Get a head start on Mother's Day — which falls May 8 — by planning ahead with the various events Chicago has to offer. To match the special person in your life, local places like restaurants and spas are running specials of their own.
Here are some activities you can check out Mother's Day weekend:
Grab Brunch
The Duck Inn
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The fifth rendition of “Mommapalooza” will take over the gastro-tavern May 8. The celebration will offer a special menu for dine-in and take-out options, including smoked salmon and avocado toast.
Reservations can be made here.
Beatrix
Local
For enjoyment on the go, Beatrix will offer take-out packages loaded with scrambled eggs, lobster and crab enchiladas, fruit and more May 8. Cinnamon roll and mimosa add-on kits will be available for purchase, too.
Reservations can be made here.
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba
The Lincoln Park tapas restaurant will host brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 8, with table-side gifts up for grabs. Bouquets, candles or seed paper cards from local florist Southside Blooms will be available for purchase.
Reservations can be made here.
Aba
Fulton Market District’s Mediterranean restaurant will run a special for the holiday, with spring frittata with crab, English peas and shaved asparagus on the menu for brunch. Passion fruit gin and tonics and an exclusive bottle of Miraval Rosé can be ordered from the drink menu.
Reservations can be made here.
Tanta
Tanta will serve a Peruvian-inspired brunch buffet for its Mother’s Day special. An entree will be accompanied by five stations, which include cebiche, causa and salad, anticucho, empanada and dessert.
Reservations can be made here.
Relax With a Spa Treatment
Aire Ancient Baths draws from traditions of Greek and Roman bath houses. The River West spa offers indoor and outdoor baths, as well as massages.
For Mother’s Day, the spa will run a gift box special. The first 100 gift box purchases will receive a complimentary hydrating face mask, according to the website.
Reservations can be made here.
Take a Painting Class
Bottle & Bottega’s South Loop studio is inviting duos for a two-hour painting session with drinks.
Guests will get the chance to paint a “Mom and Me Mermaid” on May 7, and a “Mommy and Me at the Lake” set May 8. Guests can bring their own food and drinks to enjoy.
Reservations for May 7 can be made here, and reservations for May 8 can be made here.
Cruise on Lake Michigan
City Experiences will host a brunch on the lake. Buffets, classic cocktails and city views will be in store inside the climate-controlled interior.
Onboard entertainment, a cash bar and unlimited tea and coffee will round out the two-hour experience.
Reservations can be made here.
Catch a Cubs Game
The Chicago Cubs will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 8 at Wrigley Field.
Tickets can be purchased here. Exclusive suits with food and beverages included also are available.
Check Out Various Flower Conservatories
While April showers bring May flowers, two Chicago conservatories are showcasing the blooms a bit earlier.
Garfield Park Conservatory's spring flower show "Knock Knock" features a collection of vintage doors hanging above arrangements of tulips, hydrangeas, daffodils and hyacinth. An abundance of knock-knock jokes can be expected, according to the website. Tickets are available here.
Lincoln Park Conservatory's spring flower show "Pillars of Spring" displays over a dozen freestanding pillars covered geraniums, nemesias, snapdragons, fuschias and more. Tickets are available here.
Head to One of The Biggest Scavenger Hunts in The Area
Since 1987, the University of Chicago has hosted an annual scavenger hunt that spans four days. The hunt typically includes a list of items and events like a blood drive, a road trip and more, according to its website. The hunt will start May 4 and end Mother's Day.
For more information, click here.
