of course on Sunday the Gay Pride Parade in Chicago is going on from noon until around 2 in Boystown and Wrigleyville. It is always a light hearted fun time with lots of flamboyant costumes, rainbows and skin. I have to say that it can be an eye opening experience if you have never been there before but everyone is really nice and very cool so it is always a fun time. It is really a chance to celebrate openness in society and realize that while we aren’t all the same we are pretty similar (we all like beer!) and can all get along.

7. The Randolph Street Market Festival has all you can possibly imagine in the way of decorative furnishings and vintage antiques. (over 200 vendors from all over the country selling all eras of “vintage”) It is kind of like a cross between those fancy shmantsy antique shows at the merchandise mart and the flea market on the Kane County Fair Grounds. But on Randolph Street instead. The Randolph Street Market festival is open on Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sunday from 11am to 5pm. 

8. If that isn’t enough to do just wait, The Taste of Chicago Starts Friday June 27th at 11 AM!

Have a great weekend!!

The Gay Pride Parade is an annual tradition in Chicago. The parade draws thousands of proud GLBT community members and local visitors who enjoy the parade and festivities while they support the freedom to be out and be proud in Chicago. I have gone to see the Gay Pride Parade in Chicago, although not for a few years now, and it was a lot of fun and laughs and quite the party. (I distinctly remember the altoids) I do think it is an entertaining and open event for both straight and gay people and can be very entertaining for everyone if you keep an open mind. But then again, that is exactly what the gay pride parade is all about, open-mindedness. (think Eddie Izzard)

We need to keep the openness idea rolling in Chicago, we are pretty close to middle America and some people here really don’t embrace the open culture idea, but events and public awareness like this has changed the gay community in Chicago over the years. In fact everywhere I have worked over the last 10 years there have been a number of open and out gay professionals in the department and company. The companies embraced these differences and it was totally accepted to see significant others at company social events and the companies also provided benefits for these significant others. Now high schools have openly gay groups for teens and things are much more acceptable to be talked about in general. I admit I am not an expert on the gay community in Chicago, but even I have noticed that things have come a long way in the last 10 or 20 years!

If you want to see the 39th annual Gay & Lesbian Pride Parade in Chicago this year here is some info you will need. It is of course free to see the parade, but if you are driving in to the city, expect parking to be difficult to find and you will probably have to pay to park and then walk from a few blocks away. The map below shows the parade route and it starts in Boystown at Clark, Belmont and Halsted and ends at Diversey in Lincoln Park. The gay pride parade begins at 12 noon and usually goes until 2pm or longer. With 250 floats and many groups to see it takes a while. According to the official parade site chicagopride.com over 400,000 people attend the parade every year.  After the parade many people have parties locally and visitors from out of town usually like to do some shopping in the area. All in all it is a fun thing to do in Chicago this weekend.

Naperville Ribfest has become one of the largest suburban summer festivals in Chicago. It has been running for at least 20 years and the Ribfest has grown to now include major music acts along with great ribs from all over the country.

The thing that makes the Naperville Ribfest so attractive for both businesses and local residents is that it is in the suburbs and there are over 128,000 people living in Naperville and many more in towns of similar size around it. All these families with kids get something fun to do over the July 4th weekend and advertisers and entertainers love to be in front of them.

Over 1 million people go through the Naperville Ribfest over the 4th of July weekend. With that in mind save yourself some time and park in the 5th Avenue Metra Station lot and take the shuttles they have running every 10 minutes to the Ribfest. Otherwise there is no aprking within 1 mile of the fest. It is actually located in Knoch park behind Edwards Hospital but the hospital parking lot is off limits too. All the street parking was full by 3pm in the afternoon when we went too.

We suburbanites live 1 hour or more southwest of Chicago so the Taste of Chicago isn’t really an option for us with the awful traffic Chicago has these days. Plus if you live locally walking or biking to the Naperville Ribfest makes it more community friendly and less like the big city. The festival tries to be kid friendly and family friendly but local high school and college kids enjoy the Ribfest too.

Here is some helpful information about  the Naperville Ribfest schedule, rib restaurants selling food there and the events that weekend. 2009

Ribfest 2009 will run from Thursday, July 2rd through Sunday, July 5th.

• Thursday, July 2nd 12:00 Noon to 10:00 p.m.
• Friday, July 3rd 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m.
• Saturday, July 4th 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. Gates open to public at 7:00pm for fireworks
• Sunday, July 5th 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m.

The Ribfest Food Vendors selling Ribs will be:

• Desperado’s BBQ & Rib Co. – Their 10th year at Ribfest
• Fast Freddy’s Electric BBQ Ribs – They aren’t cooked fast but they are eaten fast!
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue and Catering – You know and love Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce from the Jewel grocery store and come see what they do when they are cookin’
• Texas Outlaws BBQ – They have won first place two of the last five years
• Uncle Bub’s- The Hichory Smoked BBQ Restaurant was born in 1997 in Westmont
• Famous Dave’s – Well, they are famous for their ribs of course
• Pigfoot BBQ Company – A Ribber at Naperville Ribfest for 13 years
• Aussom Aussie – A 20 year veteran of the International BBQ Circuit and they have great cornbread for $2.00 also.
• Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ – They offer both tomato based as well as vinegar based sauces.
• Porky N Beans – a member of the National Award Winning Rib Cookers of America since 1983
• Rasta Joes BBQ – Joe Alexander (Rasta Joe) has been at Ribfest for over 15 years
• Sgt. Oink’s Pit BBQ – Last year they won Naperville 3rd place best ribs
• Johnson’s BBQ – They have a BBQ sauce called “Thermonuclear Sauce”
• Smokin’ Joe’s Hog Wild Barbeque
• Armadillo’s Rib and Que Company
• Howling Coyote Southwest BBQ

The competition for best ribs prizes is Fierce! Last year Uncle Bubs was voted best in the Naperville Ribfest and Armadillo’s won best Sauce. I think that those plus Sweet Baby Ray’s will be the best ones to check out first because it may be impossible to try them all unless you plan on eating lunch and dinner there every day of the festival. There are other food and drink vendors there at the fest too. You can always count on Oberweis for some great ice cream and root beer floats.

If you come to Naperville Ribfest for the food, stay for the music. They have brought nationally known bands and acts to the suburbs for years and this year is no different. There are 2 stages; the Main Stage (Heart, Sarah Evans, Todd Rundgren and Huey Louis and the News) and the Brian R Schultz Rock and Roll Stage (Blue Oyster Cult, North Mississippi All Stars, WAR, Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone) plus there is also a BP Family Area that has a lot of fun activities for the kids. The schedules for both stages are below.

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Some tips for making your trip to the Naperville Ribfest more fun:

1. If you drive be prepared to walk because parking fills up in downtown Naperville quickly and you end up parking far away. Wear comfortable shoes. Park in the 5th Avenue Metra station lot off Washington and take the shuttle to the fest.

