'First week of August was pretty great so lets keep the good times rolling with another weekend of amazing events! As always there are plenty of festivals, movies, and more going on this weekend, so enjoy the warm weather, brave the rainy days, and discover something new in the city.
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 their Vertical Gallery collab, which you can purchase here!! There is also a virtual gallery featuring all the works! You can also see "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" ! Or the All Decked Out virtual show!
- 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!
- 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
- “Harry Potter: Magic at Play” @ Water Tower Place
- “Mold-A-Rama™: Molded for the Future” @ Museum of Science and Industry
- Wicker Park Farmers Market Series
- Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius
- Karen's Diner - A pop-up dining establishment where you get an extra dose of sass with your order
- Art on the Mart
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
- 8/11 Up In Smoke 2023 @ Americanos 11060 South Western Avenue
- 8/11-8/13 Edison Park Fest @ Edison Park
- 8/11-8/13 Ginza Holiday Festival @ Midwest Buddhist Temple
- 8/12 Hermosa Tamal Fest @ Armitage and Keeler
- 8/12 Firefest 2023 @ Firehouse Community Arts Center
- 8/12 Joliet Blues Festival @ Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park
- 8/12 Titan Walls Mural Festival 2023 @ District Brew Yards
- 8/12-8/13 Lincolnshire Art Festival @ 100 Village Green, Lincolnshire, IL
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 - 13
Retro on Roscoe @ Roscoe/Damen, 2000 W. Roscoe St., Friday 5pm – 10pm, Saturday & Sunday Noon – 10pm, all ages
WHAT: 24th annual Retro on Roscoe festival!
SO WHAT: Enjoy all everything Retro on Roscoe has to offer this weekend! Shop unique artisans, antique vendors, and cool merchants before heading to grab some tasty treats. There is also a family area offering activities for all ages, an Antique and Classic Car and Motorcycle show, and three stages featuring some fun bands playing all your favorite throwbacks and oldies!
NOW WHAT: There is a $15 suggested donation for admission to Retro on Roscoe, which benefits Roscoe Village Neighbors
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!
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $15! 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, AUGUST 12
The Bud Billiken Parade @ 39th and King Drive, 7:30am -4pm, All Ages
WHAT: Celebrate 94 years of this wonderful parade
SO WHAT: The Bud Billiken Parade is a commemoration of African Americans’ past and a celebration of the future, uniting everyone for a beautiful event full of music, dance, food, and laughter. The start point of the Bud Billiken Parade is 39th and King Drive at 10am, then continues south on King Drive and enters Washington Park and concludes at 55th St./Garfield Boulevard! Post parade there will be plenty of fun family friendly activities for all to enjoy! This year the parade’s Grand Marshal is J.IVY!
NOW WHAT: Head out and celebrate!If you want to stay home you can always catch the parade on ABC7! There is also a VIP Breakfast Experience available!
Summer Fireworks @ Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Avenue, 10:00pm – 10:10pm
WHAT: Enjoy the spectacle of fireworks all summer long
SO WHAT: Take a trip to Navy Pier and check out their dazzling display of fireworks!. Each show features dramatic and popular music soundtracks with some special occasion soundtracks sprinkled throughout the season. It’s the first fireworks show of the year so kick off summer with this explosive tradition.
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Just make your way to Navy Pier, find a spot, and enjoy the show !
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 12 & 13
My House Music Festival 2022 @ Harrison Park, 1824 S. Wood St, 3:00pm– 10:00pm
WHAT: My House Music Festival is back for another year!
SO WHAT: My House Music Festival is a great two day experience of excellent music in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. There will be tons of family friendly activities, live art, performances, and access to local food, alcohol and merchandise vendors. Performers include Derrick Carter, Armand Van Helden, DJ Heather, Bad Boy Bill, and many more! You can check out the full lineup of DJs, vendors, and more here!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $49 per day, $79 for a weekend pass, and $99/$149 for VIP passes. Guests 12 and under enter for free with accompanying, ticketed adults!
Northalsted Market Days @ Halsted Street from Belmont to Addison, 11am - 10pm
WHAT: 1/2 mile long summer festival!
