Chicago Cinco de Mayo Events
Cinco de Mayo fiestas.
OK, so technically it’s not Mexico’s Independence Day (that’s in September), but Cinco de Mayo is no less reason to celebrate. Fiesta the day away at one of these hot spots, offering Mexican-themed deals throughout the day (all events on Tuesday, May 5, unless otherwise noted).
Nacional 27
6-9 p.m.; buy tickets here
Nacional 27 is offering a $27 “ultimate party package” that includes margaritas, sangria, passed tapas and dancing to the beats of DJ George Perez.
Carnivale
May 5-6
On Tuesday, Carnivale celebrates Cinco de Mayo with $5 guacamole, five specialty margaritas ($8.50-$12), $5 valet, $5 Mexican beers (Pacifico and Negro Modelo) and other Mexican-themed food specials like posole, tacos de lengua and flan. Keep the fiesta going on Wednesday with Margaritas 101, a hands-on class taught by Carnivale mixologist Victor Beheza (6:30-8:30 p.m.; $25).
Zocalo
5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Zocalo celebrates Cinco de Mayo with a cinco dolar ($5) menu: $5 margaritas, $5 chef’s choice taco bar and half-off all appetizers in the bar from 5-7 p.m.; $5 shots of Cuervo Traditional, Cuervo Silver and Cuervo Flavors. Zocalo will host raffles all night, and a DJ will spin beginning at 6 p.m.
Twisted Lizard
11 a.m.?midnight
The lively Lincoln Park restaurant is celebrating Cinco de Mayo with its famous El Jimador margaritas for $6, along with live mariachi band music.
Smoke Daddy
11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Enjoy $2 Corona and Corona Light bottles, in addition to $5 nachos (two layers of tortilla chips, pulled pork, chicken or brisket, Division Street chili, monterey jack cheese, sharp cheddar, white onion, tomatoes, cilantro and Smoke Daddy’s famous BBQ sauce) and BBQ Smoked Chicken Enchiladas with coleslaw and fries, $10. Beginning at 9 p.m., Nigel Mack will rock the stage with free tunes.
Dunlays on the Square
Sip $2 Pacificos and $5 margaritas while enjoying Mexican-themed specials, such as fish tacos ($12), steak tacos ($10), guacamole and chips ($8) and ceviche ($9). A $7 Don Julio premium tequila flight will also be featured. Tuesday’s 20 wine bottles for $20 promotion will also be valid.
O’Donovan’s
Food specials, available from 4-10 p.m., include queso fundido, chipotle shrimp with tequila cocktail sauce, Acapulco salad, frisee salad with chorizo and roasted garlic, and Caramel Flan for dessert. Drink specials, served all day, include Milagro shots ($4), margaritas and frozen margaritas ($5-$7), micheladas (Dos Equis on the rocks with lots of lime, dash of Bloody Mary spice and a salted rim, $5) and homemade horchata ($3, or $6 with tequila).
Park 52
5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Drink $3 Coronas to go with an appetizer/cocktail combo: the chicken quesadilla with roasted salsa and a Jose Cuervo Margarita on the rocks for $15.
Moonshine
6-9 p.m.
Celebrate “Cinco de Moonshine” with a traditional live mariachi band as well as the Las Chicas Cazadores. Enjoy $7 fiesta nachos and $2 steak tacos, along with a variety of tempting Cazadores margaritas. All-day drink specials will include $5 Cinco de Moonshine margaritas, $6 green-eyed Mexican margaritas, $6 El Toro margaritas, made with fresh strawberries, $20 Cazadores margarita pitchers (all flavors) and $3 Corona and Corona Lights.
She-nannigans and The Original Mother’s
May 2, 3 p.m.; May 5, 7 p.m., $8, buy tickets here
The Fifth Annual “Cinco Divison” kicks off on May 2 at She-Nannigan’s, with Dickey Pimpkins and a special guest performing live. This free show will jump-start Division Street as partygoers enjoy $4.50 Corona and Corona Light and $5 shots of Sauza Tequila. Throughout the event, roaming Mariachis on unicycles will amaze and entertain everyone at all the famous pubs and clubs on the strip. Then come to The Original Mother’s on May 5 for live performances from the Blink-182 tribute band, Blank 281, and the evening’s headliner, Smoking Popes. $4.50 Corona and Corona Light and $5 shots of Sauza Tequila will be featured all day and night.
