The CANstruction A-CAN-emy Awards & Gala was last night at Merchandise Mart and it was such a fun event! I attended and wanted you to give you readers a behind the scenes experience… so click away! As you know from our previous entry, CANstruction is a unique charity event that raises donations for the Greater Chicago Food Depository by having teams build amazing creations out of cans and other food items. It is the largest donation of food in a single food drive in the city of Chicago – pretty impressive!

I love the city of Chicago! No, really I do. Especially in the summer time! There’s always something going on, right? Well, if you didn’t know that and find yourself bored on the weekends you can look forward to festival season. It’s quickly approaching and the city and burbs (yes, I know it’s suburbs) offer a variety of activities during the warm months. From the middle of May till the end of September, you can catch something every weekend.

Love crawfish? Love Louisiana? Love a good time? Well, you’re in luck! It’s that time of year again when the Louisiana Bayou comes to Lincoln Park! McGee’s Tavern & Grille is hosting their 23rd Annual Headsucker’s Ball; Chicago’s nal crawfish boil. Over 2,000 lbs. of crawfish, straight from the Louisiana Bayou, will be boiled with McGee’s secret blend of spices and herbs, corn, Andouille sausage and red potatoes. For just $20 in advance, ($25 at the door for you more spontaneous folks), you can enjoy all-you-can-eat crawfish, red beans & rice, gumbo and jambalaya! Also look for drink specials throughout the day, because who doesn’t need a cold one to wash down all those crawfish?

Hi Readers, Ryan Beshel here! Ahhh, spring. A time of change, renewal and celebration! Here at 900 North Michigan Shops, we don’t always need an excuse to celebrate – but, this month – we feel it only right to honor all the fabulous women in our lives. (And what woman doesn’t like a bit shopping?) To do just that, we present to you “A Day For Her” – an all-day shopping event featuring exclusive discounts, activities, treats and raffle prizes on Saturday, May 12th from 10a.m. - 6:30p.m. All proceeds will benefit Friends of Prentice, the fundraising board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Prentice Women’s Hospital. A special ticket price $20 (pre-sale) and $30 (at the door) leads the way to 20% off at Michael Kors, Mark Shale, L.K.Bennett, Karen Millen, Intimacy Bra Fit Stylists, Preggers and many more of our stellar retailers!

Think about all the Diet Coke and beer cans we throw away each day- always thought they were useless trash, right? Wrong! Look no further than the work of local architects, designers, engineers and construction workers who are turning cans into pieces of art right here in Chicago! Not only are these cans art, they’re lifesavers, too! Who would have thought?!

Horse racing season is upon us and Arlington Park Racetrack opens just in time for the Kentucky Derby! Celebrate opening day on Friday, May 4th with some awesome specials: One hot dog & either a 12 oz. beer or 20 oz. soda is only 50 cents and Mr. D’s Sports Bar will have $2 beers and ½ price appetizers, you just can’t beat those prices! Gates open at 11:15am and the first race is at 3:00pm. General admission is free and preferred parking is only $5.

Who is the hottest new music artist around town? His name is Christacy and if you don’t already know who he is, we guarantee you will soon! Christacy’s first single “Body Language” will be dropping on iTunes Thursday, May 3. Check out a little preview here!

Hey Readers! This is Pat Gilroy from the Chicago rock band The Super Happy Fun Club! I've known and worked with Billy throughout the years and I'm excited to be a guest blogger today! In the summer of 2010 I received a troubling text about a friend who was part of a brutal attack. He stood up for someone who was in harm’s way, and in a terrible turn of events, became the victim. (check out the full story here). Matthew Leone (bassist for the rock band Madina Lake) was at the beginning of a very long journey back to normal life.

What is it about zombies and vampires that people just cannot seem to get enough of!? I mean come on with all the different series and movies how can you even keep track, and besides the movie Zombieland, which was phenomenal by the way, don’t they all just blend together by now? Hat’s off to the Twilight guy who makes my pale looks even that more appealing… but if I have to side with one group or the other, I’m picking zombies, and it appears a ton of other Chicagoans tend to agree. The craze is here to stay as pH Productions is hosting their 5th annual Zombie Pub crawl this weekend, inviting all the half dead to help terrorize the Andersonville neighborhood all in good fun and to benefit the non for profit Theater Company.

Hey Readers! It’s Sarah Vargo from Maven and Social Gravity. Are you looking to help children and travel through time while simultaneously mingling with Chicago’s non-profit, fashion and social scene? Look no further…One Hope United’s “Eras of Hope” event is this Saturday at Mercedes at 1520 West North Avenue, 7-11PM. One Hope United is celebrating a 117-year history of protecting children and strengthening families with this inaugural fashion event. April is Child Abuse Prevention month. We are gathering to raise awareness and funds to support One Hope United’s efforts to prevent these horrific events from happening, or happening again.