For the first time in a century, Pi Day will include on the first five digits of Pi — 3/14/15.
To celebrate the mathematical constant on March 14, Chicagoans will have the opportunity to participate in races, attend events and of course, eat pie.
The Illinois Science Council is hosting a “Pi K,” with the distance barely more than a 5K at 3.14 miles. There are four locations for the run this year, and post-run parties will be held after each race — including pie, of course.
Monica Metzler, spokeswoman for the council, said the holiday is celebrated internationally, and this year Pi Day is unique for falling on 3/14/15, which only happens once a century.
“It really is a fun way for everyone to think about math one day a year, which we don’t often do,” she said. “It is pretty integral to our lives.”
March 14 is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, and anyone with the name Albert or Alberta will get $5 off registration for the race.
“If you show up on the 14th and are not so appropriately named, you will be fined $3.14, have to run backward the whole route, and people will call you ‘Einstein,’ but not in a positive way,” the site’s registration warns.
Adler Planetarium is celebrating Pi Day with a pie-eating contest, a parachuting pies challenge and “Pie in the Sky Solar Observing.” Astronomer Shane Larson will give a lecture on pi and Einstein, and pie and pizza vendors will offer samples throughout the day.
Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi will always be the same, no matter what the size of the circle. The number (3.14159265358979323 …) has no patterns, it never ends and it has been calculated to more than 1 trillion digits past the decimal point.
If a mirror is held up to 3.14, “pie” is spelled in the reflection.
Here are a few places in Chicago celebrating with pie Saturday:
*Sweety Pies Bakery, 8042 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Pie slices for $3.14 all day and $3.14 off large pies.
*Artopolis Chicago, Bakery, Cafe & Agora, 306 S. Halsted St. 9 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday. Offering a pie called “Arto-PI-tas” for $3.14 all day.
*Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, 60 E. Grand Ave. 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday. Slices of pie for $3.14 all day.
*Bennison’s Bakery, 1000 Davis St., Evanston. 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pies (Boston cream, strawberry-rhubarb or apple) for $3.14 while supplies last.
*Pleasant House Bakery, 964 W. 31st St. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Special handmade savory and sweet pies.
*Alliance Bakery, 1736 W. Division St. 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Special pi cookies for $3.14.
*Swirlz Cupcakes, 705 W. Belden Ave. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Offering pi and Einstein cupcakes for $3.14. The first customer who walks in at 3:14 p.m. and mentions “Illinois Science Council” (or drawing for all those in the store at that minute) will win a free six-box with three pi and three Einstein cupcakes.
*MyPie Pizza, 2010 N. Damen Ave. 11 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. A thin slice of pizza with a regular fountain drink for $3.14.
*Swedish Bakery, 5348 N. Clark St. 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mini apple, blueberry and cherry pies for $3.14.
Twitter @lexygross