2. Buy your tickets in advance through the Ribfest web site or pre-sale tickets locally in downtown Naperville at the Jewel Grocery Food Stores and save $2.00 per ticket. Otherwise it is $10.00 at the gate and there are usually long lines.

3. Bring the kids, your appetite and stay for the music and entertainment all evening long. Here is a Map of the events and locations of the Naperville Ribfest.

4. The Ribfest will close if when it is raining there is any Lightning. At that time the park will close and everyone will be asked to leave for safety reasons. It is very very crowded and everyone just sits on the ground with their ribs to eat. So bring handy wipes for your fingers or get them at the Sweet Baby Ray’s station.

Enjoy the Ribfest and have a great time!

I am all about dining out on weekends. I love eating dinner alfresco and eating dinner at a restaurant that offers outdoor patio dining as the sun sets over Chicago and the suburbs. We live in such a frigid climate most of the year that when summer arrives we are even ok seeing just cars and exhaust as we eat as long as we get a few rare sunbeams to warm our shoulders or have some tiny white lights twinkling over our heads along with the moon and stars.

Many local Chicago restaurants offer garden seating or patio tables  outside but three restaurants announced new patios in their restaurants open this weekend. The weather should be upper 70s to low 80s too, so it is perfect for eating outside, and there aren’t many bugs out yet either.

Many of you know Mia Francesca in Lakeview and Francesca’s in Downtown Naperville (both are favorites of mine) but now there is another Francesca in the family and she offers outside patio dining too. Francesca’s Passaggio is located at 3124 South Route 59 in Naperville, IL. Call (630) 946-0600 for reservations. The Francesca’s family of restaurants offer fine Italian dining in a relaxed but upscale atmosphere.  The new patio looks lively with TV screens and a fire pit for those chilly nights in September.

Pergolas are great over patios. They are like a trellis with big support beams creating an outdoor room space. Perennial opens its’ patio for the summer in Lakeview Friday in the Park View Hotel at 1800 North Lincoln Avenue. Call 312.981.7070 for reservations. Perennial restaurant features elegant American bistro food including peekytoe crab salad and crispy confit chicken leg with blue cheese foam. A little different from the regular bistro fare.

WAVE Restaurant and Bar is located in the W Hotel at 644 N. Lake Shore Drive (312-255-4460) and continuing their theme of mixing fun with class they have opened a make your own sundae bar on the Patio. The difference between the Sundaes you made as a kid and these at WAVE? The Bailey’s drizzled on top of course. Could anything be richer on a warm summer evening?

I got an email announcing the launch of the new Chicago Drinks site with bar and restaurant reviews from the Chicago Reader and wanted to post about it since there are always new bars, restaurants and clubs opening in the city every week. I find it hard to keep up with all the new places opening and closing and find it difficult to make a good recommendation when people ask me where they should go out for drinks in Chicago. My areas of expertise are more around special events, improv, holidays and the loop and burbs. Drinking isn’t something I do very often so when people need a bar recommendation for a party or fun night with friends, I am rarely the one with the suggestions.

Chicago Drinks could change all that. The Chicago Reader has been rocking the city with real down to earth articles about local people, businesses and events since 1971. The new Chicago Drinks site offers 4 things to continue that trend in the local bar market. They offer a page of local drink specials for the week, a flickr group of local bar photos (where to be seen in Chicago), the Behind the Bar blog that will be writing about new bars and clubs weekly and some video content on news and information you can use in a handy youtube format. A big bonus is that they offer a weekly bar tab contest where you could win a tab covered by the Reader that weekend. From Andersonville to Wrigleyville Chicago Drinks has the city’s bar scene covered.

Of course Chicago Drinks is for over 21 visitors only although it does not ask for your age to enter like most beer web sites do. I know I will be checking it out for more information on what is new and hip with the bar scene in Chicago in the coming weeks. For your weekly dose of new bar, club and restaurant information visit the site at drinks.chicagoreader.com.

The Old Town Art Fair is just one of many festivals going on this weekend in Chicago. On June 14th and 15th (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 am to 6 pm you can pay $5 bucks to wander through the stations and view all the artwork and hear the local jazz and musicians play. The entrance is on to the Old Town Art Fair is at 1763 N Park Avenue but most people seem to get there by Second City at North Avenue and Wells Street because the Piper’s Alley theater has a paid parking garage. (it fills up fast and costs $25 to park for the afternoon) From there you can walk north or south to view the posh artwork.  

The Old Town Art Fair features local artist’s work from Chicago and the surrounding areas. You can find everything from fine art like paintings and watercolors to photography, sculpture and other creative arts. It is not though a craft fair. You won’t find flower arrangements or sewing projects. It is all about art in the traditional sense. They even feature some interesting emerging artists you might also see at the Around the Coyote Festival in Bucktown each year. So if you are looking for art to furnish your condo or home in Chicago or if you are just looking for an entertaining way to spend the afternoon in the Old Town neighborhood, check out the Old Town Art Fair. Expect large crowds (like in the picture) and this weekend expect it to be hot and sunny so remember the water and the sunscreen while enjoying the art fair.

The Chicago Blues Festival is the second most popular and attended event in downtown Chicago and Grant Park every year. The most popular is the Taste of Chicago. I missed Blues Fest this year due to some lack of planning and lack of time. I still think this is an important festival for chicagoans and visitors alike to attend because it helps continue communicating the language of jazz and blues music to the next generation while providing a weekend of great entertainment for everyone. Chicago has long been a center of both jazz and blues music creation and performance. There are fewer jazz and blues clubs in Chicago than in the heyday of Jazz but it is still an important part of our local culture and should be preserved and innovative at the same time. This year’s blues fest was a great success and these are some pictures that I looked up on flickr. I hope you enjoy the sights of the Chicago Blues Festival recapped here. And maybe next year I will get to actually attend the fest!

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. The Skyline behind people watching the show at the Chicago Blues Fest in June.

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The Front Portch Stage at the Chicago Blues Fest.

I have lived in Chicago all my life and during that time not only has the Taste of Chicago been a huge event known for great food, music and entertainment, it has gotten larger every year and keeps on growing. Taste of Chicago features some of the best food in the city as well as some of the fastest to make and serve. Most all of the food is specific to Chicago and you won’t find anywhere else in the country. Whether your favorite foods are ribs, chicken, burgers, Chicago style hot dogs, PIZZA, pasta, beef, sushi, Thai, Italian, BBQ, vegetarian, giant turkey legs, desserts, chocolate, ice cream, or cheesecake, you will find something tasty to eat this year at the Taste of Chicago. Many people make it a meal (or two!) at dinner after work downtown. It does get crowded and you should read some of the reviews and advice from others before tackling this huge event.

Some basic information you need to know if you are coming downtown for the Taste.

