Whenever I meet someone who is new to Chicago, or someone who simply wants to go to interesting events, I recommend signing up for Time Out Chicago.  The weekly magazine is full of Chicago events, reviews, and articles.  As useful as the magazine is, however, my favorite part is being on the Time Out Chicago e-mail list.  I always look forward to the reasonably-priced (and sometimes free) events that Time Out Chicago promote and host.  Some of the events in the past year have included:

• Lake Michigan boat cruises (all-you-can-eat/drink)
• Rooftop parties (all-you-can-eat/drink)
• Free movie screenings (sometimes including drinks and appetizers)
• Free Chicago neighborhood tours
• Tastings (whiskey/martinis/various other types of alcohol)
• Concerts
• and more

Last week, I went with friends to the final Time Out Chicago boat cruise of the summer.  That, readers, is what really signals the end of summer in Chicago for me.  Once summer ends, boat cruises aren’t nearly as fun because you have to worry about the cold, the waves, and having to wear a winter coat.  In spite of the frigid weather last Thursday, we were determined to have fun and we met that goal whole-heartedly.

There were some setbacks (a single bar, unlike two on the last Time Out Chicago cruise we went on, led to incredibly long lines), but we made the most of it – getting two drinks at a time to avoid the line, pretending to surf on the boat when the waves got choppy, and dancing to overcome the chill.  Appetizers on the Shoreline Sightseeing boat were provided by America’s Dog and SubT Lounge was in charge of the music.  The best part of the night was the view.  The Chicago skyline is always beautiful, but it looked exceptionally gorgeous from the darkness of Lake Michigan.

Although this was the last TOC cruise of the year, I recommend that you stay on the lookout for other fun sponsored events going into fall and make sure that you try and go on one of the cruises next summer!