It's a Chicago thing.
Seriously, the Bloody Mary can be traced back to the Windy City because the New York bartender who invented it in a Paris pub had the hots for a girl named Mary.
And because of that, you'll find more versions of the famed crimson cocktail here than anywhere else. That's what inspired some folks out in Highwood to create the Bloody Mary Fest, which takes place 10am-5pm Sunday in Highwood's downtown festival area.