Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file Vendors on the Chicago Riverwalk began a phased-in reopening Friday that will have all vendors open by the end of May. Island Party Hut, Beat Kitchen on the River and City Winery opened Friday. A new vendor this year is Pier 31, which plans to open in May. “The Riverwalk is not only an important part of our city’s economic engine, but it also adds to the liveliness of our iconic summers,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a news release. “This reopening serves as yet another indicator of our city’s resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to making this Chicago staple available to residents and visitors this spring and summer.”