The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

The Big City Blog
Home›The Big City Blog›The Big City Blog: Five perfect activities now that fall is in the air

The Big City Blog: Five perfect activities now that fall is in the air

By TheRealChicagoOnline
October 1, 2015
434
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Fall colors

By Caitlin Meeter

Autumn is in the air — the smell of burning leaves, the crisp wind against your brand-new scarf, and the billions of colors in the trees. It is my favorite season, especially in Chicago. We have so many fun things going on that it’s hard to choose a select few, but I’ll try anyway.

Strolling down Lincoln Avenue: Usually, I will grab a famous Dinkel’s cider doughnut and an Americano to go; afterwards, I’ll sit and people watch. Then, if I am feeling especially active, I’ll check out all the cute and unique shops along this street. Pick up a used book of English poetry at Powell’s, a Vampire Weekend record at Chicago Music Exchange, some early Christmas gifts at Waxman Candles or maybe peruse the secondhand kitsch at the Brown Elephant Thrift Shop.

When I was in undergrad at Lake Forest College, Sheridan Road was my favorite street — more so when the colors started to turn on the trees. But the best way to do it, if you have a lazy afternoon and a tank full of gas, is to start driving north on Lake Shore Drive from Roosevelt Road. You’ll start at Museum Campus and pass through downtown and Streeterville until you get up to Northwestern University, where what is now Sheridan Road will wind around to the northern suburbs. Once you get to Highland Park, make sure you stop at Walker Brothers for their famous challah French toast, then head a little bit further north to check out my alma mater, snuggled between the forested ravines.

Chicago is known for its love of specialty craft beer, and autumn offers plenty of tasty Hopleaf draftsoptions. One of my favorite bars to catch the season’s brews is Hopleaf in Andersonville. This year, my top three choices are: North Coast’s Thelonious Monk (a Belgian abbey ale), Jolly Pumpkin’s Maracaibo Especial (a rich brown ale) and Perennial’s Regalia (a nice malty saison). Pair these with their charcuterie trio or Belgian-style mussels — it’s autumnal perfection. Obviously, there is a Belgian theme here.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Every full moon in the summer, you’ll find a wild party on Foster Beach. For some reason, the ones in the fall seem a bit more appropriate, like paying tribute to the changing of the seasons. We will take a packed picnic and some lawn chairs to enjoy fire eaters, drum circles and sword swallowers. It’s a veritable pyromaniac circus! It gets a bit chilly with the lakefront backdrop, but the snuggling under blankets makes it even more fun.

DiaDeMuertos-Vivelo Hoy

Photo credit: Vivelo Hoy

I used to live in Pilsen, Chicago’s Mexican mecca, and Halloween was my favorite time of year there. The colors, the music, the sugar skulls! There was even a parade to celebrate the souls of our ancestors. Or, more appropriately named, Dia de Muertos. The National Museum of Mexican Art puts on live performances, traditional meals, demonstration altars (you can even make your own!) and more. It’s a fun time and great way to gain some cross-cultural knowledge. Halloween doesn’t always have to be scary!

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

TagsAndersonvilleBrown ElephantChicago fall activitiesChicago Music ExchangeDia de MuertosFoster Beach full moon partyHopleafJolly PumpkinLake Shore DriveMaracaibo EspecialNational Museum of Mexican ArtNorthwesternPerennial RegaliaSheridan RoadThelonious MonkVampire Weekend
Previous Article

My night at the opera: A first-timer’s ...

Next Article

We Ask, They Answer: Q&A with Zanies ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

    July 31, 2019
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • The Local Corner

    The Local Corner: Exploring the Clark and Foster intersection in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood

    April 6, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider: Krista Krauss Miller on drinks at Hopleaf, the local theatre scene, and Hugo’s Frog Bar

    July 21, 2015
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider: Bob Klees on the big flavors at De Quay, Andersonville shopping and Chicago’s First Lady cruises

    June 27, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Chicago InsiderOther Recent Articles

    Chicago Insider: Natalie Converse on Wicker Park shopping, a sushi favorite, Roots Pizza and being a tourist for a day

    August 25, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider: Katie Schmits on Kuma’s Corner, Gene’s Sausage Shop’s rooftop and biking the city

    February 25, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Doughnut delight: These sweet treats are popping up all over in Chicago

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Summer’s in season: A Chicago guide to outdoor drinking

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Coffee craze: Exploring the best, most unique independent coffee shops Chicago has to offer

  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

Timeline

  • November 11, 2021

    Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

  • July 31, 2019

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

  • July 30, 2019

    First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater experience

  • July 28, 2019

    Finger lickin’ good: Six trusted Chicago spots for a stellar barbecue experience

  • July 25, 2019

    The Big City Blog: Four Friday Night Flights beer tastings remain this summer, including July 26 in Ravenswood

Latest Comments

  • The 14 Best Fireplaces in Chicago | UrbanMatter
    on
    October 11, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: The Real Chicago […]

    Cozy on up: We asked active Chicagoans for their favorite spots to warm up in the ...

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum | FreeForAll.org
    on
    January 16, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum – FreeForAll.org
    on
    October 23, 2016
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • The Real Chicago – The Big City Blog: A very Chicago night on the town
    on
    May 31, 2016
    […] up was The Redhead Piano Bar for drinks and live music. I’ve said it before ...

    Friendly, unfussy, and serious about music: Hanging with Marshall Nelson from the Redhead Piano Bar

  • Scouting Logan Square: A Renewed Historical Neighborhood - The Annex, a blog by Casamatic
    on
    March 10, 2016
    […] (cover photo via The Real Chicago) […]

    The rise of Logan Square: Why this diverse area has quickly become one of Chicago’s hottest ...

Find us on Facebook

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
  • Latest Posts

  • Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    November 11, 2021
  • Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 31, 2019
  • First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 30, 2019

Photostream

    Follow us

    © Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.