Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, a three-day weekend providing plenty of opportunities to make the most of the nice weather. You can take advantage of the beginning of Chicago’s festival season with celebrations devoted to wings, beer or mole, dig into platters of barbecue or sip frozen cocktails on a rooftop. There are also restaurants getting patriotic with red, white and blue specials and discounts for members of the military. These 24 celebrations offer plenty of options to enjoy the holiday.
The Loop and Near North Side
Cindy’s Rooftop
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Listen to tunes from DJ Jay iLLa and take in the skyline views from atop the Chicago Athletic Association during a Night Brunch featuring chilaquiles ($27), chicken and waffles ($28), and chilled king crab and lobster salad ($36). 6-10 p.m. Monday. 12 S. Michigan Ave., 312-792-3502, cindysrooftop.com
The Gage
Get the flavors of a backyard celebration without the work when you order a hickory-smoked barbecue plate featuring a half slab of baby back ribs, beef brisket, sweet corn, rainbow slaw and Texas toast ($36), a blueberry cobbler big enough to serve two to four ($16) and Lake House Punch made with rum, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberry, mint and crushed ice ($12). 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday. 24 S. Michigan Ave., 312-372-4243, thegagechicago.com
RPM Seafood
Welcome summer with an all-you-can-eat seafood boil featuring blue crab, shrimp, sliced sausage, potatoes and roasted corn paired with white and rosé wines. The menu includes caviar deviled eggs, mini lobster rolls and a welcome limoncello or Aperol spritz. $175. 1 p.m. Monday. 317 N. Clark St., 312-900-9035, rpmrestaurants.com/rpm-seafood-chicago
SPIN
Kids can play pingpong matches while snacking on cheese pizzas or a pair of corn dogs with fries (both $10) along with a $2 soda. 2-6 p.m. Saturday. 344 N. State St. 773-635-9999, wearespin.com
STK
Indulge patriotically throughout the weekend with a $20 red, white and blue steak topping featuring a lobster tail with crispy blue corn tortilla and garlic cream sauce. Veterans, reservists, gold star families and active duty military receive a 20% discount on all food. 9 W. Kinzie St., 312-340-5636, stksteakhouse.com
Venteux
Executive chef Marcel Heiduk puts a French spin on the Chicago dog by serving a Toulouse sausage with charred leek dijonaise, mustard, cornichon relish and halved cherry tomatoes on a poppy seed bun with a side of fries for $22 Saturday through Monday. 224 N. Michigan Ave., 312-777-9003, venteuxchicago.com
North Side and Northwest Side
Avenue Tap & Kitchen
The Lakeview bar opens at 11 a.m. Monday to offer $18 pitchers of sangria in addition to its usual 50-cent wings and $5 Modelo specials for the day. 3407 N. Paulina Ave., 773-871-1200, avenuetapchicago.com
Cody’s Public House
The dog-friendly bar hosts a happy hour featuring $6 bomb pop shots, $7 John Dalys and $25 Surfside iced tea and lemonade buckets plus free shirt tie-dying. 3-6 p.m. Monday. 1658 W. Barry Ave., 773-799-8217, codyschicago.com
Country Club
The Wrigleyville bar makes the most of the three-day weekend by offering $5 Chicago dogs with fries in addition to its regular Sunday specials: $10 Coors Light pitchers, $6 Jameson shots, $10 burgers with fries and a 50% restaurant industry discount. 3462 N. Clark St., 773-975-2010, thecountryclubchicago.com
Kirkwood
The sports bar hosts a pre-Memorial Day party at 11 a.m. Sunday featuring $7 Bud Light and Miller Lite stadium cups and $8 green tea shots with a DJ at 9 p.m. The beer special will also be offered Monday, when the bar opens at 3 p.m. 2934 N. Sheffield Ave., 773-770-0700, kirkwoodbar.com
Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club
Catch a drag performance from Melony Munro during a two-course dinner including a Caesar salad and a choice of entree plus bottomless bellinis, sangria and martinis. $64. 6-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 3700 N. Halsted St., 773-525-1111, kitkatchicago.com
Lark
