Chicago Shows Signs of Summer

BEST DATE NEWS

May 8, 2025: Best Date News Volume #125

Welcome to Best Date News, your favorite Chicago weekly newsletter! In this week’s newsletter you will read about Buckingham Fountain, warmer temperatures, restaurant closings, Michelada Fest, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, upcoming shows, Mother’s Day plans and more!

May 8: National Holidays

• National White Lotus Day

• National Coconut Cream Pie Day

• National Student Nurse Day

• National Have a Coke Day

• World Donkey Day

Sponsored by our friends at BATSU! Chicago

Chicago Comedy Game Show

• BATSU! Chicago: Did you know Chicago has a live Japanese-style game show where comedy “warriors” compete in improv challenges to earn laughs or face outrageous punishments?

• BATSU! Chicago is tucked away upstairs at Kamehachi, Chicago’s first sushi bar, located right on Wells Street in Old Town. This unique setup combines a two-hour, high-energy comedy show with dinner, sake and plenty of chaos.

• Starting May 15, BATSU! adds Thirsty Thursday shows to its regular weekend lineup with performances now running every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

• Thirsty Thursdays feature exclusive deals like half-price sake bottles, $5 hot sake and sake juice boxes, $5 appetizers with any drink, $95 sushi boats and discounted tickets.

• Standard tickets are $40 with VIP tickets at $70, while Thursday shows are just $34 or $60 for VIP. Grab your tickets before they sell out!

Chicago News

• Buckingham Fountain: Chicago’s iconic Buckingham Fountain turns back on this weekend, unofficially making the return of summer! A special Switch on Summer event will take place on Saturday, May 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 331 E. Randolph St. in Grant Park. It’s free to attend, will have activities, food, entertainment and more!

• Chicago Weather: After days of clouds, cold and gray skies to start May, it looks like warm weather is finally on the horizon! This weekend’s forecast is looking sunny, with temps potentially hitting the low 70s. And next week, we could even see some 80s. Summer is on its way, Chicago!

• Michelada Fest: This summer’s Michelada Fest, scheduled for July 19 and 20, at Oakwood Beach has been canceled due to “the rapidly changing political climate.” The popular two-day music festival would typically draw 15,000 visitors a day. They will be issuing refunds to those who already bought tickets.

• Restaurant Closings: My Pi, one of Chicago’s most beloved deep-dish pizza places, announced that they will be closing their last location, in Bucktown, on June 29 after 54 years. Miki’s Park in River North just announced that they are saying goodbye after five years. Their last day of service will be on May 25. Strings Ramen is relocating their Lakeview location after eight years at 919 W Belmont Ave. They will be moving to a bigger space, just a couple miles away, at 1353 W Fullerton Ave and plan to re-open in late 2025.

• Van Leeuwen: One of New York’s most beloved ice cream brands is heading to Chicago. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shared the news with a cheeky Instagram post in April, teasing their Windy City debut. The exact location hasn’t been revealed yet, but they promised an announcement soon.

Just For Fun

• White Sox Organist: How cute is this?! Beloved White Sox organist Nancy Faust is making a comeback. She played for the team for 40 years before retiring in 2010 , and now she’ll return for select games this season to celebrate the Sox’s 125th anniversary.

• Fun New Snacks: Two famous snack brands just launched fun, and maybe a little wild, new creations! Cheez-It has announced a line of three Cheez-It Frozen Pizzas with Cheez-It cracker flavored crust. Pop-Tarts are also coming to a freezer section near you as they have announced brand-new Pop-Tarts Ice Cream Sandwiches.

• Benson Boone: Benson Boone’s newly announced American Heart Tour will be coming to the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, Aug. 23. Tickets officially go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m., but we noticed there’s also a presale available through his website.

• Chicago Theatre: Legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band will be coming to the Chicago Theatre on Sep. 10. Presale tickets just went on sale at 9 a.m. this morning. Use code SOCIAL to get ticket access. Glass Animals will be performing on June 2, but you must be a Chase cardholder to get tickets.

• Trey Kennedy: Comedian Trey Kennedy is bringing The Relatable Tour to Chicago later this year. He’ll perform at the Riviera Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 2, and tickets go on sale tomorrow (May 9) at 11 a.m.

Sponsored by our friends at Chicago Botanic Garden

Greg Goya at Chicago Botanic Garden

• Chicago Botanic Garden: Renowned Italian street artist Greg Goya makes his U.S. debut at the Chicago Botanic Garden this weekend with La Stagione Dell’amore, a limited-time, interactive art series celebrating love in all its forms.

• Known for his viral “fast art,” Goya invites visitors to directly engage with his work. From May 10-17, he will present three emotional, immersive installations in the U.S. for the very first time.

• Inspired by the rhythms of love and the changing seasons, the installations include:

  • May 10: Home is Wherever I’m With You — a writable globe exploring the meaning of home

  • May 14: Love Emergency — a glass emergency box filled with flowers

  • May 17: Ever After — a romantic gazebo where padlocks and stories mark forever

• Each of these three art performances will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. on the respective days. The events are free to attend with regular admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Ill.

Weekend Plans

• Mother’s Day Plans: Not sure what to do for Mother’s Day this weekend? Here is a list of 22 Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day in Chicago with markets, wine making, brunch and more from Block Club Chicago. Looking for something else fun to do this weekend? Here are more activities happening this weekend from Choose Chicago.

• Navy Pier Open Air: Did you know that Navy Pier hosts big outdoor concerts called Navy Pier Open Air? The first one of 2025 is this weekend with Mochakk will be performing on Saturday at 4 p.m. Tickets are almost sold out. On the flip side, tickets just went on sale for Steve Aoki’s June 21 show Cake on the Lake.

• Keebler Tree: Speaking of Navy Pier, the Keebler Elves are bringing their Keebler Hollow Tree to Navy Pier this weekend for a one day special pop-up. Besides the great photo opp, they will also be giving out free samples of their brand new E.L. Fudge Choco Vanilla cookie.

• Chicago Sports: Both Chicago soccer teams are in action on Saturday as the Chicago Fire host Atlanta United FC at Soldier Field, and the Chicago Stars host the Washington Spirit at Seatgeek Stadium. For baseball, the Chicago White Sox host the Miami Marlins for a three game series, and the Chicago Dogs have their opening night tomorrow (May 9) at Impact Field in Rosemont. Tickets start at just $10 and all fans in attendance will receive a new team jersey!

Poll Question of the Week

Last Newsletter's Poll Results

Poll Results: Last newsletter we asked what your favorite Hogsalt restaurant was. Here is how you answered:

1. Bavette’s

2. Au Cheval

3. Trivoli Tavern

4. Armitage Alehouse

5. Ciccio Mio

6. Other

Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago

Here is today’s outlook in Chicago (compared to last week):

• Sunrise: 5:38 a.m. (8 minutes earlier)

• Sunset: 7:55 p.m. (6 minutes later)

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