Inspired Chicago - Find fun things to do in Chicago!

On Thursday, February 19, the Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS) hosted a Chinese New Year celebration at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington Street.  A colorful banner welcomed guests with a "Happy Chinese New Year" wish.  With its inherent beauty, along with festive lighting and Chinese dragons, Preston Bradley Hall provided a stunning backdrop for the celebration.  Adding to the celebratory atmosphere were the many audience members wearing red, which symbolizes good fortune in the Chinese culture. I attended last year's Chinese New Year celebration and wondered if this year’s celebration would be similar.  I was happy to discover the program was new and different compared to last year. This year's performances included Chinese dance, music, martial arts, and puppetry. The event began with the lion dance and drumming to scare away any evil spirits.  With the evil spirits gone, the new year can start fresh and with good luck. Chinese danc

Since I took a class in high school on the subjects, Greek and Roman mythology have been an interest of mine.  Today, I had the pleasure of seeing a performance of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad .  The cast of 14 skillfully utilized the Poetry Foundation’s performance space to tell the story of The Odyssey from Odysseus’s wife Penelope’s point of view.  Costumes were beautiful but simple, as were the props.  The performance was excellent–makes me want to read Edith Hamilton’s Mythology (a great intro to mythology) again and pick up copies of Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey ! Erica Barnes directs this adaptation of The Penelopiad , with original music by Joshua Dumas.  The Poetry Foundation, located at 61 West Superior Street in Chicago, will host additional performances on Monday, February 23, and Tuesday, February 24, both at 7 p.m.  Admission is free.  Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early. If you're already a fan of mythology, this performanc

All about Chicago, that is! One of my first discoveries after moving to Chicago was the abundance of free magazines and newspapers.  As an avid reader with a thirst for knowledge about my new home, this was an exciting find! Where can you find these free publications? There are newspaper and magazine distribution boxes located throughout the city. I love the large units that have slots for several magazines and newspapers.  North Michigan Avenue is a great place to find these, and even has a few areas with a pair—get all your favorites at one stop! Some publishers set up individual boxes.  In addition to free publications, a colorful lineup of these boxes is likely to include daily papers available for purchase ( Chicago Sun-Times ,  Chicago Tribune , etc.).  In quieter residential sections, there might be one or two individual boxes sitting together sharing a corner. Depending on the publication, newspapers come out daily, weekly, or biweekly.  Magazines are gene