Rockit Bar & Grill
Executive chef James Gottwald will give guests his spin on Mexican classics, including a pizza with chorizo, roasted bell peppers, diced tomatoes, green onion and pepper jack cheese ($12) and soft tortillas with chicken and pico de gallo ($14). If your celebrations generally include more alcohol than food, you can stock up on $2 Tecate and $5 Ranch Margaritas (Sauza, Cointreau, orange juice, sour, lime juice).
Bull & Bear
The financial district hot spot will offer authentic freshly made chili rellenos, to wild twists on old favorites, like wild boar tacos, with $5 Sauza margaritas to help wash it down.
Timothy O’Toole’s
Timothy O’Toole’s Irish Pub Chicago will celebrate Cinco “O’ Mayo” with $4 Dos Equis draft beers and $18 Corona/Corona Light/Pacifico mix n’ match buckets, which include Chef Sean O’Brien’s chips and salsa (with bucket purchase). Corona Beer gets patrons in the summer spirit as they host a Cinco de Mayo event from 6-8 p.m. Corona will raffle off a “Beach Package” that includes beach chairs with cooler, beach ball, towels and more.
Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club
5:30 p.m.-2 a.m.
Kit Kat’s mixologists will shake up half-price margaritas and martinis, while Chef Matt Stovey serves an array of Mexican-influenced dinner specials. Kit Kat will serve tequila samplings and award $500 worth of raffle prizes and giveaways, courtesy of Hornitos Tequila. The “Divas” will perform throughout the night beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Joey’s Brickhouse
Call (773) 296-1300 for reservations
Co-owners Joey and Greg Morelli promise a real fiesta. In addition to the regular menu, specialties include: tableside guacamole made by Joey; flaming Mexican cheese with tortilla crackers; veggie southwest gazpacho with chipotle, poblano chilies, lime and cilantro. Top it off with Ibarra chocolate mousse with drunken berries.
Kohan
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with all day drink specials and themed signature rolls, including $3 Coronas, $5 mai tais and rolls like the Mexico City (tomato over tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, cilantro, and jalapeno with wasabi mayo & lime juice; $14) and sombrero roll (baked salmon over a crab meat with tangy ponzu sauce; $14).
Arrowhead Restaurant and Bar
Arrowhead will be featuring Hispanic cuisine and beverages specials throughout the day, all with a $5 theme, including a margarita bar and an all-you-can-eat taco bar.
Stretch Run
Enjoy $3.50 Coronas, $5 margaritas and $3 tequila shooters all day. And guests who visit between 5 and 7 p.m. will receive a “mystery envelope” from one of the Corona Girls. Each envelope will contain a betting voucher worth up to $100, as well as other prizes.
Citizen Bar
The River North bar opens up its new patio on Friday, May 1. Celebrate the introduction of fresh air to your drinking routine on Tuesday with $15 buckets of Corona and Corona Light, $3 Sauza tequila and free chips and salsa.
Red Bar
Starts at 4 p.m.; for reservations, call (847) 696-1234, ext. 6545
The Hyatt Regency O’Hare’s hotel lounge will feature steak tacos for $12, chips and salsa with guacamole for $5.00 and Corona beer buckets ($20 for five bottles.) Red Bar will also serve the Mexi-tini, a delicious cocktail with orange vodka, orange juice and Reposado Tequila ($7), and the Paloma, a citrusy blend of Blanco Tequila, grapefruit and lime juices, and Sierra Mist ($6). Free valet parking is offered.
Kroll’s South Loop
The Corona Girls (don’t act like you don’t know) will be on hand Tuesday, offering chances to win Corona’s “Get Ready for Summer” beach pacakge, which will include beach chairs, coolers, beach balls and other summer gear. Even if you don’t win, you win with $2 bottles of Corona, Corona Light and Pacifico, $4 shots of Jose Cuervo Silver and chicken mojo and quesadilla specials.
Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!
Guy’s Night Out. 30 cent jumbo wings, $4 craft bottles, $10 Miller Lite pitchers
Oscar Night Outings
Get your acceptance speech ready at one of these Chicago Oscars parties.
