National Burrito Day

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

National Ferret Day

National DIY Day

World Autism Day

Eataly Chicago: One of Eataly’s best and biggest events of the year is taking place on Friday, April 17. All You Can Eataly: Spring in Rome is an all-inclusive party with unlimited food and drinks throughout all of Eataly.

The four-hour party is a ticketed event with 30+ Italian bites, 20+ Italian wines, spirits, beer, entertainment, live music, a glass etcher, chef demonstrations and more. It’s truly a foodie event unlike any other in Chicago.

Eataly opens all of its counters, so you can enjoy as much pizza, meat, cheese, bread, pasta, gelato, sweets, wine and more as you desire.

Tickets always sell out, so act quickly if you want to attend!

James Beard Finalists: The finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards were announced, and three Chicago chefs made the list. The James Beard Awards, also known as the “Oscars of the culinary world,” are among the most prestigious honors in the industry. Chicago’s finalists were Bailey Sullivan from Monteverde, Norman Fenton of Cariño and Jacob Potashnick of Feld. See the categories they represented and the full list of the 2026 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Finalists.

Volleyball at Wrigley: On the north side of town, volleyball is coming to Wrigley Field for the first time ever. The inaugural Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week will bring together the NCAA’s two premier women’s college volleyball conferences for a week of matches that culminates with a doubleheader at Wrigley Field on Sunday, Sept. 6. The teams playing at Wrigley Field include Nebraska, Missouri, Penn State and Kentucky. See what it’s going to look like.

White Sox Home Opener: The 2026 home opener for the Chicago White Sox, scheduled for today, was postponed due to forecasted inclement weather. It will now take place tomorrow, Friday, April 3, at 1:10 p.m. at Rate Field against the Toronto Blue Jays. Parking lots will open at 10 a.m., with gates to Rate Field opening at 11:10 a.m. Chicago’s own Chance the Rapper will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Check out all the new food items at the ballpark this season!

Gingie: Just days after opening, Boka Restaurant Group’s new River North restaurant Gingie, located at 707 N. Wells St., is already closed. On Sunday evening, March 29, a kitchen grease fire occurred, and while all guests and employees were safe, the restaurant had to temporarily close. The concept focuses on seasonal ingredients and live-fire cooking and is looking to reopen as soon as possible, but no date has been given yet.

Trader Joe’s: After months of speculation, Trader Joe’s is all but officially coming to Uptown as the company acquired a permit last Friday to build out a store at 804 W. Montrose Ave., according to Block Club Chicago. This new Uptown location would be the third new Chicago location announced since October.

Concrete Beach: Yesterday, we posted about how Chicago was planning to fill the lakefront concrete beach area between Oak Street Beach and North Avenue Beach with sand as part of a pilot project to expand beach access downtown. While some of you were excited about it, and some of you most definitely were not, we have to admit it was just our April Fool’s Day joke! Did we get you?!

Milly’s Pizza In The Pan: One of Chicago’s most popular pan pizza restaurants, Milly’s Pizza In The Pan has closed a location and opened a new one within a 10-day span. Its Berwyn spot is now closed, but a new Lakeview location at 3409 N. Broadway is now open. Eater Chicago calls it one of Chicago’s best pizza spots.

Benson Boone: This week, Grammy-nominated singer Benson Boone announced his Wanted Man Tour 2026, which will take place across the U.S. this summer, including a stop at Allstate Arena in Rosemont on July 24. The presale started yesterday, and general public tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday, April 3, at 11 a.m.

Chicago Snowballs: Last December, it was announced that Chicago would be getting its own Savannah Bananas-inspired baseball team this spring. The team is named the Chicago Snowballs, and they are a co-ed “sportstainment” experience that blends baseball with over-the-top entertainment and circus-style acts. Tickets just went on sale yesterday, and the first game is May 2 in Chicago.

Free Museum Days: With all the April showers in the forecast, it’s a great time for indoor activities. We rounded up the April free museum days in Chicago, and all the biggest museums are participating this month. Plan ahead and take advantage of the free admission while you can.

Green City Market: The Green City Market (1817 N. Clark St.) makes its return to Lincoln Park this Saturday, April 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This outdoor farmers market is among Chicago’s biggest and most popular. It features a large variety of vendors with local produce, flowers and so much more. There will be four new vendor booths featuring pizza on sourdough focaccia, handmade tortillas and tortilla chips, fresh baked goods and organic cheeses.

Final Four: How is your bracket looking? The end of March Madness is upon us as the Final Four takes place in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, this Saturday, April 4, with Illinois taking on UConn in the first matchup at 5:09 p.m., followed by a matchup between Michigan and Arizona at 7:49 p.m. The winners will face off in the championship on Monday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m.

Spring Egg-Stravaganza: Lincoln Park Zoo is hosting a family-friendly Spring Egg-Stravaganza this Saturday, April 4 from 7:45 to 11:45 a.m. Kids ages one to eight can take part in egg hunts across six different zones, get their face painted, meet the Easter Bunny, enjoy unlimited rides on the carousel and train and check out live entertainment and animal chats throughout the morning. Tickets are $25 ($20 for members) with timed entry.

Trinket Fest: Chicago’s first Trinket Fest Weekend takes place this Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Artifact Events in Ravenswood. There will be over 100 vendors, live caricatures, tooth gems, tarot readings, food trucks, a cocktail bar and more. Tickets are $5, or free with a pet supply donation to PAWS Chicago.

Sunrise: 6:31 a.m. (12 minutes earlier)

Sunset: 7:17 p.m. (8 minutes later)