In addition to writing and taking photos during her trips, Jamie loves to find hidden gems, cheap eats, and kitschy Americana attractions. She hails from Oil City, Pennsylvania, went to college in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, studied abroad in Norwich, England, and moved to Boston in May of 2007. She also enjoys writing poetry and lyric essays, reading lots of books, being a foodie, listening to girl group tunes from the 1960s, crafting, and dinner parties with her friends.
Celebrating the best new films from Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the United States, the festival will open with a showing of The Field of Stars (El Prado de las Estrellas) and will close with Angel. The festival is coordinated and supported by the Chicago Latino Cinema, who also provide year-round film screenings, theatrical productions, art exhibits, comedy shows, and lectures.
Tickets for specific films are available beforehand or at the door, as well as passes for multiple films.
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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The Inspiration for the Show! Photo uploaded by The G-tastic 7
Ring in this Spring with a performance of “As American as Apple Pie” by the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus! Performances run on Friday, April 4 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 5 at 3 and 8 pm.
Founded in 1983, the Chorus has been a staple of the Chicago performing arts community, performing everything from revues to full-length musicals. They are a proud member of the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, as well as regular performers of the National Anthem at Cubs’ games.
So, grab yourself some tickets and see these amazing 150 singers in action!
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Chicago?
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While you’re in the Windy City, explore the city’s best shopping destinations with a guided neighborhood shopping tour! You’ll not only learn about the places that only locals know about, but you’ll get tons of helpful shopping tips from your guide.
Featured on Daily Candy, Chicago Traveler, and in the Chicago Tribune, this tour is a favorite activity for groups of friends ready to spruce up their wardrobes for spring. There are tours to suit every style, including neighborhood tours, happy hours (complete with stops for cocktails and snacks!), designer tours, and special tours for charitable organizations, where a portion of the tour cost will be donated to the charity of choice.
These tours do a great service in boosting awareness for local designers and businesses by making them known to shoppers’ radars. Tourists can get a great overview of the fashion community of Chicago, while locals can discover shops they never knew existed.
So, here’s your chance to pick up a great new staple for your spring wardrobe, all while getting to know the great city of Chicago!
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If you need some stunning new decor to spruce up for place for spring, look no further than the International Village Poster Fair and the Chicago Cultural Center!
Over 25 dealers will be exhibiting more than 10,000 posters, dating from the 1890s. From Art Nouveau Belle Epoque images, Art Deco, and Modernist posters, there’s something due to draw your attention. Subjects of the works range from WWI and WWII images, food, liquor, transportation, and classic cinematic wonders.
The festival runs from March 28-30th and $15 covers admission for the whole weekend, so head on over!
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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The First Sign of Leaves in Chicago Photo uploaded by jordanfischer
Now that Spring’s just around in the corner in the Windy City, it’s time to get out and explore all the great seasonal attractions that the city has to offer!
For some exercise and a little history lesson, check out Chicago Historical Museum Walking Tours. There’s tours of the Gold Coast, Old Town, and Lincoln Park starting in April. There’s also the Shoreline Sightseeing Architectural River Cruise, operating on weekends in April and May, where you’ll learn about the city’s comeback after the Great Fire of 1871 to be a modern architectural hotspot.
Celebrate the arrival of Spring on March 21 and 22 with the The Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theater’s presentation of Swan Lake!
One of Russia’s most distinguished artistic companies, The Theatre is known for their breathtaking performances blended with their beautiful music. Founded in 1926, this company’s version of Swan Lake will be staged by Natalia Makarova of the legendary Kirov Ballet, and will continue their distinguished tradition of bringing the works of Tchaikovsky to life on the stage.
Held at the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University, the show is a perfect event for the whole family. They are even offering a free children’s ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket for the March 22nd matinee show.
If you’re looking for more to do with the family during your time in Chicago, check out these great Chicago attractions!
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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After getting in all your sightseeing with your Go Chicago Card, you’re bound to want some delicious food to fill your tummy. Well, lucky for you, Chicago is full of culinary wonders to please your appetite.
Along with the new season of Bravo’s Top Chef being filmed in the Windy City, Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, namely Broadway, has been named one of the Tastiest Streets in America by GOOD magazine.
The neighborhood is truly diverse, including white, black, Hispanic, and Asian residents, leading to a clash of culinary traditions that’s bound to make your mouth water. GOOD magazine recommends Silver Seafood for the freshest of fish (you pick your meal from the tank!), La Fonda Latino Grill for beef loin and sweet plantains, Thai Pastry for vermicelli with coconut milk sauce, and the Green Mill for rye whiskey and jazz.
Bon appetit!
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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After a full day of hopping around town with your Go Chicago Card, check out these free audio tours from the Chicago Office of Tourism!
Start by downloading the tours and adding them to your mp3 player. These tours make it convenient to either walk, drive, or get a peek at Chicago from your own home. There’s a tour of The History of Chicago Blues, narrated by none other than Buddy Guy. Learn the story of the music that started in the South and bloomed into popularity in the Windy City.
There’s also a tour of Millenium Park, narrated by its creators, architect Frank Ghery and artists Anish Kapoor and Jaume Plensa. You can learn all about the art, music, architecture, and landscape design that went into creating the park and making it one of America’s best public spaces.
The tours are even available in five different languages, making it even more convenient for tourists visiting Chicago. Happy travels around the city!
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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As seen from this enchanting video, artist Michael Hayden created the 800-foot-long art installation entitled Sky’s the Limit that brightened up the United Air terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.
While in transit, I love be able to experience art along the way. It makes trudging our way through busy airports a little easier when there’s music and light shows to calm our eyes and ears. One of my favorite installations lies in the McNamara tunnel in the Detroit airport, featuring art glass by Fox Fire Glass and music by Mills/James Productions.
Do you have a favorite art installation in an airport? Let us know in a comment and you might have us booking our connecting flights through the cities in your suggestions!
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Chicago?
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This concert, ranging in compositions from ethereal to flamenco, “explores the give and take between musical genres” and will be conducted by Cliff Colnot. The MusicNOW series is known for being Chicago’s best innovative music series, exploring pieces that bring the composer’s own insights to the performance. You can even meet the musicians at a post-concert reception, where you’ll be served free food and beverages.
Before the show, you can even grab a discounted dinner with special offers on the Go Chicago Card, making for the perfect weeknight out!
Planning a trip to
Chicago?
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Go Chicago Card.
At the Movies Photo uploaded by Natasha Tylea
The Inspiration for the Show! Photo uploaded by 
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