Taste of Chicago Map (712 KB PDF File)

Event Dates:June 27th through July 6th

Event Hours: The Taste of Chicago opens every day at 11 am for lunch and is open until 9:00 pm. Ticket sales stop at 8:30 pm. On the Final day July 6th the event closes early at 6pm.

Event Location: The Taste of Chicago is located in Grant Park downtown in Chicago between the streets of

Tickets and Costs: Admission is free to the event, but the food costs a bit more than you would expect. The vendors also don’t take cash, so you have to buy tickets and each item on the menu at each restaurant booth is listed with a price in a number of tickets. A strip of 12 tickets costs $8.00. No item should be more than 10 tickets and some places offer a sample taste for 2 or 4 tickets so you can get a real taste of a lot of foods. The thing that always surprises me is how much drinks cost. Expect them to be 6 or 8 tickets each. You can purchase advance food tickets for the Taste of Chicago at Dominick’s food stores for $6.00 a strip beforehand if you don’t plan to buy them downtown or want to save money.

Parking:A lot of people come in from the suburbs and across the Midwest to experience the Taste of Chicago, so expect big crowds and no street parking. There are parking garages located under Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park that are popular because they are walking distance to Grant Park. The Metra is always also an option but Union Station is not anywhere near Grant Park. Expect to take a bus or cab down to the event from there it is a very long walk in the hot sun otherwise. The CTA has plenty of buses and EL stations also near by if you plan on commuting from city locations. It is always better to CTA or Cab it rather than to drive to a huge crowded event like the Taste of Chicago.

Taste of Chicago Concerts: There are several concerts and they are all free! But because they are free, the seating and space fills up quickly and you should arrive a 1/2 hour or hour early to get a good spot. It is also frequently sunny and hot during these free concerts so bring a hat, sunscreen and buy a water if you plan to be in the heat for a few hours.

Safety: As always keep a close eye on kids and all the people in your group. There are frequently so many people trying to walk between the food vendors and restaurant stations that everyone is elbow to elbow and if you loose someone it is very hard to find them again. Use cell phones to locate people in a crowd. Also keep an eye for pickpockets, in a crowd it is easy to mistake a pickpocket for a bump and then your wallet is gone. I have never had this happen, but it can, so keep your money in a safe place.

Taste of Chicago Map (712 KB PDF File)

This year the restaurants exhibiting at the Taste of Chicago are:

  A Natural Harvest
  Abbey Pub
  Adobo Grill (New!)
  Arya Bhavan
  Aunt Diana’s Candy Makers (sweet!)
  B.J.’s Market & Bakery
  Bacino’s Pizza of Lincoln Park
  Bella Luna Café
  Billy Goat Inn (cheeseburgers!)
  Bobtail Ice Cream Company (awesome Ice Cream)
  Bolat African Cuisine
  Buona Beef (aways a favorite)
  C’est Si Bon
  Canady Le Chocolatier (New!)
  Celebration Creamery
  Chicago Chocolate Company
  Chicago Joe’s
  Connie’s Pizza
  Costa’s
  Dominick’s
  Eli’s Cheesecake (a tradition in Chicago)
  Father & Son Pizzeria
  Fireplace Inn
  Franco’s Ristorante
  Grazie! Ristorante
  Guey Lon
  Harold’s Chicken #71
  Harry Caray’s
  Hashbrowns (New!)
  Helen’s
  Home Run Inn Pizza (my personal favorite pizza)
  JR Dessert Bakery
  Kasia’s Deli
  La Justicia
  Lagniappe-Creole Cajun Joynt
  Las Tablas (New!)
  Los Dos Laredos
  Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria (a taste of Chicago favorite!)
  Mazzone’s Italian Ice
  Now We’re Poppin’ (New!) Popcorn
  O’Brien’s Cafe
  Oak Street Beach Café
  Original Rainbow Cone
  Polka Sausage & Deli
  Polo Cafe & Catering
  Reggio’s Pizza
  Ricobene’s (another traditional Taste of Chicago Favorite)
  Robinson’s #1 Ribs (awesome ribs)
  Sabor Latino
  Soul Vegetarian East (New!)
  Star of Siam (great Thai Food)
  Suparossa Pizza
  Sweet Baby Ray’s (I love their BBQ sauce)
  Tamarind (New!)
  Taqueria Los Comales
  The Breakfast Club (New!)
  The Grill On The Alley
  The Noodle Vietnamese Cuisine
  Tiparos Thai Cuisine
  Tuscany Italian Restaurant
  Tutto Italiano
  Vee-Vee’s African Cuisine
  Vermilion Latin-American Cuisine
  Vienna Beef/Gold Coast Dogs (You can’t miss getting a real Chicago Hot Dog At the Taste of Chicago)
  Wow Bao (New!) (fresh hot buns they say!)

Also The Chef’s table Special Featured Restaurants at the Taste of Chicago schedule are:

Friday, June 27, 2008 – Heaven on Seven

Saturday, June 28, 2008 – Morton’s

Sunday, June 29, 2008 – Berghoff

Monday, June 30, 2008 – Tavern On Rush

Tuesday, July 1, 2008 – Chant

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 – Cafè Spiaggia

Thursday, July 3, 2008 – Les Nomades

Friday, July 4, 2008 – Art Smith Company

Saturday, July 5, 2008 – The Parrot Cage

Sunday, July 6, 2008 – The Parrot Cage

Memorial Weekend is the offical beginning of the summer and the first time you can accessorize with white shoes and a handbag. If you are less into antiquated fashion norms than I am, you may be wondering what is goin on this weekend in the area of parties, BBQs and festivals. Maybe you are traveling to Chicago and staying in a hotel downtown and need something to entertain yourself with over the 3 day weekend? Maybe you live in the Chicagoland area and want to come downtown to take a mini-vacation this weekend?

First you can check out the Festival List  to see where the action will be. Next we have some recommendations here that don’t even require you to buy charcoal or lighter fluid. The list ranges from the regular to the unusual, and hopefully all travelers will find something to suit their holiday needs this weekend.

1. There is a Memorial Day Parade Downtown in Chicago on Saturday May 24th and it is Free of course, if you like free events to take the kids to in the city.  The parade route is on State Street from Wacker to Van Buren and the parade starts at noon on Saturday. Call 312-744-3315 for more info.

2. Go see DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE  at Steppenwolf theater in the Downstairs Theatre. Steppenwolf has been known for producing the highest quality dramatic theater in Chicago and last year’s hit “August: Osage County” won a Pulitzer prize this year and is up for a long list of Tony awards. Dead man’s Cell Phone is playing Tuesday – Sunday at 7:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm. See steppenwolf.org for tickets and to order online or call the theater at 312-335-1650

3. Go see “America the Beautiful“, a movie at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema Theater in Lakeview. (2828 N. Clark Street in Chicago, IL) This documentary looks at the beauty and cosmetic surgery industry and what it is doing to our country and to women all over the world. I realized recently that by the time I was 4 I knew that I wasn’t what people thought of a “thin” or “pretty” so I wouldn’t go to ballet class because they made you wear leotards. I wonder where I got that idea? A bonus this weekend is that on Friday and Saturday there will be a special Q & A after the 7:10 and 9:45 pm showtimes.

