UPDATES

This is the 15th post of ChicagoFreeForAll.com and you've already learned about hundreds of FREE things to do and see in Chicago. If you are new to my blog; welcome! I suggest you start with my first blog 1/1/2016 and work your way through each week.

This week I thought it would be a good time to give you some updates. These are FREE events that will be added to earlier posts, but these updates assure you won’t be missing anything that’s Free For All. 


TOMORROW

The Chicago Architecture Foundation will be celebrating their 50th birthday April 15, 2016. There will be lots of FREE activities for the whole family - including FREE birthday cake. So join the CAF at the Railway Exchange Buildings at 224 South Michigan Avenue starting at 10 AM (10:00).

CHICAGO GREETER
 
There are several updates of some FREE activities offered by the volunteer Chicago Greeters. If you haven’t already, please read my 1/1/2016 post to learn about all the FREE tours the volunteer Chicago Greeters offer.
  
First, this year the FREE Millennium Park tours will be offered starting May 27th through October 10th. Tours are given every day at 11:30 AM (11:30) and 1 PM (13:00) and leave from the Randolph Street lobby of the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 E Washington St, 
 
Second, the Chicago Greeters are offering FREE 1-hour walkabouts of the Uptown neighborhood on the 2nd Saturday of each month beginning April 9th, Meet at Crew Bar and Grill at 4804 N. Broadway. Tours will begin at 2 PM (14:00), 3 PM (15:00) and 4 PM (16:00). Saturday afternoons were chosen so visitors could stay and attend the FREE Uptown Saturday Night events.
 
Third, you can now tour the Hyde Park neighborhood with a volunteer Chicago Greeter for FREE on the first Thursday of the month through October. Tours step off from Ancien Cycles at 1558 3rd at 4 PM (16:00), 5 PM (17:00) and 6 PM (18:00). These tours were scheduled to coincide with First Thursday events in Hyde Park.
 
Finally, September 10, 2016 is International Greeter Day. While plans are still in the works about how the Chicago Greeters will be celebrating, it is safe to say there will be lots of special FREE activities for residents and visitors. As plans are finalized I’ll be sure to fill you in. In the meantime, mark your calendars for this special day.
 
 
FARMERS MARKETS
 
The 2016 dates and locations for Chicago’s Farmers Markets have been announced. Markets run every day of the week somewhere in the city. Check the website for specific locations, days of the week and times of operation.
 
 
BRIDGE RAISING SCHEDULE
 
It’s time for the sailboats to start heading out to the lake for the summer. To do that the sailboats have to pass through 26 bridges, 18 of which are along the south branch and main branch of the Chicago River right downtown. Each bridge has to be raised. In order to minimize the disruption to vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the Loop, boaters head up the river together on specific days and times. This year the boat runs are scheduled for almost every Wednesday and Saturday through June. The times listed on the calendar are the ETAs of the boats arrivals at the VanBuren Street bridge on the south end of the Loop. The 2016 Fall boat run schedule will be announced later in the summer.
 
Jim Phillips has a great website all about the Chicago Loop Bridges  He wrote a book Two Miles – Eighteen Bridges and gives tours. While there is a charge for his tours, he does state “One child under the age of twelve may accompany a paying adult at no charge”. In addition, his website has links to a lot of information and he offers a FREE audio tour and a FREE brochure and map  to download.
 
 
SELF-GUIDED TOUR
 
View Path is a new, FREE mobile self-guided tour app accessible from your mobile phone or tablet. There are 16 stops along the 1.6 mile trail that highlight special spots in Millennium and Grant Parks. For much more information about the View Path program and a map check the View Path website. 
 
 ACTIVATE
 
The 2016 summer schedule for Activate was just announced.  One night a month a downtown alley is transformed into an art and music event. Admission is FREE and if you register online in advance (and are 21 years of age or older) you get a coupon for a FREE glass of beer or wine, You can sign up for Activate  email updates online. Locations are announced 2 weeks in advance. To see what  Activate is all about, watch their online video.

 
MACY”S FLOWER SHOW
 
Each spring Macy’s Department store on State Street holds their Spring Flower Show. It includes floral decorations in some of the store windows and a FREE walk through a display inside. In addition, FREE cooking and gardening demonstration are offered throughout the show. I’m sorry it’s too late this year, but watch for the announcement for 2017. The Macy’s website still shows some information, pictures, a “Tip of the day” and a gardening quiz.
 
 
WEIGH IN
 
If you stop by City Hall/The Cook County Building in the LaSalle Street lobby is an antique scale where you can weigh yourself for FREE.
 
 
ENTREPRENEURS
 
If you are thinking of starting or own a small business, FREE Business Education Workshops are offered by Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs Consumer Protection (BACP). You can find the list and calendar of FREE workshops on the City of Chicago website. You do not have to be a Chicago resident to attend, but registrations is required.
 
