Labor Day weekend is behind us and summer has left us! But as we bask in this in-between time before fall truly hits, let's enjoy the temps and discover some incredible events. There are markets, festivals, music and so much more going this weekend that you shouldn't miss!
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! Currentyl they are showing Abe Froman Sausage King Screen Prints by Jeremy Fish!
- 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
- 9/8 Start of German American Oktoberfest @ Lincoln Square
- 9/6 - 9/10 The Sandwich Fair @ The Sandwich Fairgrounds
- 9/8 - 9/10 Winfield Good Old Days Festival @ Church Street and Beecher Avenue in Winfield, IL.
- 9/8 - 9/10 Festival of the Vine @ James Street between S. Fourth & S. Fifth in Geneva
- 9/9 Vintage Car Show @ Highland Park, IL
- 9/9 18th Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival @ 79th & Racine (Featuring Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick)
- 9/9 World Dumpling Fest @ Logan Square
- 9/9 PAWS Chicago 5k
- 9/9 Harris Fest: Music + Dance in the Park @ Millennium Park
- 9/9 - 9/10 Art on the Fox @ Main St & Washington St. Algonquin, IL
- 9/9 - 9/10 Revolutionary War Reenactment @ Parade Field and Polo Field Wheaton IL
- 9/10 The 43rd Scandinavian Day Festival @ 35w217 Route 31 South Elgin
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 - 10 (& BEYOND)
Taste of Chicago 2023 @ Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, Jackson & Columbus, 11:00am – 9:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: The big, over-the-top mainstay food celebration of Chicago
SO WHAT: It may happen every year to mixed results, but you can still find some great things at the Taste of Chicago. There is a hefty list of 50+ food vendors participating in this year’s Grant Park takeover. There are tons of musical acts playing for free including Whitney, White Mystery, ÉSSO, Doug E. Fresh, EPMD, KRS-One, Slick Rick and more! There's actually quite a bit going on this year so take a look at their map for an idea of the scope of this annual food fest!
NOW WHAT: Make your way to Grant Park and have yourself a good time. Getting into the Taste of Chicago is free, but of course you’ll have to shell out for food and this year there will be no food tickets, so bring cash or card!
Throwback Music Fest @ Gladstone Park, 6030 N Milwaukee Ave, Friday 5:00pm – 10:30pm, Saturday NOON– 10:00pm, Sunday NOON – 8:30pm, All ages
WHAT: A little trip back in time
SO WHAT: Throwback Music Fest brings together some incredible live musicians playing the amazing songs of the 50s, 60s, 70, 80s, and 90s! Enjoy some great tunes as well as a pet costume parade (Saturday), a classic car show (Saturday), Miss Throwback contest (Sunday), a Hero Celebration (Sunday), and tons of kids' activities all weekend long! Check out the full schedule of activities and performances over at their website!
NOW WHAT: Admission is $7 per day
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, SEPTEMBER 9
34th Biennial Logan Square House Walk @ Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 2614 N Kedzie Ave, 10am - 5pm
WHAT: Take a Walk on the Historic Side to See Logan Square’s History
SO WHAT: This beautiful event will let you walk the Logan Square neighborhood and explore some amazing historical sites all the while learning about the extensive history. You can check out our full preview here!
NOW WHAT: General admission is $30/$40 daty of and includes access to 10 plus sites, performances and archive displays throughout the historic Logan Square neighborhood and $5 discount on sample packs at the concurrent Dumpling Fest.
Chicago Beer Fest @ Time Out Market Chicago, 916 W Fulton Market, 1pm – 4pm, 21+
WHAT: Tasty beer for your afternoon
SO WHAT: Discover some amazing local breweries at the Time Out Market as they throw a fun mini beer festival. There will be 16 ours of beer available from the likes of Dovetail, Moors, Off Color, Haymarket, Lagunitas, Eris, Half Acre and Revolution! Plus there will be plenty of giveaways, music from DJ Firm, and more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $40 for this fun beer sampling!
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 & 10
Printers Row Lit Fest @ South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street, 10:00am – 6:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A two-day fest all about books!
