Calendar of what's happening in Chicago
Mar, 2013
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 03/07/2013 to 09/08/2013
Chicago – Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence
Only in the dark can you see some of the world’s most magical creatures. The black sky forms the perfect backdrop for the sparkling night-flyers to show off their beauty. Fireflies, glowworms, and deep-sea fish come out in all of their twinkling glory when surrounding in darkness and The Field Museum in Chicago is set to be illuminated by their glow with its Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence exhibition. Open from March until September 2013, this exhibition will mesmerize every person of every age, providing entertainment and education to all that attend. Delving into the unusual, and often unseen, side of nature, this exhibit is a must see for anyone visiting Chicago. Children will be entertained for hours by the different ways in which animals use light. Whether to attract a mate, lure prey, or as a defense mechanism, light is a fascinating part of nature. While uncommon amongst animals on land, in the ocean, it’s a completely different story. In fact, 90% of animals which exist at more than 700 meters below the surface are bioluminescent – they glow – and a variety of these are on display in the exhibit. From the glowworms in New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves to the vast depths of the sea, this exhibit aims to explain how animals create light, and help visitors to better understand the world’s ecosystem. Kids love things that glow in the dark, but this exhibit delves deeper into the occurrence and shows how scientists study and draw conclusions from animals’ use of light through interactive displays, photographs and videos amongst other things. For adults and children, this is a fun and fascinating way to learn. Many kids – and adults for that matter – fail to realize how many wonderful illuminating creatures exist in our world. This is something that the Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence exhibition aims to teach through its incredible displays. SEE MORE
Jul, 2013
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 07/05/2013 to 07/07/2013
Windy City RibFest
Summertime is all about laid-back alfresco living, and Chicago in 2013 is no exception. This July, the Windy City RibFest is back for its fifth year, with three days of lip-smacking, mouth-watering, rib-tickling fun from July 5 to 7. Held in the city’s Uptown, this isn’t a festival that’s afraid to get down and dirty, or one where you worry too much if a little barbecue sauce is running down its chin. Up to 10 “Ribbers” (experts in the art of cooking ribs) from across the nation will slug it out for the coveted Windy City RibFest’s Best Ribs Award. This guarantees visitors some of the tastiest meat and incredible sauces and flavours to be found anywhere in the world. And, of course, great ribs deserve great accompaniments. Expect a full range of tangy and sweet coleslaws, plain and spicy cornbread, corn on the cob and baked beans over the three days. It may be the star of the show, but food is not the only attraction at the RibFest. This event has also distinguished itself for the quality of its entertainment. A main stage line-up includes some top national and local musical acts, from rock and pop to indie, playing alongside some local tribute bands. A family stage offers local entertainment and talent acts. Main stage acts over the weekend include Liquid Soul, Velvet Jimis, the New Orleans Suspects and Chicago Afrobeat among others. As part of the festival there’s also a Kids’ Zone - in just five years, this event has become one of the Midwest’s most popular family festivals. The fun takes place on Lawrence and Broadway in Chicago with events taking place between 5pm and 10pm on the Friday, 12pm to 10pm on Saturday, and 12pm to 9pm on Sunday. To make the most of the festival, book somewhere to stay and make a weekend of it, taking in the Windy City at the same time. Book your cheap hotels in Chicago through CheapsHotels.com for the best deals. SEE MORE
Aug, 2013
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 08/17/2013 to 08/18/2013
Chicago Air and Water Show
