Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 6/16 and Beyond

Week three of Pride month and the events just keep rolling in. There are events galore with Juneteenth celebrations happening all weekend and so much more! There really is something fun for everyone to do this weekend! It's feeling a little more normal to go out since Chicago dropped the masking and vaccination proof mandates on February 28 (for better or worse) and events are rolling in.

While it may seem like we're at the tail end of things, many venues are keeping their mask and vaccination requirements for the foreseeable future. So if you do plan to go out this weekend, make sure you check out the venue's policies and take initiative. Wear a mask, social distance, and get your vaccination shots and your booster even if the venue/event doesn't require it. And if you still feel that wearing a mask is a must (like many still do), then please wear one. Protect yourself and those around you. If you still don't feel entirely safe to go out (and quite honestly, who can blame you?) you can always stay in and support these places from home.

Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!

THURSDAY, JUNE 16th

Pier Dance @ Polk Bros Performance Lawn City Stage (Navy Pier), 600 E. Grand Avenue, 6:00pm – 7:30pm, All Ages
WHAT: Learn to dance in a beautiful outdoor stage
SO WHAT: Navy Pier will be giving guests a little help on the dance floor this year with a  series of free dance lessons on the Polk Bros Performance Lawn City Stage.  Each week a different style of dance will be taught by some incredible instructors. After the focused lessons, the floor will be opened to free dance.
NOW WHAT: Head over to Navy Pier and show off some newly acquired dance skills!

Bloomsday in Chicago 2022 @ Atlantic Bar & Grill, 5062 N. Lincoln Ave., at 7pm
WHAT: Bloomsday in Chicago, the annual celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses, is back after a two-year hiatus. Fans of James Joyce read from Joyce’s novel during the 100th anniversary year of its publication.
SO WHAT:  Bloomsday celebrates  the day in the life of Leopold Bloom covered in the novel. Playwright Jeff Helgeson hosts and directs. The event includes selections from “Dubliners Sung” by J.B. Parish and other musicians, an album in progress that sets Joyce’s short stories to Celtic-flavored song and verse. The event is sponsored by the Puddin’head Press.
NOW WHAT: Event is free. Food and beverages available for purchase.

THURSDAY & FRIDAY, JUNE 16th & 17th

Rufus Wainwright: Rufus Does Judy @ City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph Street, 5:00pm & 8:00pm
WHAT: A Special celebration of Judy Garland!
SO WHAT: On Judy Garland’s 99th birthday last year, the undeniable legend Rufus Wainwright performed a streamed concert of Rufus does Judy at Capitol Studios, which tackled the songs off tha amazing live album Judy at Carnegie Hall. This month, during what would have been Garland’s 100th birthday, Wainwright is taking the show on the road with two stops in Chicago! Performing two shows each night, the sets will split up the album evenly with the early shows featuring songs between “When You’re Smiling” to “San Francisco” and the late one “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” to “Chicago” with some additional surprise numbers during both sets.  Wainwright will will be joined by music director Mark Hummel on keys, Pete Donovan on bass, Brian Koonin on guitar, and Steve Bartosik on drums.
NOW WHAT:Tickets range from $85-155 for this spectacular night! Don’t miss out on this wonderful performance! You can purchase ticket at the following links: Thursday Early Show (Doors open @ 5:00pm), Thursday Late Show (Doors open @ 8:30), Friday Early Show (Doors open @ 5:00), and Friday Late Show (Doors open @ 8:30)

THURSDAY - SUNDAY, JUNE 16th - 19th

ChiTown Movies @ Pilsen Neighborhood, 2343 S. Throop St, Various Times, All Ages
WHAT: An old school experience for the modern age
SO WHAT: Take a trip back in time and head out to a drive-in movie with ChiTown Movies. Ever since the pandemic started and shut down traditional movie screening, a few pop up drive-ins have arrived and ChiTown Movies has persevered, offering up modern movies in this retro setting. Check out their lineup below for showings this weekend and in the future!

NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JUNE 17th - 19th

Taste of Randolph @ Randolph at Peoria, 900 W Randolph St, Friday 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Saturday & Sunday Noon – 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Another year of this iconic street festival
SO WHAT: Taste of Randolph brings together some excellent names in Chicago dining, featuring over 16 restaurants exemplary for delectable menus and irresistibly unique flavors, for this delicious event! There will also be a curated a list of bands and musicians (including the biggest names in Chicago house music) performing on two stages and a DJ stage to entertain guests on their culinary trip down Randolph. Some of the band highlights include Cautious Clay, Washed Out, Neil Frances, The Main Squeeze, Derrick Carter, and many more!
NOW WHAT: There is a $15 suggested donation to enter the event. Taste of Randolph benefits the West Loop Community Organization, which has been advocating for the West Loop neighborhood since 1991, supporting local businesses and economic development

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JUNE 18th & 19th

Gold Coast Art Fair @ Butler Field in Grant Park, S Lake Shore Dr & E Monroe St , 10:00am – 5:00pm
WHAT: 64th year of Gold Coast Art Fair
SO WHAT: Head out to Butler Field in Grant Park to see the work of over 200 juried artists from across the country. Artists will be displaying beautiful pieces in a variety of mediums including painting, photography, ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and more. There will also be plenty of art demonstrations, art talks, live music, delicious food and drinks, and more throughout the fair!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 for this fun art fair! Children 12 and under are free. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Chicago Furniture Bank

