Free St Patrick’s Irish Breakfast/Music in Chicago – Mar 17

Want to start your St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Chicago the free way? Well come on out to Binny’s Beverage Depot, that is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day  on Wednesday, March 17 from 9 to 11:30 a.m., with a free breakfast open house featuring Irish scones and coffee made with Feckin’ Irish Whiskey, plus you get to listen to a free music concert by the City of Chicago Pipers at their River North, South Loop, Lakeview and Willowbrook locations (see addresses below).

HT:  Dining CHICAGO

Chicago – Downtown
213 W. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312-332-0012
Fax: 312-329-9820
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9:00-9:00
Sun: 11:00-6:00
Email: grand@binnys.com

Chicago – Lakeview
Binny’s Ivanhoe Castle & Catacombs Tasting Room
3000 N. Clark
Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: 773-935-9400
Fax: 773-935-9403
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9:00-9:00
Sun: 11:00-6:00
Email: lakeview@binnys.com

Chicago – South Loop
1132 S. Jefferson Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312-768-4400
Fax: 312-341-9361
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9:00-9:00
Sun 11:00-6:00
Email: southloop@binnys.com

Binny’s – Willowbrook
6920 S. Route 83
Willowbrook, IL 60527
Phone: 630-654-0988
Fax: 630-654-8466
Hours: Mon-Thur: 9:00-9:00
Fri & Sat: 9:00-9:00
Sun: 10:00-6:00
Email: willowbrook@binnys.com

Chicago Spring Cleaning: Free Shredding and Recycling Day – March 13

Are you worried about identity theft? YES! Then do some spring cleaning and on March 13 between 10am-12pm, bring up to three bags or boxes of your sensitive papers to the Kmart parking lot on Ashland just north of Division, and Secure EcoShred will destroy them for free before your very eyes. For more information and future free shredding and free recycling dates, check out the WPB site. Read more

St Patrick’s Day Free Festivities in Chicago – March 13

Chicago — everyone is Irish next Weekend!!  Come out for the annual free St. Patrick’s Day Parade and free Greening of the Chicago River on Saturday, March 13, 2010 as well as other festivities held around Chicago, including the new South Side Irish Family Fest. Read more

Free Chicago Art Gallery Tours – Sat Mar 13

Come out for a free tour of galleries in West Loop and River North – the best free tours around! Chicago art gallery tours are free and no reservations are required, except for large groups.  A Chicago gallery representative leads a free guided tour of 4 galleries. The gallery roster and tour leader change weekly, & conversation centers on the exhibits and artists currently on view. Gallery exhibitions change approximately every six weeks, so the tours are never the same.  Private tours may be arranged in advance. Read more

Free COFFEE MONDAYS at Dunkin Donuts – March 2010

Every Monday in March, receive a free Dunkin’ Donuts medium hot or iced coffee at participating locations. Yum!

We called a few locations in downtown Chicago and they told us they are honoring this but asked us to to print off and bring in the offer so here is the link – DUNKIN PERKS FREE COFFEE IN MARCH.  We love that their 100% Arabica beans are roasted to exact specifications and ground only moments before brewing. That’s why we recommend them as the freshest cup of coffee every day (and much cheaper than our other favorite Green Mountain Coffee) . Come in on any of the remaining Mondays in March and grab a freshly brewed medium hot or iced coffee for free. Use their Store Locator to find a Dunkin’ Donuts near you.  Read more

Chelsea Handler’s Chicago land Free Book Signing – Mar 10

Hey all you Chicago Chelsea Handler fans — come out and meet comedian and author Chelsea Handler as she signs copies of her book “Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang” at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, in a free book signing at Anderson’s Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville. Chelsea Handler’s new book of humorous essays, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, has been published this month (March, 2010)  — and Chelsea is hitting the road to promote it, starting in Chicago March 10 for a show at the Rosemont Theater. Read more

Book Lovers: Meet Joyce Carol Oates in Chicago at Free Lecture/Book-Signing – Mar 15

The Columbia College Chicago Fiction Writing Department presents its 14th Annual Story Week Festival of Writers from Sunday, March 14, through Friday, March 20. Affectionately known as the “Lollapalooza of literary events,” Story Week 2010 offers a feast of free readings, free conversations with authors, panels, performances, and free book signings at venues across the city.

On Monday, March 15, there will be two free events featuring literary icon Joyce Carol Oates at the Harold Washington Library (400 S State St), Read more

Free Chicago Wine Tasting – Logan Square – Mar 6

Stop in at Provenance Wines on March 6 for a free tasting of some new wines from around the world. Join us during our regularly-scheduled Saturday afternoon free wine tastings at our Logan Square location on March 6, 2010. Tastings are in a casual, open house format and feature 3 to 5 new and ’seasonal’ wines for you to try.

