Wonderland Express

Chicago beckons with holiday events galore, from ice skating in Millennium Park to Navy Pier’s Winter Wonderland. But no tradition excites kids (and the young at heart) more than the miniature trains that chug through the Chicago Botanic Garden during the annual Wonderland Express event. Read More »

This is the easiest Where in the World: Public Art contribution yet. I like to start the month with a gimme.

Here are some clues to help you guess where this public art is located:

1. The town is known for pizza.

2. It’s windy.

3. Wilco and Harry Caray.

4. Da Bears.

I really hope you’ve figured it out by now, but if not the answer is Chicago, which is my kind of town.

Chicago is one of the coolest (and often coldest) cities in America. Any visit should include a ride on the world’s first Ferris wheel, a pint from Goose Island Brewery and a boat tour of the city.

The public art shown above is called Cloud Gate, but everyone knows it as The Bean. I’m not sure why it isn’t called Da Bean, but what do I know from art? It is located in Millennium Park and was created by artist Anish Kapoor by welding 168 stainless steel plates together. The wonderful thing about this piece is that the view is always different — not that it moves, but the skyline and people reflected in it are always in flux. If art can be considered fun, The Bean is it.

This post is part of UpTake’s Public Art Series.

Photo: Bosc d’Anjou via Flickr

Prince Poppycock performs at North Halsted Market Days

You can always find a party on any weekend in Chicago but few come close to the unbridled revelry of Chicago’s annual North Halsted Market Days.  This  festival marks the last few rowdy drops of Summer for many visitors who flock to this two-day street festival in the heart of Chicago’s legendary Boys Town neighborhood.  The event attracts more than 150,000, groomed, stylish and often barely-clothed attendees who cram into four blocks of Halsted between Belmont and Addison. Read More »

Chicago Rocks Music Tour

Chicago’s blues and jazz history attracts lots of attention but the Windy City’s extensive rock and punk history often slips through the cracks. Chicago Music Tours remedies that situation with two interactive tours that supply all the little known stories about Chicago rock stars and their music. Read More »