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1. Clink glasses at a rum festival

Daiquiri fans, unite. The second annual Midwest Rum Festival hits Bottom Lounge this weekend with more than 20 distilleries on hand pouring samples and talking shop. There’s an industry session and a tiki after-party with a cash bar, but we’re most interested in the three-hour “rum aficionado” session, which has tastings, cocktail-making demos and more. Participants include Caliche, Don Q, Rhum Clement, Rhum J.M and Tailwinds, a small distillery in Illinois. $70 through April 29; $90 otherwise. 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake St., www.midwestrumfest.com

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2. Party with Art Smith

Chef Art Smith, right, pictured with husband Jesus Salguerio, hosts a patio party on Saturday.
Chef Art Smith, right, pictured with husband Jesus Salguerio, hosts a patio party on Saturday.

Chef Art Smith, the former owner of Table Fifty-Two, hosts a preview of his new restaurant, Blue Door Kitchen & Garden, at a farmers market party. Hang out on the Blue Door patio sampling salads, beignets, cafes au lait and peppercorn bloody Marys while shopping produce and more from Growing Power, Green Acres, MightyVine and other local farms. Smith will give signed cookbooks to the first 100 guests. Free. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at Blue Door Kitchen & Garden, 52 W. Elm St.

This party is in celebration of Chicago hosting the James Beard Foundation Awards. For more JBFA events, see our full list.

3. Learn “Downton Abbey” dinner etiquette

Francine Segan, a frequent Food Network and History Channel contributor, hosts a seminar about dinner etiquette during the “Downton Abbey” era.

Culinary historian Francine Segan, a regular on Food Network and the History Channel, presents a discussion of dinner etiquette, elegant parties and the elaborate dishes served during the time period of “Downton Abbey.” Learn popular toasts of the era while nibbling on caviar. $45. 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 30 at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, 40 E. Erie St., www.driehausmuseum.org.

4. Be the first customer at Nando’s

For two days, the new Oak Park Nando's is donating all of its sales to a local high school.
For two days, the new Oak Park Nando’s is donating all of its sales to a local high school.

Nando’s PERi-PERi, the international flame-grilled-chicken chain with locations in the Loop, the West Loop, Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Naperville, opens in Oak Park on Saturday. Throughout opening weekend, the restaurant will donate 100 percent of sales to college-prep programs at The Oak Park and River Forest High School. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, April 30; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 1 at Nando’s PERi-PERi, 1138 Lake St., Oak Park, www.nandosperiperi.com.

5. Road trip for a beer fest

Sample beers from all over the country at Destination Kohler's beer festival.
Sample beers from all over the country at Destination Kohler’s beer festival.

AAA Five Diamond resort Destination Kohler in Kohler, Wis. — just a few hours drive from Chicago — hosts its eighth annual Kohler Festival of Beer. Brewmasters from around the country gather with beer enthusiasts for tastings, food pairings, seminars on everything from home brewing to cooking with beer, a college kegger theme party and a beer 5K. Events priced individually. April 29-May 1, www.destinationkohler.com.

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