4. Randolph Street Fest is the festival of the week this weekend. It runs all summer on specific weekends. This street market used to be known as the Chicago Antique Market, but alas less antiques leads to a name change. This means all kinds of good stuff is for sale, although not at discount prices. Check it out for some browsing action at 1400 W. Randolph St, in Chicago 60607. They now feature indie items (eco friendly, home made, crafters) and world goods from all over in addition to the antiques. From 10am -5pm Saturday may 24th and Sunday May 25th. It is $10.00 to enter to cover the site rental and security fees. Call 312-666-1200 for more info.

5. The 7th annual Bike The Drive bike ride is happening this Sunday from 5:30 – 10:30 am. The problem with this event is that it costs $50.00 to participate and it is really early. I could see it being fun though if you are a bike rider with enough stamina to actually make it through 15 or 30 miles of pedaling. I am not someone who could do that, but it is great exercise. Call the event hotline at 312-427-3325 ext. 251 for the full info. The ride starts at 300 East Jackson Boulevard and you may want to get there early if you haven’t pre-registered.

6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie  releases Thursday and the reviews in Cannes and in the US have been pretty good so far. So, to avoid not going to see this blockbuster this weekend, buy your tickets online in advance.

7. Nordstrom is having their 1/2 yearly annual sale right now (on everything) and the discounts are a lot deeper than they were last year. They are taking up to 40% off of all the brand name merchandise that we know and love. I went over to the Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue today and was surprised to see that Dolce and Gabbana purses were heavily marked down at the same rate as the house brand. Apparently they are trying to offer better deals in this tough economy to help people spend more with their rebate checks by offering a better deal. If you do go, get there early before all the good stuff is sold out.

8. Indy 500 and Monaco F1 Race  are on TV if you want to experience some of the best racing has to offer. Tivo or DVR the Monaco race since it starts at 6am on Sunday morning. See if Danika Patrick can keep the momentum going and do well this weekend at the Indy 500. Ok, these may require grilling.

9. And a little bit after the weekend, the Chicago Reader  will be running their annual book swap  at the Cobra Lounge. They emailed me about it and they had this to say about the fun and entertaining social event:

Make Spring Cleaning Fun! Come to the Chicago Reader Book Swap! You have books you don’t need. You need books you don’t have. So come to the Chicago Reader Book Swap at Cobra Lounge (253 N Ashland) Wednesday May 28, 6-9 pm.  Bring books! Take books! Meet people who read books! Win fabulous door prizes! Have a beer! Free tote bag to the first 300 swappers!

They have been smart enough to figure out that book talk goes better with drink specials so, they mentioned that there will be” $2 PBR, $2 Schlitz, $2 Makers Mark, $3 Guinness, $3 Jameson, $3 Newcastles” available also. I think the best idea here is that this is all free. I have piles of books I never plan on reading again, and I may head over there for this too.

Personally, I will be spring cleaning my condo from top to bottom because I have visitors coming in next week and going to see Avenue Q at the Cadillac Palace Theater. Have a great weekend and Happy Memorial Day!

Chicago Festival season has begun this year and I wanted to post a comprehensive list of all the major Chicagoland festivals and block parties and neighborhood events that I found. If there are summer events not listed here post a comment to add yours to the list. I hope this helps you plan your summer calendar and find a lot of fun things to do in Chicago while the weather is warm.

May Spring Festivals and Events in Chicago

May 14: Chicago Fair Trade Day Festival

May 14: Green City Market opens

May 14-16: Black Thai International Arts and Crafts Fest

May 16-18: Chicago Mayfest

May 23-25: Summer Camp 2008 (suburbs)

May 23-26: Gaelic Park Irish Festival (suburbs)

May 24: Memorial Day Parade

May 24-25: Randolph Street Market Festival

May 25: Bike the Drive

May 26: Memorial Day Festival

May 26: WOOGMS 45th Annual Memorial Day Parade

May 28-31: Chicago Turkish Festival

May 29-June 1: Mayfest in Lincoln Square

May 30-June 1: Chicago Gospel Music Festival

May 31-June 1: Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival

May 31-June 1: Do-Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale

May 31: Chi-Town Kruze and Car Show

JUNE Summer Festivals and Events in Chicago

Through June 1: Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival

Through June 1: Gospel Music Festival

June 2-8 Chicago Improv Comedy Festival

June 5-6: Lake View Music Fest

June 5-8: Chicago Blues Festival

June 6-8: Jeff Fest (named after some dude named Jeff)

June 7: Chalk Festival

June 7-8: 57th Street Art Fair

June 7-8: Community Art Fair

June 7-8: Fiesta Back of the Yards

June 7-8: Printers Row Book Festival

June 7-8: Ribfest Chicago

June 10-15: Fiesta Puertorriquenas

June 11-Aug. 16: Grant Park Music Festival

June 12-13: Festa Pasta Vino

June 12-Aug. 24: Chicago SummerDance Festival

June 13-15: St. Michael’s Celebration

June 14: Puerto Rican Parade

June 14-15: Andersonville Midsommarfest

June 14-15: Artists of the Wall Festival

June 14-15: Old Town Art Fair (North Avenue and Wells)

June 14-15: Wells Street Art Festival

June 14: Wrigleyville SummerFest

June 16: Halsted Tastes Better

June 16-20: Thailand Festival

June 19: Southside Neighborhood Gospel Fest

June 20-22: Close 2 Smooth Jazz Festival

June 20-21: Scottish Festival and Highland Games (suburbs)

June 20-22: St. Josaphat Summerfest

June 20-22: Taste of Greece on LaSalle Street

June 20-22: Taste of Randolph Street

June 21-22: Chicago Summerfest in Lincoln Park

June 21-22: Custer’s Last Stand Festival of the Arts (suburbs)

June 21-22: Pizza Fest

June 22: River North SummerFest

June 24-25: Randolph Street Market Festival

June 25-28: Chicago Arabesque

June 27-29: Peace Fest

June 27-July 6: Taste of Chicago

June 28: Back Lot Bash

June 28: Chicago Pride Fest

June 28-29: BAM! Belmont Arts and Music Fest

June 29: Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade (GBLT)

June 29: Girl Blast

JULY Summer Festivals and Events in Chicago

Through July 6: Taste of Chicago

July 3-6: African-Caribbean International Festival of Life

July 3-6: Naperville Ribfest (suburbs)

