March Has Arrived, Chicago

BEST DATE NEWS

March 5, 2026: Best Date News Volume #168

Welcome to Best Date News, your go-to guide for what’s happening in Chicago! This week, we’re diving into Lollapalooza dates, Chicago Bears roster moves, the Blackhawks Ice Center, Iceboy! The Musical, a Harry Styles pop-up, weekend plans and more.

March 5: National Holidays

• National Cheese Doodle Day

• National Absinthe Day

• National Nametag Day

• National Hospitalist Day

• National Potty Dance Day

Sponsored by our friends at Chicago Artisan Market

Chicago Artisan Market

• Spring Forward Market: The Chicago Artisan Market is back this Sunday, March 8 for a one-day Spring Forward event! This market brings together 115+ of the best local artisans from Chicago and the Midwest all under one roof.

• The market will take place at Morgan MFG (401 N Morgan St) in Fulton Market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Don’t forget that it is the first day of Daylight Saving Time!

• Shop from local artisans in categories like food, fashion, home goods and art inside a buzzing indoor market. Plus, you can eat and drink while you walk around and your dog can even come with you.

• Tickets are $8 each, or four for $20 when purchased online in advance. If you turn it into a double date, that’s only $5 per person.

Chicago News

• Lollapalooza: Dates for Lollapalooza 2026 were announced this week by event organizers. Chicago’s biggest annual music festival will return to Grant Park from Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, Aug. 2. The lineup has not yet been announced, but organizers say it will arrive “very soon.” Last year, Olivia Rodrigo set records with her Friday night performance and the festival helped drive record-breaking hotel stays across Chicago.

• Chicago Bears: There were a couple major roster moves for the Chicago Bears this week. This morning, Adam Schefter reported that the Bears traded DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. Additionally, in a surprising move, Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman decided to retire after five seasons in the NFL and after signing a three-year deal with the Bears just last year.

• Blackhawks Ice Center: The Chicago Blackhawks just unveiled a major expansion of their training facility at 1801 W Jackson Blvd, just south of the United Center. The upgraded Blackhawks Ice Center is open to the public and now includes two new ice rinks, event spaces, dining options in partnership with One Off Hospitality and Centennial Hall, the future home of the team’s Hall of Fame. The project is also one of the first additions tied to the planned $7 billion “1901 Project,” a long-term redevelopment of the United Center campus that will eventually include a music venue, hotel, park space and other mixed-use developments.

• Iceboy! The Musical: Actor Nick Offerman and his wife Megan Mullally will star together in a new musical coming to Chicago’s Goodman Theatre this summer. The show, Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story Of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write “The Iceman Cometh” will run June 20 through July 26. Mullally will star as Broadway performer Vera Vimm and Offerman will play Eugene O’Neill. Priority tickets go on sale March 13, and tickets go on sale to the general public on March 20.

• Anne Frank Exhibit: The Anne Frank Exhibition is coming to Chicago this May at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. The immersive exhibit, which recently premiered in New York, will allow visitors to walk through a full-scale recreation of the secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II. The exhibition will also feature more than 100 original artifacts from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, along with multimedia displays that explore her life and legacy.

• Saba Italian: After eight years in Logan Square, Saba Italian Bar + Kitchen announced it will be closing its doors this Saturday, March 7. Saba is part of Esam Hani’s One of a Kind Hospitality Group, which also owns Cafe con Leche, Red Star Liquor and Deli, Mr. E’s Late Nite, The Harding Tavern and The Walk In. The group took over the former location of Furious Spoon, Pink Squirrel and Deadbolt last year and is planning to open two restaurants in the space, including a Mexican taqueria.

Just For Fun

• Harry Styles Pop-Up: Sixteen Harry Styles “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” pop-up stores will open across the world beginning tomorrow, Friday, March 6, and Chicago is one of the cities getting one. The pop-up will feature exclusive limited-edition merch for sale. It will be located at 1731 N Damen Ave in Wicker Park and will be open Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Gorillaz: The U.K. music group Gorillaz announced “The Mountain Tour 2026” this week, and Chicago is one of the 23 stops. The band will perform at the United Center with special guests Little Simz and Deltron 3030 on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Presale tickets begin tomorrow, Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m., while general tickets go on sale Monday, March 9 at 10 a.m.

• Daly’s Donuts: A new donut shop is opening in Lincoln Park this weekend. The husband-and-wife duo of Alejandra and Conor Daly will host the grand opening of Daly’s Donuts, their first brick-and-mortar shop, this Saturday, March 7 at 8 a.m. at 659 W Armitage Ave. They first launched Daly’s Donuts in 2023 and quickly gained a following at local farmers markets. Their donuts are baked instead of fried and made fresh daily, with the cinnamon sugar donut serving as the shop’s signature item.