Provenance Food and Wine – 773-384-0699

Saturday, March 6, 2010 Read more

Free Cooking Classes in Chicago at Williams Sonoma

Would you like something great to doi in Chicago centered around baking and cooking?  Well grab some friends as Chicago Culinary News is reporting that Williams-Sonoma offers free in-store cooking & technique classes in March 2010. The specific times may vary from place to place, and you’ll need to RSVP. The Williams-Sonoma stores will be hosting free culinary technique classes during the month of March which include include “Simply Souffle” on March 7, “Cookies” on March 14, “Cakes & Cupcakes” on March 21 & March 28 is “Pies & Tarts”. Yum Yum! Read more

Free iPod Compatible Audiobook and Video Downloads at Chicago Public Library

Stop throwing your cash away on Netflix, iTunes and Amazon! Did you know that with a Chicago Public Library card, you have  free access to all the latest Book, CD, and DVD releases is available right at your fingertips. If you’re going on a long trip, want something to listen to while working out, or you just don’t like to read, now you can download audiobooks, music, and videos from the CPL website FOR FREE and put them right on your Ipod, Iphone, or other mp3 player of choice. Although a lot of the collection is in WMA format, you can easily download the OverDrive Media Console v3.2, which makes most WMA Audiobooks iPod®-compatible through free downloads! Read more

Free Cake Thurs March 4 to Celebrate Chicago’s 173rd B-Day

It’s Chicago’s B-day on March 4th and you are invited!  Have a free piece of cake from the Bleeding Heart Bakery at the Chicago History Museum at 11am.   If you share a March 4 birthday with Chicago, you are entitled to a special certificate signed by the Mayor.

Join in at the city’s 173rd birthday party with the official celebration including musical performances—featuring members of the Latin School Jazz Band and Chinese musician Kerry Leung—and a very special birthday cake by Bleeding Heart Bakery (1955 W. Belmont). Presented in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events. Read more

Take the Free Chicago Polar Plunge and Help Special Olympics – Mar 7

Grab your friends and participate or come out and watch for free as more than 1,000 likely Chicagoans take the “Polar Plunge ” into icy Lake Michigan on Sunday, March 7, 2010 to benefit Special Olympics! Registration is free but participants are asked to raise a minimum of $100 in donations, which will support Special Olympic Chicago Programs. Whether you go waist high or take the full plunge, we invite you to join us and support Special Olympics programs enjoyed throughout the year by our 5,000 Chicago athletes. Last year 1,200 participants enjoyed a very memorable day. It’s quick and simple to set up a personal fundraising page at www.chicagopolarplunge.org.

Participants receive:
• A long-sleeved T-shirt
• Free admission to the “Melt Down Party”, in heated tent with music, food, refreshments, cash bar and more!
• Great prizes for top fundraisers, largest group or best costume!
• Round trip bus provided for teams of 20 or more!

All this fun occurs on Mar 7, 2010

Hours: 9:30 am – Registration/Check in

10 am – Plunge begins – Plungers head to water in groups.

11 am – 2 pm – “Melt Down Party” in heated tent! (Food, music, beverages and more!)

Location: North Avenue Beach
1600 N. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60616

Free Admission and Free Registration

For additional information please visit, http://www.chicagopolarplunge.org

Use Bank of America? Get in Free at Shedd Aquarium – Mar 6-7

This just in!  Visitors to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago this weekend March 6-7, who present a valid Bank of America/Merrill Lynch ATM, credit or debit card, along with photo identification, can receive one free all-access admission ticket on the first full weekend of each month in 2010. Free admission benefits are not transferable and are valid for the cardholder only so bring all your ATM/credit cards. This offer is not valid during special events or for admission to the 4-D theater.

Here are the weekends in Chicago that the Bank of America “2010 Museums on Us” promotion is running:

March 6-7,
April 3-4,
May 1-2,
June 5-6,
July 3-4,
Aug. 7-8,
Sept. 4-5,
Oct. 2-3,
Nov 6-7,
Dec. 4-5

Free Admission to See Actual Oscars Statuettes in Chicago for this Year – Thru Mar 7

Free Admission – Calling all Oscars fans in Chicago…Have you made your picks for Sunday?  Why not impress your friends on Oscars night with a photo of you with a real Oscar Statuette? You can get free admission to see some of the actual Oscars statuettes in Chicago that will be presented at this year’s Academy Awards (including the actual Best Actor statuette) through Sunday, March 7th, at The Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue, and get your picture holding an Oscar statuette.

Oscar fans in Chicago will be the first to glimpse at the Best Actor Oscar to be presented on Sunday, March 7th to Jeff, George, Colin, Morgan or Jeremy! You can also have the chance to have your photo taken with an actual Oscar statuette at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Meet the Oscars®, Chicago,” presented by Kodak on Level 1 in the Nordstrom Court. The exhibition is open from Thursday, February 25th, through Sunday, March 7th, at The Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue at Grand Avenue. On Friday, March 5, the actual statuettes to be awarded for this year’s Best Actress and Best Actor will make their way back to Hollywood where they will be reunited with the rest of the Oscars.

While there be sure to check out the Oscar statuette that Bette Davis won for her role in Jezebel (1939) and the Oscar awarded to the DuPont Film Manufacturing Corporation and Eastman Kodak Company in 1930/31 for super-sensitive panchromatic film. “Meet the Oscars, Chicago” exhibition will also have a display of Oscars in various stages of completion.

Where: The Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue.

Level 1 – Nordstrom Court

Admission is FREE.

Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10am-7pm; Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Admission is free.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Great $3 / 3 Box Deal on Gevalia Coffee + Coffee Mug!

We like our morning coffee here at Free Things to Do in Chicago so when we heard about this great low-cost deal for all the coffee lovers in Chicago, we wanted to tell you straight away.  You can get three 8 oz boxes of premium Gevalia coffee, including shipping & a travel mug, for only $3. (or pick teas – they are available too!).   We have tasted this coffee and it is good! Read more

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