Frank Brichetto

Chicago Correspondent

Do you believe it? The short, drab days of Winter are finally coming to an end. The weather is unpredictable, bouts of warmth surrounded by cold, damp and rain. That never bothers us, so let’s start this month’s adventures, shall we?

Today, Saturday, March 7th, remember friends and readers, to set your clocks and watches forward one hour tonight, because Daylight Savings Time begins overnight.

You may want to sleep late, today Sunday, March 8th, but please, not too late! Instead, join us this morning at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, for the 2026 spring flower show “Jewels of Spring,” which will highlight the amazing flowers of the Tower of Jewels, also known as Echium or Pride of Madeira. It’s a dramatic, colorful plant which grows flower spikes that are two to three feet tall. Accompanying these gems are a large array of everyone’s favorite spring beauties: tulips such as ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘Flaming Flag’, ‘4D Violet Ice’ African daisies, Cymbidium Orchids, Delphinium ‘Cobalt Dreams’, and Primula ‘Wild Flame Shades’. Of course, the Conservatory’s treasured camelias, azaleas, peonies, and hydrangeas will also be in full view, and we’ll take our time wandering through all the areas. The Conservatory is located at 2391 N. Stockton Dr., we need to make free reservations at:  https://www.lincolnparkconservancy.org/conservatory-reservations/, so call us to arrange to meet at the same time.

Today, Wednesday, March 12th, is a Free Wednesday at the Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., https://www.fieldmuseum.org. These free days are the perfect opportunity to explore all the general admission exhibitions with family or a group of science-loving friends like us. They include all general admission exhibitions, such as Evolving Planet, The Ancient Americas, and Inside Ancient Egypt, giving us the chance to roam through the wilderness on a desert safari, explore ancient civilizations, and come face-to-face with prehistoric creatures. I never get tired of visiting the dinosaurs like Sue, the most complete T. Rex ever found, and now there’s a Spinosaurus!  The Field Museum has so much to explore, including a new exhibit “After the Dinosaurs” depicting how the world evolved after the giant meteor struck earth and ended the “Age of Dinosaurs”. Order tickets online in advance, and remember to have everyone bring an Illinois ID. This will be fun!

After work today, Friday, March 13th, let’s celebrate the end of another work week at Bubbles & Beats Happy Hour at Hotel Zachary’s Alma Lounge,., https://www.almahotelzachary.com, 3630 N. Clark St. There are a number of truly excellent DJs who play all sorts of music: Top 40 hits, pop, harder rock, even underground faves. The bartender will happily pour from a selection of champagnes or mix a grand sparkling cocktail to your taste. The menu features light bites like feta fries and arancini rice balls. Happy Hour starts at 5:00pm, and runs through 7:00pm. Don’t be late!

Yes, it’s Saturday, March 14th, and the city will be dyeing the Chicago River very bright green; the marching bands and parade horses, colorful floats, dancers and flag bearers, with musicians of every sort will March down Columbus Dr. from Balbo to Monroe, in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The festivities will start promptly at 10:00am, and the parade begins at 11:00am. It’s a grand spectacle. Afterward, we’ll cruise up to Revolution Brewery, 3340 N. Kedzie in Avondale, and treat ourselves to a 45-minute tour of their 90,000 square foot production facility and learn about the history of Revolution Brewing and how our delicious beer is made. We even get two fresh beer samples and a Revolution Brewing Glass.

Since Spring 2012, this brewery is where Revolution fills kegs and cans for distribution. It is the largest independently owned brewery in Illinois, the 50th largest brewery in the country, and within these sturdy walls are eight 800-barrel fermenters, a scenic German beer hall-inspired taproom, complete with 20 different beers on tap, guest ciders, hard kombucha, and even non-alcoholic beers.

Interestingly, the name of Sun Crusher, their Summer Ale, is a way of pointing towards the array of solar panels installed above the brewery. That 60-kilowatt system can generate 70,000 kWh of electricity and offset more than 50 tons of CO2 annually. In 2020, the company generated the energy equivalent of 119 barrels of oil.

Today, Friday, March 20th, is the First Day of Spring, but, as we all know in Chicago, regardless of what the woodchuck did or did not see, or even what the forecasters might predict, there are still weeks of winter-like weather ahead.