• Hamilton: The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton returned to Chicago’s CIBC Theatre last night. The Angelica Tour will run through April 26. If you want to try to see the show for cheap, you can enter the $10 digital lottery each Friday at 10 a.m., which offers at least 36 tickets for every performance. Metra is also offering free round-trip train rides to anyone who shows a Hamilton ticket.

• Best Burgers: One of the most contested food debates in Chicago has to be which spot has the best burger. There are lots of opinions and plenty of great options, including Au Cheval, Red Hot Ranch, The Loyalist, Little Bad Wolf, Mott Street and more. Time Out Chicago took a shot at it and released an updated ranking of its 14 Best Burgers in Chicago list.

Sponsored by our friends at Minnie Bird

Minnie Bird Now Open in Naperville

• Minnie Bird: Fast-casual restaurant Minnie Bird just opened a new location in Naperville at 1211 E. Ogden Ave. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Minnie Bird specializes in three things: tasty fried chicken, dirty sodas and free ice cream.

• On Tuesday, March 10, this new Naperville location will host a grand opening event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where Minnie Bird will be giving away free combo meals. You will have the choice of a chicken sandwich, three chicken tenders or two chicken wraps, served with fries, a drink and an ice cream cone.

• The fried chicken comes in four styles: Nashville (varying heat levels), Minnie Style (honey glazed with Minnie sauce and pickles), Pimiento Honey Heat (with pimiento cheese and sweet jalapeños) and Southern Charm (mayo and lettuce). See the full menu.

• If you want something fun and sweet, try one of their 50+ dirty soda combinations or enjoy a free ice cream cone, which is included with every meal. They always have vanilla soft serve plus a monthly rotating flavor. The special March flavor is Shamrock Mint.

Weekend Plans

• Holi at the Pier: The nation’s largest free Holi celebration takes place this Saturday, March 7 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Navy Pier. Celebrate the Festival of Colors with live music, high-energy dance performances, DJs and the iconic powder-throwing experience along Chicago’s lakefront. Color powder will be available for purchase while supplies last and is the only powder that can be used during the celebration.

• Chicago Bagel Fest: The Chicago Bagel Fest is taking place this Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Wrigleyville. Here is your chance to sample some of Chicago’s best bagel spots all in one place, with names like Decker’s Sourdough Bagels, Tilly Bagel, Gotham Bagels, Steingold’s, Zeitlin’s Delicatessen and more. Tickets include admission, bagel tastings from Chicago’s best bakeries, live music, photo ops and more.

• CHIditarod: The 21st annual CHIditarod takes place this Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 p.m. This annual urban charity shopping cart race through West Town and Ukrainian Village is a fun event where teams of five dress up in costumes and race custom shopping carts from one neighborhood bar to another. It’s always quite the spectacle. While registration is closed for those who want to participate in the race, you can still attend for free to take it all in as a spectator.

• 360 Chicago: In honor of Chicago’s 189th birthday, 360 Chicago is offering free general admission for Chicago residents through tomorrow, Friday, March 6. All you need to get your free ticket is a valid ID with a 606XX zip code. TILT tickets are not included with free general admission, but can be purchased onsite. One child may enter free per qualifying adult.

• World of Wheels: The 63rd annual Chicago World of Wheels returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont from March 6 through 8. It’s one of the largest and longest-running custom car shows in the Midwest, featuring hundreds of customized vehicles like hot rods, muscle cars, lowriders, trucks, race cars, motorcycles and more.

Poll Question of the Week

Last Newsletter's Poll Results

Poll Results: Last week, after the Waymo news came out, we asked whether you would get into a self-driving rideshare vehicle. 62% of you said you would not, while 38% said you would. Here are some of your responses:

• “If those little Coco delivery robots can’t navigate a sidewalk, I sure asl don’t trust a self-driving car on the roads.” —Devinne

• “I only use Waymo when in San Francisco, it is WONDERFUL for those who are hesitant at first (like how I was). Nice, quiet, clean cars. It is weird at first but actually feels safter than a reckless driver making risky moves… I can’t wait for Waymo to come to Chicago!!!” —Emily

• “The countless vidoes of them driving in places they shouldn’t be in other cities in combination with the no nonsense drivers in Chicago… Waymo is like a crash just waiting to happen.” —Jesse

• “I love Waymo! I always take it in Phoenix; can’t wait for it to be in Chicago!” —Leah

Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago

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

• Sunrise: 6:18 a.m. (11 minutes earlier)

• Sunset: 5:45 p.m. (8 minutes later)

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