Ready, set, go! A guide to Memorial Day festivities in 2022

Chicago’s Memorial Day events should be virtually back to normal this May following the past two years of the pandemic. Windy City residents can finally celebrate the holiday as they please—whether enjoying an event-packed weekend or planning a peaceful outing with friends and family. 

The city’s biggest event is the Memorial Day Parade, one of the nation’s largest, kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 28, at Daley Plaza with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Eternal Flame. And for those who just want to relax, Chicago’s beaches will officially reopen as well.

Navy Pier is a popular Memorial Day weekend destination. With fireworks on May 28, and multiple live music performances, it can be a busy place. North Avenue Beach, Oak Street Beach and Ohio Street Beach are all excellent places to watch the fireworks.

And there are indoor options should the weather prove uncooperative. A patriotic choice is a visit to the Pritzker Military Museum and Library to learn more about our military past, present and future. Or, just for fun, sign up to meet a live penguin at the Shedd Aquarium. Music fans can enjoy a limited performance at the Cadillac Palace Theater: “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg—The Life and Times of the Temptations.”

If partying is your scene, there are Memorial Day booze cruises galore on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The other unique boat tours and dining cruises will be fully operative as well, and numerous rooftop bars and beer gardens throughout the city provide lively opportunities to celebrate.

If you’re looking for more local activities over the Memorial Day weekend, join the Belmont and Sheffield Music Festival in Lakeview, the Suenos Music Festival at Grant Park or the Mole de Mayo Festival in Pilsen. The Armour Square neighborhood, home of Guaranteed Rate Field, will be hopping over the Memorial Day weekend as well with the CrossTown Classic between the Cubs and the White Sox in full swing.

There are many gardens to both enjoy and picnic at throughout Chicago. One favorite is the Grant Park Rose Garden, just steps away from Buckingham Fountain. The always popular Garfield Park Conservatory on Chicago’s West Side, one of the largest of its kind, is a great place to visit, free of charge. Another option is the 65-acre South Shore Cultural Center, where you can pull out the picnic blanket near the manicured formal gardens. 

It’s also a good weekend to do a tour and view holiday festivities from Chicago’s Hop-on Hop-Off Open Bus, take a Lakefront Segway tour or rent a kayak and paddle past Chicago’s Riverwalk celebrations.

Create the perfect picnic

The perfect picnic is of course in the eye of the beholder. Everyone might agree that a blanket, rain gear, bug spray and sunscreen could be considered as staples.  Beginning your picnic plans might start with a foolproof checklist for when the event rolls around.

Food and decorations are also largely in the eye of the beholder. Paper products make life easier if that’s what you’re looking for, and many choose a red, white and blue theme in honor of our veterans. But the picnic ultimately comes down to the food.

Nowadays, it is simple to Google creative and savvy recipes geared specifically for the Memorial Day holiday. If not inspired to go that route, many choose homemade recipes, perhaps handed down through the ages, with a myriad of salad ideas, appetizers, desserts—homemade anything and everything.

If you’re not feeling overly motivated, as we all know, grocery stores have changed. One might wander in and around the premade deli section and wonder, “Can I really top this potato salad by making it from scratch?”

There’s also the combination platter approach: trendy “foodie” items, homemade family items, premade items, and if all else fails there’s never anything wrong with leftover cold pizza, fried chicken and beer.