St. Patrick's Day celebrations kick off in earnest this weekend around Chicago, with parades with Irish dancing and music in Lemont and Elmhurst. (If you don't love swimming through beer and crowds, neighborhood celebrations like these are a kid-friendly alternative to the main parade downtown.) Dinosaurs have taken over the Dulles Expo & Conference Center as part of Jurassic Quest, and on Saturday families can enjoy the 65th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast in Naperville.

Kids can color eggs for Persian New Year at a Persian Nowruz Celebration featuring music and dance performances, and at the DuPage County Fairgrounds kids can see the world's largest monthly train exhibit, with more than 550 tables of model trains to see and buy.

The Morton Arboretum has confirmed that their enchanted Troll Hunt will continue through this summer—since their gentle giants have weathered this rough winter so well. (Better than most of us, anyway.)

Looking for more family fun in Chicago? Look no further than our constantly-updating event calendar, and our indoor winter fun bucket list for Chicago kids.