More importantly, today marks the Vernal Equinox, and it’s time for us to experience “ChicagoHenge”. Take your pick, sunrise or sunset? We’re doing both, actually, so feel free to dress appropriately, bring your hot tea or coffee, and meet us downtown, at Madison Ave. and Canal St., no later than 6:40 am, so we can be ready when the sun rises brilliantly out of Lake Michigan and throws its first beams straight down Madison. The downtown skyscrapers frame the sun and light reflects off their windows; the whole effect is dazzling, yet lasts only a few minutes, until the sun climbs a bit higher into the morning sky. That was worth the cold morning air, don’t you think? Off to work.

After work, we intend to take in a leisurely dinner at Alla Vita, https://www.allavitachicago.com, 564 W. Randolph St. Let’s invite a few more friends to join us at 5:00pm for delightful antipasti, an aperitif for everyone, and good conversation while we decide on dinner plates. We’ll split orders of Tagliatelle and Ricotta Dumplings, partly because they are both delicious and partly because Alla Vita graciously donates to ChiGivesBack, https://www.chigivesback.com, with every dumpling order. There are many other choices, including the pride of the kitchen, Chicken Parmigiana, so pick what sounds most appealing. As we finish up, it will be time to hurry up, grab our camera phones, and head out to look west on Randolph as the sun sets, at 7:02pm.  We’ll have excellent, eminently photographic views of the setting sun, framed by the buildings on either side of Randolph St. 

How about some comedic relief to ease our worries in this troubled world? Met us today, Saturday, March 21st, at the Green Mill Jazz Club, https://greenmilljazz.com, 4802 N. Broadway Ave. The Green Mill is an experience in its own right; the club has been open continuously since 1902, and was famous as a speakeasy during Prohibition. One of Al Capone’s gangsters, Jack McGurn, was a part owner and there are supposed to be a few bullet holes somewhere in the woodwork. Their weekly comedy show, “Paper Machete” starts at 3:00pm so let’s arrive before 2:30pm to get good seats and a round of drinks before the fun begins. The line-up changes constantly with different journalists, musicians, actors and, of course, comedians who offer up their own comedic, sometimes a bit twisted, views on this week’s news. It is hysterical.

We’ve been to Rosemont and visited EXP before, but today, Saturday, March 28th, we’ll indulge in a new, perhaps more personal, virtual experience.  “The Last Stronghold” will transport us to the heart of medieval Carcassonne, an iconic fortified city in Southern France, where danger lurks within the city walls. Defend the fortress, uncover secrets, and we’ll each become part of a gripping story where history and legend collide, as each of us becomes a protagonist in the story.

EXP, you’ll recall, is a 26,000-square-foot immersive arts venue, one of the largest in the Midwest, where EXP combines expansive physical environments with advanced digital technology to create fully realized narrative worlds. We’ll walk through environments that respond to our individual movements and choices, blending technology and storytelling so that each visit unfolds differently. By uniting creative technologists, designers, and storytellers, EXP continues to push the boundaries of immersive entertainment, and I am so looking forward to this. We’ll find EXP at 9900 Berwyn Ave., in the Pearl District, Rosemont https://exprosemont.com

This afternoon, Sunday, March 29th, please join us at the MAC, https://atthemac.org, McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, to experience “One Night Of Queen”. It starts at 4:00pm, and be sure to order tickets early; this show will certainly sell out. Performed by Gary Mullen & The Works, this tribute show will feature many of the songs that made Queen one of the greatest rock bands ever. Original band member Brian May has said that there’s “more than a likeness” to the way Mullen sounds and performs, with moves, quirks and even hand gestures that seem to channel his inner Freddie Mercury. This will be quite the exciting adventure.

This Wednesday, April 1st, is a “free-evening” for Illinois residents, at the Adler Planetarium, https://www.adlerplanetarium.org, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., and we haven’t been there in ages. Please join us before 7:00pm. Advance reservations are highly recommended due to the high demand for tickets. General Admission is free, and there is more than enough to see to last us through the evening.  Exhibits include one of the world’s oldest telescopes, and an area, Chicago’s Night Sky, that will show us what a clear night would be like without all the city’s lights. There’s a display called “The Kepler Code” that will give us some familiarity with Johannes Kepler and his amazing book “Tabulae Rudolphinae”, and so many more.

Well readers and friends, it’s already April, Spring will really be upon us soon, and there will be no end to our adventures and excursions. We’ll get together next month. In the meantime, be adventurous.

  

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