Even if you’re not walking the red carpet, the Oscars can still be a special night. Whether you want to get all dressed up for a benefit event, or enjoy a low-key party with fellow film fanatics, we’ve found some parties that are well worth the ticket price.
Gene Siskel Film Center
The Siskel Center hosts the only offical Oscar party in town; it’s sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Pictures and requires what’s being called “business attire or awards glam” for all its patrons, which means come right from work or feel free to get decked out to the nines. Hollywood would be proud. The broadcast, which will be shown in full HD glory at the center, starts at 7 p.m., but the gala kicks off at 6 p.m. and goes all the way to midnight. A silent auction will run through the evening and prizes will be raffled. The price of admission ($150) gets you a full buffet as well as bar, and you get to take home the same program you’ll be seeing in the hands of all the actual Oscar-goers up on screen.
Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club
All your red-carpet viewing desires will be fulfilled at Lakeview’s Kit Kat Lounge, where the party kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and continues until the Best Picture envelope is opened. Hosting the party will be resident diva Candi Stratton, who will be hosting as Cher and performing during the commercial breaks. Just to sweeten the deal, Kit Kat will have four gold-painted, Oscar-esque male models strutting on the lounge’s red carpet and serving complimentary samples of St. Germain liqueur. A special tapas menu will be served, and the first 50 guests to the lounge will receive special Oscar-themed gift bags courtesy of St. Germain.
The Chopping Block
Sometimes you just want to stay home and chill out with friends, watch the big show and maybe chow down on some good homemade food. Thankfully the folks at The Chopping Block have taken the thought and indecision out of the menu selection (do I serve Slumdog Millionaire samosas or gumbo for Benjamin Button taking place in New Orleans? Decisions, decisions) and re-created their monthly class schedule in honor of some of Hollywood’s biggest hits.
Sign up for classes like “As Good As It Grits,” “It’s a Wonderful Knife” and “Under a Tuscan Sun” to hone your culinary skills for a home-based bash. The Chopping Block will also have movie-themed displays at both locations, and Hollywood-style discounts to leave you with enough cash for the actual party.
Tapas Valencia
In conjunction with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Associate Board, Chicago Magazine and Tapas Valencia will be having a “Dark Knight” on February 22. The relocated suburban tapas favorite will be celebrating its recent opening with an Oscar viewing party as a benefit for JDRF. Plenty of TVs will be on site to make sure you don’t miss a single statue presentation (go Heath!), plus there will be a red-carpet entrance for everyone attending, specialty drinks and a full tapas menu. In addition, a silent auction to support JDRF will run all night, and prizes will be up for grabs for the best-dressed attendee. Tickets are $50 in advance and $55 at the door.
Center on Halsted
The black-tie events continue at Center on Halsted, Chicago’s center for the LGBT community. Starting at 6 p.m., attendees will fight their way across the red carpet through the paparazzi to the Billie Jean King auditorium, which will be the site for the Center’s annual viewing party. Wine will flow and hors d’oeuvres will be passed, raffles will be held and silent auction goods will be up for grabs. If you want to celebrate in style, be prepared to drop a pretty penny; a “celebrity table” for eight runs $1,500 and garners you special placement for watching the show, as well as raffle tickets and champagne on hand. Not ready to make that kind of commitment? Tickets start at $75 and will get you a raffle ticket as well, which could result in you being whisked off on a trip for two to Hollywood.
Hollywood Blvd. Cinema
Looking for a gala charity event without the hassle of the gown and the red-carpet glitz? You’re free to black-tie it up as much as you want at Hollywood Boulevard’s Viewing Party for the Academy Awards, benefitting the Illinois Variety Charity. A requested donation of $25 gains you entry to the event, starting at 6 p.m. with a champagne and appetizer reception. A silent auction will be running all night and the theater, known for offering food and a full bar with its films, will provide at-your-seat service throughout the entire viewing party. Keep track of your picks while ordering buckets of beer and entrees right to where you’re watching on the big screen.
