Need some ideas for what to do this weekend? Chicago Tonight knows what is going on!
Extreme Mammals at The Field Museum
230 million years. That’s how long mammals have been roaming the earth. The Field Museum condenses that enormous time frame to exhibit size in Extreme Mammals, which opens this weekend. Curated by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the traveling exhibit examines mammalian ancestry and evolution over hundreds of millions of years through fossils, specimen reconstructions and interactive activities. From the smallest documented mammal (the Batodonoides, a small shrew-like species that could rest on the end of a straw) to the largest land mammal (the Indricotherium, similar to today’s rhinoceros), the long-extinct to those still roaming the earth, Extreme Mammals is a fascinating look into mammalian history and the future of the mammalian class. The exhibit runs through January 6, 2013. Tickets are $22-$29 for adults, $18-24 for seniors and students with ID, and $15-$20 for children 4-11.
The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60605
Craft Beer Week
With temperatures expected to inch up into the high 80s and even lower 90s in the coming days, what better way to spend Memorial Day Weekend than sipping brews patio-side at any of Chicago’s great beer destinations? And with Chicago Craft Beer Week wrapping up Sunday, many local watering holes are offering specials on some of the more esteemed fermentations. All this weekend, Bucktown’s Mindy’s Hot Chocolate is tapping hard-to-find Three Floyds brews to pair with cheese plates from Marion Street Cheese Market. On Saturday, Ravenswood’s Fountainhead serves up beers from the East Coast’s Allagash (Portland, ME), the West Coast’s Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA), and the No Coast’s Jolly Pumpkin (Dexter, MI). And on Sunday, Bucktown’s Map Room taps Founders ales and warms up the grill for a barbecue.
Bike the Drive
Celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer with a breezy cycle down Lake Shore Drive. The annual Bike the Drive kicks off early Sunday morning (bikers can start as early as 5:30 am) at Jackson Drive and Columbus Drive inside Grant Park. Participants can customize their rides according to their abilities by opting for a half loop (15 miles) or the full loop (30 miles). Fruit, water and light snacks will also be available at rest stops. Entry is $48, $15 for those 17 and under.
Bike the Drive
Jackson Drive and Columbus Drive in Grant Park
Festival of Aloha at Old Town School of Folk Music
Chicago welcomes a new event to its already packed summer schedule in Festival of Aloha, a celebration of all things Hawaiian and Asian Pacific. Hosted by the Old Town School of Folk Music, the four-day event (it started Thursday) honors the tradition of “pono” – roughly translated as “goodness – through a series of concerts, workshops and music lessons. Patrons can get their luau on Friday night with a Hawaiian-style dance party, complete with hula lessons set to live ukulele music. On Saturday, Old Town offers sampling of workshops dedicated to Tahitian drumming and ukulele lessons. The festival wraps Sunday evening with a concert by noted Hawaiian musician and vocalist Darlene Ahuna.
Old Town School of Folk Music
4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