July 5-6: Lake View Music Fest

July 10: Bastille Day 5K Run, Walk and Block Party

July 11-12: BenFest

July 11-13: Chicago Tribune Magnificent Mile Art Festival

July 11-13: Irish American Heritage Festival

July 12-13: DuSable Arts and Crafts Festival

July 12-13: Chicago Folk and Roots Festival

July 12-13: Kwanzaa Summer Festival

July 12-13: Rock Around the Block

July 12-13: St. Andrew’s Greek Festival

July 15-Aug. 26: Chicago Outdoor Film Festival in Grant Park

July 18-19: Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party

July 18-20: Pitchfork Music Festival

July 19: Silver Room’s Sound System Block Party

July 19-20: Ethnic Arts Festival (suburbs)

July 19-20: Sheffield Garden Walk and Festival

July 19-20: Summer on Southport

July 20: Chinatown Summer Fair

July 20: Dearborn Garden Walk and Heritage Festival

July 25-27: Pierogi Fest (in Indiana)

July 26: Ghana Fest

July 26: Venetian Night

July 27: An Arts Adventure

July 26-27: Randolph Street Market Festival

July 26-27: Taste of Lincoln Avenue

July 26-27: Wicker Park Fest

AUGUST Summer Festivals and Events in Chicago

August 1-3: Lollapalooza

August 2: Uptown Summer Unity Festival

August 2-3: Retro on Roscoe

August 3: Belize Day in the Park

August 8-10: Caribbean Festival

August 8-10: Gold Coast Art Fair

August 8-17: Illinois State Fair (rural)

August 9-10: Korean Street Festival

August 9-10: Market Days

August 9-10: West Fest

August 15: Croatian Fest

August 15-17: East Meets West Fest

August 15-17: North Side Summerfest

August 15-17: St. Demetrios Greek Festival

August 16: Barrio Art Fest

August 16: Carifete

August 16-17: Chicago Air & Water Show

August 22-24: Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest

August 23: Chicago Reggae Festival

August 23-24: Bucktown Arts Fest

August 23-24: Taste of Greece

August 23-24: Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival

August 24: Festa di Tutti i Santi

August 28-31: Chicago Jazz Festival

August 29-Sept. 1: African Festival of the Arts

August 29-Sept. 1: The Last Fling (suburbs)

August 29-Sept. 1: Taste of Polonia

August 30-31: Bash on Wabash

August 30-31: Randolph Street Market Festival

SEPTEMBER Fall Festivals and Events in Chicago

Through Sept. 1: The Last Fling (suburbs)

Through Sept. 1: Taste of Polonia

September 5-6: Windy City Wine Festival

September 5-7: German-American Festival

September 6: Guinness Oyster Fest

September 6: Von Steuben Parade

September 6-7: Ukrainian Village Fest

September 11-14: Festival de la Villita

September 13: The Wine Crush in Old Town

September 13-14: Celtic Fest Chicago

September 13-14: Lincoln Park Art Faire

September 13-14: Renegade Craft Fair

September 21-22: Hideout Block Party

September 26-28: Eighth Annual Oktoberfest

It’s rainy here in Chicago right now and believe it or not, the weekend plans you have very much depends on the weather. And guess what? The forecast sais it will rain all day today (Friday) and part of Saturday as well. So that said, I advise indoor recreational activities instead of outdoor ones. It isn’t great for the list of events planned for this weekend in Chicago, but then again when has mother nature ever cooperated with the citizens of Chicago?

There will be 3 things everyone will hear about this weekend. Looptopia, Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby.  These may or may not be good choices depending on the weather, but who knows really until the night really falls. Anyway, here are some events happening this weekend and some that I recommend as well:

1. Everyone has been talking about Looptopia 2.0 on Friday night May 2 from dusk till dawn. This loop night festival is about arts and culture in Chicago. Last year they had interesting artists that ranged from DJs to Improv to 3-d works of art on display to performance artists that posed as statues on the steps of the cultural center and almost got trampled. Most everything in this festival was obscure and hard to understand, and I’m not that old. (32) I also found the crowds of teens and college students blocking the sidewalks and streets while yelling and being rowdy to be annoying and unnecessary. (maybe I am getting old?) This year it is pouring rain anyway, so the only thing worse than being shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of shoving teens is being shoved pushed and pulled in a crowd while being drenched by rain. I don’t recommend this event even though it is free.

Instead there is a special boat tour that won’t be as crowded or deal with any traffic because it is on the Chicago River. See the city lights from a unique perspective during Looptopia with the Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture Tour on May 2. Their web site says: The tour will leave from the Sears Towner Shoreline Taxi Dock at Quincy Park along the Chicago River. (200 S. Wacker Dr) for 3 tours. (7:30 pm, 8:30 pm & 10 pm) Tickets are available online at  or at the dock the night of the cruise if they are not all sold out. The price is $24 for the cruise, $21.00 for seniors and $12 for kids under the age of 12. This would be a better option than most of the free events included in Looptopia. Check them out.

2. I also recommend to see Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr Friday night. I saw the movie last night and it was a fun movie (although a little violent for my taste) that everyone seemed to enjoy. The characters and story are very good even though it was based on a comic book. They didn’t just make it about the special effects, the story and characters draw you in too. Afterwards why not go to Buffalo Wild Wings like we did? I enjoy some good  boneless sweet wings when I can find them, and if you are there with a group of guys there will be an inevitable wing-off competition with the insane wings which can be epic-hot.

3. On Saturday May 3 the Kentucky Derby is on NBC Channel 5 at 4pm and the coverage will last 2.5 hours. Tune in and wear a big frilly hat just for fun. I am going to a Kentucky Derby party here in Chicago so maybe this horse racing thing is getting more popular again. (despite Arlington Racecourse’s issues with profitability)

4. Also, on Saturday May 3rd if it is not raining, there is a Chicago History Museum walking tour of the Gold Coast. The tour starts at 10 AM promptly and is $10.00 and they are located at 1601 N. Clark St. in Chicago, IL. For more information visit the chicagohistory.org web site or call 312.642.4600. 

5. Saturday Night will be full of margaritas and quesadillas because Cinco de Mayo is Monday May 5th and we like to celebrate a little early when it doesn’t land on a weekend. Numerous Mexican bars and restaurants have special menus, drinks and music planned for this un-official Mexican holiday.

6. And finally make reservations for Lettuce Entertainment’s new premium modern seafood restaurant (which I think might be their take on the concept of TRU). They announced their opening of L2O in Lincoln Park May 14th, 2008 and are taking advance reservations now. If you aren’t familiar with the TRU experience, it is a multi course, jacket required, very expensive meal. A dinner for 2 might run $500.00 including wine and desert. It is usually a splurge restaurant for special occasions unless you are from the jet set. Many yuppies like to go there too even if they can’t really afford it, just to see how the other half lives and see the extravagant glass caviar presentation staircase. L2O is not going to be the same of course, but it will be in the same price range and be all about the extreme premium dining experience. The email announcement read

“Mimicking the elemental formula for water, the restaurant’s name, L2O, is an abbreviation for “Laurent” and “Water” evoking Chef Laurent Gras’ reverence for seafood and the ocean.  The dining experience at L2O ranges from the lounge’s alluring atmosphere where guests order from an à la carte menu, to an evening in the elegant dining room where both a four-course prix-fixe menu and tasting menus are offered.”

