May 2010 Chicago Events | What's Happening in Chicago | Visitor Things To Do from Chicago Traveler
Chicago in Bloom
April showers truly do bring May flowers, especially to North Michigan Avenue where the tulips are in full bloom. Seeing the variety of vibrant colors is worth a special trip! And with warm weather arriving, Chicago’s special events this month will be especially enjoyable, and there will be a full-complement of architectural tours that locals and visitors have come to love. Arlington Park race track has opened for the season and several special events are planned for May. Finally, another good reason to check out Brookfield Zoo with its newly completed animal habitat, the Great Bear Wilderness.
May Chicago Events
If it’s May in Chicago, then it’s time for the Magnificent Mile Tulips. North Michigan Avenue is chock full of colorful tulips. Also, May is the official start of Chicago’s festival season and we’re highlighting four of them. We’re also celebrating Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day with city parades and other special celebrations around the City of Chicago.
The city planners have always strived to make Chicago a beautiful place to live, work and play. Each Spring, Chicagoans patiently anticipate the blooming of the Magnificent Mile Tulips. All along North Michigan Avenue, shoppers and sightseers will marvel at the beautiful and varied blooms. You can enjoy the thousands of tulips for the entire month of May. Several special events are planned in conjunction with the tulip blooms.
- From May 6 through May 9, a wonderful Floral Market at the John Hancock Center Plaza will be open to the public, with flower sales and demonstrations.
- From May 7 through May 9, a 110 x 45 foot floral carpet will be on display, also at the John Hancock Center Plaza. This display will be made up of over 6,000 flowers.
- The Chicago Architecture Foundation will hold a special “tulip” edition of its two-hour Magnificent Mile Architectural Walking Tour on May 7, 8 and 9 beginning at 10am. You can make your reservation online.
Chicago knows how to have a good time and we wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in good form. On May 2, the city will hold its Cinco de Mayo Parade in the Pilsen neighborhood along Cermak Road, from Wood Street to Kedzie Avenue. From May 7 through May 9, the Little Village Chamber of Commerce will host the Cinco de Mayo Festival, celebrating Hispanic families and featuring live music, food, arts & crafts and other activities. Both Pilsen and Little Village are located in the lower west side of Chicago. Restaurants and clubs throughout the city will be creating special Cinco de Mayo fun.
Another cultural event this month is the Celtic Fest Chicago, being held at Millennium Park on May 8 & 9. This free event is sure to be a blast. With a Men in Kilts Leg Contest, how could it be anything else? This major festival will feature over 75 music and dance performances, including bagpipers and dance lessons, lots of beer, a play area for kids and even a Mother’s Day limerick contest.
Mayfest will be held May 21 through 23. This is the official kick-off to festival season in Chicago. Live music, food, drinks and an art fair are all in store for you at this Lakeview neighborhood festival.
On May 29 at 12pm, the city will host its annual Memorial Day Parade, with a route along State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren. This is one of the largest parades in the United States. Of course you’ll see lots of marching bands, service men and women and veterans.
On May 29 and 30, you can join the fun at the Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival. This festival, held in the Lakeview neighborhood, includes top-notch live entertainment, food & drink, arts & crafts, and displays of new fashions. This festival is targeted at trendy young professionals.
For more festival choices, see ourChicago Parades & Festivals page.
Great Chicago Views
Chicago is known for having quite diverse and unique architecture and many of the world’s most renowned architects have left a signature on Chicago’s skyline. The best way to learn about Chicago’s magnificent buildings, the brilliant architects who created them, and how each is held in Chicago’s history and development is to take an architectural tour. There are a variety of fun, interesting and educational tours to choose from.
Our personal favorite for an architectural tour is by boat along the Chicago River. These tours typically depart from Navy Pier or at Michigan Avenue where it crosses over the Chicago River. This is a relaxing and fun way to learn about Chicago’s architecture. There are a number of different tour operators to choose from. For more detailed information for each boat tour operator, check out our Chicago Boat Tour Comparison page and, for a quick glimpse of the architectural river cruise, take a look at our Shoreline River Cruise motion-panorama clip.
