THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – The End of an Eventful February!

Hope you enjoy the end of a very eventful February this weekend as options are beginning to open up for families to enjoy their time off and the snow/ice are melting rapidly! Whether you decide to venture outdoors or prefer to remain indoors, the following choices may be what you’re looking for.

Join the League of Chicago Theatres for their reimagined Chicago Theatre Week 2021. Take time to discover a new theatre company, experience virtual shows, and help to strengthen theatres by donating the money you would have spent on buying tickets. The shutdown has been especially hard on the theatre community and lasted longer than anticipated. Theatres were the first to close and likely will be the last to reopen. So, until then, you’re invited to learn about, engage with, and donate to Chicago theatres, which, by the way, cannot wait to welcome their audiences back into their theatres!

I know many of you have passed the time at home assembling jigsaw puzzles. Well, this Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., head on over to the Women & Children First Bookstore (5233 N. Clark St.) for the neighborhood’s first-ever The Great Andersonville Puzzle Exchange! Participants are asked to drop off new or gently used puzzles, 500+ pieces for adults or any size for kids, secured in a resealable plastic bag in its original box with no missing pieces between 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. So, if you bring a puzzle, you take a puzzle!! To avoid crowding, participants are asked to sign up in advance, are required to wear a mask, and maintain social distancing while reviewing the puzzle selections.

The Northwest Side of Chicago will celebrate its amazing breweries this Friday and Saturday with its first-ever Northwest Brewfest. This virtual event features live Zoom sessions with local brewers and chefs, which include Twisted Hippo (virtual tour & beer tasting), Bokeh (cocktail class), Angelo’s Wine Bar (specialty cocktail and pasta demonstration), and other free tours and beer tastings! Check out their website for a complete schedule of events, or take a sneak peek of their event at https://youtu.be/XOYR9CZJvg4. 

Bring the spirit of Venice, Italy right into your living room with an interactive cultural experience by attending the Virtual Venetian Ball this Saturday (8 p.m.-10:30 p.m.). This online gala features a Venetian Italian cooking class, an Italian mixology bartender, a virtual opera presentation, virtual ballroom dance lessons, a Venetian masquerade competition, a late-night DJ, breakout interactive rooms offering some special Venetian trivia, games, and one-on-one experiences with your fellow revelers, and a chance to win a trip to Jamaica! Best of all, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society!!

Just a heads-up! Several of Chicagoland’s attractions are setting their reopening plans. Some have opened already with limited capacity, but many more are set to reopen their doors in March!! And, if the weather behaves this weekend and you feel the need to get some fresh air, all Chicago Parks (except all beaches and parks east of Lake Shore Drive) are open to enjoy, including The Lakefront Trail, The 606, Millennium Park (some amenities and attractions remain closed), the Garfield Park Conservatory is opening Saturday with their Spring Flower Show: Saturation through Mother’s Day (May 9th), and The Chicago Riverwalk is fully open to the public!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago