Thanks to the Chicago Blackhawks for sponsoring this post in partnership with Forward Influence Network! All opinions are my own (as always!) I’ve lived in Chicago now for 5 years now, and there are certain things that you have to do when you move here to consider yourself a real Chicagoan. For instance, you’re not a real Chicagoan until you’ve conducted a taste test around the city to figure out your favorite deep-dish pizza (mine’s definitely Lou Malnati’s!), take a picture in front of the Bean, drink a cocktail at Cindy’s Rooftop, and enjoy a game in Chicago – whether it’s the Cubs, Sox, Bulls or the Blackhawks.

While I’ll fully admit that I’m not the sportiest gal in the city by any stretch of the imagination, I do love Chicago sports. There’s something wonderful about Chicago sports fans, especially when it comes to Blackhawks fans. The excitement of the United Center, the energy of the players, and of course, the awesome food (and wine!) that makes the United Center so awesome. I went with my friend Arin of Happily Inspired, her husband and my friend Evalyn last Saturday and had a blast watching the Blackhawks play the Golden Nights. Even though they lost (by 1 goal in OT!), it was still a blast, and the best way to spend a Saturday night.

Here’s some of the highlights and the best things to do, eat and experience when you see the Blackhawks at the United Center too!

Start (or end) your Blackhawks Game with a Trip to the Atrium:

Since I was last at the United Center, they’ve remodeled and built the most beautiful atrium where you can pick up your will call tickets, visit the Madhouse Team Store, have a few photo opps, and of course see the iconic Michael Jordan statue. They also have some delicious dining options like Queenies super club (of course they have a super club IN the United Center) as well as the atrium bar, which is the perfect place to land if you want to grab a drink early before going into the stadium.

If you’re looking for gear before the game (I was very impressed by how many people at the game were rocking Blackhawks gear!), the Madhouse Team Store is huge and full of the best Blackhawks and Bulls gear for the whole family. You can even custom design jerseys, hats and more in case you have a specific vision of what you’re looking for too!

Watching the Game:

We were lucky to have the most amazing seats for the game, and it was such a treat to be so close to the ice!  We got our tickets through the Blackhawks online, and it was easy to find tickets to the game and other experiences to buy, like suites, an experience package and more. We got there a little early, so we had time to grab a glass of wine before the game and catch all the pre-game action on the ice.

One of the best parts of our trip is that we sat right next to a veteran who was in his late 80’s who was being honored for his service at the game. He was there with his whole family, and was the sweetest guys. I shared a video on my Instagram stories, but we all teared up because he was grinning ear to ear. It’s so awesome that the Blackhawks do so much to honor veterans, and have other moments throughout the game (like the charity goal challenge) that give back to the community.

United Center Food & Drinks: 

One thing you might be surprised by is how amazing the food and drink selection is at the United Center. They have a ton of incredible Chicago restaurants – from tacos and margaritas from Big Star, to the newly opened Honey Butter Chicken, Lillie’s Q, Giordano’s, Goose Island and more, it’s amazing how easy it is to get an insanely good, local food when you’re at the stadium. If you’re planning a trip, make sure to check out their list of restaurants and bars, and plan accordingly to make sure you have time to pick something up before the game starts! Proof of just how sporty I am. Arin is looking a little more believable than I am above 😉 A big thanks to the Blackhawks for giving me the ultimate experience at the game last weekend – I’m already excited to plan my next trip back!

And, because the Blackhawks are amazing (!!!), they’ve offered me two tickets to an upcoming Blackhawks home game to give away to Charmingly Styled readers too! Hop over to my Instagram and comment with why you’d love to go to an upcoming Blackhawks home game, and I’ll pick a winner at random later this week! Good luck!!!

Note: The date of the game needs to be mutually decided on by both the winner and the Blackhawks