The best things to do in Chicago today

The Field Museum hosts the annual Uncorked Wine Festival, where guests can enjoy more than 100 wines, Champagnes and nonalcoholic offerings as well as a variety of exhibitions and experiences. Spring for a VIP ticket to get an extra hour of tastings and a $30 food voucher, plus access to a private lounge with higher end wineries.

The North Side is bringing back its own Restaurant Week, offering exclusive deals during lunch and dinner. Enjoy three-course menus at places throughout Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Albany Park, Edgewater, Irving Park, Northcenter, North Park, Rogers Park and Uptown. Participating spots include Maman Zari, Bistro Campagne, Khmai, Boonie's, Luella's, the Warbler and more. Find the full list of restaurants and menus here.

In its 23rd year, Chicago's annual Flamenco Festival brings a four-week-long lineup of flamenco's brightest young stars and critically acclaimed artists to the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago. Throughout the festival, flamenco performances, workshops, lectures, films and other events will be offered. Whether you're a novice or expert on flamenco, come celebrate some of the finest Spanish and Hispanic heritage in the city. 

Need a break from the monotonous sights of winter in Chicago? Head to the North Shore for the Chicago Botanic Garden's annual orchid show, where there are more than 10,000 vibrant blooms on display to brighten your day. This year's show is inspired by the beauty of India—you'll marvel at a floor-to-ceiling peacock and a towering banyan tree with cascading roots. Swing by on Saturdays and Sundays to shop for orchids of your own in a pop-up marketplace, or stay late on select Thursday and Friday nights to have a cocktail and fried goat cheese during Orchids After Hours.

Winter is almost over and the Garfield Park Conservatory is here to usher in warmer days with its annnual Spring Flower Show. Make a reservation to explore this year's theme, "Rooted in Mystery," which explores the critical part of plants we don't see hidden underground. You'll find spring bulbs like azaleas, pansies, snapdragons, astilbe, baptisia, hydrangeas and more. The show only sticks around through Mother's Day weekend, so book your visit soon!

A winter tradition that's just as enjoyable as ice skating in Maggie Daley Park or standing under the heat lamps on CTA platforms, the annual Chicago Psych Fest brings a lineup of trippy bands to the Hideout. For the 15th anniversary, Flying Luttenbachers and Bronze will headline, joined by Bobby Conn, Head, To Is and James Marlon Magas, and more.

Marz Community Brewing hosts a showcase of Chicago’s electronic music scene from March 7-15. Live performances will be held at both of Marz’s taprooms (McKinley Park and Logan Square), and there will also be a synth flea market featuring vendors and manufacturers selling gear. Admission is free; check out the full lineup here.

There’s plenty of cold weather fun to be had on the Art Deco-inspired terrace at the Gwen Hotel, which offers curling lanes plus fire pits and hot cocktails so you can warm up between rounds. Heat lamps are set up around the perimeter to keep things toasty and you can also hang out with a group around one of the fire tables.

The northwestern suburbs of Roselle, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Itasca, Rolling Meadows, Streamwood and Wood Dale will showcase their culinary scenes with 10 days of dining specials. Dozens of restaurants—from steakhouses to quick-service spots—will offer set menus or deals during lunch and dinner. Participants include Chicago Prime Italian, Tokio Pub, Shaw's Crab House, Capital Grille and more. Check out the full list here.

The JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival returns for its 12th year, featuring 19 documentaries, dramas and comedies from around the world that explore Jewish identity and experience. Spread across three weeks, the showings will take place at Wayfarer Theater in Highland Park and the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie. This year's lineup includes Midas Man, a film that showcases the legendary career of Beatles manager Brian Epstein, and October H8te, which explores the explosion of anti-Semitism on college campuses, on social media and in the streets of America in the aftermath of October 7.

This weekly “live magazine” is a cavalcade of culture, politics and wit featuring journalists, actors, comedians and musicians offering idiosyncratic reports on the news of the day. Head to Uptown’s iconic Green Mill for drinks, hot takes and laughs; the longstanding Saturday afternoon edition tends to run about two and a half hours.

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry has dedicated an exhibit to the science and technology behind the world’s longest-running film franchise, James Bond. Fans of the renowned secret agent can check out 13 vehicles and over 90 additional artifacts, including the prototype jetpack used in Thunderball, an MI6 Retina Scanner from GoldenEye and the Parahawk snowmobile hybrid from The World Is Not Enough. You’ll also be able to step into a lab space inspired by “Q” and test your skills developing the perfect vehicle for spy activities, designing stunts and more.