For land-lubbers, the Chicago Architecture Foundation offers bus, walking and Segway architectural tours. Their bus tours include several specialized themes, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Chicago Bungalows, and the Robie House. Their walking tour themes include Downtown Skyscrapers, Dowtown Art Deco, the architecture of Lincoln Park Zoo, Magnificent Mile (north Michigan Avenue) and various neighborhood themes. On Mondays and Saturdays, they offer a lakefront tour on Segways.
Another walking tour is offered by Georgie Tourgie Architectural & Historical Walking Tours. Its City Savvy Tour is held twice each day, 11am and 1pm, with other times available by advance arrangement. An added plus – after your architectural tour, you can continue on with a Second City Pizza Tour for some culinary delight.
For more personal and customizable tours, check out Tours-R-Us Chicago, hosted by Marshall Jacobsen, a Chicago Greeter and certified tour guide; Chicago Red Cap WalkingTours, with host Bill Elliott, a Chicago enthusiast; or Off The Map Chicago, hosted by Larry Simon, a former Chicago sportswriter and current architectural guide.
No matter which type of tour you choose, we are certain you’ll have a lot of fun and learn a lot of interesting facts from knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides. An architectural tour is a must for your travel itinerary.
Enjoy the Races
The 2010 season at Arlington Park race track has just begun and already the Park has lots of special events planned for the month of May. During your stay in Chicago, we highly recommend you take a ride out to Arlington Heights, a suburb of Chicago and enjoy this beautiful horse racing venue. Here you can participate in some serious gaming, but rest assured that this is truly a family-friendly environment where you can enjoy the day without ever placing a bet. The 2010 season runs through September 26, with live racing Thursdays through Sunday.
Here are this month's special events and highlights:
- May 1 – The Park will host a Kentucky Derby Party, with the Kentucky Derby race simulcast from Louisville, special entertainment, and mint juleps to keep you refreshed. For kids there will be a petting zoo, pony rides and Derby hat making.
- May 8 – Park guests can enjoy special musical performances and educational events by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
- May 9 – The Park will celebrate Mother's Day with special features for Mom and the kids.
- May 13 – This is Senior Celebration Day, with the Park offering health screenings, an "ask the doctors" panel, special entertainment and more. Free tickets can be obtained by calling the appropriate phone number shown on the web page.
- May 15 – In addition to regular racing, the Park will simulcast the Preakness Stakes from Baltimore.
- May 28-31 – Make plans for your Memorial Day Weekend at the Park. The four-day "weekend" will include lots of live entertainment and special events for adults and kids; Friday will mark the official start to Party in the Park, a weekly Park event featuring live local bands beginning at 3pm.
- Beginning May 30, every Sunday is Family Day, when the kids enjoy pony rides and a petting zoo from noon until 4pm. For special kid-oriented themes on Family Days, check out the Family Day Schedule.
Arlington Park is located about 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. Head out of Chicago on I-90 west, or take the Union Pacific Northwest Metra train; there’s a train station right outside Arlington Park. The 2010 racing season runs April
No Lions, No Tigers, Just Bears
Brookfield Zoo is known as one of the top zoos in the United States, yet the bear habitat had not been updated since the 1930’s. In order to make the environment more conducive to the bears’ natural habitat, a $27 million renovation was undertaken. You won’t want to miss the opening of this new exhibit, or several of the other special events that are planned for May.
On May 8, Brookfield Zoo will unveil its newest and largest habitat, Great Bear Wilderness. This 7-1/2 acre exhibit features grizzly bears roaming a forested terrain, polar bears viewed from above or below their swimming pool water line, bison in a prairie setting, eagles up close, and Mexican gray wolves in their original space. The opening ceremony on May 8 will have a native theme, with musicians, dancers and story tellers.
On May 14, the Great Bear Wilderness exhibit will be the featured theme for this month’s Wild Wild Nights. This event, from 6:30-8:30pm, will consist of lecture and tour, as well fine dining while watching the Polar Bears swim in their new home. While this May event is targeted to adults, you can check the Wild Wild Nights schedule for future dates, where you’ll learn which are family-oriented and even one that is hosted especially for singles.
Brookfield Zoo is located in Brookfield, IL, a suburb about 13 miles west of Chicago. It first opened in 1934 and has since gone through many renovations, always showing the utmost concern for the animals’ environments. It covers 216 acres and holds about 450 species of animals. The grounds are quite beautiful and provide for a relaxing day of animal encounters.
For many other May events, see our Chicago Events Calendar.
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