THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – Celebrating Carnival Season & Other Events!
This February weekend opens with celebrating the colorful carnival season, continues with other exciting events and closes out with Super Bowl LX to get us through, what hopefully will be our last cold snap of a very dreary, frozen, long winter. But I wouldn’t hold my breath!
Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom (600 E. Grand Ave.) is the place to be this Saturday (12 p.m.-5 p.m.) as it hosts the high-spirited event known as Global Connections: International Carnivale. Enjoy the spirit of Carnivale cultures from New Orleans, Brazil, Jamaica, and beyond as this celebration brings out the sights, sounds, and spirit of the Carnival season. Discover the many traditions with free artmaking, live music, dancing, sampling of traditional carnival dishes, performers dressed in elaborate bejeweled, feathered costumes, and more. This event definitely will add some color to our blah winter thus far!
Navy Pier’s Family Pavilion will also be hosting the Black Makers Market every Saturday in February beginning this Saturday (12 p.m.-6 p.m.). This vibrant marketplace celebrates local Black-owned brands, artisans, and creatives from all over the city who will be selling their handcrafted items that include accessories, fashion, books, candles, food items, jewelry, and more. In addition, presentations, product demos, and giveaways are all part of this annual event as well!
Treat yourself to a day of loving yourself from the inside out at the first-ever “Love You Lab” Wellness Expo this Saturday (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) at The Den Theatre (1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.) in the Wicker Park neighborhood. Nourish your mind, body, and heart with 20+ wellness vendors from skincare to fitness to nutrition to mental health to holistic healing and more. Plus, you’ll be able to connect with local practitioners, discover new products, take part in free mini-treatments and consultations, receive a complimentary event tote bag, and much more. Give yourself the Gift of Love!
Join the Andersonville neighborhood as they celebrate Fika Fest with the Coffee & Cocoa Crawl this Saturday (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) to explore the neighborhood’s specialty offerings that include coffee, hot cocoa, bakery items, and more. Check in begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Swedish American Center (5211 N. Clark St.) to receive your route card and a commemorative special event mug for sampling. You’re also encouraged to drop off puzzles for The Great Andersonville Puzzle Exchange this Sunday (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) also held at the Swedish American Center. Again, this year, during the Puzzle Exchange, The Great Andersonville Puzzle Throw-Down takes place from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at RAYGUN (5207 N. Clark St.) where contestants will compete to see who will finish the secret puzzle the fastest!
End your Sunday evening with Super Bowl LX where the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks (16-3) take on the AFC Champion New England Patriots (17-3) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara (home of the San Francisco 49ers) with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff on NBC (Channel 5). Before then, you can catch the 5th Annual Puppy Bowl (12 p.m.-4 p.m.). For those who wish to attend one of Chicago’s many watch parties, here are a few of them: Cody’s Public House (Lakeview) hosting both the Puppy Bowl and the Big Game; Hopsmith Tavern (Gold Coast); Ina Mae Tavern (Wicker Park); Bub City (River North); Bar Sol (Navy Pier) hosting the Bad Bunny-themed watch party. Good Luck to Your Team of Choice!
Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago
