CHIGuide
8 Exciting Things To Do & Eat This Labor Day Weekend
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
It’s the unofficial last weekend of summer. If you, like us, are staying in Chicago for Labor Day Weekend 2021, you might be looking to ring in September with some exciting new things to do (and eat). Fortunately, there are plenty of great outdoor parties, restaurant pop-ups, and fun things happening all around the city.
The Things
On Labor Day, Ina Mae in Wicker Park will be having a shrimp boil from 11-6pm. It’s $35 a plate, and they’ll also have $11 hurricanes and Old Fashioneds. Plus, there will also be live music on their patio.
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Recess, the West Loop bar with an enormous activity-filled patio, will have Fender Blender bikes on Labor Day. And this either sounds like fun, or your personal a nightmare: While pedalling the bike, you mix a pitcher of margaritas. Each pitcher is $75, and whoever pedals definitely shouldn’t have to pay for their share of the cocktails.
Aba is serving a special brunch on Labor Day from 11am-3pm. They’ll have dishes like labneh and berries, short rib shakshuka, and smoked salmon spread on a Jerusalem bagel. You can make reservations here.
If we didn’t already have plans, we’d book this. On Monday, Mi Tocaya is hosting a special five-course Todos Ponen dinner to benefit the Resurrection Project. Tickets are $250, and include pre-dinner cocktails on the patio, a live art show, cannabis entremeses, and food from chefs Beverly Kim from Parachute, Darnell Reed from Luella’s, Sara Gruenenberg from Monteverde, Diana Davila from Mi Tocaya, and Valeria Taylor from Loba Pastry. The event starts at 5pm, and you can make reservations [here] (https://resy.com/cities/chi/venues/mi-tocaya-antojeria/events/todos-ponen-dinner-2021-09-06?date=2021-08-31&seats=2).
From now until September 30, South Asian pop-up Wazwan is taking over the Clampdown space at 1742 W Division. The pop-up will have dishes like nihari momo, their THC fried chicken sandwich, and a vada pav burger. Check out their Instagram for more details.
This spot is Permanently Closed.
For the month of September, Half Acre is opening their Lincoln Avenue tap room. It will be open Thursday-Saturday from 4pm-11pm, and will have a special draft menu that will include Daisy Cutter. Proof of vaccination required.
Roscoe Village Burger Fest
The Roscoe Village Burger Fest is taking place from Friday to Sunday this weekend. There will be around a dozen burger spots (including Fatso’s Last Stand and Reggies), two stages for live music, arts and crafts, and a Kids Zone. You can see the full lineup of events .
Bike the Drive
Bike The Drive normally takes place in May, but this year it’s happening over Labor Day weekend. The “drive” in question is the recently-renamed Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and you can cycle a 30-mile course stretching from Bryn Mawr Ave to the Museum of Science and Industry on Sunday, Sept 5th. LSD is completely closed to cars for four and a half hours, there are five designated entry points, and the course opens at 5:30am. For more information and to purchase tickets, check out their website.