SO WHAT: The Printers Row Lit Fest, the largest free outdoor literary showcase in the Midwest, will be celebrating its 38th year with even more outdoor vendors and activities as well as a return to its roots as a community-based celebration for book lovers. The fest is presented by the not-for-profit Near South Planning Board and DCASE. This year’s celebration includes tons of book dealers, all-free programs, a kids favorite book character costume parade, and much more. You can check out the schedule of events here!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! The festival takes place on South Dearborn Street between Polk Street and the newly named Ida B. Wells Drive (Congress Parkway).
Renegade Craft Fair @ Wicker Park, Division Street between Damen and Ashland, 11:00pm – 7:00pm, all ages
WHAT: A craft fair focused on independent makers celebrates 20 years!
SO WHAT: Hundreds of independent crafters and makers will be at Renegade Craft Fair's Flagship Fair celebrating DIY spirit for two amazing days! This is the 20th year and with a sprawling 400+ makers, it's sure to be a great one! Head over to their event page for a full vendor list and more info!
NOW WHAT: The event is free and open to the public, but there is a suggested entry between $0-12 The contribution supports Renegade Craft’s vision of an accessible, equitable, & inclusive creative economy for all. Additionally, 10% of the contribution goes to The Nature Conservancy, to help protect our planet & home.
Lakeview East Festival of the Arts @ Broadway from Belmont to Hawthorne, 11am – 7pm
WHAT: A great art festival in East Lakeview
SO WHAT: The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts, on Broadway from Belmont to Hawthorne, showcases over 150 juried artists featuring paintings, sculpture, photography, furniture, jewelry and more. You’ll get the chance to purchase these original pieces and appreciate the hard work that went into them. The festival also features live demonstrations, family activities, garden oasis and live music throughout the day.
NOW WHAT: The festival is open to the public and a great way to spend the weekend. Plus the music goes until 10PM on Saturday, so don’t forget to stick around.
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!
- September 7- LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY NAOMI SPUNGEN, ADRIENNE STOUT, AND SUZ BALLOUT @ Schubas
- September 7 - 100% OFF PRESENTS: Marble Teeth + Patrick Jasper + Edie Mckenna @ Schubas
- September 7- Dogs In A Pile + Zoofunkyou @ Lincoln Hall
- September 8 - The North 41 + LowDown Brass Band Nasty Snacks @ Lincoln Hall
- September 8 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: ted dB + feral + Alex Leeds@ Schubas
- September 8 - Rhea the Second Single Release Show + J Bambii + Demetruest + Bonita Appleblunt @ Schubas
- September 9 - School of Rock Park Ridge's "Back to School" Show @ Schubas
- September 9 - McKinley Dixon + Semiratruth + Orion Meadows @ Schubas
- September 9 - of Montreal + Locate S,1 @ Lincoln Hall
- September 10 - Pub Choir @ Lincoln Hall
- September 10 - Karaoke Storytellers @ 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!
- 9/7 Shrek - 7:30pm
- 9/8 Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse - 7:30pm
- 9/8 Nightmare on Elm Street- 10:30pm
- 9/9 Scream 6 – 11pm
- 9/14 Guardians of the Galaxy 3 -10pm
- 9/15 Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse - 7:30pm
- 9/15 Friday the 13th - 10:30pm
- 9/16 The Notebook -8pm
- 9/16 Us - 10:30pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience
Movies on the Big Screen and Home @ 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 Scrapper, In Dreams, The Others, Friday midnight screenings of New Jack City and more! But if you want to watch some first-run movies at home, you can still watch great movies online! The Theatre's sister company, Music Box Films, offers a wide range of films available to stream anytime via 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!
- 9/17 Millie Bobby Brown in Conversation
- 9/19 Naomi Klein
- 9/19 Novelist Zadie Smith
- 10/5 Keegan-Michael Key and his wife Elle Key
- 10/7 Around the World in 80 Trees with Jonathan Drori
- 10/14 Oliver Jeffers
- 10/14 Bob and Erin Odenkirk in Conversation with Peter Sagal
- 10/19 Rachel Maddow in Conversation with Kathleen Belew
- 10/21 Improving the American Experiment
- 10/21 Queer Eye's Bobby Berk
- 10/30 Chef Eric Ripert and Christopher Kimball
- 11/1 An Evening with Thurston Moore
- 11/4 Henry Winkler
- 11/5 David Brooks in Conversation with Jonathan Capehart
- 12/5 Montgomery and the Blacknificent 7
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!