This weekend is the annual Venetian Night on the lakefront.  While the idea of boats with lights on them may not be spectacularly exciting to someone who isn’t 5 years old, the show is still a very pretty showcase of Chicago’s lakefront.  Beyond the lights of the boats, a fireworks show starts at 9:00 PM.

The theme of the event this year is “Hollywood on the Lake.”

USE YOUR U-PASS: You can view the show anywhere from the Shedd Aquarium to Monroe Harbor.  Pick your spot and use Google’s directions to get there.

Venetian Night

Chicago has some of the best Mexican restaurants in the country.  While there’s the fancier variety like Frontera & Adobo Grill, and the off shoots like Mixteco & Dorado, there’s only one neighborhood to go for authentic Mexican food and culture: Pilsen.

The famous Nuevo Leon Restuarant is just down the street.

Pilsen is one of the very closest neighborhoods to campus, and while much of it is residential, it has its share of gems, especially in the food arena. The most famous restaurant in the area is Nuevo Leon.  It opened over 40 years ago and continues to be a destination for folks from all over the city.

For a great experience, take an afternoon trip to 18th street and just sample some of the street food you’ll find in the neighborhood.  Having a Spanish-speaker with you wouldn’t hurt your cause in finding the very best options.

USE YOUR U-PASS: There’s a Pink Line stop at 18th near Ashland and about a million buses you can take.  This is what Google thinks.

Pilsen Restaurants

So, maybe this weekend you were itching to see Bruno or Public Enemies or the new Transformers but realized you had no idea where a theater was.  Well, you wouldn’t be the first.  While there’s a litany of restaurants, taverns, shops, and more around the UIC campus, there’s no movie theaters at all.

Don’t worry, that’s where the CTA and your U-PASS come in.  Some of the very best theaters in the city are just a few minutes away from campus.

The very best: AMC River East 21 | Directions

The closest: AMC Loews 600 N Michigan | Directions

The IMAX: Navy Pier | Directions

The not-Downtown: Piper’s Alley | Directions

The quirky: Brew n’ View | Directions

The old school: F&F Management Davis | Directions