A musical based on the 2007 film of the same name, Waitress follows Jenna, a waitress at a cafe who’s in an abusive relationship with her husband, Earl. After becoming pregnant, Jenna starts an affair with her doctor and enters a pie-baking contest, hoping to win the grand prize in order to fund her escape.

You’ve probably seen a Shakespeare play before, but never like this. Five professional actors come together for each performance of Drunk Shakespeare. The twist? One of them has had five shots before the show and is trying to stay on track while the other four actors do their best to hold the performance together.

Situated in the heart of downtown Chicago with the city's sweeping skyline as a backdrop, the Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park is a winter attraction unlike any other. Skaters can lace up and wind around a winding ice-covered path that's twice the length of a lap around a traditional rink. Reservations for the popular ice rink should be made in advance, as they tend to fill up quickly. Admission to the Skating Ribbon is free Monday through Thursday and for 11am sessions Friday through Sunday (and $5 for other time slots Friday through Sunday, as well as holidays) if you bring your own skates. No skates? Entry is $17–$23 if you need to rent a pair. The Ribbon stays open through March (weather permitting) and even offers hours on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

At a motel in the Mojave Desert, two lovers, or fools as the play would suggest, meet up and clash. With just three main cast members, Fool for Love is a haunting drama that explores the deeply complex relationship between the trio. The play was written in 1983 by noted playwright Sam Shepard, whose works also include A Lie of the Mind and Buried Child, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979.

It’s Rosemont’s turn to get in on the Restaurant Week action. The suburban village kicks off its week of deals on March 2 and diners will be able to enjoy three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner menus at a variety of participating spots. Participating restaurants include Bub City, Carmine’s, Truluck’s, Morton's and more. You can check out the full list and menus here.

Add some shopping to your Saturday morning brunch routine by visiting Handmade Market at the Empty Bottle. You can sip a mimosa while checking out the wares of local vendors selling funky jewelry, clothing, handbags and paper crafts. You probably need a gift for someone—or yourself—right? Handmade Market takes over the Bottle on the second Saturday of the month from November through April.

Sam Shepard is one of the most highly-regarded American playwrights for good reason—his works are a masterclass in writing about bleak situations and infusing them with black comedy, like in A Lie of the Mind. The play, which is also a part of Chicago Theatre Week at the Raven Theatre, is centered around spousal abuse and how it impacted two families.

Betrayal isn’t structured like a traditional play. The events move in reverse chronological order, showcasing the demise of an affair and going back in time as it occurred and ultimately to the beginning. The play stars Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winner Helen Hunt as Emma, who is having an affair with Jerry, her husband’s friend and coworker. Betrayal, which is playing at the Goodman Theatre, was first written by British playwright Harold Pinter in 1978.

For more than 30 years, the Neo-Futurists have been delighting late-night crowds with performances that pack 30 miniature plays into a 60-minute show. The company's signature show is more unpredictable than ever these days, with a handful of compact new plays premiering every week. Within the span of 10 minutes, you may be treated to a poignant monologue about everyday life or an irreverent diatribe delivered by a pantsless member of the cast—all inspired by the experiences of the performers on stage. Always changing and evolving, it's the rare show that truly offers something different everytime you show up to see it.

Head to 360 Chicago on Saturdays for yoga with a killer view. Instructor Britta Eumann will lead an hour-long class on the 94th floor of 875 N Michigan Avenue (formerly the John Hancock Center) that’s suitable for all ages and skill levels—you just need to bring your own mat and arrived properly dressed. Registration is $55 and includes a cocktail or coffee, plus admission to the observation deck so you can stick around and snap some photos after you're done striking poses on the mat.

Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak explores the deep and ongoing connections between Indigenous art and the region now known as Chicagoland. This groundbreaking exhibition, shaped by four artists with ties to Zhegagoynak, showcases more than 80 works by 33 artists. Each piece celebrates the diversity of Indigenous materials, practices and perspectives, creating a tapestry of shared aesthetics, values and histories. Indigenous contributions to the city’s artistic narrative are often overlooked, but Woven Being challenges this omission, centering on Indigenous voices and stories. Themes of land, water, kinship with nature and Indigenous concepts of time weave through the exhibition, reflecting a rich heritage that endures.