Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood will once again celebrate the anniversary of Chicago’s founding by hosting Chicago’s Birthday Party at the city’s geographic center. This celebration brings attendees together to enjoy cake and refreshments, and sing Happy Birthday to Chicago in multiple languages.
Chicago’s Birthday Party takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in the street in front of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 3658 S. Honore St., Chicago. The all-inclusive, free event features notable local leaders and personalities leading Happy Birthday in their heritages’ languages, with accompanying birthday cakes presented by neighborhood bakers.
The party is the second occurrence of this now-annual event. The first modest sidewalk birthday party in 2024 has grown in 2025 into a permitted city event supported by dozens of local institutions and enterprises, including funding from major sponsors Swap-O-Rama and QTS Data Centers.
Planned birthday songs with accompanying cakes include those in Spanish, Cantonese, Polish, Mandarin and English, each sung by a different leader who then blows out the candles on each cake, which are then cut and served after the ceremony. More languages and singers will likely be added to this lineup, according to the event website.
Attendees can expect to enjoy live entertainment and ceremony, including performance by Horizon Science Academy’s band, crooning from Mariachi Luis Alfredo, a color guard and gun salute by William McKinley American Legion Post 231 and special appearances by characters like Captain Chicago.
More performers are likely to be added to the lineup, as noted on the event’s website, which includes details for location, time and date, and transportation and parking, offered in English, Spanish and Chinese languages.