Garrett Ripley’s
Known as one of River North’s finest upscale taverns, Garrett Ripley’s is throwing an Oscar party anyone can enjoy. Watch the ceremony and predict the winners while sipping on $7 Oscar martinis. If you have the most correct guesses, you could win tickets to any of the nominated movies you may have missed. Other drink specials include $5 bloody marys and mimosas, and $2.50 domestic bottled beer.
HUB 51
Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper hosts this party that promises brushes with local celebrities and media personalities. Your $125 ticket includes cocktails, a “lavish” buffet, valet parking and assorted contests and raffles. A portion of the proceeds go to the Columbia College film scholarship fund, so you’ll even be giving back to the local film community.
Stretch Run
Here’s an Oscar party that critics and audiences both can enjoy. You’ll be greeted with a walk on the red carpet before entering this River North spot, which offers 240 TVs to watch the actions. Once the ceremony has started, enjoy Oscar-themed food specials including the “Oscar Dog” (a bacon-wrapped beef dog with onion rings, sauerkraut, relish and nacho rings). Or try the “Best Supporting Grouper” (a grilled grouper sandwich served on a toasted ciabatta roll with remoulade sauce). Drink specials include $5 drinks dedicated to this year’s best picture nominees. The “Hair of the Slumdog” is a mixture of Malibu Rum, Stoli raspberry vodka and Sierra Mist, while the “Frosty Nixon” is vodka, Kahlua and cream served over ice in a rocks glass.
Brasserie Jo
Who said A-listers are the only ones allowed to celebrate Oscar night in style? This French restaurant in River North is a lot classier than most diners or pubs. Oscar night at Brasserie Jo includes watching all the glamour on a flat screen television in their bar while munching on complimentary Tarte Flambees.
Cityscape Bar
If the ceremony gets a little too long and predictable, there’s always something else to stare at in this downtown bar. Located off the 15th floor lobby of the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, Cityscape Bar boasts one of the best views of the city. While there, enjoy sipping on “drink like the stars” martinis such as the “Red Carpet” ($7) and “The Envelope Please…” martini ($7).
Kohan
If you’re in the mood for Japanese food come Oscar night, Kohan may be the place for you. Enjoy the “Red Carpet Roll” (spicy tuna over a spicy scallop roll with ponzu sauce) while washing it all down with an “Oscar-tini” (wasabe sake infused vodka, soju, triple sec, cranberry juice, tangerine and lime juice).
La Madia
Celebrate movies’ biggest night at this upscale River North pizzeria. La Madia’s sleek bar and lounge is the perfect setting to enjoy a nice cocktail or their “Melegrana Spritz” (a blend of fresh pomegranate juice and puree, syrup, and proscecco).
Lincolnshire Marriott Resort
Little City Foundation’s hosts a Night on the Red Carpet at the Lincolnshire Marriott. The evening’s festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a “Red Carpet Review,” where guests will be interviewed by a Joan Rivers lookalike and have their pictures taken by paparazzi. Inside, everyone will be treated to dinner and a chance to win prizes by picking the Oscar winners. Guests also will have the chance to bid on silent auction items. Tickets cost $150 and can be purchased by calling (847) 221-7892 or at Little City’s website. Harry Caray’s Tavern
Make the best Oscar picks and earn a $100 gift certificate while watching on Wrigleyville’s largest HD screen. Enjoy a selection of classic cocktails including Tom Collins and Manhattans, as well as Oscar-themed martinis for $5. Guests can also enjoy VIP treatment with free appetizers, and can order from the full menu as well. The party starts at 6:30 p.m.
Halsted’s Bar & Grill
You can get your party started early in Lakeview, as Halsted’s will be showing the red carpet arrivals all afternoon. You can watch on any of the 12 flat-screens around the bar while enjoying specials like $4 22-ounce drafts of Bud Light, $3 screwdrivers and $3 mimosas.
Bull & Bear
You can pretend like you’re at home at this new River North haunt, if you’re able to secure one of the tables with self-serve beer taps (reservations recommended, as they fill up fast). Even if you can’t get one of those seats, it should still be a fun event. Beginning at 5 p.m., guests can fill out their own ballots (prizes will be awarded). There will also be gift bags to salons and spas (worth up to $300) and a complimentary glass of champagne for each patron.
Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!
Half-price appetizers
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