The Chicago Air and Water Show is over 50 years old, making it the oldest free event of its kind in the USA. It offers a variety of thrills and spills that will be enjoyed by adults and children alike. The air displays are particularly exciting with shows from military jets and stunt teams, all performed over the water and viewable from many locations. The show is on August 17 and 18 this year and it’s estimated that over two million people will attend the event over the weekend. With many stalls selling food and other goods, and other attractions running in conjunction with the show, Chicago really comes alive for this summer, weekend festival. Chicago is a city with a myriad of interesting places to see and things to do. It’s a historical city with an important place in American history. Ideally placed for an exciting and enjoyable summer vacation, the city is home to many affordable hotels that offer excellent accommodation. The Chicago Air and Water Show is one of Chicago’s biggest attractions over summer. This family-friendly extravaganza of aircraft and ocean vessels is a must-see event and anyone planning a vacation in Chicago needs to include it in their itinerary. There’s plenty to keep kids entertained in this friendly and lively city, and at CheapHotels.com, visitors can find affordable accommodation in the center of Chicago for their fun-filled stay. SEE MORE
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 08/29/2013 to 09/01/2013
Jazz Festival
The Chicago Jazz Festival has been a staple of Labour Day weekend festivities since 1979, and it’s renowned for the quality and variety of its offerings. This year, the 35th annual Jazz Festival takes place between August 29 and September 1 as part of a summer-long series of concerts and festivals. With free admission, absolutely everyone is welcome and you’ll have no reason to miss it. As ever, the line-up showcases world-famous as well as home-grown talent. The aim is to encourage appreciation for, and awareness of, all forms of jazz by attracting an audience of all ages. Over the years, this event has played host to some of the greatest names that this style of music has ever known, from Duke Ellington to John Coltrane, and Miles Davis to Ella Fitzgerald. It was first held almost four decades ago in 1974 after musicians held a concert to honour Duke Ellington, who had died that summer. In 1978, the first John Coltrane Memorial Concert was held in Grant Park, and a year later, the Jazz Institute of Chicago planned its own August festival. But, these were soon combined to create one superb event – the Chicago Jazz Festival. This year, the four days programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, kick off at noon on August 29 at the Chicago Cultural Center, before moving to Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall and Millennium Park. The latter is a new base for the festival. The line-up was recently announced by Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The lists of acts performing Ben Paterson Organ, Mike Smith, the Frank Russell Band, the Nick Mazzarella Trio, Jason Moran and the Julie Wood Quintet to name a few. Now, all you need to do is book your accommodation in Chicago. With the town likely to be full of jazz fans, reserve somewhere to stay as soon as you can. Book through CheapHotels.com for a huge range of well-priced options. SEE MORE
Past events in Chicago
Aug, 2012
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
08/07/2012
Alternative Rock Band Cold Play Comes to Chicago’s United Center
Sep, 2012
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 09/23/2012 to 04/07/2013
Chicago – Danh Vo: We the People –
From the 23rd September until the 7th April, Danh Vo’s We the People will be exhibited at the Art Institute Chicago. One of Chicago’s longest standing artistic institutions, the Art Institute collects and preserves some of the world’s greatest artworks, representing myriad artistic disciplines and processes. Danh Vo’s We the People is just one of many great exhibits currently housed at the institute, and is a fantastically ambitious project by a unique talent. The exhibition consists of five pieces that form part of a wider project by the artist, which aims to reconstruct the Statue of Liberty on a 1:1 scale. Unlike the Statue of Liberty, Vo’s version is composed of individual pieces spread across various museums and art venues around the world. By dividing up the pieces, the artist is attempting to draw attention to the abstract nature, universality and fragility of the concept of freedom. After his family fled Vietnam during his early years, Vo’s family found refuge in Denmark. The artist’s experience of living in different countries and cultures has fed into Vo’s creative works, and driven his desire to interrogate inherited cultural values and the ways in which they are constructed. In addition to Vo’s highly ambitious and accomplished work, the Art Institute also houses over 300,000 works of art in fields as diverse as Chinese Bronze Age pieces. As We the People is a 1:1 replica, this is also a once in a lifetime chance to get up close to parts of the statue that are totally inaccessible on the original, and admire the skills and technique used in their construction. SEE MORE
Jan, 2013
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 01/26/2013 to 04/27/2013
INDIGO: New Works by Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina
