NORTH CENTER — Rocks Northcenter, coming soon since March, will celebrate its grand opening Friday at 5 p.m.
The neighborhood's newest bar and grill takes over from Corner 41 at 4138 N. Lincoln Ave., which closed in late 2013. Rocks Northcenter essentially replaces Rocks Lincoln Park (there's also a Rocks Lakeview), with the owners moving furnishings, staff and Tuesday trivia nights north.
Patty Wetli previews some weekend events on the North Side:
Rocks will have plenty of competition for people's attention this weekend:
* The rooftop at Gene's Sausage Shop, 4750 N. Lincoln Ave., is open — so stop pestering the poor cashiers. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Closed Memorial Day.
* Lane Tech's annual Memorial weekend carnival takes place Friday through Monday in the school's Western Avenue parking lot. Lots of spinning rides that will send your stomach on loop-de-loops, and plenty of food that will do the same. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. on Monday. Unlimited ride special for $25, noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
* National Escargot Day, May 24, tends to get overshadowed by Memorial Day, and frankly, the snails probably don't mind the reprieve. But Bistro Campagne, 4518 N. Lincoln Ave., is cooking up something special to celebrate the holiday: escargot with English peas, shallots, carrots, bordelaise sauce and pea shoots.
* One could argue that every week is Craft Beer Week in Chicago, but the official proceedings run through Sunday. Join a tour of Begyle Brewing, 1800 W. Cuyler Ave., at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Cost is $10, which includes samples.
* Get into the true spirit of Memorial Day at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave., where Celtic Aire, an ensemble spin-off of the U.S. Air Force Band, will perform rousing tunes, 7:30 p.m., Friday. The stop at IAHC is part of Celtic Aire's first-ever national tour, though the group has deployed to Kuwait and Iraq to boost morale. The concert is free.
* For gardeners who can't get enough of planting, the Global Gardens Refugee Training Farm is looking for volunteers to help get tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings into the ground, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, 3000 W. Lawrence Ave. The farm supports 42 families from Bhutan and Burma, who grow organic vegetables to feed their families and for sale.
