Catch opening days, other outdoor firsts as we plunge into spring
We've been spoiled by early bouts of warm weather this spring, but winter doesn't feel officially over until you've caught your first concert on a picnic blanket, taken an inaugural dip in the pool or enjoyed an afternoon at one of the area's seasonal attractions.
Whether you're hoping to catch the first run of the roller coasters at Great America or opening day for the Schaumburg Flyers, we've got all the dates you'll need to get out and enjoy spring in the city and suburbs.
April24 - Great America throws open its gates for the season. New this year to the Gurnee amusement park: MagiQuest, a live action adventure game, and the Glow in the Park nighttime parade, which debuts in May. www.sixflags.com29 - And they're off! A 1 p.m. post time opens Arlington Park's 2010 season. Opening Day features the Undercover Boss Tribute Race, a nod to the Arlington Heights racetrack's appearance on the CBS reality show. www.arlingtonpark.com30 - Festival season starts anew with Long Grove Chocolate Fest, which runs through May 2. Sample everything from chocolate doughnuts to giant strawberries dunked in dark chocolate. While you nibble, listen to live music. Eat too much? Take a jog through downtown Long Grove. Visit longgroveonline.com.May7 - Hit the McHenry Outdoor Theater in, of course, McHenry, on its opening night for the summer season. On screen: "Iron Man 2." And if you really love drive-ins, schedule a night to check out the Cascade Drive-In in West Chicago, which opened in mid-April. www.mchenrydrivein.com and www.cascadedrivein.com.8 - Brookfield Zoo opens its newest exhibit - Great Bear Wilderness - to the public. On a 7.5-acre North American habitat, see polar bears, grizzly bears, bald eagles, bison, ravens and Mexican gray wolves. www.czs.org. 8-9 - Kick off your summer in the city (and outdoor concert fun) at the 14th Annual Celtic Fest Chicago in Millennium Park. Hear Celtic music clans from all over like The Saw Doctors (from Ireland), La Bottine Souriante (from Canada), Bodega (from Scotland) and many more. As usual, the free festival features a Celtic Art Fair, a bagpipe parade and the silly Men in Kilts Contest. www.celticfestchicago.us 14-16 - The Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe is open year-round, but this weekend's A Bloomin' Festival unofficially kick-starts the season for garden lovers. More than 30,000 flowers, ferns, shrubs, herbs, vegetable plants and more will be for sale. Enjoy live music, experts offering gardening advice and vendors selling pottery and other essentials. www.chicagobotanic.org15 - Hit the waters of Lake Michigan for the first time in 2010 aboard the anything-but-staid Seadog Extreme. This 30-minute speedboat cruise (complete with headbanging rock music) travels as fast as 45 miles per hour and executes 180-360 degree spins. Other Seadog speedboats are already in operation, but the Extreme starts up (weather permitting) on Saturday, May 15. seadogcruises.com.25 - You missed opening day for the White Sox, the Cubs, even the Kane County Cougars. Do not let another opener pass you by. Catch baseball in the burbs with the Schaumburg Flyers' first home game of the season at 6:30 p.m. against Kansas City. www.flyersbaseball.com. 29 - Memorial Day weekend usually means splashdown at local water parks, and this year is no exception. Check out your favorite or head to Magic Waters in Rockford. Water lovers can twist and turn in complete darkness on the park's Abyss tunnel-tube ride, float peacefully in the heated Breaker Beach Wave Pool or hop into a four-person inner tube for the Typhoon Terror water ride. magicwaterswaterpark.com.June9-10 - Aching for outdoor theater? Oak Park Festival Theatre's production of the American classic "Of Mice and Men" is among the first shows playing outdoors in the suburbs this season. No doubt John Steinbeck's tale will only gain from the surroundings of Austin Gardens, located at Ontario Avenue and Forest Avenue. oakparkfestival.com.Compiled by Laura Stewart, Scott Morgan and Lisa Friedman MinerFalse2000690La Bottine Souriante from Canada perform at the 14h Annual Celtic Fest Chicago. False