India is said to be the oldest centre of indigo production in the world, and this was ruthlessly exploited by colonists during the British Empire. Today, the colour indigo is now synthetically made in laboratories and is more associated with American blue jeans than its colonial past. INDIGO: New Works by Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina is a conversation in collage of two artists from different cultures who draw upon India’s history, narratives of immigration and transnational economic interchanges to create this exhibition of sculpture, installations, and paintings – all executed in indigo blue. The exhibition is a historical record of the legacy of the native indigo farmers, the activism of Mahatma Ghandi in Bahir, and an exploration of South Asian culture post-colonialism. Indian artist Shelly Jyoti documents the suffering and exploitation of the native farmers of Champaran over the cultivation of the indigo plants, leading up to the intervention of Gandhi, in her installations that incorporate calligraphy, contemporary prints and textile art. Chicago-based artist Laura Kina draws inspiration from the South Asian and Jewish quarter of Chicago – Devon Avenue. By mixing pop-art images such as street signs and advertising from the city streets with the heritage of different immigrant cultures, she explores diaspora and cultural appropriation in modern America. Because of their commitment to preserving and honouring Indian craft while still being ethical and environmentally sustainable, the two artists began hiring artisans from MarketPlace: Handwork of India (a fair trade women’s collective in India) to embroider all their designs. The exhibition is open at the Chicago Cultural Center with free admission. There are many affordable hotel rooms in Chicago within walking distance of the exhibition at cheaphotels.com, such as the Palmer House Hilton, The Congress Plaza Hotel and many more. SEE MORE
May, 2013
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
05/04/2013
Chicago Kids and Kites Festival
Parents and aerial enthusiasts from across the state of Illinois and neighbouring US states will be keen to add Saturday May 4 to their upcoming events calendar. It’s a fun-packed day that may require a relaxing neck massage afterwards from all the skyward gazing you will do. The 15th Annual Kids and Kites Festival in Uptown Chicago takes place on and around the summit of Cricket Hill on Montrose Point, where the breezes drifting in from Lake Michigan will provide the wind to set sail an army of kites. This family day out will stir up the kid in us all, with an extensive programme of face painting, balloon artists, roaming entertainers, arts and crafts and street food vendors supplying an afternoon of exciting outdoor activities. If your kite is broken, there will be new kites available for purchase at the event. Plus, there will be free paper kite kits so that kids can design and create their own airborne works of art. There will also be plenty to marvel at, such as watching the experts fly their sports and giant kites in a marked off area. The 15th Annual Kids and Kites Festival takes place from 10am - 4pm and admission is free. Affordable accommodation in Chicago can be booked via the CheapHotels website. SEE MORE
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 05/24/2013 to 05/26/2013
Electric Daisy Festival
If you’ve been to big shows headlined by one or two acts, why not be brave and take on a weekender? Chicago’s first Electric Daisy Festival takes place over three whole days of entertainment. Described as the “unparalleled experience of sight and sound”, the festival starts at 5pm on Friday May 24 and runs until 4am daily; this is an event not for the faint-hearted. For fans of electronic dance music, the festival features a varied line-up, with acts and headliners announced just a couple of months ahead of the opening day. This year sees the show’s debut in Chicago (it’s previously been held elsewhere in the US) and organisers are already promising big things. If you’re visiting the city of Chicago for the festival alone, you’ll be pleased to discover there’s a ton of great cheap hotels close by. There is an option to camp, but after 10+ hours of full-on partying, a nice, comfy bed seems like the only sensible option. Covering an area of 60,000 hectares, the lively city of Chicago sits 176 metres above sea level on the south western shore of Lake Michigan – the fifth largest body of fresh water in the world. Millions of people visit Chicago each year, drawn to it by its thriving music scene and extensive parklands. In this city you’ll find around 3,000 hectares of city parks, which attract a whopping 86 million visitors annually. With 77 distinct neighbourhoods, Chicago is known for its harmony and diversity; something which pulls in crowds from the US and further afield. Online events calendars for the city of Chicago are always fit to bursting with something for every traveller. Book your hotel room on-line on Cheap Hotels in Chicago, two minutes checkout and instant confirmation. SEE MORE
