There is plenty to see and do in Evanston and Chicago during inauguration week. And, closer to campus, there are several tours you can take to learn more about Northwestern.
Are you visiting from out of town during Northwestern’s presidential inauguration week? Are you looking for a fun group activity for family and friends?
In between official inauguration events, which kick off Tuesday, May 30, you can explore Evanston and Chicago to take in art exhibitions, local theater, tasty restaurants and baseball on both sides of town.
Northwestern Now has curated a brief list to give you some inspiration along the way.
Northwestern tours
Explore the Northwestern campus at your own speed through a series of tours.
Old Town on Chicago’s Near North Side has tree-lined streets, pubs, boutiques and the Second City comedy club.
Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood
10 a.m., Saturday, June 3, Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago; admission fee required
On this walking tour of historic Old Town, learn stories about the city’s recovery after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and how the neighborhood became a cultural focal point in the 1960s and ’70s.
On May 31, the Cubs host Tampa Bay at Wrigley Field while the White Sox host Los Angeles.
White Sox and Cubs
1:10 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels, Guaranteed Rate Field; and 1:20 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, Cubs vs. Tampa Bay Rays, Wrigley Field
There are big league games on both sides of town. The White Sox and Cubs are both hosting day games, so choose your allegiance and jump on the CTA Red Line.
Dazzling local theater
Various times, June 1–3, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie
Music Theater Works, a nonprofit theater company dedicated to inclusion and diversity, presents PIPPIN, a play “imaginatively presented through multiple revivals of a young person’s journey to self.”
VentureCat is Northwestern’s annual student startup competition.
Student entrepreneurs make their pitch
6 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, Kellogg Global Hub, 2211 Campus Drive, Evanston
VentureCat is Northwestern’s annual student startup competition when promising teams look to take their ventures to the next level. Watch them pitch their ideas and vie for more than $325,000 in prize money.
Cloudgate at Millennium Park in Chicago. Photo by Lance Anderson/Unsplash
‘The Bean,’ and more
Noon, Saturday, June 3, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street, Chicago, advanced registration required
This docent-led, 45-minute walking tour at Millennium Park will highlight seven iconic works of public art, including Cloud Gate, affectionally known as “the Bean.”
Fireworks over Navy Pier
10 p.m., Saturday, June 3, Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago
Head on down to Navy Pier and pick any spot you can find before the night sky — and skyline — explodes in color and light.
Check out the official Inauguration Visitors Guide to access a Google Map with the locations and websites for several other tips and ideas.
