THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – Focusing on Yet Another Chicago Winter!
Welcome to 2023! Now that the holidays are behind us, it’s time to focus on getting through yet another one of Chicago’s winters. As you may or may not know, this weekend happens to be the last weekend for some holiday events which can be reviewed again at my This Weekend in Chicago Blogs from December. However, here are a few other events that may entertain you this weekend as well!
Skate under the Chicago skyline and within eyeshot of the Chicago Christmas Tree (coming down this Monday) at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink located in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.) in The Loop. The rink is open every day through March 5th (weather permitting) with free admission, but online ticket registration is required. Plus, free skating lessons for both beginner- and intermediate-level skills are offered from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. on most Saturdays and Sundays with free skate rentals! As for regular skating sessions, the skate rental is $16.
Take a whirl around the twirling, whimsical Ice-Skating Ribbon located at Maggie Daley Park (337 E. Randolph St.) in the heart of downtown Chicago through March 5th (weather permitting). Skaters can wind around a winding ice-covered path that’s twice the length of a lap around a traditional rink for a more exciting time! Skating sessions are $5 with your own skates from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. through this Sunday with skate rentals at $20 online and $22 for walk-ups. After Sunday, skate rental fees are $16 with registration and $18 for walk-ups; however, advance ticket registration is highly encouraged since only a limited number of tickets are available for each session. Don’t miss this ultimate winter season experience!
Need to add some color to our dreary days? Then check out the following colorful events:
Wrapping up on Saturday (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) is the Sugar Plum Winter Flower Show at the Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 N. Stockton Dr.) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The show consists of pink poinsettias and scenes from The Nutcracker Ballet along with Jubilee Poinsettias and Purple Heart Spiderwort creating a lavender dream world filled with dancers and nutcrackers. Plus, admission is free with a reservation!
Ending its run this Sunday (10 a.m.-8 p.m.) is the Winter Flower Show: Snow Day! at the Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.) in the Garfield Park neighborhood. This exhibit celebrates childhood joy when the fluffy stuff (snow) piles up for an opportunity to make a snowman, build a fort, and just have some fun in nature! This wintry snow day features scented geraniums, pansies, sweet alyssum, poinsettias and more, creating an illusion of a snow-covered garden with a variety of textures and hues of white, silver, and pink!!
Held for the first time in Chicago since 2015, The Great American Dog Show will be held this Saturday and Sunday (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center (1551 Thoreau Dr. N) in Schaumburg. Dog lovers from all over Chicagoland can enjoy meeting over 200 AKC dog breeds who will be competing for top prizes as well as visiting with top dog experts from around the country. Catch amazing demonstrations of agility, scent work, flyball, trick dogs, and more across 12 large, indoor, carpeted rings. There’s even a Dog Grooming Competition and a Vendor Village with specialty dog vendors offering unique products and gifts for your dogs and home! Plus, there’s plenty of fun, interactive activities for the kids as they learn more about dogs, training, caring for them, and more!!
Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago
