THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – SUMMER FUN IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER!
It’s a snowy weekend forecast here in Chicago! Another typical, winter weekend in January. Not for Chicagoans though! We’ll be taking in some baseball and heading to the beach. Come join us!!
Get your fill of baseball this weekend at the 34th annual Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago (301 E. North Water St.) in the Streeterville neighborhood. The Opening Ceremony will take place in the main ballroom on Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Then you’ll see the wildly entertaining “Friday Night with Ryan Dempster” from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday’s programming continues with the always popular “Joe Maddon & the Coaching Staffing,” “Baseball Operations Update”, and “Business Operations Update” panels; as well as the “Kids Only Press Conference.” The day will conclude with long-time convention favorite Cubs Bingo from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The convention also features autograph opportunities, engaging panel discussions, unique photo opportunities, interactive exhibits, enhanced kid’s activities, and more! If you’re a die-hard Cubs fan, this is just as important as a pilgrimage to the Friendly Confines!! So will 2019 be the year the Cubs return to the World Series?
Escape the snow and bitter cold weather this winter with a day at The Beach Chicago on display in the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood from January 19 through February 3. Free and open to the public, The Beach Chicago is an immersive installation comprised of a tall enclosure which creates a large, open room filled with over a million antimicrobial and recyclable plastic balls. Deck chairs, lifeguard chairs, umbrellas, and signage mimic the sensation of a day at the beach. And fittingly, it also includes a pier hovering over the “sea” of balls from which onlookers can watch and revel in the beach below! You’ll just have to imagine the sweltering heat of a Chicago summer!!
If you’re a big fan of marionettes, you’ll love the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival which brings puppeteers from across the globe to the Studebaker Theater (410 S. Michigan Ave.) in The Loop for 11 days of symposiums, workshops, and shows. A few highlights of this year’s lineup include the indigenous people’s tale Ajijaak on Turtle Island (co-directed by Heather Henson, daughter of legendary puppeteer Jim Henson), a dark story featuring life-sized puppets called Chambre Noire, and the surreal French performance L’après-midi d’un foehn Version 1! The productions selected are surprising, thought-provoking, and moving examples of the power of puppetry to foster compassion and spark insight!!
If you find yourself in the River North neighborhood on Saturday afternoon, The Godfrey Hotel Chicago (127 W. Huron St.) is hosting the Chicago Rosé Fest – A Rosé Tasting at Godfrey Rooftop between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tickets include four hours of rosé tastings with over a dozen rosé varieties to try, giveaways, and more! The Godfrey Rooftop has panoramic skyline views, fire pits, and shimmering water elements which makes it a perfect location to enjoy rosé all day!!
Celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his vision of creating a “beloved community” at Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah this Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (3:00 p.m.) at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr.) in The Loop. Join celebrated soloists Rodrick Dixon, Alfreda Burke, and Karen Marie Richardson along with famed Detroit pianist Alvin Waddles and over 100 Chicago musicians and singers as they put a blues, jazz, gospel, and rock twist on Handel’s classic oratorio – Messiah! You’ll be singing and dancing in the aisles!!
Will You Be Joining Us for Some Summer Fun this Winter?
