Inspired Chicago - Find fun things to do in Chicago!

As you will see below, when it comes to food (and beverage) festivals, May is definitely a month for beer and wine lovers! Once you have reviewed the basics below, check out the event websites for additional information. Be sure to visit any event beneficiaries online to learn more about whom you will be helping. Please visit the Food Festivals page to find more upcoming events. Chicago Beer Classic Date: May 7, 2016 Time: Session 1 11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (VIP) 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (General Admission) Session 2 3:30 p.m.–7 p.m. (VIP) 4 p.m.–7 p.m. (General Admission) Location: Soldier Field, 1410 South Museum Campus Drive, Chicago Admission: General Admission — $65 ($75 at the door) VIP — $85 ($95 at the door) Designated Driver — $25 Event Website: Chicago Beer Classic Event Beneficiary: Chicago Beer Classic partners with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital . There is an opportunity to donate when purchasing tickets. There will be almost 100 breweries at this year&#

Before heading to Grant Park for this year's June 10–12 Chicago Blues Festival, catch a preview event. Performances and documentary films are taking place in May and early June at locations throughout the city. All events are free! Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith Tuesday, May 3 , 2016 • 12 noon Chicago Cultural Center, Randolph Square 78 East Washington Street, Chicago Blues Concert Wednesday, May 4 , 2016 • 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Garfield Park Conservatory, Horticulture Hall 300 North Central Park Avenue, Chicago Eric Noden and Joe Filisko Saturday, May 7 , 2016 • 12 noon Sulzer Regional Library 4455 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago Toronzo Cannon Tuesday, May 10 , 2016 • 12 noon Chicago Cultural Center, Randolph Square 78 East Washington Street, Chicago Speakin' of the Blues: Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of Alligator Records With Bruce Iglauer and Lil' Ed Thursday, May 12 , 2016 • 12:15 p.m.–1 p.m. Harold Washingto

If you love beautiful flowers, you will want to stop by Lincoln Park Conservatory and check out the annual Spring Flower Show, which runs through May 8. Tulips, hyacinths, Easter lilies, daffodils, daisies, and azaleas are a sampling of the flowers on display. Your eyes and nose are in for a sensory feast! Don't forget to stop and smell the hyacinths, and any other flower that looks like it might have a delightful fragrance. As the flowers move past their prime, conservatory staff members remove the plants and replace them with new plants, so feel free to come back more than once. You will see a new show each time! Located at 2391 North Stockton Drive, Lincoln Park Conservatory is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year.

May is a great time to get outside and take a walk, jog, or run to support a charity. Many of this month's events have a course along Chicago's Lakefront Trail, offering participants incredible views of scenic Lake Michigan, the beautiful natural areas along the trail, and Chicago's fabulous skyline. There are several runs benefiting area schools: Stem Step 5K, Sullivan High School 5K DREAM Run, St. John Berchmans Boulevard Bolt, and Horizon Hustle 5K. Consider supporting the city's students. As you review the races below, be sure to visit the charity websites to learn more about the organizations benefiting from registration fees, donations, and fundraising efforts. May 7, 2016 Cinco de Miler Location: Soldier Field, 1410 South Museum Campus Drive, Chicago Start Time: 9 a.m. Event Beneficiary: 100 Club of Chicago May 8, 2016 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Location: Grant Park, Chicago Start Time: 8 a.m. Event Beneficiaries: Komen Chicago (75% hel

As you're checking out Chicago's April food festivals, you will see two major themes: beverages (particularly wine and cocktails) and pork! Once you have reviewed the basics below, check out the event websites for additional information. Be sure to visit any event beneficiaries online to learn more about whom you'll be helping. Pinot Days Chicago When: April 16, 2016, 2 p.m.–5 p.m. Location: Navy Pier's Lakeview Terrace, 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago Lakeview Terrace is located on the eastern end of Navy Pier (see map ). Admission: Basic tickets are $79.54 ($75 ticket + $4.54 fee). Other options, such as early entry, are available for an additional cost. Event Website: Pinot Days Chicago Guests can sample up to 150 pinot noir wines representing every significant domestic region, talk with talented winemakers, and enjoy magnificent views of Lake Michigan. Sounds like an amazing afternoon! Cochon555 When: April 24, 2016, 5 p.m.–8 p.m. Location: Loews Chicago Hotel

