Today marks the beginning of Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, which kicks off summer in the Windy City.

Be sure and check out Chicago's annual Memorial Day parade, considered one of the largest parades of its kind in the U.S.

Chicago's beaches also open this weekend, and the Chicago Botanic Garden will be open and has a stunning display of spring blooms.

And get a jumpstart on your plan for the 2013 Taste of Chicago with our Guide to the Taste, including entertainment lineups, food vendor information, ticket prices and more.

Did you know that today is "Don't Fry Day" - a national initiative to prevent skin cancer. Check out this article I wrote for Pain Resource magazine about sun safety tips, including the scoop on one of my favorite spa treatments to heal sun-drenched skin.

Today we'd like to give a shout-out to Chicago's Dusty Showers who gives tirelessly to help end breast cancer, and this week added a new niche to his philanthropic agenda: saving shelter dogs.

Dusty is driving from Florida to New York City to help save Spot, a dog given up by his owner when the owner had to move to Tampa, Florida for brain tumor treatment.

Spot is on death row in New York City's notoriously gruesome Manhattan Center, a high-kill shelter with horrific conditions. (Also meet Suka, who like Spot, is on death row in Manhattan Center.)

Learn about Dusty's journey to help save Spot from dying, and how you can help.

Dusty came into national prominence after he wore a pink bra to a breast cancer event. The bra, which Dusty felt ridiculous wearing, actually had a positive impact, bringing smiles to several women attending the event and dealing with their own cancer struggles. From that day, Dusty has dedicated his free time to educating women on breast cancer prevention.

Learn more about Dusty's breast cancer advocacy, The Second Baseman.

Also read: Taste of Chicago 2013 l Volunteering in Chicago l Volunteer Vacation Ideas

Chicago's Goose Island 312 beers will be part of the annual Kohler Festival of Beer taking place May 31 - June 2, in Kohler, Wisconsin, about two and a half hours from Chicago.

The Kohler Festival of Beer is a three-day event featuring tastings, educational sampling seminars and brand-new happenings for 2013, including an inaugural Kohler Festival of Beer 5K Beer Run presented by Chicago's Goose Island 312 - a trail run through the scenic areas of River Wildlife. At each mile mark, participants will be rewarded with a refreshing beer stop. - and a new new Grilling University - an interactive cooking demonstration alongside skilled Kohler chefs.

Other Kohler Festival of Beer events include:

• Kohler Festival of Beer Pub Crawl Presented by Great Brewers
• Blackwolf Run Beer Challenge Tournament Presented by Leinenkugel's
• Goose Island Beer Seminar
• And more.
  

Plan your trip to the festival with our Guide to the Kohler Festival of Beer.

Also read: Chicago's Best Outdoor Parks and Gardens l Chicago's Shedd Aquarium l Guide to the Chicago Botanic Garden l Spa Time with Celebrity Manicurist Jade Morales

If you're new to Meet the Market events, here's what you will need to know:

1) Meet the Market is totally free to get in. No cover charge. No admission.

2) A portion of the proceeds from every Koval specialty cocktail sold funds Green City Market's LINK matching fund, which helps extend the food dollars of people on assistance when shopping Green City Market. (Learn about the LINK food stamps program.)

3) Special bonus - Meet the Market will be raffling off two tickets to Green City Market's 2013 Chef's BBQ ($250 value). Make a donation of any amount to get your raffle tickets at the event and support the LINK matching fund.

Also read: Taking Public Transit in Chicago l Chicago's Best Pet Boutiques l Outdoor Parks and Gardens in Chicago