THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – SPRINGING FORWARD!

With Daylight Savings Time taking place this Sunday, spring is just around the corner! We’re getting excited here in Chicago as we await its arrival, but, in the meantime, we’ve got two more winter weekends to go!!

It’s time again for Chicago’s 100% volunteer-driven epic urban charity shopping cart race Chiditarod that takes place through Chicago’s West Town and Ukrainian Village neighborhoods on Saturday. Line up begins at noon in front of the Cobra Lounge (235 N. Ashland Ave.) with the starting horn at 12:30 p.m. sharp. This is a one-of-a-kind event dedicated to self-expression that’s part charity food drive benefitting the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the CHIditarod Foundation, part beauty pageant, part bar crawl, spontaneous street theater, an all costumed race, and definitely not for the faint of heart! The post-race festivities and award ceremony will be held at 551 Live (551 N. Ogden Ave.). It’s an epic spectacle like no other!!

Discover 100+ of the Midwest’s finest artisans at the Chicago Artisan Market on Sunday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) at Morgan MFG (401 N. Morgan St.) in the West Loop neighborhood. This curated event celebrates the ingenuity of independently owned, small businesses who channel their passions into creating one-of-a-kind Designs (clothing, jewelry, handbag, shoes, accessories), Art (functional, decorative, wearable art), Home Goods (home décor, kitchen gadgets, bath & body, natural skincare & more), and Food (gourmet pastries & confections, healthy snacks, beverages & more). There’s even a Kids Zone with complimentary arts & crafts, snacks, and beverages. Come look, feel, and taste your way through this delightful market!

The official date of International Women’s Day is always March 8. Therefore, come celebrate the International Women’s Day Edgewater Crawl on Sunday (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) by discovering and exploring women-owned small businesses and organizations throughout Edgewater’s diverse neighborhood. This crawl features food tastings, drink samples, and live pop up activations along Broadway’s northern corridor between Granville and Thorndale. This event proudly supports women’s rights so, come join the international movement and support a great cause right here in Edgewater!

Not only is spring around the corner, but so is St. Patrick’s Day! Join the Edison Park neighborhood for their 13th annual Pre-St. Paddy’s Day Pub Tour on Saturday (1 p.m.-7 p.m.) at the Edison Park Inn (6730 N. Olmstead Ave.). Your $45 ticket includes complimentary pizza at the Edison Park Inn, a great t-shirt, 8 drink tickets to use throughout the tour for beer or pop, and complimentary pizza at Moretti’s (last stop)! Raffle tickets are also available for purchase for $5 each or 5 for $20. This event is hosted by and benefits the New Horizon Center!!

America’s premier custom show car series, World of Wheels, takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (5555 River Rd.) in Rosemont. This show not only features competition cars, specialty, and concept vehicles, but it also features the most significant hot rods of the 20th century, including Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s Outlaw and his Beatnik Bandit, Tommy Ivo’s 1925 T-Bucket and others. Hollywood glamour even comes to the World of Wheels with the actual P330 Ferrari and the Ford GT 40 from the Oscar-winning film “Ford v Ferrari.” And, this year’s celebrity guests include Cody Walker from the Fast & Furious Family (Saturday 1 p.m.-4 p.m.), Marvel’s Superhero Spider-Man (Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Aaron Kaufman from Discovery’s “Shifting Gears” and “Aaron Needs a Job” (Sunday 1 p.m.-4 p.m.). See for yourself why America’s love affair with the automobile is legendary!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago