8 Great Free Events in Chicago on Valentine's Days

Here are some fun things to do Valentine's Day in Chicago that won't cost a dime and are probably worth the trip.

Everyone in Chicago lives in a park district. Each of the individual districts holds an annual Valentines day dance. Most cost a dollar or three to get in but that's almost free and some of them are free to go to. Holstein Park for example offers two dances for free. A Valentines Day dance on the 16th and a Valentines Daddy-Daughter dance at 3:30 p.m. on the 17th. Not all districts hold their dances exactly on Valentines Day. Check with your park District for times, dates and other information or follow this link. www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/

Each year Garfield Park Conservatory celebraties Valentine's Day with a two day chocolate festival. The Chocolate Festival takes place at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., Saturday, Feb.11, through Sunday, Feb 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. With a suggested donation of $1 for entry. More information:www.garfieldconservatory.org . It's an indoor event. The conservatory is huge and they'll be lots of activities. Storytelling, make your own chocolate leaf Valentine's Card, and 250,000 samples of chocolate provided by major chocolate manufacturers.

The Look of Love Ice Carving. It's great. Huge ice sculptures careved right before your eyes. Event dates, Saturday Feb 9 12:00 p.m. Monday 11th, Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th, Thursday 14th, at 10:30 a.m.Millennium Park, Chase Promenade.
www.millenniumpark.

Flamenco music is romantic. Perfect for Valentine's day. You can enjoy a night of it for free at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. , Chicago, at 7.pm., February 14. It's not only Flamenco, it's world class Flamenco music. Flamenco artist Juan Manuel Cagifts is internationally acclaimed . He's known around the world as an international award winning Flamenco guitar player and teacher. He appears with percusssion and bass accompaniment. You can click your heals to the Latin sounds with someone special.http egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/home.do.

This next one isn't an event so technically it doesn't qualify on the list but it's here anyway and it might just turn out to be a great valentine. Speaking of lists, make a list of the top 10 reasons you love him/her/them. Put it in presentable form and pick the right moment to give it to him/her/them. Why not give it to them at one of these free Valentine's Day events?

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink through March 16, Daily 10 a.m.to 10 p.m. Combine art and ice skating on Valentine's Day as never before, as you glide and twirl upon one of renowned artist Gordon Halloran's abstract paintings in ice installed at the rink. Created exclusively for Museum of Modern Ice: Paintings Below Zero, this unique artwork unites your enjoyment of great art and outdoor fun. Ice-skate for free. Skate rental is available for $9 but if you bring your own skates everything's free. The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink is located on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Madison Streets.

Check out all the free stuff at the the Chicago Cultural Center located across the street from Millennium Park at 78 E. Washington Street. A wheelchair accessible entrance is located at 77 E. Randolph Street. Here's whats going on and admission is always free. Exhibitions:
Slightly Unbalanced. Yates Gallery, January 26-April 13, 2008 All people have their own psychological quirks and this exhibition takes the idea of neurosis to a whole new level. Through painting, sculpture, photography, video and performance, the 20 artists of Slightly Unbalanced have tapped into a charged subject that provokes various responses, including discomfort, recognition, empathy and humor. HereThereEverywhere. Exhibit Hall, January 19-April 6, 2008 Catch the Chicago Cultural Center's contribution to the citywide celebration, Festival of Maps. HereThereEverywhere features works by local, national and international artists creating in different mediums, in Marcelino Stuhmer: The Recurring Dream . Including painting, printmaking, sculpture, and installation, and addressing the concept of boundaries and "place." Michigan Avenue Galleries, January 12-March 23, 2008. Stuhmer's newest installation features a 12-foot panoramic painting depicting the famous dream sequence from the Cold War classic film, The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Petronele Gerlikiene: Embroidered Myths and Everyday Stories . Michigan Avenue Galleries, January 12-April 6, 2008. An acclaimed, self-taught Lithuanian American artist, Petronele Gerlikiene was born in Chicago in 1905 and died in Vilnius, Lithuania in 1979. She spent most of her life working in the countryside, retiring to the capital in 1972 to live with her artist son. Fond of needlework and embroidery, she started creating compositions on curtains and rugs-with different trees as the central motifs, often surrounded by people and animals, sometimes referring to Lithuanian myths or everyday experiences. Chicago Cultural Center/Millennium Park Treasure Hunt through February, Daily 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Uncover the treasures of the Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park on this self-guided hunt. Pick up a map at the Cultural Center information desk or the Millennium Park Welcome Center (201 E. Randolph Street) to begin. Find all the clues then claim your prize.
Hours: The Chicago Cultural Center, throughout February; Mondays-Fridays 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sundays Noon-4 p.m.
Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the North and Monroe Street to the South. Parking information and daily hours. All event information courtesy of www.millenniumpark.org.

Have a happy Valentine's Day.