st patricks day in chicago
Photograph: Shutterstock
Photograph: Shutterstock

The best March 2027 events in Chicago

Plan your March in Chicago with our calendar of the best things to do, including picks for theater productions, parades and festivals.

Shannon Shreibak
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Get excited, Chicagoans, because winter in Chicago is almost over and some of our most beloved events and traditions are happening this month. First up is St. Patrick's Day in Chicago, which is once again bringing river dyeing festivities and a parade to the Loop, along with plenty of other celebrations across the city (including the Shamrock Shuffle and parades on the South and Northwest Sides). Hoping to avoid the crush of green-clad people downtown? Check out some inspiring exhibitions at The Art Institute of Chicago, visit David Byrne's “Theater of the Mind” installation or feast on encased meats and beers at Haymarket's Sausagefest. You'll find all that and more in our roundup of things to do in Chicago this March.

RECOMMENDED: Events calendar for Chicago in 2026

The best events in Chicago this March

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Museum Campus
Whether you’re parenting a pint-sized Pokémon devotee or a nostalgic millennial still clinging to a holographic Charizard card for its “possible resale value” (guilty), the Pokémon Fossil Museum is designed to surprise and delight. Making its U.S. debut at the Field Museum in spring 2026, the international exhibition invites visitors to compare Fossil Pokémon like Tyrantrum and Archeops with real-world fossils—including SUE the T. rex. Expect Pokémon models, real fossil excavation tools and immersive soundscapes throughout.
  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Streeterville
“Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers” is a major survey spanning the Chicago artist’s nearly three-decade career. Through photography, video, immersive painting and large-scale installation, the exhibition explores the fragility of the human psyche against the weight of historic forces. Centering freedom as his primary muse, Johnson draws inspiration from radical movements of the late 20th century, showcasing how individuals and communities resist established orders to carve out new paths through history.
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