Culture Spy - Spring Awakenings
Shrug off any remnants of winter with this trio of broad-reaching cultural events for early spring. From sleek wrist instruments to slam dunks to savory cuisine to studio works, the season has a lot in store.
Where: Palexpo (and beyond), Geneva, Switzerland
When: April 1-7 (Public Days: April 5-7), 2025
As THE premiere global timepiece salon, this annual conclave presents not only a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the watch industry and watch press, but also for the general timepiece collector. Get an early look at the year’s new timepiece offerings that will come to define 2025 (and beyond) from over 60 watchmaking brands, ranging from the usual suspects, like Rolex and Patek Philippe, to lesser-known independent watch brands. This year, industry behemoth Bulgari is a major new maison addition, as well as a half-dozen new smaller-production watchmakers.
Geneva is one of world’s centers for international diplomacy, but it is also the beating heart of the Swiss watch industry. As such, the whole town gets into the Watches and Wonders vibe, with exhibits and activations around the city center beyond the major brand booths at Palexpo. This year, those ancillary events are focused on youth, with special In The City and Watchmaking Village programming featuring the up-and-coming talents of the watchmaking world. There is a new Premium Package for public tickets, but pricing was not available at press time.
Where: Pebble Beach Resorts, Pebble Beach, California
When: April 10-13, 2025
While car-lovers will recognize Pebble Beach as the home of the unparalleled Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Monterrey Car Week summer celebrations, this spring offers a more tasty treat for the senses.
With a raft of over 40 events, 135 chefs, and 150 wineries and spirit producers, foodies are looking forward to the return of the Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival to the iconic Pebble Beach Resorts facilities this year. With a particular appeal to fans of the grape, this event stands toe-to-toe with other noted culinary events like the summer’s Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and the winter’s Naples Winter Wine Festival in Florida.
A cursory review of the luminaries that will be on hand will spark the tastebuds of even the most casual foodie: expect Alice Waters, James Beard award-winner and TV personality Maneet Chauhan, the man who almost single-handedly defined California Cuisine Jonathan Waxman, food TV phenom Giada De Laurentiis, and many other boldface names in the culinary world.
Where: Navy Pier, Chicago
When: April 24-27, 2025
While this spring will see a number of more established art fairs globally, many in-the-know collectors are taking a hard look at this year’s EXPO Chicago, which got its start in 2012 and was acquired by the Frieze art platform juggernaut in 2023. As the sophomore outing under Frieze’s umbrella, expectations are running high for this show to firmly establish its place among important global art events.
Last year’s numbers saw 170 leading galleries from 29 countries and 75 cities drawing 35,000 visitors. At time of press, the show is planning to top those statistics for 2025. In addition to exhibits by noted galleries, like all Frieze-related shows, EXPO Chicago has robust programming and educational initiatives, with a focus on the Windy City’s urban culture. Expect interesting panel discussions, large-format art installations, public art showings, new media venues, and “digital billboard” projects peppered through the city along with the Navy Pier’s events and exhibits.
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