The BACP also offers FREE one-on-one counseling, legal assistance, financial assistance and tax support.
 
In addition, FREE Small Business Expos are held periodically. June 25, 2016 is the next Expo and you can register for FREE online.
 
Finally, on their website you will find FREE educational videos. Check out their on-line library  for topics and a place to subscribe to their FREE newsletter.
 
 
SPECIAL INTERESTS
 
Members of special interest groups/clubs meet all around city and most of them welcome guests. They get together for FREE “to learn something, do something, share something”. This is a great way to meet like-minded people and make some new friends at the same time. One way I know to find groups is on meetup.com. There you can search by interest group or look at the calendar and see everything that is happening each day. A few of the topics you can search include Arts & Culture, Career & Business, Education & Learning, Fitness, Religion & Beliefs and Technology.
 
  
CHI HACK NIGHT To best describe these FREE events is to quote from their website:
 
“CHI HACK NIGHT is a free, weekly event in Chicago to build, share and learn about tools to create, support, and serve the public good. We are a group of thousands of designers, academic researchers, data journalists, activists, policy wonks, web developers and curious citizens who want to make our city more just, equitable, transparent and delightful to live in through data, design and technology.
 
Every week, we have a 10-15 minute presentation by a government agency, non-profit, company or group who've made use of open data or built a civic technology application. The goal of these presentations is to showcase the different uses and opportunities, as well as challenges and successes in the civic technology movement.
 
After the presentation, the format of the event is similar to that of a hackathon where breakout groups self-organize to work on civic apps, discuss policies and their implications, learn technical skills and network with a welcoming and diverse community at the intersection of technology and government.”

You can find a list of previous meetings, detailed descriptions and videos at CHI HACK NIGHT with links to each event's video live stream, projects, people, and data. There is a video online  to give you a better idea of what these FREE events are all about.

If this is of interest to you, you are welcome to attend for FREE. CHI HACK NIGHT is held on the 8th floor of the Merchandise Mart 222 W. Merchandise Plaza every Tuesday from 6 PM (18:00) to 10 PM (22:00). 
 
 
TIME TO EAT
 
While I can’t tell you about too many spots for free food, visitors always ask me “Where should we go to eat?” I can tell you Chicago is home to some of the top 5 star and Michelin rated restaurants in the world, but there are also restaurants to match every ones’ budget. I recommend 2 television programs and their accompanying websites to start looking.
 
The first is Check Please! which airs on Fridays at 8 PM (20:00) on our Public Television station WTTW-HD. This show features 3 locals talking about their favorite restaurant in Chicagoland. The guests dine at each other’s recommended spot and they share their dining experiences. On the Check Please! website you can search for a restaurant by location, cuisine and price and read the reviews! You can also watch clips from previous episodes and search by most popular, season and by restaurant - listed alphabetically. Just for fun check out Episode 13 in Season 15. It’s the Chef’s Choice episode. No matter your politics (that’s a hint) or where you are from, you will see the much younger version of someone you will recognize!
 
 
The second television show is Chicago’s Best whose original episodes are shown Sunday nights at 10 PM (22:00) on WGN-TV.  On this show the hosts visit eating establishments often recommended by viewers. Each episode focuses on one type of cuisine for example: best hot dogs or best bar-b-que. You can watch previous episode on their website.
 
 
FUN AND GAMES

No matter where you come from you might be aware of Puzzled Pint.  It is a FREE “social puzzle solving event” held every 2nd Tuesday of the month around the world. Each month the event is held in a different location. Chicago has 2 areas to choose from: Central and North. You can attend by yourself or come with a group. You will be given a series of themed puzzle and 3 hours to solve them. Check the Puzzled Pint website the Friday before for a puzzle. When solved the answer directs you to the location of the next event. There are hints and you can also email questions if you need help. You can also follow them of Facebook, Twitter and read their blog.
 
SUCH A DEAL

Now that the weather is arming up it's time to think about a nice bike ride along the lake or through the neighborhoods. To help you with that Bobby's Bike and Hike is selling their used bikes at deep discounts. Check out their prices online.

There you go. I hope you enjoyed the Updates. 

All information was correct at the time of this post, but before you come, please check the website to get the most up-to-date information.
 
Thanks, again, to volunteer Chicago Greeter Bill Feldman for his feedback.
 
Want to receive announcements of new posts? Send your email address to chicagofreeforall@gmail.com  and I will notify you of new posts on ChicagoFreeForAll.com.
 
If you know of a free event in Chicago you’d like me to share, email me at chicagofreeforall@gmail.com
 
Don’t forget to sign up for a free Chicago Greeter visit (see 1/1/2016 post) at 
 
Next week we will "Get out and play!" with the Chicago Park District. Until then, I hope to see you in Chicago!