Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 7/26 – 7/29

Festival and markets, concerts and art shows, beer and more beer. There is so much happening in Chicago this weekend it would be a shame to miss out on some of these magnificent events. So take a look at some of our favorite things going on this weekend and start making plans! I also highly recommend you check out The Miseducation of Cameron Post this weekend at the Ace Hotel! Let's get on with your curated weekend! ALL WEEKEND LONG, JULY 26th - JULY 29th 46th Annual Fiesta del Sol @ Pilsen, 1400 W Cermak Rd, Thursday 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday 11:00am -11:00pm, Sunday 11:00am - 10:00pm, All ages WHAT: Join the Pilsen Community for the 45th annual Fiesta del Sol! SO WHAT: Fiesta del Sol celebrates the Pilsen neighborhood's culture with live entertainment, local art, a variety of food, carnival rides, a children’s area, educational resources for parents and youth, soccer games, and much more. NOW WHAT: Admission is free for these great cultural festivities! 34th Annual Newberry Book Fair @ Newberry Library, 60 W Walton St, Thursday & Friday Noon - 8:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 10:00am - 8:00pm, All ages WHAT: A huge book fair supporting the Newberry Library SO WHAT: There is no such thing as too many books. Newberry Library knows this and their annual book fair is a great place to add one, two or a dozen new books to your growing library. Whether it's cookbooks, biographies, children's literature or heartbreaking works of staggering literary genius, with over 130,000 books for sale there's a good chance you'll find it at the fair. NOW WHAT: Make some room on your shelves for some new books because admission is free, and all proceeds support the Newbery's mission to promote the humanities through public programs, exhibits, and research. Also, Sunday is half-priced day, so add even more books on that sale day! THURSDAY, JULY 26th Traffick Free Benefit Show feat. Jesse W. Johnson / Mutts / Impulsive Hearts @ Empty Bottle,1035 N Western Ave, 8:30pm, 21+ WHAT: Traffick Free is an organization that provides the greater metropolitan area of Chicago with tools and sustainable programs to combat human trafficking and transform the lives of survivors and communities. This show is a benefit for Traffick Free to raise money for trafficking survivors. SO WHAT: What better way to help a worthy cause than with a fantastic night of tunes. Come by the Bottle and spend the night jamming out to the likes of Jesse W. Johnson's twangy rock'n'roll, Mutts' extraordinary hard-lined blues, Impulsive Hearts sun-kissed surf rock, and the masterful skills of DJ Mykol! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 day of show! 2nd Annual Brews & Buttons of the Past @ Busy Beaver Button Co., 3407 W Armitage Ave, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, 21+ WHAT: Busy Beaver Button Museum and Chicago Brewseum are teaming for a brief history of beer! SO WHAT: Join Busy Beaver Buttons and Chicago Brewseum for talks about beer and some tasty beverages from Goose Island, Illuminated Brew Works, Church Street Brewing Company, Whiner Beer Company, Burnt City Brewing, Half Acre Beer Company, Hop Butcher for the World, Begyle Brewing, and Dovetail Brewery. NOW WHAT: Register for the event here! Donations encouraged for unlimited brews from our friends above. Donations will benefit the efforts of the Chicago Brewseum and Busy Beaver Button Museum. FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JULY, 27th & 28th Greetings from Castle Rock: A Stephen King Film Festival @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave, Friday 7:00pm - 2:00am, Saturday 11:00pm - 2:00am, All Ages WHAT: The Losers’ Club is bringing the expansive world of Stephen King to Chicago’s Music Box Theatre in celebration of Hulu’s highly anticipated new series Castle Rock. SO WHAT: The co-hosts of the popular Consequence of Sound podcast will curate a selection of films that will take audiences into the strange small town that King has been building for decades. Movies will include Stand By Me, Cujo, Creepshow, The Shawhank Redemption, The Dead Zone, The Mist, Needful Things, and Pet Sematary! In addition to screenings, the two-day film fest will include a live podcast recording, featured guests, themed drinks and snacks, giveaways, and some cool vendors. NOW WHAT: Tickets are available at the Music Box Theatre website! Head over and get acquainted with some of the adaptations of Stephen King's work. FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JULY 27th - 28th Fuck Fest 4 @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W Belmont Ave, 7:00pm, 21+ WHAT: Musical festival that gives you a taste of the most intense local music out there SO WHAT: If the name alone didn't sell you on this festival, then check out some of the amazing bands playing it: Avantist, Malci, Fast and Laser and Shit, Sam Vicari, Engine Summer, Bev Rage and the Drinks, and more! Seriously that only scratches the surface of this multi genre loving fest! NOW WHAT: It's free, go and discover some excellent tunes.  Check out the full lineups at Sleeping Village's site! Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3! FRIDAY, JULY 27th Lou Barlow @ Gunhed Studios, 2941 W Belmont Ave., 7:00pm -10:00pm, WHAT: A chance to see a guitar great in an intimate space! SO WHAT: Lou Barlow is bringing acoustic guitars and his extensive back-catalogue on the road for a series of intimate solo performances. Requests will be taken, stories will be told and Lou will be in the best setting to share the emotionally direct, melodic songs he’s known for. NOW WHAT: Doors at 7, Lou will start playing around 7:30. Tickets are available here for this BYOB show.  Out of Space: Mavis Staples w/ Marc Broussard @ Canal Shores, 1030 Central St, Evanston, 6:00pm - 10:00pm, All ages WHAT: In honor of their 10th year providing the north Chicago suburb a place to see spectacular shows, SPACE will be presenting Out of Space, a series of outdoor concerts all summer long throughout Evanston. SO WHAT:  The multiple meaning, pun titled Out of Space will be welcoming an impressive lineup of musicians to venues like Temperance Beer Co., Canal Shores, and SPACE’s inaugural Big Evanston Block Party at the intersection of Chicago and Dempster. It’s the legendary Mavis Staples, do we really need to say more? Check out the rest of the dates in the series here! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $45 for this great part of the Out of Space Series SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 28th & 29th Randolph Street Market: Tropical Punch @ Chicago Antique Market, 1341 W Randolph St, 10:00pm - 5:00pm, All Ages WHAT: Randolph Street Market Chicago returns SO WHAT: Celebrate the summer edition of this fun market where you can experience 300 vendors with a wide variety of items perfect for any occasion! There will also be market bars, cabana and shade shack for lounging while enjoying live bands and browsing vendors NOW WHAT: Tickets for the market are $10 for general admission, kids 12 and under are free! SATURDAY, JULY 28th Famous Before the Internet @ All Star Press, 2775 N Milwaukee Ave, 6:00pm - 10:00pm, All Ages WHAT: A re-education on the lost art of this legendary Skewville Duo as well as highlights of the prolific design skills of Ad Deville. SO WHAT: After more than 20 years of running the streets, Skewville is bringing the outside back in to the gallery at All Star Press. Skewville was an actual place, first inhabited by Ad & his twin brother Droo circa 1996, and was named as such due to the building’s warped structure as well as their crooked sense. The name had transcended the original structure to some, and became a style all its own. This body of work that will be on display pays homage to the cut-paste ad style of vintage coupons and the fine art of repetition, referencing the past while pushing the current culture forward. NOW WHAT: It's free and you can RSVP here!