'It's looking like we have another warm weekend ahead of us so let's indulge in some festivals, movies, and more! There is just so much going on this weekend, so don't let it pass you by!
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
- 8/17 - 8/20 Skate Chicago @ Various Locations
- 8/18 Clark After Dark @ Clark & Hubbard
- 8/18-8/19 Naper Nights @ Naper Settlement
- 8/18-8/20 Evanston Art & Big Fork Festival @ Downtown Evanston
- 8/18-8/20 Glenwood Ave Arts Fest
- 8/18-8/20 Anime Magic @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
- 8/19 Japan Festival Chicago @ Chicago Cultural Center
- 8/19 Stan's Donut Race @ Soldier Field
- 8/19-8/20 EEEEEATSCON @ The Salt Shed
- 8/19 - 8/20 Wine and Art Walk @ The Morton Arboretum
- 8/19 - 8/20 Chicago Air and Water Show @ North Ave. Beach and along the Lakefront
- 8/20 Pilot Project Fest
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 - 20
Ribfest Chicago @ Lincoln Avenue between Irving Park Road and Berteau Avenue, Friday 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Saturday & Sunday Noon – 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: 50,000 pounds of pork for the middle of your month
SO WHAT: It’s Ribfest Chicago’s 23rd outing! The Northcenter neighborhood festival brings together the community for some of the best ribs and a fantastic musical lineup including Phillip Michael Scales, Fourstar Brass Band, Trippin Billies, and many more! Highlights will also include the “Best Ribs” and "People's Choice" competitions and a Kids Square for families to enjoy entertainment, inflatables, games and more.
NOW WHAT: $10 donation per person or $20 per family is requested to benefit the Northcenter community and help support local schools, nonprofit organizations, economic development, and greening efforts.
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 19
16th Annual Oak Park Micro Brew Review @ Downtown Oak Park, 100 N Marion St, Oak Park, 2:00pm – 6:00pm
WHAT: Brews, bites and tunes at the largest zero-waste craft beer fest in the Midwest!
SO WHAT: This awesome Micro Brew Review features unique and inventive brews from dozens of Illinois craft breweries for you to try! Additionally there will be plenty of live music and small plates from local restaurants available!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $70 for the main tasting event! There are also tickets that give you VIP access ($100) and early entry ($80)! Enjoy a great beer festival and help raise funds for Seven Generations Ahead, an environmental nonprofit working to promote healthy and sustainable communities.
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.
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Just make your way to Navy Pier, find a spot, and enjoy the show !
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 19 & 20
Bulls Fest @ United Center, 1901 W Madison St, 7:00am - 6:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Two full days of Bulls!
SO WHAT: It's a new year and Bulls Fest is back! Spend the weekend checking out an incredible 3v3 basketball tournament, tons of clinics, food trucks, and "The Art of the Game," art show brought to you by All Star Press and more! Head over to the event website for more details!
NOW WHAT: Entry is free for this fantastic basketball focused event!
Sangria Festival Chicago @ Humboldt Park, 3021 W. Division St., Noon – 10:00pm
WHAT: The perfect chance to sample some amazing Sangrias!
SO WHAT: Sangria Festival Chicago is back for their 8th year of Sangria festivities! In addition to all the appetizing food and delicious drinks, there will be music throughout the day, samba and flamenco shows, a Paint and Sip Lounge, and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $20 per day and go up with whatever add-on you’d like to partake in this weekend! The festival as always is helping to raise awareness and funds for community organizations including Humboldt Park’s San Lucas Church Hot Meals Program for their fight against hunger in our neighborhoods.
The Great American Lobster Fest 2023 @ Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Friday & Saturday 1pm– 11pm, Sunday 1pm – 8pm, All Ages
WHAT: Another year of lobster goodness at Navy Pier
SO WHAT: The Great American Lobster Fest is two full days of fresh lobster flown in from the east coast that will be accented by some great live music performances including Nublu Band, The Drastics, and many more! There will also be plenty of fun family friendly activities and unique shopping experiences for you to indulge in. And don't forget that there will be fireworks on Saturday and the Air & Water show going on.
NOW WHAT: Entry to to the festival grounds is free! Meal tickets for the fest are currently available for $79 for Saturday, $69 for Sunday, and $129 for Sunday VIP !
THE WHOLE CURATED 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!
- August 17 - LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY NAOMI SPUNGEN, ADRIENNE STOUT, AND SUZ BALLOUT @ Schubas
- August 17 - Hermitage Green + Seán Lyons @ Schubas
- August 18 - Sweeping Promises + Spread Joy + Clickbait @ Lincoln Hall TICKETS AT THE DOOR
- August 18 -Drumming Bird + Andrew Montana + Sarah Weddle @ Schubas
- August 18 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Ryan Moses @ Schubas
- August 19 - Agua + DJ IGGY + DJ Chava + Mo Mami + J Santos @ Lincoln Hall
- August 19 - Silver Cup + Hembree @ Lincoln Hall
- August 20 - Song Club with Anna Vogelzang + Tasha + R.LUM.R + Jessica Mindrum @ Schubas
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!
- 8/17 Guardians of the Galaxy 3 - 8pm
- 8/18 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- 8pm
- 8/18 Us – 11pm
- 8/19 Nightmare on Elm Street-11pm
- 8/20 John Wick 4 - 8pm
- 8/22 Shrek - 8pm
- 8/23 Ferris Bueller's Day Off - 8pm
- 8/24 Guardians of the Galaxy 3 - 8pm
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, midnight screenings of Oldboy 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!