The Northalsted bar celebrates Britney Spears all weekend with drag brunches including a sweet starter, a choice of entree and bottomless mimosas, bellinis, sangria and bloody marys from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come at 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday for karaoke. 3441 N. Halsted St. 773-799-8968, larkchicago.com
Le Sud
Chef William Lara offers an Australian lamb chop with rosemary-roasted root vegetables and fig glaze ($45) as a special Friday through Sunday in addition to the regular menu. 2301 W. Roscoe St., 773-857-1985, lesudchicago.com
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Lottie’s Pub
Get all the supplies you need to tie-dye a shirt at a party featuring $25 Surfside tea and lemonade buckets, $5 mimosas, $7 bloody marys and a $10 burger topped with fried egg, bacon and cheddar. Noon to 3 p.m. Monday. 1925 W. Cortland St., 773-489-0738, lottiespub.com
Mayfestiversary
The eighth annual bash hosted by Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery features special beer tappings, food trucks, pop-ups and live music from The Jolly Ringwalds and Yacht Rock-ettes. A $5 suggested donation benefits local food pantry The Friendship Center. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Ravenswood and Belle Plaine avenues, mayfestiversary.com
WingOut Chicago at Gallagher Way
Spice up your celebration at the annual festival, where you can try dozens of varieties of chicken wings from restaurants, including Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap, Bub City and Woodie’s Flat, and vote for your favorite to be crowned the Wing King. The bash also features live music, drink vendors and games. $20-$25. 2-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 3635 N. Clark St. wingout.greencurtainevents.com
West Side and Near West Side
Aba
Soak up some sun at a rooftop bash including appetizers, an Aperol spritz, a frozen Aperol cocktail, music from DJ Marvin Mentor, a photo booth and a raffle awarding dinner at the Fulton Market restaurant. $50. 3-6 p.m. Friday. 302 N. Green St., 773-645-1400, abarestaurants.com/chicago
Frontier
A wine and oyster brunch features $2 raw or chargrilled oysters (minimum order of six), $20 select bottles of wine, and $8 frosé. Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-772-4322, thefrontierchicago.com
Ina Mae Tavern
Feast on a pound and a half of boiled shrimp, corn and potatoes and punch for $39 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. The bash also features live music 1-4 p.m., $12 hurricanes and $9 palomas. 1415 N. Wood St., 773-360-8320, inamaetavern.com
Mac’s Wood Grilled
The Wicker Park bar opens at 11 a.m. all weekend to offer holiday specials, including $5 watermelon vodka mules and 3 Floyds vodka sodas, and $13 Chicago-style Polish sausages served with fries. 1801 W. Division St., 773-782-4400, macswoodgrilled.com
Punch Bowl Social
Make a reservation on Eventbrite to dine Friday through Monday and your table will get a free starter such as cauliflower nachos, charred eggplant dip or cilantro wings. Play some games and enjoy $9 margaritas throughout the weekend. 310 N. Green St., 312-809-9551, punchbowlsocial.com/location/chicago
Takito Kitchen
The Wicker Park restaurant is normally closed Mondays but for Memorial Day it will be offering 90 minutes of bottomless mimosas for $22 alongside its a la carte menu. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday. 2013 W. Division St., 773-687-9620, takitokitchen.com
South Side & Near South Side
Mole de Mayo Festival
Local chefs and restaurants compete to prepare the best mole at the annual Pilsen celebration, which also features an arts and crafts market, lucha libre wrestling and performances by Mariachi Sirenas, Rosalba Valdez and Simantikos Dance Chicago. A suggested donation of $5 or $10 per family benefits the Eighteenth Street Development Corp. 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. 1801 S. Ashland Ave., 312-733-2287, moledemayo.org
Suburban and multiple locations
Kona Grill
Celebrate throughout the weekend with a $13 red, white and blue margarita flight. Veterans, reservists, gold star families and active duty military receive a 20% discount on all food when they dine in. 3051 Butterfield Road, Oak Brook, 630-515-8395, konagrill.com
Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer.