Photo From: www.chicagoracetotaste.us

Registration for Humana Race to Taste Opens February 12!
18th Annual Race to Taste 5K Run/2-Mile Walk
Sunday, June 27 in Grant Park

Ready, set, race … your way to the Taste of Chicago. Humana Race to Taste 5K Run/2-Mile Walk is a Taste of Chicago tradition and is set for Sunday, June 27. Run/walk through Chicago’s beautiful Grant Park and lakefront, and stay for activities and great food at Taste of Chicago.

Registration for this annual event is available on-line beginning Friday, February 12 at www.chicagoracetotaste.us and is $35 per participant. There is no race day registration. The 5K Run/2-mile Walk will begin at 8:00 am at the corner of Balbo and Columbus and will be timed on d-chip. All participants will receive a commemorative NIKE Dri-FIT t-shirt in both men’s and women’s sizes. Also receive a complimentary strip of Taste tickets to enjoy the entire festival!

As the Taste celebrates its 30th year, Humana is pleased to extend their Taste of Chicago partnership to include the Race to the Taste. Humana has had a presence at the Taste since 2007, when it first introduced its Healthier Choices map that features lighter food options available during the festival. Humana believes it’s important to highlight the healthy side of the Taste, and the Humana Race to the Taste and Healthier Choices map provide Taste-goers with the chance to have fun and stay fit.

Race to Taste is presented by Humana, Hinckley Springs, Chicago Tribune, NIKE, United Airlines, Pepsi-Cola, Fleet Feet Sports, Domincks, Communications Direct, Chicago Transit Authority and Apple Vacations. For updates visit www.chicagoracetotaste.us and on Facebook, the Taste of Chicago page.

For more information on Taste of Chicago, visit www.tasteofchicago.us or call the event hotline, 312.744.3370 or TTY: 312.744.4964. For more information on Chicago, including help planning your trip, visit www.explorechicago.org.

Time Out Chicago invites you to skate at the rink at Wrigley on Wednesday,
February 17th from 6:30-8. Warm up at an exclusive after party at Rockit
Bar and Grill Wrigleyville with a private cocktail reception as well as
drink specials from 8-10. Tickets are $20 and include ice skating, skate
rental, and after party.

More information:
http://www.timeoutchicago.com/skate/

Winter Storm Warning
Issued by The National Weather Service
Chicago, IL
2:47 pm CST, Mon., Feb. 8, 2010

… WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY…

THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY.

* TIMING… ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS LIKELY TO LINGER INTO THE DAY WEDNESDAY ACROSS NORTHWEST INDIANA… ESPECIALLY OVER PORTER COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT… WITH LOCALLY HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW SQUALLS CONTINUING INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING OVER PORTER COUNTY.

* ACCUMULATIONS… STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL BY TUESDAY NIGHT WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 9 TO 12 INCH RANGE… WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER SNOWFALL TOTALS EXPECTED NEAR THE LAKE… WHERE STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL COULD APPROACH A FOOT AND A HALF OVER NORTHEAST PORTER COUNTY BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY.

* HAZARDS… ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL RESULT IN TRAVEL BECOMING DIFFICULT BY LATE TONIGHT. IN ADDITION TO THE FALLING SNOW… NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING… RESULTING IN SEVERE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IN OPEN AREAS. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR GROUND BLIZZARD AND NEAR WHITE OUT CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP IN OUTLYING AREAS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS… SNOW IS LIKELY TO RESULT IN DETERIORATING ROAD CONDITIONS TONIGHT… WITH SNOWFALL LIKELY MAKING TRAVEL VERY DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. MORNING AND EVENING RUSH HOURS ON TUESDAY… AND ON WEDNESDAY MORNING ARE LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS STORM. AFTER THE SNOW ENDS EARLY WEDNESDAY… BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL RESULT IN NEAR GROUND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN OUTLYING AREAS MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. PERSONS FLYING INTO OR OUT OF CHICAGO AIRPORTS CAN ALSO EXPECT SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS FROM THIS WINTER STORM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW… SLEET… ICE… OR STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL… KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

Snow Days Chicago is offering a plethora of reasons why it’s better to brave the windy city weather this time of year versus those boring warmer climates.

The events during Snow Days Chicago on Friday and Saturday the 29th and 30th include a national snow sculpting competition, an activities igloo (don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to go in an igloo), dogsled racing demonstration, “snowboard rail jam”, and plenty more.

Grant Park will be filled with over 27 unique snow sculptures this weekend, and … (best part)… it’s FREE. So if you’ll be downtown at all during the festival, you have no reason not to swing by the Michigan Ave. local to catch some winter wonder.

The fest kicks off Fri. January 29th at 4 pm and ends 8 pm. Snow Days will be open Sat. Januray 30th from 11 am to 8pm. And, again, absolutely no cost (no, not even for an igloo tour).

Grant Park, S. Balbo & Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60603

For those looking to ring in the New Years without the temptation of an alcohol fueled party or bar location, these two special events are serving up some sober fun!

New Year’s Eve Sober Extravaganza: Chicago Illuminating Company

Walk the red carpet and live like an A-list celebrity- minus the embarrassing drunk moments that seem to plague our favorite stars.  This celebrity themed, sober New Years Eve party will offer “mocktails,” a photo booth, dinner, and circus acrobat performances.