L2O is open for dinner on: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Friday & Saturday from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. For your reservation call 773-868-0002 or visit the web site at l2orestaurant.com.

7. And make reservations to take mom out to brunch next week end for Mother’s day before everything is booked.

And happy belated RSS Awareness day which was May 1st. In celebration sign up for the ChicagoWeekendFun.com RSS feed to read the weekly posts!

Cinco de Mayo translates litterally in to “The 5th of May”. This doesn’t help us sort out the origins or the meaning of this festive holiday but we usually celebrate in Chicago all weekend long leading up to the holiday anyway. This year is no exception with lots of Restaurants and Bars have a lot going on this weekend and on Monday May 5th to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

It is a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, but it is not. That is actually September 16th. Cinco de Mayo is more of a Mexican Heritage Celebration for everyone who is Mexican in descent and not living in Mexico. It commemorates a battle won by a General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla in Mexico on May 5 in 1862. So it has something to do with celebrating independence and resisting foreign rule, but not in the way many people think.

Chicago is one of the places in the United States that has a large Mexican population so this holiday is always a favorite here. It also serves as a party subject for many Spanish classes in Illinois since foreign language is required for most college entrance prerequisites. And that furthers the popularity of the holiday with people who aren’t Mexican at all but enjoy the culture, language and food from Mexico. So, just about everyone will hear, see or do something related to Cinco de Mayo this Weekend and next week on the 5th of May except people who actually live in Mexico.

Some suggestions for celebrating in Chicago this weekend are:

1. If you live in Oak Park check out the special menu and drinks for Cinco de Mayo at Maya Restaurant on Oak Park Avenue. I was walking by the other day and they have everything from crepe paper streamers to Mexican music playing that adds to the festivity. Maya is a great upscale Mexican fusion restaurant much like what you see on Mexico One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless. They actually have a Chef from Rick Bayless’ restaurant downtown. I really enjoy this restaurant and you will too. The dinner menu has entrees from $12.00 – $25.00.

2. Check out the Free Cinco de Mayo Festival on May 2, 3 and 4 (from 10 am to 10 pm) in Lawndale for an authentic Mexican experience. The festival includes lots of food, live bands and a Parade. It is located at 1401 S. Sacramento Drive Chicago, IL 60623. Call 773-762-2842 for more information.

3. The Adobo Grill in Wicker Park also has special menu items and drinks to celebrate this weekend. They are located in East Village / Ukrainian Village at 2005 W. Division St. Chicago, IL 60622. This weekend there are $5 margarita specials and a live Mariachi band playing.  Call 773-252-9990 for reservations and more information.

4. The El Nuevo Mexican Restaurant in Lakeview is also featuring Cinco de Mayo specials if you live in that area of the city.  They are an upscale Mexican restaurant that offers great service and interesting twists on traditional Mexican food.  They are located at 2914 N Clark St between Oakdale Ave & Surf Street in Chicago, IL 60657. Call 773 528-2131 for reservations this weekend, it will most likely be very crowded.

Lollapalooza 2008, here we come! I just got the email announcement that 3 day passes are available in advance at a discount now on the Lollapalooza site. Plan ahead to come to Chicago for Lollapalooza August 1-3, 2008 and get your 3 day pass now for only $175 bucks. When these first ones get sold out it goes up to $190 for a 3 day concert pass and when those sell out it goes up to $205 per 3 day pass. So, get the tickets now, while they are hot!

If you go to lollapalooza.com you can buy tickets online through their site at the discounted early bird rate. These tickets are not available online anywhere else right now, not even ticketmaster has them. I know that the Lollapalooza concert festival in Grant Park was the highlight of the summer last year in Chicago and I expect it to be the same case in this summer too. (Kanye West and Daft Punk anyone?) Everyone should go once in their life just to experience it. And it looks like summer concert season planning starts now. The full Lollapalooza lineup schedule will be announced on April 7th.

Looptopia is a Chicago festival that celebrates the Loop area (inside the L tracks loop) downtown. Looptopia is a night time festival with arts performances, exhibitions, music, food comedy and many other cool entertainment to take in that evening. It is meant to help celebrate the rebirth and renewal of the Loop area of Chicago in 2008 since many businesses have returned to the area recently and many condo and apartment buildings have returned to the area making living and playing in the Loop possible again after about 20 years of neglect, crime and poverty.  Looptopia usually starts at dusk and goes until dawn. They schedule performances and exhibitions and music events all night long and they are all free to attend and see.

I attended the event last year (see picture above from 2007) and took some photos but it was very crowded with a lot of teenagers and college kids and it was very difficult to walk around and get anywhere. It was even more impossible to see any of the exhibits, shows or theater that they had put together for the event because of the immense crowds that were much larger than the spaces that they had available. I tried to go to the Chicago Cultural Center to see TJ and Dave perform their amazing Improv show and I couldn’t even walk up the stairs because of the packed people standing there not being able to get through. So, after pushing my way around in the crowds for a while, I just left. I walked around the block and saw hundreds of kids blocking intersections and loitering around everywhere. There were some cops but not many. Everyone was orderly but it was difficult because people came to see the events and no one could find them (no map with schedule on it) and no one could actually get anywhere. Many people resorted to walking in the street to get home or to the bus or train they needed, and just gave up frustrated.

The Looptopia web site says the following summary about the festival: 15 Hours; 100 Venues, 300+ Artists, 200,000 attendees = Looptopia May 2, 2008.  What they left out is massive crowds and no parking.

I hope this year they provide better maps and schedules and allow for more people to access the events. It was difficult to enjoy the Loop last year during Looptopia under those circumstances. I think Chicago has a lot to offer in the arts and this should be a great festival to showcase that. They just need some better resource planning and organization to manage it. And some older viewers might help too, but all night parties don’t really always appeal to over 40 people. Check back in a few weeks and I will try and post more about this year’s 2008 lineup of performances and schedule.

The official PDF looptopia map can be downloaded here and the full event and performer schedule is available on looptopia.com. If you go, plan out your evening first since wandering into random events won’t be possible. They will have too many people there and no space to get around. It will take a lot of work to actually get to what you want to see and plan on getting there early.

It will be cold this weekend in Chicago, hovering between 10 and 25 degrees, but there is plenty happening indoors to keep warm at.

1. BonJovi is playing concert shows Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the United Centerin Chicago. Shows start at 7pm. Tickets are still available to most shows although don’t expect front row seats last minute. You can catch BonJovi tickets via ticketmaster or ebay or stubhub online now. This is a must see for children of the 80’s. Tickets range from $50 to $500 depending on the seats.

2. The hottest teen group right now The Jonas Brothers are playing a concert at AllState Arena in Chicago on Friday Night. Some tickets are surprisingly still available on Ticketmaster now. I would check them out fast because the Jonas Brothers are so popular right now they could sell out. Tickets range from $25 – $100 depending on the seats.

