Chicago’s Coronavirus Related Cancelled & Postponed Events
As you may be aware, Illinois has now recorded its 32nd 46th 93 coronavirus cases and earlier this week Governor J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and several high up city officials announced closures and postponements for events that attract large crowds as well as urging residents to take precautions through this crisis. According to this report, about 30% of the cases in Illinois are travel-associated while about 41% are a “contact” of a separate coronavirus case, according to IDPH. The remaining cases do not have a clear connection and could be the result of spread in the community. Following the World Health Organization’s categorization of this novel coronavirus as a pandemic, US president Donald Trump announced it was a national emergency. While this is not an encompassing list, we’ve listed below closures and postponements of events and institutions in the Chicagoland area due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
CANCELLED: The International Housewares Association The Inspired Home show scheduled to take place in Chicago from March 14-17 with the Housewares Charity gala scheduled for March 16 has been cancelled due to the ongoing threat of Covid-19 (Coronavirus). The Inspired Home Show 2021 will be held March 13-16 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Complex.
POSTPONED: Mayor Lightfoot announced the St. Patrick’s Day parade taking place in the Loop and Chicago River dyeing has been postponed; they will work with officials to possibly reschedule events for a later date. Old St. Pat’s Church’s first annual Shamrock’n the Block has also been postponed.
CANCELLED: Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at Pizzeria Portofino. South Side Irish Parade is cancelled.
CANCELLED: The Spring One of a Kind Show, scheduled for April 24 – 26 at theMART, has been cancelled. The health and safety of our exhibitors, attendees, staff and the community at large are our first priority. We have notified our 300 artists and makers who participate. Chicago’s iconic One of a Kind Show was started 20 years ago this December and became so popular that a Spring One of a Kind Show was added five years ago. Twice a year the show has connected hundreds of talented exhibiting artists and makers with tens of thousands of loyal and supportive attendees. While we will not be hosting a show this Spring, the need to support local artisans and makers remains important and we encourage you to connect with our One of a Kind Show artists online; please visit our online Artist locator for links. We look forward to bringing everyone together again for our Holiday show, December 3-6, 2020 and next year’s Spring show, April 23-25, 2021.
POSTPONED: Cornerstone Restaurant Group and Chef Bill Kim’s upcoming Ramenfest at Time Out Market has been postponed due to a number of circumstances, including guest chefs who planned to travel to participate in the event. The sixth annual event celebrating the beloved noodle, hosted with Star Events, was planned to take place March 29. The rescheduled date will be announced as soon as possible. Ticketholders have been notified and their tickets will be honored at the rescheduled date later this year, or they have been offered a full refund.
POSTPONED: Black Women’s Expo has been postponed due to the recent mandatory directive that all events with a projected attendance of 1,000 people or more must be canceled or postponed until May 1st. “While we are greatly disappointed, we understand the importance of keeping our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, participants and organizers of the Expo safe from potential exposure to the Coronavirus,” said BWE founder Merry Green.
TEMPORARY CLOSURE: The Art Institute of Chicago, will close for two weeks beginning on March 14 to thoroughly and thoughtfully respond to the escalating impact of COVID-19. We plan to reopen the museum on Saturday, March 28. All museum events—tours, lectures, performances, etc.—will remain on hiatus through April 10. We recognize that the situation is dynamic—and that the repercussions of the virus could be felt for some time. With that in mind, we are taking this opportunity to develop enhanced standards and protocols and are confident that we can meet the rigorous health and safety standards we are setting for ourselves in anticipation of our reopening. If you have already purchased tickets to visit the museum during this period of closure, the cost of your tickets will be refunded to the card on which you made the purchase within 10 business days.
POSTPONED: 2020 Chicago Beer Festival set to take place at the Field Museum March 14 has been postponed. Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to postpone the Chicago Beer Festival at the Field Museum to September 26, 2020. The safety and well being of our guests and vendors is our priority during this time. Tickets will be fully refunded today and tomorrow via Eventbrite. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused, but this is obviously not the ideal situation.
POSTPONED: Common Threads Chef Takeover 10th anniversary celebration scheduled for Monday March 16 at Zhou B Art Center postponed until further notice. As a result of concerns related to coronavirus COVID-19, Common Threads has decided to reschedule its Chef Takeover event scheduled for March 16 in Chicago. As an organization that was founded on the principle of creating a safe, healthy place to break bread, we feel this is the best decision for our attendees, supporters and the greater Chicago community. Common Threads is currently working to identify new dates the week of March 16. All ticket purchases will be honored for the new event date.
SUSPENDED: The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago takes the health and safety of the public and our staff as our highest priority. Effective at 5 pm on March 13, 2020, the Museum of Contemporary Art will be closed through March 29 to support the City of Chicago’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), as advised by the Center for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health. All events at the MCA during this timeframe are now canceled or being postponed. We are taking this proactive step to make sure that our institution is as safe as possible, so that we can return to providing a space for inspiration and engagement as soon as is feasible.
SUSPENDED: Rivers Casino in Des Plaines will suspend its operations Sunday, March 15, for 14 days amid the coronavirus outbreak, casino officials announced Friday. The casino will continue normal payroll for its team members during the 14-day suspension.
CANCELLED: The Chicago Foundation For Women’s 2020 Impact Awards. Set to take place on Wednesday March 18, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Chicago History Museum has been cancelled “In an effort to protect the safety and well-being of the community at large.” Updates on the event and other upcoming CFW events will be conveyed via email, through our website and social channels when available.
CLOSED: Governor Pritzker has ordered restaurants, bars that offer sit down service to close until March 30. This mandate goes into effect on Monday March 16. Delivery and drive-up options will remain open. During the press conference on Sunday, the Governor said “I tried earlier this week to appeal to everyone’s good judgment to stay home, it’s unfortunate that many people didn’t take that seriously the time for action is here…This is not a joke. No one is immune to this and you have an obligation to act in the best interest of everyone in this state.”
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