Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 9/29 and Beyond

It's fall, but the temps are still relatively high! So why not enjoy the great weather with some fun events throughout the Chicagoland area! There are tons of markets, art galleries, and more waiting for you!

Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!

ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

THIS WEEKEND ONLY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

French Market @ Gallagher Way, 3635 N Clark St , 4:00pm – 8:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A little taste of France in Wrigleyville!
SO WHAT:French Market will be a perfect way to spend your Thursday evening with its casual, European flair and wide variety of vendors. Each day of the market will feature 20+ vendors! Whether your looking for some tasty treats, hand made goods, or just a good time in the setting summer sun, French Market is there for you! Plus there will be a kids craft corner to keep the kid’s imaginations growing. You can bring your blanket on the grass or pick a patio table to sit back and enjoy the live music each week! Check out the music schedule below!

NOW WHAT: Entry is free, just bring your totes and stock up on some amazing food and wares!

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 & 30

West Town Art Walk @ West Town, on Chicago Avenue, Division to Hubbard, Halsted to Kedzie. , Friday 5:00pm – 8:00pm, Saturday Noon – 8:00pm, all ages
WHAT: West Town Art Walk is ready to show you the best the neighborhood has to offer
SO WHAT: Art in all its forms will be taking over West Town, all along the booming Chicago Avenue destination corridor and beyond. Participating businesses will have their doors open for the Art Walk celebrating a variety of arts: visual, musical, performance, fashion, culinary and more. Check out the full list of participating business at their website!
NOW WHAT: Entry is free!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 1 (& BEYOND)

Chicago Exhibition Weekend 2023 @ Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: The inaugural Chicago Exhibition Weekend!
SO WHAT:  This amazing event will highlight over 50 galleries, institutions and artist-run spaces throughout our great city. There will be plenty of special exhibitions, unique programs, and extended hours throughout many of the participating galleries. You can check out the full schedule of events on the Chicago Exhibition Weekend website  and  reserve a limited edition map of participating venues for pickup.
NOW WHAT: It's all free! Don't miss this incredible new series!

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

THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND

World Music Festival Chicago @ Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: A little taste of music from around the world
SO WHAT: World Music Festival Chicago brings award-winning artists from around the world to share their amazing music for this citywide, multi-venue festival. Over 30 artists and ensembles representing 22 countries and regions of the world will be performing throughout the festival. This is their 23rd year of live, in-person performances, and they will also be celebrating 11 years of Ragamala, the largest all-night long presentation of live Indian classical music in the United States. This also marks the return of the annual Global Peace Picnic in Humboldt Park
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Head over to their website to check out this year’s schedule and RSVP for all the shows you want to see!

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!

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 Stop Making Sense, Flora and Son, River's Edge + Heavy Metal Parking Lot, Gowld, The Phantom of the Monastery, CB4 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!

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!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42ZUUBeHSY&t=3s

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!

Julian Ramirez