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
05/25/2013
Chicago Memorial Day Parade
A sprawling metropolitan city, Chicago is home of the blues, comedy and the very first skyscraper. The age of railroads found its centre here in this huge city, with aeroplanes soon following suit. Visitors to Chicago can enjoy everything from fine dining to great theatre, shopping and stunning skylines. A picturesque tourist spot, it’s easy to see why visitors continue to flock to the city. There’s plenty to explore, whether you’re visiting the area for a long weekend or week-long break, with a range of affordable Cheap Hotels available both in and out of the city centre. Take in the beautiful skyline across the waters of Lake Michigan or stroll around the city’s huge parks or museums. You’ll also find the finest collection of architecture in the world in Chicago. The city covers an area of a staggering 60,000 hectares and sits 176 meters above sea level. Many visit Chicago for its buzzing music scene, its extensive parklands and its diverse neighbourhoods. If you happen to be in the city in May, it’s worth visiting the Chicago Memorial Parade, one of the largest memorial parades in the US. Chicago’s annual wreath laying ceremony and parade honours all men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the US. Each year, the parade takes place as a tribute to these people; in 2012 the event was dedicated to soldiers who fought and died in the Iraq War. With a long history, this year the event will see the Windy City decked out in the patriotic colours of red, white and blue. In addition to checking out the event, visitors can join locals as they bike along the waterfront, or enjoy snacks at the various venues. Featuring marching bands from local schools, the parade starts with a wreath-laying ceremony to honour veterans and fallen solders – not to be missed. SEE MORE
Jun, 2013
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
from 06/10/2013 to 06/14/2013
Chicago Bike Week
Of all the great cities in the USA, few offer the delights found in Chicago, one of the most culturally exciting and unique cities of all. A major arts centre with many other attractions, Chicago is home to a wealth of excellent shops, superb restaurants catering for a wide range of tastes, and many great bars that promise lively nightlife and a great time. Many who choose the city for a vacation opt to match their break to one of the many events that take place in Chicago throughout the year. One of the most enjoyable and fun-filled is Chicago Bike Week, which takes place this year between the 10 and 14 June. Everyone from families to couples can enjoy this unique event, and the prevalence of cheap hotels in the city makes it a more attractive proposition. Check the details at cheaphotels.com, where you can find the ideal accommodation in Chicago for your needs. The beauty of Chicago lies in its diverse and friendly atmosphere; this really is one of the most welcoming and interesting cities in the USA. Excellent museums, art galleries and open spaces make this a city that has a great deal to offer visitors of all ages, and the Bike Week events are just a small part of the attraction. With a wide choice of affordable accommodation, Chicago makes for an inexpensive vacation in one of the world’s greatest and most exciting cities. SEE MORE
Chicago Illinois, United States of America:
06/10/2013
Taste of Chicago
One of the most popular cities in the USA when it comes to vacations, Chicago has a lot to offer in terms of cultural attractions. From the many museums and art galleries through to the glorious parks and wide-open spaces, Chicago is a city of many delights, and one that is well worth a visit whether for a family holiday or a romantic break. If you are looking to visit Chicago this summer, you may want to consider taking in Taste of Chicago, the world’s biggest food festival held in Grant Park on the beautiful lakefront. A celebration of food, fun, music and festivity, this unique event offers something for everyone, and takes place on the 10th June this year. At www.cheaphotels.com you can find information on a wide range of affordable accommodation in Chicago suitable for families and couples alike, making it a cost effective place for an excellent vacation. The Taste of Chicago event is like no other, a great day out for the family in glorious Grant Park, one of Chicago’s most picturesque locations. Established in 1980, this annual event attracts thousands of people who enjoy food and music – and much more – in the beautiful summer sun. The day begins in the late morning and stretches across lunch and dinner, with many different types of cuisine to sample and many more attractions besides. This year’s event promises much to satisfy all members of the family, complete with all the attractions that a great city like Chicago can offer. SEE MORE
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