3. The International Kennel Club Cluster of Dog Shows moves into McCormick Place West in Chicago since the Auto Show is over. Come see some pretty primped pooches and many fine breeds of dogs. Tickets are $10 – $16 per person at the door and the show is open from 8am to 4 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday. See more info at ikcdogshow.com 

4. The Oscars are on Sunday night!! Some of us wait for this glittering event all year long! If you want to view the Oscars with some fancy company you can attend the Oscar Night America Gala at the Gene Siskel Film center on State Street in the Loop for $150-$250. For tickets call  312-846-2072 All proceeds go to the Gene Siskel film center.

5. Wingfest is always a non-glitzy way to slather yourself in hot sauce and avoid the Oscars.  You can either go eat a lot of wings competitively or for fun. Expect your mouth to be on fire either way. For tickets and info call 312-664-6656 ext 124. I can smell the buffalo hot wings from here. Or see wingfest.net for the full list of restaurants participating in the fest.

And stay warm this cold weekend in Chicago!!

Every February despite the cold weather, Chicago’s Chinatown comes alive with decorations, lions and lots of food in celebration of the Chinese New Year. This year it falls on Thursday February 7, 2008. Last year in 2007 was the year of the Pig and in 2008 it is the year of the Rat. Each Zodiac animal has different characteristics that lend a different mood and personality to the year and the celebrations. The year of the rat is known for wealth and prosperity as well as particular luck.

People born in the year of the rat are said to be smart, crafty, good with other people, social, empathetic, a little shrewd sometimes, hard working, ambitious, very entertaining and into parties. You are a rat if you were born in these years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984 and 1996. Some famous people who were born in the Year Of The Rat include Prince Charles, ice skater Sasha Cohen, and Scarlett Johansson.

The number 7 is also considered lucky in western cultures (via gambling) and the number 8 (in 2008) is lucky in Chinese culture. (and is also coincidentally the main number of the date and year of the China hosted Beijing Olympics 8-8-08, triple lucky) It is also said that if you get married in 2008 you will have good financial situations and if you buy real estate you will have good returns on your investment. The lowering of real estate prices nation wide will also make property purchases attractive to Chinese people with cash on hand looking to make a good return investment. 

January 26, 2009 will start the year of the Ox (or Buffalo) which is also very important to Chinese Americans and anyone who follows the Asian Zodiac as well.

Chinatown in Chicago traditionally has a parade and festival during the Spring New Year Festival and on the Chinese New Year itself. Be sure to stop by to see dragons dance in the streets under the pagoda arch, the lantern festival and try some moon cakes. The parade will be on February 10th at 1pm on 2400 South Wentworth Ave in Chicago. It usually goes down the main street of Chinatown if you don’t have a map to Wentworth Ave specifically. Or just follow the crowds. featuring a 100-foot-long dragon float and the traditional Chinese Lion dance. The parade starts at Wentworth Avenue and 24th Street, then heads north on Wentworth to Cermak Road.

If you don’t believe in the Asian Zodiac or won’t be able to make it to Chinatown this Chinese New Year there is  a great dance and musical show you can enjoy at the Arie Crown theater that is very popular and well received. Plus there are 15 days of the Spring New Year festival to celebrate beyond just the New Year date Feb 7th itself. For more info about the Chinese New Year Spectacular Show:

Show website: chicagosoh.net
Online Purchase: ticket.ntdtv.com or at ticketmaster.com
Show theater: Arie Crown Theater
Information hotline: 312-225-5120
Ticket price range: $28 – $128
Show schedules: 2008-01-25 20:00, 2008-01-26 14:00, 2008-01-26 19:00
Performance Group: Divine Performing Arts on Tour from China

And Happy Chinese New Year!!

New Year’s Eve 2008 in Chicago will be a huge event. We have a lot of holidays around religious beliefs and history but New Year’s Eve is just about fun and nothing else. You can go to any one of a number of NYE parties happening around Chicago and have a great time. Many of these parties have been going for years and have a great lineup of live bands, singers, champaigne toasts and balloons at midnight as well as drink specials all night long.  If you can find a baby sitter and get out, enjoy the night and the celebrations around Chicago. It’s the one night that you can stay up until dawn and not care about the hangover and after effects the next day. It’s also a day to celebrate the year in review and look forward at new and great opportunities. After the ball drop you can take a minute to ponder where you want to be next year and see if you can make it happen in 2008.

Weather Note: It is usually freezing on NYE every year. So, if you are a girl going to a party that you don’t want to have a coat or a purse because it might get stolen, try a black cardigan sweater or blazer over the sparkly top. It looks accomplished and professional but still sparkly. And has pockets for ID, Keys, Lipstick and Credit Cards. 

Here are the 3 biggest parties happening in Chicago on New Years Eve in 2008.

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Navy Pier Grand Ballroom - The Kiss 1035.5 Radio Station has a huge bash in the ballroom of Navy Pier this year. They get great current bands to play and the whole place is a huge concert. It also has a great view of the skyline of Chicago from outside on the pier, and Fireworks out there at Midnight. (but I wouldn’t stay out there more than a few minutes in the 10 degree weather) It is always packed so if you are looking to meet girls and guys on this party day, this would be a great place to go. Thousands of people (singles and attached) go every year and make this a well known hot spot. There is a Navy Pier Parking Garage attached to the complex so you can even drive in from the suburbs and park close by and not walk outside in the cold. Expect parking to be around $25.00 though it’s not cheap when it’s in demand. Tickets are $150.00but they include open bar, appetizers and of course the live concert from the Lollapalooza favorite band The Shock Stars.  Tickets are available at Ticketmaster or TrystNightLife.com which sells them through going.com. Navy Pier is located at 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL  60611.

At the House of Blues in Chicago Radio Station, 93 XRT is also hosting a New Year’s Eve bash with CBS and Collective Soul. This isn’t as huge as the Navy Pier Party but also guarantees a great night of entertainment and partying. This event is 21 and over event and remember the house of blues is a general admission standing room only venue. So wear comfortable shoes.  The tickets are $145.00(without fireworks like Navy Pier) and if you are looking for a dinner package with the restaurant, call 312.923.2000 for more information. The live band starts at 9pm. I would guess that this ticket price includes an open bar, but the site didn’t really specify. Tickets are only available at Ticketmaster. House of Blues is located at 329 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL  60610.

