Summer is very officially in the rear view! So let's celebrate the fall season by enjoying everything the city has to offer. 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
- SUNDAYS till 10/29 Maxwell Street Market 9am-3pm
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
- 9/21 - 9/24 Chicago Gourmet
- 9/14 - 9/24 Glendale Heights Oktoberfest
- 9/15 - 9/16 Norwood Park Fall Fest
- 9/22 - 9/23 Naperville Irish Fest
- 9/22 - 9/24 Apple Fest
- 9/22 - 9/24 St. Alphonsus Oktoberfest
- 9/23 The Great Gatsby Party
- 9/23 Mid-Autumn Festival
- 9/23 Chicago Water Lantern Festival
- 9/23 Oktoberfest at Brookfield Zoo
- 9/23 Oktoberfest at Metropolitan Brewing
- 9/23 Barktoberfest
- 9/24 Prost! In The Park
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 & 23
312 Block Party @ Goose Island, 1800 W Fulton St, Friday 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Saturday 4:00pm – 10:00pm, 21+
WHAT: Goose Island‘s Block Party returns for another year of beer, food, and music
SO WHAT: The Goose Island Block Party is back. This is an amazing celebration of local beer and food highlighted by amazing music! They will beer be pouring over 30 varieties of fresh beer both days, including some rare treats in their taproom, and will have plenty of food trucks on hand to satisfy your palate. Check out the music lineup below!
Friday
- 5:45 PM Jalen Ngonda
- 7PM The Lemon Twigs
- 8:30 PM Neal Francis
Saturday
- 4:30 PM Cabeza De Chivo
- 5:45 PM Brigitte Calls Me Baby
- 7PM Heartless Bastards
- 8:30 PM Houndsmouth
NOW WHAT: Dogs and Children not encouraged. This event is made for human adults 21+. There is a suggested donation of only $10 which will benefit some of Goose Island’s favorite local charities.
Sauced Night Market @ Half Acre Brewery Balmoral, 2050 W Balmoral Ave, 5:00pm – 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A night time market in a fantastic brewery
SO WHAT: Sauced Night Market makes its way to Half Acre Brewery Balmoral! The roving night market has been showcasing vendors for quite a few years now and they’ll be at Half Acre for two nights with another great lineup of local vendors slinging their awesome wares! The full lineup of vendors can be found at their website.
NOW WHAT: It’s free with RSVP!
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 - 24 (& BEYOND)
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 & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 & 24
Randolph Street Market Festival @ 1341 W Randolph St., 10:00am – 5:00pm
WHAT: This fun street market is back for a fall affair for their 20th year
SO WHAT: Celebrate the Randolph Street Market Festival where you can experience incredible vendors with a wide variety of items perfect for the fall season! Shop for vintage and antique items while enjoying a drink and the live music playing throughout the market!
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $12, which are good for both days and go up with a nice selection of tiers including drink packages, totes, and more!
Chicago Live! @ Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Saturday Noon – 9:30pm, Sunday Noon -6pm
WHAT: Take a look at some of the amazing acts and artists.
SO WHAT: This weekend is the third annual Chicago Live! The event showcases Chicago's incredible arts and cultural organizations with over 80 acts performing across three of Navy Pier's stages. Head over to their event page for their full lineup, which includes performances from Giordano Dance Chicago, Third Coast Percussion, Mavis Staples and more!
NOW WHAT: Check out the full schedule here! It’s all free !
The 17th Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival @ Various locations around Hyde Park, Saturday 1:00am-11:59pm, Sunday 1:00pm– 7:00pm
WHAT: Some beautiful music throughout Hyde Park
SO WHAT: The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is back in its original form. As always, there is an amazing lineup featuring the likes of Melanie Charles, Endea Owens, Bethany Pickens, Camilla Mennitte, Silvia Bolognesi, Meagan McNeal, Joan Collaso, Courtney Bryan’s Requiem, Dee Alexander’s Ancestors Reign and so many more! Check out their full schedule over at their website!
NOW WHAT: There is a suggested donation of $10, but the shows are always meant to be free! So donate some cash, keep this wonderful fest alive, and enjoy the show!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Reeling The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival @ Music Box Theatre (opening night only) – 3733 N Southport Ave; Chicago Filmmakers – 1326 W Hollywood Ave; & Landmark Theater 2828 N Clark St, various times
WHAT:This LGBTQ+-focused festival returns in both in-person theater screening and online!
SO WHAT: Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival is the second longest-running film festival of its kind, showcasing the best LGBTQ+ films and videos each year. The festival always delivers a great range of films from award-winning international feature films to social documentaries to experimental shorts. Since things are a little better now, there will be both in person screenings and events in addition to the streaming options from the last couple of years. Head over to their website for more info!
NOW WHAT: See info on all the ticket options and passes here. Individual tickets for the Landmark Theater and Chicago Filmmakers screenings are $12 and a Full In Person pass is $130! Tickets for the Opening Night at Music Box Theatre are $15 for the film, $40 for the film and pre-party. Single film streaming tickets are $10 and an all-access streaming pass is $100. Virtual film screenings premiere September 29 through 10/8.
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
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!
- 9/21 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 7:30pm
- 9/22 Hocus Pocus - 7:30pm
- 9/22 It: Chapter 2-9:30pm
- 9/23 The Little Mermaid (2023)- 7:30pm
- 9/23 Nightmare on Elm Street 10:30pm
- 9/24 Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse - 7:30pm
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 ready to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies including Scrapper, Fremont, Mutt, Night of the Living Dead, Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight screenings and more! But if you want to watch some first-run movies at home, you can still watch great movies online! The theater's sister company, Music Box Films, offers a wide range of films available to stream any time 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 current season as their website is constantly updated with new talks. Here is a taste of what's coming up!
- 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!