Chicago Pride Fest @ Northalsted on Halsted Street from Addison to Grace St., 11:00am – 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: The official Chicago Pride Fest
SO WHAT: No one celebrates Pride better than Northalsted! Chicago Pride Fest, held during National Pride Month, celebrates the LGBTQ+ achievements as a community in their annual two-day street festival leading up to Chicago’s world famous Pride Parade the following week. The event features tons of food and drinks, 150+ arts/crafts vendors, DJ’s and dancing, drag shows, pet parade, sponsored presence, games, giveaways and more. There is also three stages of artists performing throughout the fest including Alaska Thunderf*ck, Dorian Electra, CupcakKe, Netta, The Aces, Mila Jam, Grag Queen, & more! See the full lineup of performers and the schedule here!
NOW WHAT: There is $15 suggested donation at the gate which helps pays performers and festival workers, and funds community programs.

The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash @ Douglass Park, 1401 S Sacramento Dr, Noon – 9:45pm, All Ages
WHAT: Pretty much every hip hop act you need to see
SO WHAT: The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash is coming to Douglass Park with some of the most cutting edge and celebrated hip hop artists around. Seriously, look at this lineup! Nearly every slice of the hip hop genre is represented, so don’t miss out on this incredible festival! Headliners Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone, and Playboy Carti are top-notch and the undercard features the likes of Rico Nasty, Ski Mask the Slump God, 2 Chainz, Oliver Tree, and so many more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $275 for 3 day GA, $449 for 3 day  VIP! Single day passes are also available for $95 for GA and $165 for VIP! Get out there and experience some great music!

The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Saturday 10:30pm, Sunday 7:00pm, 16+
WHAT: Quick plays live and online!
SO WHAT: The Neo-Futurists are back! Their Infinite Wrench is an  ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes for a live audience. Now it's actually a live audience that will be enjoying the performance in person! With plenty of COVID precautions in place, you'll be able to enjoy the funny, disgusting, profound, terrifying, irreverent, and downright entertaining show with friends! Plan ahead as vaccination cards will be checked and booster will be required to be fully vaccinated.
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $10! Head over to their website to see all they have planned now that in-person audiences are a thing again! If you're still a little anxious about going out, The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon

THE WHOLE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND

Back on the Big Screen and Virtual Cinema @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave and at your home, any time you want to watch a movie
WHAT: A great way to support a great local theater
SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is really to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies including with Men, Crimes of the Future (!), Watcher, The Music Box 70MM Film Festival 2022, midnight screenings of Watcher, and more! But if you want to watch some first-run movies at home, you can still watch great movies and support them online! They are currently screening films via their The Music Box Direct series! There are also tons of select titles available on their new platform!
NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy!

Weekend Shows @ Lincoln Hall & Schubas, 2424 N Lincoln Ave & 3159 N Southport Ave, various times, 18+
WHAT: A full weekend of amazing shows at Schubas!
SO WHAT: Lincoln Hall and Schubas are some of our favorite venues in the city and they always have something great going on. Check out what's going this weekend at these great venues!

NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows! Please note: proof of vaccination is required for entry to all shows at Lincoln Hall and Schubas in Chicago. Click here for more information on this policy.

Fulton Street Collective Jazz Series @ Fulton Street Collective, Prairie Moon (635 Chicago Ave, Evanston), & Their YouTube channel, or the coziest spot in your home, 8:00pm
WHAT: Some excellent jazz for your evening
SO WHAT: Fulton Street Collective are back with in-person events, but they are still determined to give Chicago its much needed dose of jazz at home! Most of their shows are also streaming so you can see and hear the beautiful music on their YouTube channel, which has a great back catalog for you to enjoy! Below are just some of the upcoming shows from the collective.

NOW WHAT: The shows are free, but there is usually a $15 suggested donation to help support the musicians and Fulton Street Collective. ! Also you should definitely support Fulton Street Collective by becoming a member!

New Talks and Video Archives @ Various Locations & Chicago Humanities Festival YouTube channel, your favorite browser or YouTube app, any time you want some inspiration, All Ages
WHAT: Interesting conversations with interesting people!
SO WHAT: Chicago Humanities Festival always brings some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. Be on the lookout for updates to the upcoming season as their website is constantly updated with new talks. 
NOW WHAT: Head over to take a look at their past events here! You should also sign up for their email list to get updates on upcoming talks in 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLZdrtsaHis

Masque of the Red Coronavirus! @ Black Button Eyes Productions, Any time on your computer or mobile device. For 18+.
WHAT: Written by Black Button Eyes Productions producing artistic director Ed Rutherford, this short satirical piece is available online free as a combined script-and-video experience.
SO WHAT: In addition to reading the play, you will see various Chicago artists act out portions of the script on video, recorded remotely. The event includes puppets, burlesque, original music, fire dancing and more in a brief, darkly comedic confection.
With the Red Coronavirus running rampant across the countryside and a vaccine still months away, what's a Prince to do? Lock himself in a secure bunker in an undisclosed location along with a cohort of his top donors, of course. To prevent him and his rich supporters from becoming bored, the Prince has also brought a few artists into the bunker to entertain the crowd. But as the hour grows later and the night grows weirder, it's clear that something else has also invaded the party.
NOW WHAT: Settle down for an evening of magical weirdness. Click here and begin reading and watching the videos.

Julian Ramirez