Sure, you could watch the Super Bowl. But do you really want to? Here's what's will happen: The Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos will toss a ball back and forth for... a while. Maybe they'll kick it, maybe fumble the ball. You'll probably see Cam Newton and Peyton Manning a few times. The Budweiser horses will probably make a few appearances in some new ads. Then it's time for the halftime show, Coldplay with a splash of Beyonce. Finally, there will be more ball-tossing, someone will win, fans will cheer and cry. Who needs that? The Bears aren't even there, and Chicago has a bunch of other fun things going on.
Head to the Chicago Cultural Center to see the new exhibit "Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen", and make sure to stick around for demonstrations at 10:45am, 12:15pm and 3:30pm.
The weather isn't supposed to be absolutely horrendous (forecasts are predicting temperatures in the mid-40s and overcast skies) so head to a park and go ice skating.
The Devil in the White City Tour takes you to locations featured in the book of the same name, including Prairie Avenue, home to Chicago's Victorian-era elite, the site of the “murder castle” of H.H. Holmes and a haunted Victorian-era tavern.
Head to California and Augusta for a fantastic food crawl, then take a stroll through Humboldt Park.
Watch Body/Courage, a one-woman play drawn from interviews with more than 300 people about self image.
Not all bars will be showing the Super Bowl, so take advantage of some of the best cocktail bars in town, sans the usual crowds.
Some restaurants are continuing their Restaurant Week specials through the middle of next week, and Sunday evening seems like an optimal time to snag a prime reservation.