By our count, there are six Sundays left before the end of summer (yes, we know summer technically ends in September, but school season takes over at the end of August). We’ve got six ways to spend them.
Take a horse-drawn hayride
Shake your tailfeather
Meet a real Chicago bear, bull or hawk
Celebrate Chicago’s professional sports teams. Visitors who weara featured team’s apparel receive a 20 percent discount off zooadmission. Free activities include the chance to meet players fromthe featured team and mascot, a scavenger hunt about the team’splayers and zoo animals, inflatable sports centers and skill games,special Zoo Chats, a broadcast “karaoke” booth, a memorabiliamuseum and additional activities specifically tailored to thefeatured team.
Snap out of that high-school Latin class flashback – “Urbs inHorto” is Chicago’s motto, and it means “City in a Garden.” It wasalso the inspiration behind the city’s jewel by the lake,Millennium Park. Start your day with a tour of the Lurie Garden -that’sthe area hiding behind those shoulder-high hedges.Sunday tours run 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and start at the south end ofgarden on the boardwalk. Pack a lunch and enjoy it after the tourto the sounds ofthe park’s Lunchbreak Concert series (daily at Pritzker
Pavilion). Then pop in to the Family Fun Festival, where family
entertainment, crafts, and dance-along performance from Old Town
School of Folk Music’s Wiggleworms take place every day from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m.
Garfield Park Conseravtory is one of Chicago’s hidden treasures- beautiful, historical and packed with free activities for thebudding horticulturalist (or bored kiddie). Or if you’re makingyour own adventure, print out the conservatory’s Eye Spy Hunt before you go.
Weekend Family Fun:Discover the Power ofPlants! Saturdays and Sundays year-round, drop in anytime between 11a.m. and 4 p.m.
Plant an pretend garden, build a tropical habitat, help waterthe plants, or read a book under our tropical canopy. Stop by theElizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden.Note: on July 2, 3and 23rd, Power of Plants will be replaced by Meet theBees.
Two of five summer markets along this River North hotspot remain– July 30-31 and Aug. 28-29. Fest features more than 200 vendorsselling jewelry, collectibles, food and flowers. All kids 12and under receive free admission, in addition to a free TreasureMap that helps themnavigate the market. Throw in a free trolleyride (provided from Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave., at thetop of the hours from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.) or, if you prefer, free andample parking is available nearby, and it’s a great way to fulfilltwo summer musts: eating funnel cake and buying antique pictureframes.
Find a treasure