Time: 8pm

Location: Chicago Illuminating Company, 19 East 21^st Street [google map]

Cost: $99 per person

New Years Eve at New Town Alano Club

New Town Alano Club is a LGBT focused, addiction support and recovery center.  This New Years, they will offer a healthy alternative to the holiday of temptation at their Lakeview location.  The night will begin with a Gratitude Meeting, allowing attendees to start the New Year off with reflection on the past year, and appreciation for their sobriety and their life.  The rest of the night will include movies, food, and a live viewing of the NYC ball drop.

Time: 7pm

Location: New Town Alano Club, 909 W. Belmont [google map]

Cost: FREE

It’s time to start fretting over which new years party to chose, or in my case, find one to go to at all. Not to worry, Tocco is holding a Brillante Italian New Years celebration with live entertainment as well as the option of three different meal/drink packages– #1: $65 per person for a 5 course meal package (two seatings at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.), #2: $60 per person for the open bar package (from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.), and #3: $115 per person for the package combination.

Tocco will provide an elegant evening that will allow attendees to feel as if they have been transported to a fine European affair. The decadent five-course meal will include lobster, truffles and seafood salad with two antipasti, one primi, one secondi, one dolci and one glass of champagne. That’s so insanely swanky I’m not even quite sure what it means.

If you’re interested in ringing in 2010 in true Italian style at one of the more sophisticated spots, RSVP to the restaurant at 773-687-8895.

Tocco Chicago, 1266 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

There aren’t many more holiday shopping events to take advantage of this season, but this Friday presents a big one: Fashion Frost, an evening of holiday fashion.  On Friday the 18th from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Chicago Center For The Performing Arts, this high end fashion show will take place featuring models strutting the runway in looks from incredible Chicago designers  (including the inspired looks of Rosina~Mae, Soledad Designs, Elda De La Rosa, Stiletto Squad, Horacio Nieto Jr., Yana Collection, Melanie Saldivar, Cobar, and Duvall).

There will also be live entertainment at this event from Chicago artists. It’s also offering gift bags (which are currentl valued at $300 each–and rising), raffles, complimentary cocktails and appetizers, and a silent auction. Oh, and you know it has awesome holiday deals on unique and innovative items from our talented local designgers.

The price for a ticket to the most likely last holiday fashion event of the year is $25. All proceeds to towards the Chicago Toy Drive.

The event will happen at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts at 777 N. Green Street

Buy tickets here or call 1-800-838-3006 to experience to gift-buying, gift-giving (to the Chicago Toy Drive) fashion show-viewing and muuuuuch more. Get all the holiday cheer while you still can!

Take a magical trip to a winter wonderland of twinkling lights and holiday beauty at the Chicago Botanic Garden! Outside, 750,000 lights sparkle and welcome you and your family to the Garden’s wonderland. Inside the Regenstein Center, a 10,000-square-foot exhibition of miniature trains winds over bridges, under trestles, past waterfalls, and through more than 80 mini-replicas of Chicago’s favorite landmarks. Paul Busse, designer of the Model Railroad Garden, created this amazing exhibition exclusively for the Garden’s holiday celebration.

This sounds like a wonderful place to visit in order to get you into the holiday spirit.  I was lucky enough to win 2 free tickets in a contest they were having on twitter (@chicagobotanic).  I plan on visiting soon and will certainly report back on my experience.  In the meantime, take a look at a youtube video they made. Also, feel free to comment if you have visited this event!:

The event is open from Nov. 27 to Jan. 3.  10am to 7pm daily. Closes at 3 p.m. December 3 and 24
Closed December 25.

Tickets for Wonderland Express are on sale online via Ticketmaster and at the Garden.

Ticket prices: Adults: $10 nonmembers, $8 members
Children ages 3 to 12 and seniors over age 62: $8 nonmembers, $6 members
Children 2 and under: Free
More information: chicagobotanic.org

I also polled our fellow twitter followers to see what some alternatives to the Millenium Park rink are.  From my understanding, it can get really busy.  Some replies were:

@christhefisch try daley bicentennial plaza: same amazing view, smaller rink, fewer people and cheaper rental ($6)!

@MasKeo13 there will be a ri k next to Wrigley field..opens soon i think…

@kimalpert go to the u of c rink. lovely + empty… unless you are going for a hookup.

All very promising alternatives.  The University of Chicago rink sounds great… not busy and they have a huge warming house! Click here for more info. Daley Bicentennial is close to Millenium Park, yet doesn’t draw the crowd.  Sounds pleasant to me! And then there’s the proposed rink by Wrigley Field…. We’ll have to see how that works out.  My guess is, it will always be packed.

The Chicago Park District lists 9 area rinks on their site: Chicago Park District Rinks

**Update** We just noticed that the Chicago Botanic Garden has a skating rink! Visit their website for details: chicagobotanic.org

Where have you gone?  Do you have a favorite?  We’d love your perspective!

The city of Chicago is making damn sure that no one misses a good shopping outing before the holidays hit. Here is yet another weekend dedicated to browsing and spending.

This Saturday December 12th from noon to 3 p.m., Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies on Jackson is sponsoring and hosting a holiday shopping event. Admission is FREE, so why not stop in and peek around?

Like so many other city shopping extravaganzas, this shopping soiree offers tons of unique gifts from our talented local designers from clothes to jewelry to hand bags, and so much more. It’s even got free demos and “beauty treats.”

Just beware guys, this one looks like it is mainly an afternoon for the ladies (although most likely will be a great spot to find a present for your sister, girlfriend and/or momma!).

This event goes down this Saturday, December 12th from noon-3 p.m. at Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies

850 W. Jackson, Chicago, IL 60607

Questions? Need more info? E-mail info@creneaume.com or call 312-520-3017