Plan your March in Chicago with our calendar of the best things to do, including picks for exhibits, parades and festivals.
Written by Jeffy Mai
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Get excited, Chicagoans, becausewinter in Chicagois 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 flower shows at the Chicago Botanic Garden and Garfield Park Conservatory, sipwine after-hours at the Museum of Science and Industry 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 2024
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- Restaurants
- Eating
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Easter, March Madness and much more with these host of exciting happenings at the Market this month.
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Featured events in March 2024
- Things to do
East Garfield Park
Winter is almost over and the Garfield Park Conservatory is here to usher in warmer days with its Spring Flower Show. Make a reservation to explore this year's show, "What's in a Name?" whichexplains the history and science of botanical nomenclature. You'll find spring bulbs like Tulipa ‘Rococo’, Lilium ‘Josephine,’ Viola ‘Matrix Yellow’ and Anemone ‘Giant Blue Poppy.’The show only sticks around through Mother's Day weekend, so book your visit soon!
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- Things to do
Hyde Park
The Museum of Science and Industry debuts a new exhibit dedicated to the science and technology behind the world’s longest-running film franchise, James Bond. Fans 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.
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- Things to do
Logan Square
Chicago Gamespace, a video game museum and gallery, opens a new exhibit that explores the unique and ephemeral history of vector (line) graphics in contrast to the dominant raster (pixel) visual displays that reign today. Notable games like Asteroids, Battlezone and Star Wars will be highlighted, as well as a recently-preserved emulation of Moonlander.
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- Theater
River North
Gather a group of friends for this show, an off-the-cuff ode to Jane Austen that has gained a loyal following in the 15 years since its debut. The cast calls upon an audience suggestion to inspire the show’s title (ensuring a totally new performance each time), then creates a long-form, Regency Era "Rom-Com" with Austentropes and manners of yore. Expect a tale of laughs, love and surprises.
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- Things to do
Suburbs
Sony Pictures Entertainment has brought its first immersive entertainment destination to Oakbrook Center, inviting guests to enter the worlds of popular franchises like Uncharted, Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Bad Boys, Zombieland and more. The 45,000-square-foot space is home to a variety of activities, ranging from escape rooms to virtual reality and racing simulators to bumper cars. When you need to refuel, drop into the Commissary Restaurant for a full menu of food, desserts and co*cktails. Entry to Wonderverse is free, with attractions priced separately.
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- Things to do
Streeterville
Navy Pier’s newest attraction is here, transporting guests to some of Chicago’s most epic placesvia exhilarating flights. The multi-sensory experience incorporates drone technologies with aerial shots and first-person views to showcase the city like never before. Guests will swoop, dip and turn in motion seats as they climb up skyscrapers, check out iconic landmarks, float through fireworks and more.
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- Museums
Museum Campus
Escape the planet with exhibits about the first lunar missions, the solar system and more, plus immersive shows in the dome theater. The Doane Observatory is also home to the largest public telescope in the area, and gathers 7,000 times more light than the human eye. Every Wednesday, the Adler stays open late from 4pm-10pm so that folks can visit after work or school. And best of all, admission is free on those nights for Illinois residents.
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- Comedy
Uptown
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 torun about two and a half hours.
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