What to do in Chicago in marzo

The deadest tourist month after the holidays: the Loop swept by lake-effect wind, highs barely scraping 32°F and hotel rates at rock bottom in a city that runs on conventions.

The Chicago Auto Show takes over McCormick Place February 7-16 — North America's largest auto show, with over 1,000 vehicles and the black-tie First Look for Charity gala the night before.

Baseball season opens: the Cubs at century-old Wrigley Field and the White Sox at Rate Field, with first-pitch rituals and the bleacher buzz back in full swing.

Mole de Mayo fills the streets of Pilsen over Memorial Day weekend — a mole cook-off, lucha libre and Mexican muralism in the city's Chicano heart.

The Chicago Blues Festival, the world's largest free blues festival, fills Millennium Park June 4-7 in the city that electrified the genre at Chess Records.

Taste of Chicago spreads across Grant Park — the country's largest outdoor food festival, with dozens of food trucks and free concerts.

Lollapalooza turns Grant Park into eight stages July 30-August 2 — 170 artists and some 400,000 fans at one of the world's biggest festivals.

The Chicago Jazz Festival closes out summer in Millennium Park over Labor Day weekend — free since 1979, in one of the cradles of 1920s urban jazz.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon runs on October 11 — one of the six World Marathon Majors, with 50,000 runners crossing 29 neighborhoods and two million spectators.

The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival switches on a million lights along Michigan Avenue on November 21, with a parade and fireworks over the river.

The Christkindlmarket buzzes in Daley Plaza through Christmas Eve and Lincoln Park Zoo glows with two million free lights at ZooLights — the city's signature holiday scene.