Windy City Events

Join Rockit Wrigleyville for 50% off wine, free wine tasting & food pairings (Every Mon.)

This weekly event, every Monday, began back in January and has been a big hit so far.  The social networking world is abuzz with the half off wine specials and free wine tasting (brought right to your table!).  If you’re looking for a way to unwind after work, head over to Rockit Wrigleyville for some great wine, food and service.

Rockit Wrigleyville
3700 N. Clark St. [google map]

2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels in Chicago to be Largest Event in show’s history

48th annual custom car show held March 5-7 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

Rosemont, Ill. (February 2010) – The 48th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels held March 5-7, 2010 at its new location, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (5555 N. River Road, Rosemont, Ill.), is positioned to be the largest show in the event’s long running history. This year’s show, presented by Denny Guest’s South Oak Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep and produced by Championship Auto Shows, Inc. hosts 500 of the country’s best custom and restored cars. The show is open 3 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 5; 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 6; and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday, March 7. Admission is $16 per person, $5 for children ages 6-12 and discount tickets can be purchased at any Chicago area O’Reilly Auto Parts retailer.

“As we anticipated, the move from Chicago’s McCormick Place to the Rosemont venue has provided us with more space this year,” says Pete Toundas, president of Championship Auto Shows. “Already the oldest and biggest auto enthusiast event in Chicago, we expect the show to be the largest in the show’s history. The additional space has allowed us to showcase more cars and offer new special exhibits.”

The move to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center enables the show to continue to grow, having 550,000 square feet of exhibition space for its custom and restored cars, trucks and motorcycle exhibits. The show also has more features, vendors, displays and events, including a live charity auction and a lifestyle area with live entertainment, fashion shows and karaoke competitions. › Continue reading

Love to write but don’t have the time? StoryStudio Chicago is here to help! (Sat. 2/20 & 3/20)

StoryStudio Chicago is a creative writing studio on the city’s north side. They offer creative writing classes and events in all areas of writing from fiction to memoir to poetry to screenwriting. This Saturday, the 23rd, they are holding the first of 3 Write-A-Thons. What’s a Write-A-Thon? Imagine a place with free coffee and snacks, free Wifi, unlimited electricity for your laptop and a quiet and comfortable environment to type all day without interruption.

From their website:

Devote a full day to your writing and come to one of our weekend Write-a-Thons. These writing marathons are scheduled on days when you can map out four or six or the full 12 hours to focus on your stories.

We open the doors from 9am to 9pm and you may come and go as you like through the day and evening. Bring your laptop and settle in at one of the classroom tables. Or relax with a yellow pad and sink into the sofa.

For a meager admission fee, you’ll get access to the space, free wireless, snacks and beverages, plus a big ole Pick-a-Prompt bowl to choose some writing exercises if you get stuck.

In addition to lots of time and space to concentrate, we’ll have a food, caffeine, and lots of encouragement.

Write-a-Thons take place at our studios, 4043 N. Ravenswood, #222.

Date/Time:
Mark Your Calendars for all three:
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010

Price: Non-Member:$12.00 / StoryStudio Member: $7 (includes unlimited coffee, tea, soft drinks, snacks, hourly exercises,writerly conversation and lots of encouragement!)
Register for Write-a-Thons. Pre-registration is not required, but please let us know if you’re planning on attending.

Sounds like a great place to get you’re writing on! More information can be found at http://www.storystudiochicago.com/courses/writeathons.php and folks can follow them on twitter: @StoryStudio or @StoryStudioChi.

Doodleganza: Museum of Contemporary Art (Tues. 12/1)

The MCA has a new series of events- Tuesdays in the Café; a more casual and family friendly take on First Fridays.  This Tuesday, and every first Tuesday of the month is Doodleganza: The Drawing Extravaganza.  Tuesdays are free admission days at the MCA, so start off by checking out the current exhibits, before heading over to Puck’s Café for an evening of drawing, wine, coffee, and snacks.  This Tuesday, artist Paul Nudd will lead the “art class meets social gathering” and will present special activities for an evening of doodling that involves all skill levels.  Bring your creative juices and the inner desire we all still have to doodle! › Continue reading

Millenium Park Ice Skating (11/18-3/14)

The time is finally here. The McCormick Tribune ice rink in Millenium Park is now officially OPEN (You didn’t know it was called the McCormick Tribune ice rink? Yeah, neither did anyone else). There doesn’t seem to be a time when it is not absolutely crowded, but it’s a fun outing regardless.

The skating is FREE (yes, a free Chicago event!), buuuut renting a pair of skates will set you back $10. Not a big deal however; you can skate around to holiday tunes all day if you really wanted to. My personal favorite way to enjoy this seasonal event is to simply lean over the railing and watch the talented glide over the ice and the less than talented suffer some serious wipeouts. Honestly, it’s just as fun.

The ice rink is open through March 14th, but I’d scoot on over before Christmas to get the added bonus of the holiday playlist.

The rink is open Monday-Thursday noon-8 p.m., Friday noon-10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and  is located on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Madison streets; you really can’t miss it.

First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporary Art (1st Friday of every month)

Have any of you attended this event?  I’ve been wanting to go for a year now but haven’t had the chance.  I might finally go this coming Friday.  Would love to hear about your experience.

Happy hour takes on a new meaning with First Fridays at the MCA. Relax after a long workweek with a cash bar featuring specialty drinks and free Wolfgang Puck appetizers. Enjoy live music from local DJs, the world’s only iMac G5 digital dating bar, creation stations, and more. Each month features an up-and-coming Chicago artist in a preview of the latest UBS 12 x 12: New Artists/New Work exhibition.

First Fridays tickets, which include museum admission, live entertainment, and complimentary Wolfgang Puck hors d’oeuvres, are $16 ($8 for MCA members). Advance tickets are available for $11 ($8 MCA members). Order your tickets online, or call the MCA box office at 312.397.4010. Doors are open from 6 to 10 pm with a cash bar until 9:30 pm. Guests must be 21 or older to enter.

NEW! Buy your tickets in advance–save money and get VIP admission to the event. Order your tickets online, or call the MCA Box Office at 312.397.4010. The MCA Box Office closes ticket sales at 3 pm on the day of the event.

MCA Website