Chinatown Lunar New Years Parade (Chicago) 3/2/2026

Yesterday (3/1/2026) I attended the lunar new year parade in Chicago's Chinatown. I had been wanting to go to this parade for years so, as I will soon be departing Chicago for Alaska, and won't be coming back for a good long while, I figured it was now or never.

had a wonderful time, the parade went on for about an hour and a half, and was full of Lion and dragon dancers, a few floats, and some school bands. I didn't find any of the dragon or lion dancers to be that impressive, but they were mostly quite young and still very fun to watch.

The parade was a little less of an event then I expected but I'm still very glad I went out to see it. One issue I did have was that they didn't put up any barriers on the sides of the sidewalk, and the onlookers trying to get a better look, kept encroaching on the parade, which it goes without saying can cause some major accidents. I'm happy to say though, no one I know of was injured.

Some of the people in the parade were handing things out, and one particular guy in the crowd next to me was trying really hard to get any of the items that were being given out. He tried to get something from one guy who said “it's for the kids” the guy trying to get things said "I'm a kid!” (he most certainly was not), so the man responded with “Yeah, kid rock” and I absolutely lost it.

So all in all great time, enjoyed it thoroughly, and I would recommend the parade to anyone looking to go next year.

Queen Mary Tavern (Chicago) 2/23/26

Last night me, my mother, her partner, and my boyfriend were deciding what to do with our evening. Drinks seemed like a good option, as we had just eaten dinner. “What kind of drinks? Beer, cocktails?” My Mother asked. Cocktails sounded good to us so my Mother suggested the “Queen Mary.”

Upon entry I was immediately hit with the wonderful smell of salty air, and rum spice. As I passed through the blue curtain by the door, I saw the bar was dark, lit by beautiful glass lamps hanging from the ceiling, the walls were lined with rum bottles, ship models, and other various naval paraphernalia. The atmosphere was immaculate except for one thing, the music. Indeed, despite the incredible marine atmosphere, the bar was playing rather generic club music.

Since we were a group we were brought to a booth, where we sat and talked for a bit. As it turned out it was the raw bar happy hour. Oysters by the half shell, and a few other smaller foods were available. We chose not to get any as we were all still full from dinner. I've never had a raw oyster and truthfully I am eager to try one, the only thing that's held me back is that I don't want to order a whole plate and not like them. Next time I'm certain I shall try at least one.

For our first round of drinks I had a glass of "Henriques & Henriques 15yr Boal Madeira”, Mom and her partner had the “Whiner ‘Curb Cutter’ Kölsch”, and my boyfriend had the “Near Dark” cocktail (Holms Kay Single Origin Edition Fiji Rum, Rhum La Favorite Blanc, Valdespino El Candado Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Apricot, Coffee). My Madeira was truly incredible. I do so love Madeira, it's my favorite kind of wine (followed closely by port). Boal is one of the four “noble” white grape varieties used to make madeira, and is a medium sweet grape. This particular wine ("Henriques & Henriques 15yr Boal Madeira) had notes of Molasses, orange, clove, and nutmeg.

I chose to have a second drink before we ended the night, the “Navy Strength Old Fashioned” (Hayman’s Royal Dock Navy Strength Gin, Smith & Cross Navy Strength Rum, Demerara, Angostura). For a spirit to be “Navy Strength” it must be 114 proof (57% ABV) so if a sailor spilled it on gunpowder the powder could still be lit. This made this cocktail truly delicious and delectably strong, heavily fronted by the spiced rum, complimented by the gin and angostura, and sweetened to perfection by the demerara.

The Queen Mary Tavern was a wonderful place to visit that I will certainly be returning to (next time for oysters), and I strongly suggest you try as well if you're in the area.