CHICAGO WELCOMES VISITORS FOR MEMORIAL DAY

Where better to spend Memorial Day Weekend than in Chicago! Celebrate the official start to summer by enjoying lakefront beaches, Major League Baseball, antique fairs, and more. You can also honor the spirit of the weekend by visiting the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, touring the citys 30 war memorials, or enjoying the Memorial Day Parade.

Chicagos lakefront beaches-
The Chicago Park District manages the city's 29 lakefront beaches for the enjoyment of Chicago families and visitors. Chicago's lakefront is also home to the lakefront trail, volleyball, soccer, concessions, golf courses, harbors, bird sanctuaries, and natural areas. Admission to Chicagos beaches is free and open to the public. Lifeguards are on duty daily between Memorial and Labor Day weekends. For more information, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com .

Chicago baseball -
Chicago boasts two Major League baseball teams, the Cubs and the White Sox. No summer trip to Chicago would be complete without a visit to Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs) or U.S. Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox). Enjoy a history lesson while at Wrigley Field, the nations second oldest major league baseball park. U.S. Cellular field offers unique entertainment and authentic ballpark food with a twist. Both ballparks are accessible by rapid transit, which is part of the overall experience. Catch the Cubs on May 26th against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the White Sox on May 24th and 25th against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. For more information, please visit www.chicagocubs.com or www.chicagowhitesox.com .

Chicago Antique Market -
The Chicago Antique Market, now in its fifth season, will kick off its 2008 season this Memorial Day weekend. The market is the largest European-style flea market in the Midwest and is located Chicagos West Loop neighborhood at the Beaux Arts Plumbers Hall Complex. Featuring more than 200 antique dealers selling everything from high-end antiques to vintage collectibles, the indoor/outdoor Chicago Antique Market has earned a national reputation as one of the finest in North America, comparable to the Paris Flea Market. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 24th and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 25th. For more information, please visit www.chicagoantiquemarket.com .

Garfield Park Conservatory - Sugar from the Sun -
The Garfield Park Conservatorys new permanent exhibition, Sugar from the Sun, features 1,850 plants, 200 tons of stone, and 3,900 linear feet of steel. Built in the former Sweet House, this ground-breaking immersion experience will plunge visitors into the life of the Conservatorys tropical collection - from mangos and bananas to oranges and papayas. Visitors will use all five senses as they experience how a plant uses air, water and light to make sugar -- the energy source not only for plants, but for all life on earth. The Conservatory is free and open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, please visit www.garfield-conservatory.org .

Avenue Q -
Avenue Q, an award-winning Broadway musical about trying to make it in New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account, is opening at Chicagos Cadillac Palace Theatre on May 22nd. This Tony award winning musical was largely inspired by the PBS program Sesame Street and features puppets as most of the main characters. Be among the first theatre-goers to see this performance during its run in Chicago. For more information, please visit www.broadwayinchicago.org .

MEMORIAL DAY SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

National Vietnam Veteran's Art Museum -
The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum inspires greater understanding of the real impact of war with a focus on Vietnam. The Museum collects, preserves and exhibits art inspired by combat and created by veterans. Located in the Chicagos South Loop neighborhood, the museum houses over 1500 works of art, including paintings, photography, sculpture, poetry and music. All the works in the Museums permanent collection were created and comprised by more than 100 artists who chronicled their individual experiences from the Vietnam War. The Museum is open Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.nvvam.org .

Soul Soldiers at the DuSable Musuem of African American History -
Soul Soldiers: African Americans and the Vietnam Era showcases nearly 200 artifacts, including a number of key items from veterans, such as soldiers rucksacks, uniforms and dog tags; historic articles on the life of African American soldiers from Time Magazine, Ebony Magazine and the Pittsburgh Courier; nurse uniforms and photographs from the era; armed forces recruitment posters and other propaganda materials; and soldiers diaries and letters back home. The exhibition runs from April 18 - July 27, 2008 and is open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.dusablemuseum.org .

Chicago War Memorials -
Memorial Day is a day to remember those who served, fought, and died in defense of America. Within Chicago are more than 30 war memorials located throughout the city, giving visitors an opportunity to honor those who served their country while learning about Chicagos rich history and diversity along the way. For more information, please visit www.cityofchicago.org .
Chicago Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade - The Chicago Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade is scheduled for Saturday, May 24, 2008. The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Eternal Flame on Daley Plaza in Chicago (Dearborn and Washington Streets). The parade will step off at 12:00 (noon) and proceed south on State Street from Wacker Drive to Van Buren Street. Chicago's Memorial Day Parade is considered one of the largest events of its kind in the country with 10,000 people participating annually. Participants include many area high schools' Marching Bands, Drum and Bugle Corps as well as many Veterans' groups, JROTC and the military. For more information, please visit www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents .
Visitors and Chicagoans planning to entertain out-of-town guests can receive Chicago brochures, reserve hotel accommodations and receive trip-planning assistance by calling toll-free 1.877.CHICAGO (1.877.244.2246), or visiting www.cityofchicago.org/tourism . Brochures and information on Chicagos exciting events and activities are also available at the Visitor Information Centers. The centers are located at Chicago Water Works, 163 East Pearson Street at Michigan Avenue and the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 East Randolph Street. For those calling from outside the United States, Mexico and Canada, please call 1-312-201-8847. The TTY toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1.866.710.0294.

The Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the official City agency dedicated to promoting Chicago to domestic and international visitors and to providing innovative visitor programs and services.
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