Digestive Disease Week (DDW 2026) is right around the corner (May 2–5), bringing thousands of gastroenterology and hepatology professionals — along with the All Star team — to the Windy City for four days of new insights, meaningful connections, and enough microbiome talk to make you rethink at least a few meal decisions.
It’s a big conference — and Chicago is exactly the kind of city that can keep up.
Step outside the convention center and the shift is immediate — open water, skyline views, and a city that doesn’t really slow down. It’s the kind of place where even a short break can feel like a reset — especially in the middle of a packed few days.
Here are 14 ways to spend your off-time — all chosen, of course, with GIs in mind.
Manage Your Motility
1. Take a walk (or a run) along the Lakefront Trail
Eighteen miles along Lake Michigan, flat, scenic, and surprisingly peaceful for a major city. Early morning is best — fewer people, cooler air, and just enough time to convince yourself you’re making “healthy choices” before conference snacks enter the picture.
2. Explore the 606 trail above the city
An elevated rail-to-trail path cutting through four neighborhoods and culminating in a beautiful green space. Two and a half miles, lined with art, locals, and actual Chicago life. It moves faster than most transit studies and is infinitely more interesting than pacing your hotel gym.
3. Stroll the Chicago Riverwalk
One of the easiest ways to step out without overthinking it. Follow the river, grab a drink, and take in the architecture from street level — no tickets, no planning required. It’s the kind of place where a quick break actually feels like one.
Chicago Riverwalk
Activate Rest-and-Digest
4. Head to Millennium Park at dusk
Touristy during the day, surprisingly calm in the evening. The skyline softens, the crowds thin, and for a moment, no one is asking you about prep protocols. Walk past the Bean, find a spot to sit, and let the pace of the day slow down a bit before heading back.
5. Walk through Lincoln Park (and stop by the zoo)
A quieter kind of break — tree-lined paths, open space, and a free zoo that’s worth a quick pass-through. It’s an easy way to get outside, clear your head, and feel like you’ve stepped out of the conference rhythm for a bit. Also, a solid option if you’re traveling with family.
6. Unwind at Aire Ancient Baths
Low lighting, warm pools, silence — the kind of environment that makes you forget you’ve been networking all day (and sitting in conference chairs). It’s not medical, but it feels adjacent. If you’re looking for the closest thing to fully shifting into rest-and-digest mode without submitting a protocol for approval, this is it.
7. Step into the Garfield Park Conservatory
A greenhouse escape filled with tropical plants, quiet paths, and air that feels noticeably different from the conference hall. It’s warm, calm, and just removed enough from the pace of downtown to feel like a true reset. An easy way to step out, slow down, and give your system a break before heading back in.
Millenium Park
Let’s Talk About Food (We Have To)
8. Commit to Chicago deep dish (choose wisely)
Pequod’s if you want caramelized crust and strong opinions. Lou Malnati’s if you want tradition. Giordano’s if you like it stuffed. Is it low-FODMAP? No. Is it worth it? Yes, no question. Think of it as a controlled exposure… and adjust your antacid regimen accordingly.
9. Start your morning at Green City Market (Saturday, May 2)
If you’re arriving early, this is your redemption arc. Local produce, fresh bread, actual fiber. The kind of place where your microbiome feels seen.
10. Plan one proper dinner in the West Loop
One of the best food neighborhoods in the country. High-end, casual, everything in between. If DDW is about precision medicine, this is precision eating — and your gut will absolutely log it as a meaningful event.
Giordano’s
Feed Your Other Brain
11. Take a Chicago Architecture Boat Tour
Ninety minutes on the river at a pace that would normally trigger a motility consult — which is exactly why it works. Sit down, look up, and let someone else do the explaining as the city unfolds around you. It’s equal parts relaxing and impressive, and a rare chance to experience Chicago without rushing through it.
12. Spend an hour (or two) at the Art Institute of Chicago
Five thousand years of art across an entire afternoon if you let it. Quiet, slow, and appealing to your creative brain instead of your conference one. Your enteric nervous system won’t care — but your other brain will.
Art Institute of Chicago
Good Gut Feelings
13. Catch a Cubs Game at Wrigley Field
They’re playing at home all four days. You’ll be surrounded by strangers who will become temporary friends by the third inning and amateur analysts by the seventh. It’s communal, chaotic, and very Chicago — with just enough late-inning tension to give even a gastroenterologist a case of stadium-induced “butterflies.”
14. See a show Second City
Legendary Chicago improv and sketch comedy that’s sharp, fast, and genuinely funny — the kind of place that launched more than a few careers you definitely recognize. It’s social in the best way, not the business-card way. Laughing until your abdomen hurts is, technically, excellent core engagement. We’re counting it.
Wrigley Field
Stop by Booth #1947 at DDW 2026
DDW moves quickly — and much like GI, balance makes all the difference.
Move when you can.
Indulge when it’s worth it.
And give yourself time to reset along the way.
And while you’re there, make sure to connect with All Star Healthcare Solutions at booth #1947. Whether you’re exploring locum tenens opportunities or just want to debate Chicago’s best deep dish, we’re here for both.
We’re also celebrating DDW with a giveaway — enter for a chance to win a pair of AI-assisted Ray-Ban Meta Glasses.
If this trip has you thinking about what’s next, explore our current gastroenterology openings nationwide — and download our 2026 GI Salary Guide for a closer look at what your peers are earning today.