St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and the first day of Spring – could this month get any better? Read on to hear about museum overnights, hiking and maple tapping, and holiday outings that’ll make March a month to remember. Grab your egg-gathering baskets, cover yourself head to toe in green and get out there to share giggles with the kiddos!
photo: Chicago’s St. Patty’s Day Parade
(1) Spend the Night Counting Stars
Look to the sky and be mesmerized by the stars during the Adler’s Astro-Overnight. Kiddos can explore hands-on activities, like a space-themed scavenger hunt, or do damage control on a planet covered in slime. There is also telescope observing and two sky shows to watch during the evening. There will be small snacks and a continental breakfast in the morning. You can also just partake in the activities without staying the night.
When: Mar. 4-5 & Mar. 11-12
Hours: 5:30 p.m.-8 a.m. (next morning)
Where: Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr., Museum Campus
Cost: $60/non-members; $55/members (overnight); $30/non-members; $27.50/members (evening events only)
Online: adlerplanetarium.org
(2) Fam Jam: Sing With Your Child
Grab your friends and family to join Marsha’s Music for a Child Fam Jam. All proceeds support Marsha Music’s Scholarship Fund.
When: Mar. 12
Hours: 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Where: Greenhouse Theater Center, 257 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park
Cost: $15/family in advance; $20/family at the door
Online: marshasmusic.yourvirtuoso.com
(3) Get ShamROCKED at Hard Rock Cafe
As the city dies the river green in annual tradition, Hard Rock Cafe Chicago invites you to ring in the luck of the Irish for the eight annual Get ShamRocked bash. This free St. Patrick’s Day celebration features live music, traditional Irish eats, heated tents and your little Leprechauns will love the face painting and balloon artists.
When: Mar. 12
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Where: Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, 63 W. Ontario, River North
Cost: Free; suggested donation of $5 at the door
Online: hardrock.com/cafes/chicago/
(4) Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Chicago’s homage to the Irish is making its way through Grant park with bagpipes, drum corps and Irish dancers taking the lead. This year’s theme is Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising.
When: Mar. 12
Hours: noon
Where: Columbus Dr., Balboa Dr. to Monroe Dr.
Cost: Free
Online: chicagostpatsparade.com
(5) Celebrate St. Patty’s Day in South Side Style
Enjoy some good old-fashioned fun with the whole fam at the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Don’t worry about rowdy shenanigans, the parade has a strict no alcohol policy. There will be plenty of bagpipers piping, jigs from Irish dancers and flamboyant floats to make this a rockin’ party.
When: Mar. 13
Hours: noon
Where: Western Ave. from 103rd St. to 115th St.
Cost: Free
Online: southsideirishparade.org
(6) Take a Snooze with a T-Rex
The lights will dim as you explore the rituals of ancient Egyptian culture, guided by the light of your flashlight. Next, you prowl an African savannah with giraffes, hippos and man-eating lions. Take a break by playing games from around the world or looking at giant bugs from right in your backyard. Cap your night of exploration and adventure with cozy bedtime stories, before drifting off to an unforgettable dreamland in one of their amazing exhibits.
When: Mar. 18-19
Hours: 5:45 p.m-9 a.m. (next morning)
Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Museum Campus
Cost: $65+/person
Online: fieldmuseum.org
(7) Learn All About Maple Syrup and Munch on Brunch
Families start the Syrup Tree and Silver Dollar Brunch with a hike down to the Morton Arboretum’s tapped sugar maple tree to see how sap flows from the tree and is collected. After traveling down the trail, kids will learn how to drill into a tree and take turns practicing with a tool on a fallen log. It all ends with brunch, including pancakes, sausages, fruit, a special maple treat and beverages. Don’t forget to register!
When: Mar. 19 & Mar. 20
Hours: 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle
Cost: $18/members; $25/non-members
Online: mortonarb.org
(8) Bunny Rock 5K & Egg Hunt
Join in on the 6th Annual Bunny Rock Chicago 5K and Egg Hunt. This festive race is sure to bring lots of excitement and entertainment with 80’s rock music played at the start and finish line. All participants will receive a finisher medal, bunny ears, sunglasses, a dri-fit t-shirt and a goody bag. After the race, partake in the Egg Hunt and petting zoo.
When: Mar. 26
Hours: 9 a.m.-noon
Where: Montrose Harbor, 601 W. Montrose Ave., Downtown
Cost: $30
Online: bunnyrock5k.com
(9) Easter Egg-Stravaganza at Lincoln Park Zoo
Families with kids of all ages can hop over to the zoo for an Easter weekend celebration including pancake breakfast, an egg hunt, photos with the Easter Bunny, animal viewing, complimentary rides on the AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure and more!
When: Mar. 26
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.
Where: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park
Cost: $19/adults; $39/ages 2-15; free for ages 1 & under
Online: lpzoo.org
(10) Groove to Schoolhouse Rock Live!
Through unforgettable songs such as Just a Bill and Conjunction Junction, a nervous schoolteacher must discover how to charm his students through imagination and music on the first day of class. Based on the entertaining and educational Emmy Award-winning animated series, Schoolhouse Rock Live! brings the treasured Saturday-morning melodies of the ‘70s back in a hip new way.
When: Various Dates in March, check the calendar
Hours: Various showtimes
Where: Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park
Cost: $10
Online: emeraldcitytheatre.com
Big plans for March? Tell us all about it in the Comments below!
—Maria Chambers
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