Excalibur’s New Year’s Eve Bash is always a huge clubbing party. It’s been happening for years and you can party on all the different levels in the turn of the century limestone castle building that has a weird goth vibe if you ask me. They say they have 25 bars and 100 bartenders to serve you and are open from 5pm to 7 am. There are 3 levels of tickets here. $125 Platinum Reservedtickets with guaranteed admission before midnight and premium open bar from 8p to midnight. It also includes a supreme dinner buffet from 8pm-11pm, access to vip rooms and the entire building. A $75 Gold Reserved ticket which gets you guaranteed admission before 11pm, a Deluxe Dinner Buffet 7p-9:30p and an Open Bar from 7pm-11pm. There is also a budget special $50 General Reserved ticketwith guaranteed admission before 9pm and a Cash bar if you’re not a big drinker. It is important to note that there are no returns and no re-entry if you leave the party. It is also a 21+ only event. Excalibur is located at 632 N Dearborn Chicago, IL.  

Lots going this weekend in Chicago. See below for local events, festivals, movies and parades you can attend this weekend.

Friday September 14

Oktoberfest is a state of mind: It’s not actually October yet, but come join in this German Beer Festival at Federal Plaza Square 219 S. Dearborn St. See german music bands while you taste the genuine authentic German food and beer. Always a fun fall festival, just like in Germany. Open from 11 am (lunch) to 9 pm.

Check out the sales at Old Navy. A lot of fall in season items are 50% off. GAP Corp. had a lackluster quarter and is cutting prices drastically to move items. I got Courderoys ofr $14.5o, Turtleneck shirts for $7.95 and T-shirts for $6.95. Their 3 new women’s dark denim jean styles are also marked down to $25.00. Their loss is our win. Stock up for the cold weather before it is too cold to go out.

New Movies opening this Friday in Chicago:

Across the Universe – See Eddie Izzard’s Cameo and revel in 1960’s hippie ideals

3:10 to Yuma – Still tops at the Box office, some people smell Oscar.

Mr Woodcock – Toilet Humor Fans Only Need Apply

Halloween - Haloween movie remake from the 1970’s, horror film

Superbad – still running, still funny, still talked about by a lot of people, go see it if you haven’t yet.

The Brave One – Jodie Foster and Tarence Howard. Action and Suspense Thriller type Movie.

Fierce People, The Hunting Party and Eastern Promises open also, but I haven’t found anything out about them yet. All three have big names in them, yet no ads out. Richard Geere, Diane Lane and Naomi Watts star in them.

Chicago Art District Second Fridays: A quote from someone describing it today “All the galleries are open and there is free booze everywhere.” Well I am not sure if free drinks are enough to make a place your destination, but free art viewing plus free drinks makes it a destionation for me. Check out Chicago Art District Second Fridays on the second Friday of every month. (duh!)

Saturday September 15

Eli’s Cheesecake Festival: Everyone loves cheesecake (unless you are lactose intolerant) and Eli’s is a Chicago original. Come taste the best cheesecake at their fastival Saturday September 15  9 am - 5 pm and Sunday September 16 11 am - 5 pm. Located at the factory at 6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive, Chicago

Lincoln Square Apple Fest: Pick up fresh fall fruits and vegetables, enter bakery baking and pie eating contests, or you can take a Chopping Block pie making class. But then again not everyone can be Martha Stewart. Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm at Giddings Plaza at 4731 N. Lincoln Ave, between Leland & Lawrence Avenue.

Naperville Wine Festival: Over 200 wines available to sample and drink. Food for purchase and excellent musical performances also. $25.00 per ticket. Located at Naper Settlement in Naperville close to I-55 and I-88.

Sunday September 16

11th Annual Celtic Fest Chicago: Fun for the whole family! Celtic music, singers, dancing and food. (do you like lord of the dance irish style folk dancing? this is the place to see it) It is open from11 am to 9:30 pm and it’s Free! Located at Grant Park and call (312)744-3315 for more information. Check out the men in Kilts Hot Legs Contest. Who doesn’t like a man in a Kilt?

Chicago Mexican Independence Day Parade on 26th Street & Albany Avenue @ 12 noon Sunday. Free and fun for all ages. Time to come out and celebrate Mexican Independence with great floats, music and food. Call 773-521-5387 for more info.

The Chicago Air and Water Show is tomorrow (August 18-19) downtown. I work in a building near the lakefront so there have been airplanes flying by all morning. It is a little different to hear jets and planes flying right by your building and everyone popping up from their cubicle to see.

The Chicago Air and Water Show has been a tradition (scheduled every August) since 1958 in Chicago. They feature a wide array of airplanes and boats in this event. I think the air show is the better half though, and everyone can see it better than you can see the stuff on the water. The Chicago Air and Water Show is put together by the Mayor’s office of Special Events and is a great gift to Chicago every summer.

If you go be prepared for crowds. Don’t drive, take public transportation downtown and walk or take a cab to the lakefront. You will never find parking, and who wants to pay $25.00 to park anyway? The best place to view the show is from the beach, or up in the high rise buildings that border the lake. This is an event that is free to the public, so no admission is charged, you just find a good spot to watch and picnic there. Over 2.2 Million people watched the show in 2005 and it grows every year. I would guess that by 2007 and 2008 it might be near 2.5 Million Chicagoans.

Some of the teams featured in the air show are, The Air Force precision flying team the Thunderbirds, Vintage WWII warbird team Lima Lima, and the Red Barron Squadron Flying Team. They also feature demonstrations by Boeing (a sponsor) and the US Air Force. I have seen a YF-22 trying to rip it’s wings off by turning corners so fast this morning by my building while practicing his air show routine twice. That airplane covers so much distance so fast, that you turn around and it’s gone. I can’t imagine how fast it is when it’s supersonic over Mach 1! They have to keep speed limits down here so they don’t break all the glass in the high rise buildings here. Plus flying faster than the speed of sound is illegal over land in the US.

Here is the full lineup schedule for 2007. I would expect most performers would return in 2008 and 2009.

The 2008 Chicago Air and Water Show is scheduled for August 16-17th.

August 18-19, 2007

AIR SHOW HEADLINERS
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds (F-16s)
U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team

CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT
Aeroshell Aerobatic Flying Team
Chicago Fire Department Air/Sea Rescue Team
Lima Lima (from Naperville)
Red Baron Squadron (yay Pizza)
Sean D. Tucker & Team Oracle Aerobatic Flying
The Firebirds

MILITARY AIRCRAFT
Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt
Air Force  B-1 Lancer Bomber
Air Force  B-52 Stratofortess (an enormous plane)
Air Force  C-130 Hercules
Air Force  F-117A Nighthawk
Air Force  F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration
Air Force  F-16 Fighting Falcon & KC-135 Stratotanker Aerial Refueling
Air Force  KC-10 Extebder
Air Force  T-37 Tweet Demonstration
Air Force  T-38 Talon Demonstration
Coast Guard Air/Sea Rescue
Army UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter
Air Force  Reserve ParaRescue Wing
Air Force  Stealth Y-F/A-22 Raptor-Demo
Navy F-18 Capabilities Demonstration (awesome)

The announcer for the show is Herb Hunter

Have a great summer, and enjoy the Chicago Air and Water show this weekend August 18th and 19th 2007. Happy Flying!