Add “Spring” To Your Step In Chicago
Highlights of Activities and Events Held in Chicago from March – May 2010
Reflections of Chicago, Cloud Gate
Put away the warm winter clothes and say hello to springtime in Chicago! Spring is the perfect time to explore all that Chicago has to offer. With an array of activities and events including art exhibits, sporting events and world-renowned theater, Chicago is in full bloom this season.
Visitors to the city are invited to make their first stop the Visitor Information Center in the Chicago Cultural Center, located at 78 East Washington Street. For more information on visiting Chicago this spring, or to book accommodations, visit www.explorechicago.org or call 877-CHICAGO.
Special Events
The Magnificent Mile is not only home to numerous restaurants, shops and hotels but also to thousands of tulips that bloom each spring. Tulips on the Magnificent Mile takes place from April 15 through May 31, 2010. Celebrate the season and view the tulip gardens that line the Magnificent Mile while taking advantage of exclusive offers from the businesses along the colorful street, as well as special tulip-themed activities, including the Magnificent Mile Floral Market over Mother’s Day Weekend (May 8-9).
The Chicago Early Music Festival (CEMF) debuts in April 2010 as the City’s first festival celebrating music of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras. The six-day collaborative festival, presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Chicago Office of Tourism, kicks off on April 20 and runs through April 25. Representing an unprecedented collaboration among the City of Chicago and some of Chicago’s leading Early Music ensembles and organizations, CEMF features free and ticketed performances; lectures and master classes by internationally renowned musicians at venues throughout the city including Millennium Park; and community events.
Each year, the Lincoln Park and Garfield Park Conservatories hold their annual Spring Flower Shows. These free events allow visitors the opportunity to experience a bit of Chicago floral history. The flower shows feature the descendants of Azaleas that bloomed in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition. At this year’s events, there will also be a selection of spring flowering annuals and spring flowering perennials. The flower shows continue through May 9, 2010.
Grab the old mitt and head out to the ball park! The Major League Baseball season kicks off on April 5, 2010. Watch the 2008 American League Central Division champions, the Chicago White Sox, play their home opener at U.S. Cellular Field. With tasty ball park food and original features like the Pontiac Fundamentals, an interactive area especially for kids, U.S. Cellular is fun for the entire family. Or experience a bit of history and head up north to baseball’s 2nd oldest stadium, Wrigley Field to watch the 2008 National League Central Division champions, the Chicago Cubs, take on their National League rivals. The Cubs open their home season on Monday, April 12 against a perennial Midwest rival - the Milwaukee Brewers.
Art enthusiasts should head to the Merchandise Mart from April 30 – May 3 to attend Artropolis 2010, Chicago’s celebration of art, antiques and culture. Consisting of Art Chicago, NEXT and The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair, Artropolis once again features something for everyone - from the novice art enthusiast to the veteran collector.
There’s no better way to take advantage of Chicago’s nickname, “The Windy City” than with Mayor Daley’s Kids & Kites Festival at Cricket Hill in Lincoln Park. This festival allows children to decorate and fly their own kites with kite kits. Taking place on May 1, this free event also offers face painting, storytelling and crafts.
The 14th Annual Celtic Fest Chicago begins a new tradition in Millennium Park this Mother’s Day weekend, May 8 and 9. The festival brings artists from around the world to Chicago to celebrate the culture of the seven ancient Celtic nations. Celtic Fest Chicago features a full line-up of world-class entertainment both days, including the Celtic Art Fair; traditional and contemporary Celtic music and dance; the popular bagpipe parade and Harp and Uilleann Pipe area; a Men in Kilts Contest; traditional Celtic dancing; and Celtic music school performers from the Chicago area.
Commemorate Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago. As one of the largest events of its kind in the country, the Chicago Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade honors all who have given their lives for their country. During this event, the City of Chicago will recognize the Illinois Gold Star families. The celebration will begin at the Eternal Flame in Daley Plaza with the parade on State Street kicking off at noon on May 29, 2010.
Upcoming Museum Events
Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age, an exploration of these fascinating creatures, premiers at Chicago’s Field Museum March 5 and runs through September 6, 2010, before embarking on a four-year tour of 10 venues in North America and overseas. The exhibition is geared for all ages and is an experience the whole family will enjoy.
Visit the DuSable Museum of African American History from January 23 through April 4, 2010 for an interactive multimedia exhibition, Freedom’s Sisters, and learn about 20 African American women who helped advance civil rights in America. From historical figures to contemporary leaders, discover these extraordinary but often unsung heroines who have sought equality for all Americans.
Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913 – 1917, at the Art Institute of Chicago explores the paintings of Henri Matisse from the time between his 1913 return from Morocco and his 1917 departure for Nice, considered to be his most most demanding, experimental, and enigmatic. The exhibition opens on March 20 and runs though June 6, 2010.
Step inside a 40-foot tornado and feel the vapor whirl around you. See a 20-foot bolt of lightning crackle over your head. Trigger an avalanche. Unleash a tsunami wave. It’s all possible beginning March 18, 2010, as the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago unveils Science Storms, an unprecedented and dramatic permanent exhibit that reveals the extraordinary science behind some of nature’s most powerful and compelling phenomena—tornadoes, lightning, fire, tsunamis, sunlight, avalanches and atoms in motion.
Theatrical Highlights
One of Broadway’s most celebrated new shows begins performances in Chicago March 18, 2010 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre. Based on the international smash-hit film, Billy Elliot the Musical is a joyous, exciting and feel-good celebration of one boy following his heart and making his dreams come true. Full of life, laughter, astonishing dancing and unforgettable music, this uplifting experience is brought to life by the Tony Award winning creative team: director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall, along with music legend Sir Elton John.
Four Chicago theaters, Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, have all received the prestigious Regional Tony Award, more than any other city in the nation. Spring 2010 highlights at these theaters include:
• Goodman Theatre - True History of the Johnstown Flood, the devastating flood of 1889 is the backdrop for this world premiere by Rebecca Gilman. March 13-April 18.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company - Endgame, with a cast including William Petersen in Samuel Beckett’s absurd comic masterpiece. April 1 – June 6.
• Victory Gardens - The Lost Boys of Sudan, Three boys of the Dinka tribe flee the horrors of war and end up in Fargo, North Dakota. March 19-April 25.
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater - The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare's playfully provocative battle of the sexes pits the shrewish Katharina against the fortune-seeking Petruchio—but even now the verdict is still out on who tames whom. April 7 – June 6.
Farmers Markets
The main components of a healthy and balanced diet are fruits and vegetables and what better place to buy your fresh fruits and vegetables as well as condiments, preserves and seasonings than at Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand. Located at 66 E Randolph Street in downtown Chicago, the farmstand features local products grown or produced within 250 miles of Chicago. The farmstand also hosts programs and activities such as lunchtime demonstrations and discussions between local growers and Chicago residents.
Searching for fresh fruits and vegetable in Chicago couldn’t be simpler at farmers markets that are found throughout the city. This May, the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and Country Financial present the 31th anniversary of Chicago Farmers Markets. Markets can be found in Daley Plaza, Federal Plaza, Lincoln Park and additional locations in the metropolitan area and they continue through October.
Green City Market, celebrating it’s 12th season, is Chicago’s only year round farmer’s market. In addition to over 60 sustainable and/or organic farmers and producers, Green City Market also offers educational programs including chef demonstrations; a kids program, Club Sprouts, which encourages children to sample produce; Savor the Season, highlighting products at the height of their taste and availability; and much more. Located outdoors May – October at the south end of Lincoln Park, (and indoors in the winter months at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum) Green City Market is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 7:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (with limited winter hours).
Chicago’s first and only year-round, European-inspired indoor market gives visitors and locals convenient, permanent and personal access to nearly 30 local artisans, farmers and purveyors. Chicago French Market offers fresh ingredients for cooking at home, delicious grab-and-go options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, light snacks, picnics, easy party planning for home and office settings, plus meaningful gift ideas, all in one convenient location at 131 North Clinton Street.
Visitors and Chicagoans planning to entertain out-of-town guests can receive Chicago brochures, reserve hotel accommodations and receive trip-planning assistance by calling toll-free 1.877.CHICAGO (1.877.244.2246), or visiting www.explorechicago.org. Brochures and information on Chicago’s events and activities are also available at the Visitor Information Centers. The centers are located at Chicago Water Works, 163 East Pearson Street at Michigan Avenue and the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 East Randolph Street. The TTY toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1.866.710.0294.
The Chicago Office of Tourism (@explorechicago) provides a seven-day-a-week Twitter Concierge Service offering advice and suggestions about the city. Visitor service representatives answer questions and provide information with a focus on free and discounted events and activities in neighborhoods throughout Chicago.
The Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the official City agency dedicated to promoting Chicago to domestic and international visitors and to providing innovative visitor programs and services.
Photo by eJourna
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