If someone offered you $100 to jump into Lake Michigan in frigid March, would you do it? Last year, more than 1,200 crazy people took the cash and went for a wintertime dip in Chicago's North Avenue Beach for the Polar Plunge, the main fund-raising event for Special Olympics Chicago.

Those who want to test the waters and help a good cause can put on their bathing suits and head to the lake on March 7 at 9 a.m. for the 10th annual Polar Plunge. The event works similar to a walkathon. Polar Plungers have to raise at least $100 in donations, but instead of walking a certain amount of miles, they have to brave the cold-as-hell water.]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-03-05T09:05:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/2/23/31353/3567

Foodies can get ready to eat their way through the Windy City. The third annual Chicago Restaurant Week runs through February 28, and more than 170 restaurants are offering three-course lunches for $22 or dinners for $32. It's the perfect excuse to eat out for the rest of the week. Just be sure to check with the individual restaurants, since some are offering the deals for either lunch or dinner, not both.

Find out our top five picks for Restaurant Week after the jump.]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-02-23T09:30:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/2/4/35518/26048

Chicago is trying to prevent people from hibernating this winter by enticing them to boogie on down at the new Chicago Winter Dance Festival, which debuts this month at Millennium Park. Best of all, you can shake it for free.

Modeled after the city's super-popular SummerDance series, the month-long festival offers an hour of dance lessons and time afterward to work your new skills. But the festival will add another perk by allowing you to show off your moves at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink with skating lessons, ice dancing demonstrations and nighttime themed ice parties.]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-02-04T15:55:21-05:00 41.8821051 -87.622957 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/8/233157/678

The Windy City picked a perfect time to open Chicago French Market, the city's first indoor market that's open all year long, since the snowy, brrr-inducing winter weather doesn't really inspire you to go out and hit Michigan Avenue for shopping.

Housed in the West Loop's new MetraMarket, which is conveniently located in the Ogilvie Transportation Center, the European-inspired market offers products from local artisans, farmers and purveyors, primarily gourmet food and wine.]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-12-09T09:39:40-05:00 41.8840864 -87.641226 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/17/211536/15

Obviously, the biggest Turkey Day festivities happen in New York City, but a good second option is Chicago's 76th annual McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade. The name doesn't carry the panache that Macy's does, but it's probably the country's second-most-famous parade to see gargantuan balloons, floats, marching bands and numerous performers.

Dress warmly and go to iconic State Street early to get a head up on the 400,000 spectators expected to attend. The action steps off at Congress Avenue from at 8 a.m. and heads north, ending at Randolph Street at 11 a.m. We recommend snagging a spot in front of Macy's on State Street. It'll be crowded, since it's the parade end point, but it's also the spot where all of the dancers and other acts stop to perform. You could also shell out $50 for the VIP treatment, which allows you to see the first-hour performances live with television zone seating, a continental breakfast and VIP-only restrooms.]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-11-18T11:28:56-05:00 41.7564109 -87.624703 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/11/22546/003

After winning Bravo's first Top Chef Masters, Rick Bayless didn't sit around resting on his 27-ingredient mole. Instead, he went to work and recently opened Xoco (pronounced "Shoh-koh"), Mexican slang for "little sister." It's a fitting name, since the Mexican street food restaurant sits next to its upscale big sisters, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, in Chicago's River North 'hood.

The line to get in the no-reservations restaurant is out the door for lunch and dinner, so we decided to avoid the crowds and get some breakfast chow. It was a good decision, since there weren't too many people there and we didn't have a problem snagging our own table in the 40-seat cafe, which has mostly bar-like seating.

We experience the flavor, after the jump. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-11-11T09:14:25-05:00 41.8902380 -87.631135 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/6/9158/91741

The London Guarantee Building is the tour’s starting point.

In this craptastic economy, you may not have the extra bucks to buy one of those expensive tours where a guide shows you the ins and outs of a city. So we decided to try out a recession-friendly, iPod self-walking "Loop to Loop" tour of Chicago. And it's totally FREE.

Just visit the Chicago Loop Alliance's website and decide whether you want to take a theater, an art or a landmarks tour; we opted for the latter, which takes you throughout the Loop. Download the appropriate tour and add it to your iPod. But for a seamless experience you will have to do some work. The site provides you with a map of all of the landmarks, but it just lists the names of the buildings. We recommend writing down all of addresses so that you know where the heck you’re going. Click on all 23 landmark points on the website to get the addresses. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-11-06T09:14:23-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/