2016 Preseason Week 1 Thursday, August 11  •   7 p.m.  •   Denver Broncos  •   on FOX Week 2 Thursday, August 18  •   7 p.m.  •   at New England Patriots  •   on FOX Week 3 Saturday, August 27  •   12 noon  •   Kansas City Chiefs  •   on FOX Week 4 Thursday, September 1  •   7 p.m.  •   at Cleveland Browns  •   on FOX 2016 Regular Season Week 1 Sunday, September 11  •   12 noon  •   at Houston Texans  •   on FOX Week 2 Monday, September 19  •   7:30 p.m.  •   Philadelphia Eagles  •   on ESPN Week 3 Sunday, September 25  •   7:30 p.m. •   at Dallas Cowboys  •   on NBC Week 4 Sunday, October 2  •   12 noon  •   Detroit Lions  •   on FOX Week 5 Sunday, October 9  •   12 noon*  •   at Indianapolis Colts  •   on FOX Week 6 Sunday, October 16  •   12 noon*  •   Jacksonville Jaguars  •   on CBS Week 7 Thursday, October 20  •   7:25 p.m. •   at Green Bay Packers  •   on CBS/NFLN Week 8 Monday, October 31  •   7:30 p.m. •   Minnesota Vikings  •   on ESPN Week 9 Bye Week 10 Sunday, November 13 

It's a Birthday Party! For: Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) Date: Saturday, April 16, 2016 Place: CAF, 224 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. CAF is celebrating 50 years in 2016 and is having a birthday celebration! The event is free and open to the public. What can you expect at this party? Birthday cake! Illinois residents receive walking tours for $1 (the price of tours in 1971, the year CAF began giving tours) A brand new exhibition Film screenings Talks Tours of architecture firms (Goettsch Partners; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and VOA Associates) located at 224 South Michigan Avenue Family activities Please visit CAF online to learn more about the upcoming celebration and to take a look at a CAF timeline .

April 23, 2016, marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. To commemorate the poet, playwright, and actor, the Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Library Center, located at 400 South State Street, will be hosting free screenings of Shakespeare-related films courtesy of BBC Worldwide. Upcoming screening schedule: The Taming of the Shrew ( From Shakespeare Retold) (2005) Monday, April 11, at 6 p.m. Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Lower Level As You Like It (1963) Saturday, April 16, at 1 p.m. Video Theater, Lower Level Simon Schama - Shakespeare and Us (2012) Saturday, April 23, at 1 p.m. Video Theater, Lower Level King Lear (1998) Saturday, May 7, at 1 p.m. Video Theater, Lower Level The above screenings are part of Shakespeare 400 Chicago, a citywide celebration of Shakespeare taking place throughout 2016. To learn about additional library offerings, please visit the Chicago Public Library online. Many Chicago organizations will be taking part in t

When going to visit a zoo, most people are there to see the animals. However, as you stroll along the paths in Lincoln Park Zoo visiting the animals, you'll be treated to lush wooded areas, peaceful water features, and beautiful flowers. Walking along the Nature Boardwalk, you'll see wildflowers, cattails, grasses, ducks, red-winged blackbirds, and other plants, birds, and animals that call this area home. Lincoln Park Zoo horticulturalists will be leading a one-hour tour of these gorgeous gardens, beginning at 10 a.m., on the second Saturday of each month from April through October (April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, and October 8). The tours are free. If you want to attend a tour, meet at the Nature Boardwalk kiosk next to Café Brauer. Tours will be different each time as the plants and trees change throughout the year, so feel free to take the tour each month.