National Tourism Day

National School Nurse Day

National Cosmopolitan Day

National Roast Leg of Lamb Day

National Barrier Awareness Day

Taqueria Invicto: If you are a fan of birria, get excited because Taqueria Invicto has a stacked birria menu filled with delicious slow-braised beef birria dishes including Quesabirria Tacos, the Grande Birria Quesadilla, Birria Ramen and an exciting new addition: the Birria Crunch Stack.

The just-released, limited-time Birria Crunch Stack is a crispy tostada stacked inside a warm tortilla, layered with refried beans and slow-braised beef birria, then finished with melted queso, chipotle crema, fresh onions and cilantro. It’s only available through June 30, so get it while you can.

You can visit Taqueria Invicto at any of their three Chicagoland locations: Oak Brook (1715 W. 22nd St.), Vernon Hills (887 N. Milwaukee Ave.) and Naperville (1727 Freedom Dr.).

Don’t miss out on visiting Taqueria Invicto’s sister restaurant, Minnie Bird, which specializes in three things: tasty fried chicken, dirty sodas (including the Cotton Candy Crush May special) and free ice cream with the limited-time Birthday Cake flavor available during May. Minnie Bird has locations in Oak Brook, Naperville and Schaumburg.

Millennium Park: Millennium Park announced its full 2026 summer programming lineup yesterday, bringing back three of the park’s most popular seasonal traditions including the Summer Music Series, Summer Film Series and Summer Workouts. The free programming will once again fill the park with concerts (concert schedule), outdoor movie screenings (movie lineup) and fitness classes (class schedule) throughout the summer months.

Obama Center: Tickets officially went on sale yesterday for the highly anticipated Obama Presidential Center, which is set to open to the public on June 19, 2026 in Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side. The massive campus honoring President Barack Obama will feature a museum, public library space, athletic facilities including a basketball court and a large community plaza designed to serve as a gathering space year-round.

Hello Kitty Cafe: Hello Kitty is getting a permanent home in downtown Chicago as a Hello Kitty Cafe is coming soon to 360 N. Michigan Ave. inside LondonHouse Chicago. The demand for Hello Kitty in Chicago has been huge recently, with the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck drawing lines in the suburbs and special Hello Kitty theme nights popping up at Chicago sports games. Exterior signage for the cafe is now up, but an official opening date has not yet been announced.

Closings: Chicago lost two notable restaurants this past week as Meli Café abruptly closed its longtime Greektown location after 20 years in business, while 2d Restaurant will close its original Lakeview location on May 25 after five years. Meli Café’s River North and South Loop locations remain open, while 2d plans to focus on new pop-ups and future concepts across Chicago. 2d Restaurant will remain open through May 25 for guests hoping to visit one last time.

Urbanbelly: Chef Bill Kim’s popular Asian fusion restaurant Urbanbelly will officially return to Fulton Market on May 13, years after the concept previously operated inside BellyQ on Randolph Street and later inside Time Out Market. The new Urbanbelly restaurant at 950 W. Fulton St. will feature a large outdoor patio, a full bar and longtime fan favorites including spicy katsu ramen, bao buns, Korean fried chicken and coconut curry pho.

The Bear: FX announced yesterday that the fifth and final season of The Bear will premiere on June 25. In a surprise move, the Chicago-based hit series also dropped a bonus flashback episode on Tuesday titled Gary, following Richie and Mikey on a work trip to Gary, Indiana years before the events of the main series. The Bear has become one of the city’s most recognizable TV shows over the last few years thanks to its inspiration, Mr. Beef.

Olivia Rodrigo: Olivia Rodrigo is bringing The Unraveled Tour to the United Center on Oct. 11 and 12, and tickets just went on sale moments ago at noon. The arena tour supports her upcoming third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which is set to release on June 12. The Grammy-winning pop star last performed in Chicago while headlining Lollapalooza last summer.

Costco Tenders: Costco may have just found its next food court obsession. The retailer is testing chicken tenders at select U.S. locations, and of all places, several Chicago-area Costcos are among the very first to get them. The new $6.99 combo comes with five chicken tenders and dipping sauce, and it appears they may be replacing the calzone that debuted last year.

Hayden Panettiere: Actress Hayden Panettiere is bringing her new book tour to the Chicago area later this month with a stop at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville on May 20 at 7 p.m. The tour celebrates the release of her new memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. The only other tour stops are New York City, Nashville and Los Angeles, putting Naperville in pretty impressive company.

2000s Bar Crawl: A 2000s-themed bar crawl hosted by Drake Bell was just announced, and Chicago is one of six cities on the initial tour lineup. The event takes place in Wicker Park across multiple participating bars throughout the neighborhood on July 11 and will include Y2K-themed drinks, DJs playing 2000s hits, meet-and-greets and a live Drake Bell performance of the iconic Drake & Josh theme song.

Switch on Summer: Chicago’s iconic Buckingham Fountain officially turns back on for the season this Saturday, May 9, during ComEd’s annual Switch on Summer celebration at 301 S. Columbus Dr. in Grant Park. The special event is free to attend, runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature live performances, family activities, food and more.

Farmers Market: The Logan Square Farmers Market officially kicks off its 2026 season this Sunday, May 10, marking the market’s debut in its new permanent home at the redesigned Milwaukee Avenue traffic circle plaza. After spending the last two seasons in temporary locations during construction, the popular Sunday market is finally settling into its long-term home. The market will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2579 N. Milwaukee Ave. and feature more than 100 rotating vendors, live music and vintage sellers.

Mother’s Day: This Sunday, May 10, is Mother’s Day, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate across Chicago this weekend with your mom or any maternal figure in your life. From brunch specials and restaurant deals to 5K races, art classes, markets and more, there is no shortage of events happening around the city. See 20 Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day in Chicago.

Bridgehouse Museum: The Bridgehouse Museum officially opens for the 2026 season this Saturday, May 9, as the riverfront museum celebrates 20 years of educating visitors about the Chicago-Calumet River system. Admission is free, with donations encouraged, and guests can check out skyline views from inside the historic bridgehouse while also potentially catching a DuSable Bridge lift along the Chicago River.

Chicago Pickle Fest: Pickle lovers, your weekend has arrived. Chicago Pickle Fest takes over Wrigleyville this Saturday, May 9 with live music, pickle costume contests, pickle-inspired cocktails, pickle beer and special food menus centered entirely around the tangy snack. The 21+ event will span multiple bars including Old Crow, Moe’s Cantina, Cubby Bear and Tin Roof, with tickets including admission and a complimentary pickleback whiskey shot.

Sunrise: 5:39 a.m. (8 minutes earlier)

Sunset: 7:55 p.m. (7 minutes later)