SO WHAT: Celebrating its 41st anniversary this year, Northalsted Market Days will feature its traditionally vast array of unique vendors, arts, crafts, food and drink. Each day will be filled with a huge list of musicians including Betty Who, Pussy Riot, Cupcakke, and many more! You can check out the full lineup over at the Northalsted Market Days website.
NOW WHAT: There is a $20 suggested donation, which helps keep the neighborhood safe, beautiful, and fun. Donations make Market Days possible, support local non-profits, charities, and fund community projects like the Chicago Pride Crosswalks. There is also a $50 express entry VIP Pass available!
Printer’s Row Art Fest @ S. Dearborn from Harrison to Polk, 701 S Dearborn St, 10am to 5pm
WHAT: A fun and cool art festival in the middle of the city!
SO WHAT: This wonderful art festival showcases the beauty, creativity and culture of the area with amazing work from over 90 creators. There will be art at all price points by painters, street artists, jewelers, up-cycling artists, artisans of all kinds, photographers, and mixed media artists. There will be a Kids Art Stop & Live Art Demo stations to interact with the festival's artists. You’ll also get the chance to indulge in some food and drinks from local restaurants and bars at the event!
NOW WHAT: It's free! You can signup at their event page to win $100 to spend during the art fest!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13
Sundays on State @ State Street from Lake to Adams, 11am – 8pm, all ages
WHAT: From Lake to Adams, State Street becomes an open street full of surprises!
SO WHAT: Neighbors from every Chicago community and beyond are invited to Sundays on State, an interactive block party that will let you safely enjoy art, culture, active recreation, retail, bars, restaurants, and local attractions! Experience everyone’s neighborhood, the Loop, like never before!
NOW WHAT: This fantastic way to spend your Sunday this weekend is FREE!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Fan Expo Chicago 2023 @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Rd, Rosemont, Thursday 4:00pm – 9:00pm, Friday & Saturday 10:00am – 7:00pm, Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm , All Ages
WHAT: Another year of FanExpo!
SO WHAT: Fan Expo is three days and one preview night of everything you ever wanted to know about nerd culture and geek stuff. There will be plenty of guests signing autographs, panels featuring interesting talks on the ins and outs of every creative process, and a constant parade of cosplayers walking the convention floor.
NOW WHAT: Advance tickets are a little cheaper and start at $89 for all four days of the convention! Single day tickets are also available starting at $12 for ages 6-12, $15 for ages 13-17, and $22 for adults! These price last until July 26th! You can also get tickets at the door for their full price!
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!
- August 10 - LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY NAOMI SPUNGEN, ADRIENNE STOUT, AND SUZ BALLOUT @ Schubas
- August 10 - Nora Marks + Shotgun Funeral + Supercorp @ Schubas
- August 10 - The Airborne Toxic Event @ Lincoln Hall TICKETS AT THE DOOR
- August 11 -Paul Cherry + The Mattson 2 + Jaguar Sun @ Schubas
- August 11 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Ready For The Floor an indie sleaze dance party @ Schubas
- August 11 - The Airborne Toxic Event @ Lincoln Hall @ Lincoln Hall
- August 12 - The Airborne Toxic Event @ Lincoln Hall
- August 12 - Florry + Tobacco City @ Schubas
- August 13 - Diggin Dirt + Junegrass @ Schubas
- August 13 - Everything is Terrible! Live!@ Lincoln Hall
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!
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!
- 8/10 Guardians of the Galaxy 3 - 8:15pm
- 8/11 Grease- 8:15pm
- 8/11 Friday the 13th– 11pm
- 8/12 The Notebook- 8:15pm
- 8/12 Scream 6- 11pm
- 8/13 Mean Girls - 8:15pm
- 8/15 Super Mario Brothers 8:15pm
- 8/16 Back to the Future 8:15pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience
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 Oppenheimer, Passages , Mad Max: Fury Road - Black & Chrome Edition 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 a month, $49.99 a year, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy!
Chicago Humanities: 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!
- 9/19 Naomi Klein
- 9/19 Novelist Zadie Smith
- 10/5 Keegan-Michael Key and his wife Elle Key
- 10/21 Queer Eye's Bobby Berk
- 11/4 Henry Winkler
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 a great watch!