We're at the end of one month and the start of a new one! And don't let April Fools day trick you, there are plenty of great events going on around the city ready to entertain you! Whether it's a C&E convention, a market, some beers or concerts, there is something waiting for you to enjoy!
While it feels like the pandemic is behind us, you still need to be mindful when you go out this weekend and beyond. The winter season has seen a lot of colds, flu, RSV, and of course bouts of COVID. It's better to be safe and wear a mask when you go out to big events. And if you're still a little hesitant to go out, there are many events and things to do from home. So whether you're staying in or going out, keep safe and stay healthy!
Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!
- Support Local Venues
- Kingston Mines is open with some great lineups this weekend
- Fitzgerald's is also back in full swing
- Evanston Space
- Head over to the Hideout's regular shop and get yourself some great merch! Their 2020 Holiday Sale page is also still up with links to great local artists!
- Metro shop is full of fantastic concert posters from yesteryear and cool merch
- Lincoln Hall/Schubas always has great items in their shop waiting for you! Plus Schubas/Tied House is open and events are on their way back!
- Same goes for Thalia Hall's merch store (those holiday socks? *chef's kiss*)
- Let's not forget Empty Bottle's fantastic merch shop! Plus they just added some new stuff designed by some awesome people that is sure to catch your eye! Shows are going on now as well, so head over to their venue site and go to some concerts if you're comfortable
- Art Galleries and Special Events
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm! Currently they are showing LIGHT CYCLES: 40 Years of TRON in Games & Film
- All Star Press is constantly putting up new prints for you to decorate your space with! Plus you can check out some of their prints from last year's Vertical Gallery collab, which you can purchase here!! There is also a virtual gallery featuring all the works! You can see their previous show "Saturday Morning Fever” featuring the works of Griffin Goodman through their virtual gallery! And don't forget to check out the virtual edition of JC Rivera's new exhibition "Still Undefeated" !
- Galerie F has a fun stock of prints from concert posters, pop culture prints and more!
- Rotofugi is the perfect nexus of art and toys! Head over to see what new pieces of art they have in stocks and on display in their gallery space! They are currently showing Ghosting Through Life New Works by MUMBOT.
- WNDR Museum is an ever-evolving immersive art and technology experience designed to ignite your curiosity! See exhibits like the Light Floor, Try to Get Higher, and the Digital Gallery. Plus Keith Haring!
- Garfield Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely!
- Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MARCH 31st - APRIL 2nd (& BEYOND)
C2E2: Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo @ McCormick Place South Building, 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr, Saturday & Sunday 10:00am – 7:00pm, Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm All Ages
WHAT: The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo – also known as C2E2 – is a comic book and pop culture convention spanning the latest and greatest from the world of comics, movies, television, toys, anime, manga and video games in downtown Chicago.
SO WHAT: It’s three days of everything you ever wanted to know about nerd culture and geek stuff in a totally cool and inclusive atmosphere. There will be panels, workshops, speakers, and a whole lot of cosplayers. It’s honestly the most fun you’ll have exploring your every nerdy whim! Check out our full preview here!
NOW WHAT: Three-day and Saturday tickets are sold out but Friday ($52.75) and Sunday ($62.75) tickets are available!
Golden-Con: Thank You For Being a Fan @ Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, 301 E North Water St,
WHAT: Embrace the Golden Girl in you!
SO WHAT: Golden-Con, the Golden Girls fan convention, debuted in Chicago last year, is back and ready to entertain! Focused entirely on the Golden Girls sitcom, this special gathering will feature a ton of special guests, live shows including "The Lost Episodes" parody from Hell in a Handbag Productions, a Mother of a Solid Gold Dancer Disco Dance Party, a “Biggest Gift” Vendors Market, the “Chicago: You’ve Got Style” costume parade; a trivia tournament in Grab! That! Trivia! Dough! and much more.
NOW WHAT: Tickets range for $75 to $450 for the fun convention!
The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Friday and 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
SATURDAY, APRIL 1st
WHAT: Celebrate Spring with this tasty event
SO WHAT: The afternoon at Half Acre Beer's Strong Beer Time will be filled with all the grilled brats, music, games and outdoor drinking you could responsibly want! There will also be a Hammerschlagen competition where you and four of your best friends compete to drive nails into a wooden beam and win prizes. In addition to some great Half Acre Brews there will be a nice lineup of guest breweries on hand. Check out the lineup on their website.
NOW WHAT: Entry is free, just bring some cash for food and brews!
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, APRIL 1st & 2nd
Oddities Flea Market Chicago @ Morgan MFG, 401 North Morgan Street #Suite #204A, 11:00am – 7:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A little bit of weirdness for your weekend shopping
SO WHAT: Oddities Flea Market Chicago brings curated selection of medical history ephemera, anatomical curiosities, natural history items, osteological specimens, taxidermy, home decor, jewelry, one-of-a-kind art, and much more.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $25 a day and $50 for VIP which grants early entry and re-entry at limited capacity, ensuring prime access to our vendors' collections.
MOST OF THE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND
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 and Lincoln Hall!
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!
- March 30 - LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY NAOMI SPUNGEN, ADRIENNE STOUT, AND SUZ BALLOUT @ Schubas
- March 30- The Bobby Lees / Salvation / Mr. Phylzzz @ Schubas
- March 30 - Vancouver Sleep Clinic / Julia Pratt @ Lincoln Hall
- March 31- Enumclaw / Nitefire + FOOTBALLHEAD @ Schubas
- March 31 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Buen Viaje feat. Arsene @ Schubas
- April 1 -Chiiild BETTER LUCK IN THE NEXT LIFE TOUR / Isaia Huron @ Schubas
- April 2 - Schubas Garage Sale @ Schubas
- April 2 - Stay Outside / The Darling Suns / The Keystones @ Schubas
- April 2 - Ezra Collective / Where I'm Meant To Be / Late Nite Laundry @ Lincoln Hall
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!
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 Inside, Enys Men, Smoking Causes Coughing, Twentieth Century Part of: Carole Lombard x3, midnight screenings of White Chicks 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 subscription is $4.99, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy!
Chicago Humanities Festival Spring 2023: 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. Here is a taste of what's coming up!
- 4/13 Susanna Hoffs: From Pop Star to Novelist
- 4/21 Rainn Wilson On the Importance of Spirituality
- 4/26 Lane Moore with Mara Wilson: How To Make Friends As An Adult
- 4/29 Congresswoman Katie Porter: Championing Change
- 4/29 The Photography of Ralph Ellison
- 4/29 Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison on Police Brutality
- 4/29 Beto O’Rourke in Conversation
- 4/29 The Supreme Court’s New Era
- 4/29 Ayad Akhtar and Eboo Patel: On Offense
- 4/29 Surprise: Reading Jane Austen Again
- 4/29 Scott Aukerman: the Hilarious World of Comedy Bang Bang!
- 4/29 Miranda July with Carrie Brownstein
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 2023
University of Chicago Folk Festival @ Your favorite spot in your home, All Ages
WHAT:A fantastic folk festival
SO WHAT: University of Chicago Folk Festival might have come and gone but their digital presence is still around, making sure the wonderful music reaches as many people as possible! You can check out the past few years of performances on their Facebook page and their YouTube channel any time you want! This past year's performers included Balfa Toujours, Donka & Nikolay Kolev, Juan Rivera, Henry Barnes & Conner Vlietstra, Po' Ramblin' Boys, Jerron Paxton; Tim Britton, John Williams and Katie Grennan!
NOW WHAT: Head over to their Facebook page and their YouTube channel and enjoy the show! We highly encourage you to donate to help support this fantastic folk festival!
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 ev