Welcome to another weekend! Take a load off by soaking in a spa or spending some time at the best Chicago attractions. One of Chicago's best dispensaries is hosting a festival to celebrate 4/20, and Rum Fest and Grilled Cheese Fest are happening as well. You can also watch street-style dancers battle it out at Red Bull Dance Your Style or catch screenings of award-winning films during the Chicago Palestine Film Festival. So ready to make the most of your time off? Check out the rest of the best things to do in Chicago this weekend. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in Chicago right now
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Looking for something to do in Chicago today, this weekend or in the coming months? You’ve come to the right place! Spring is on the horizon so get ready to go hiking, plan a family getaway over spring break or stroll through the city's most beautiful parks (especially during cherry blossom season). You can also celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Chicago with a host of exciting events, parties and more. Experience the best of the city with our year-round guide to top-tier events and things to do in Chicago.
This weekly “live magazine” is a cavalcade of culture, politics and wit featuring journalists, actors, comedians and musicians offering idiosyncratic reports on the news of the day. Head to Uptown’s iconic Green Mill for drinks, hot takes and laughs; the longstanding Saturday afternoon edition tends to run about two and a half hours.
Spring in Chicago has officially arrived! It's time to get outside and explore. You can go hiking near Chicago or take a day trip to enjoy a quick getaway. April sees the return of several big events, such as C2E2 and EXPO Chicago, as well as the Chicago Latino Film Festival for cinephiles. If you're looking for food and beverage experiences, grab tickets to the Chicago Rum Festival or New Beers Eve. Later in the month, head to Merchandise Mart to shop unique, handmade goods from 350 vendors at the One of a Kind Show or check out the Joffrey Ballet's Midsummer Night's Dream. So celebrate the beginning of the spring season—and all the new beginnings that go along with it—with our list of the best things to do in Chicago this April. RECOMMENDED: Events calendar for Chicago in 2024
April 2024: On our latest roundup of the city's best eateries, we're welcoming one of the hottest recent openings, Maxwells Trading. Also joining it is Brazilian live-fire concept Brasero. Many of the city's best chefs and restaurants are in Time Out Market Chicago as well, and you can scroll through the full vendor lineup at the bottom of this page. The best restaurants in Chicago come in all shapes and sizes, from pizza joints and Michelin-starred heavyweights to some of the best cheap eats Chicago has to offer. The cuisines are just as varied, with every corner of the globe represented through Korean, Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean and Indian fare. Whether you're a lifelong resident or simply visiting for the weekend, stuffing your face at one of these restaurants is easily among the best things to do in Chicago. This belt-busting food scene shows no signs of slowing down, so we cut to the chase and ranked our essentials—the absolute best restaurants in town. Our editors scour the city for great dishes, excellent value and insider info. They pay their way and sometimes, like the rest of us, their delivery driver gets lost (here's how we eat through Chicago to make the list). We hope to provide an authentic snapshot of Chicago's ever-evolving dining experience right now: We update it constantly with the best new restaurants in Chicago as well as decades-old stalwarts that keep us coming back for more. It could be a mega-hyped destination restaurant or a remarkable food tru
April 2024: Spring is here and it's time to head outside! Walk through a beautiful garden, take a hike on a trail or go on an architecture boat tour. Plus, baseball is back on the North and Side Sides. There are plenty of other options, too, so stay satisfied and busy with these fun activities in April. No matter where your interests lie, you can always find something to get excited about in this no-nonsense Midwestern metropolis. The best things to do in Chicago run the gamut—from seriously fun to awesomely educational. Looking for culture? Spend a day exploring Chicago museums. Hungry? You've come to the right place, because Chicago is famous for its delicious cuisine. There are tons of amazing restaurants in Chicago that highlight the city's rich and diverse culinary landscape. (And plenty of uniquely Chicago bars that do the trick, too.) We've searched all across the city to assemble this list of the best things to do in Chicago. Follow it and never get bored here again. You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the best things to do in the world right now.
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Nothing screams summertime in Chicago like adimiring skyline views with a drink in hand. As the days get warmer, it's time to lean into the season's heat at the best rooftop bars in Chicago. Grab at bite to eat at rooftop restaurants situated on terraces high above the street and inside downtown hotels, or get away to hidden patios and gardens for a cocktail away from the crowds. We know how great the beautiful months of warmer weather in Chicago can be, so make them even better at these best rooftop bars in the city. RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to outdoor dining and drinking in Chicago
Sometimes, you just want a little escape from the city. If a weekend getaway isn't possible but you're still looking for new scenery and an adventure, there are plenty of options for a day trip within a few hours’ drive of Chicago. Spend an afternoon soaking up the rays on beaches along Lake Michigan, go hiking near Chicago in a state park or sample a variety of beers and cheeses up north in Wisconsin. The attractions are endless, ranging from amusement parks and Japanese gardens to museums and historic lighthouses. And the best part? Many of these destinations are also accessible by Metra. So get to planning with our guide to the best day trips from Chicago. RECOMMENDED: The most unique day trips from Chicago
Wait no more—the Lollapalooza 2024 lineup is here. Chicago’s annual music festival returns to Grant Park August 1-4 with over 170 bands across eight stages. Headlining this year’s summer spectacle are SZA, Tyler, The Creator, Blink-182, The Killers, Future X Metro Boomin, Hozier, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez and Skrillex. Skrillex’s appearance will be his first at Lollapalooza since 2014, and he’ll be joined at Perry’s Stage by fellow big names such as Zedd, FISHER and Zeds Dead. South Korean boy band Stray Kids will also make their Lollapalooza debut, following in the footsteps of recent K-pop acts like NewJeans, Tomorrow X Together and J-Hope. Other highlights in the lineup include Deftones, Tate McRae, Reneé Rapp, Two Door Cinema Club, Killer Mike, Vince Staples, Kesha and Conan Gray. In addition, Icelandic singer-songwriter will perform a set with the Chicago Philharmonic. And if you’re on the hunt to see the next breakout artist, this year will feature up-and-comers like Benson Boone, Raye, The Last Dinner Party, d4vd and more. Tickets for four-day General Admission, General Admission+, VIP and Platinum are on sale now. Single-day and two-day tickets go on sale March 26. Check out the full Lollapalooza 2024 lineup below. Who's on the Lollapalooza 2024 lineup? The festival will be headlined by SZA, Tyler, The Creator, Blink-182, The Killers, Future X Metro Boomin, Hozier, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez and Skrillex. In total, more than 170 artists will take to eight stage
Cherry blossom season is a springtime rite of passage in Japan. Each year, both locals and tourists alike pour into city parks to post up with picnic blankets and admire the pale pink flowers—a tradition called hanami, or flower viewing—before they fall to the ground after just a few short days. Here in the U.S., Washington, D.C. is the most well-known destination for cherry blossom viewing (it was famously gifted more than 3,000 cherry trees by Japan in 1912), but you'll still find plenty of good spots for gazing at gorgeous spring blooms in and around Chicago. Jostle with crowds at one of the most beautiful gardens in Chicago, take a train to the suburbs or pack your bags for a flower-powered day trip from Chicago. Just make sure to plan your visit carefully, because you only have a few days to soak it all in once the blooms hit their peak! Here are some of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Chicago. When do cherry blossoms bloom in Chicago? Cherry blossoms hit their peak anywhere from late March to early May, depending on weather conditions. How long do cherry blossoms last in Chicago? Once the flowers hit peak bloom, they typically last anywhere from three to eight days before shedding their petals.