It's officially spooky season and all the fun fall and Halloween events are in full force! So whether you're looking for some scary movies, great music, or want to get some shopping in, there is something for you this weekend!
Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!
- Support Local Venues
- Kingston Mines
- Fitzgerald's
- 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!
- Same goes for Thalia Hall's merch store
- Let's not forget Empty Bottle's fantastic merch shop!
ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS
- All Star Press is constantly putting up new prints for you to decorate your space with! RIGHT NOW they are showing Chicago Style: Hold The Ketchup featuring everyone's favorite Chicago encased meat: the Hotdog! 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!
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm! Currently they are showing @!#?@!: the Art, Design and Sound of Q*bert
- 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! Currently 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
- “Mold-A-Rama™: Molded for the Future” @ Museum of Science and Industry
- NOW - 11/12 Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius
- Art on the Mart
- NOW - 12/31 Karen's Diner - A pop-up dining establishment where you get an extra dose of sass with your order
- SUNDAYS till 10/29 Maxwell Street Market 9am-3pm
- SUNDAY - 10/29 Wicker Park Farmers Market Series
- NOW - 10/29 Back 2 The Video Store: A 90s Speakeasy Bar
- NOW - 10/29 Jack O’Lantern World (Lake Zurich)
- NOW - 10/30 CLUE: A Walking Mystery
- NOW - 10/15 Malibu Barbie Cafe
- NOW - 10/20 Nightmare on Clark Street
- NOW-10/8 Oktoberfest at The Northman Beer & Cider Garden
- NOW - 11/5 Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
- 10/6-10/7 Oktoberfest (Naperville)
- 10/6-10/8 St. Charles Scarecrow Fest
- 10/6-10/8 The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest & Skeleton Invasion
- 10/7 Family Fall Fest (Elmhurst)
- 10/7 Fall Fest @ Lombard Common
- 10/7 Villa Park Brewfest
- 10/7 Woodstock Ale Fest
- 107-10/8 Chicago Food Truck Fest |
- 10/8 Vintage Market (Highland Park)
- 10/8 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
- 10/8 Extra Life Chicago Gaming Convention
- 10/5 - 10/7 Latina Comedy Festival
THURSDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 & 7 (and Beyond)
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
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 - OCTOBER 8 (& BEYOND)
Lincoln Park Wine Fest @ Jonquil Park, 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave., Friday 5pm -10pm, Saturday 11:00am – 10:00pm, 21+
WHAT: A little bit of wine for your October fun
SO WHAT: Back for another great year, the Lincoln Park Wine Fest is turning Jonquil Park into a wine lovers dream come true. Taste some amazing varietals and learn from the expertise of brand ambassadors and sommeliers.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are selling out quick so head over to their event page and get you weekend set up now! Proceeds benefit the Wrightwood Neighbors Conversation Program including care of Jonquil Park.
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, OCTOBER 7
Thee Best Western @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave, Noon – 8:00pm, All ages
WHAT: A full day of fun times at the ol’ Empty Bottle!
SO WHAT: Keep the outdoor parties of summertime going well into fall with Empty Bottle's Thee Best Western block party! You'll get to shop some amazing vendors, enjoy some tasty treats and brews from great local spots, and jam out to DJ set from Musique Nonstop, Bumbac Joe, Hanna Hazard, and DJ Slinkie!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! So make your way to the Empty Bottle and have a swell time, pardner!
Chicago Beer Festival @ The Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, 7:00pm – 11:00pm, 21+
WHAT: Wonderful beer and fantastic exhibits in one trip!
SO WHAT: Spend your evening trying out some excellent brews from over 65 breweries at the Field Museum. In addition to all the unique beers, a select number of the museum’s exhibits will be open to attendees!
NOW WHAT: The $50 general admission ticket gets you three hours at the event (8:00pm – 11:00pm), while $65 gets you early entry (7:00pm)! Tickets come with 40 taster vouchers. Tickets will not be sold at the door, so get them in advance here!
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7 & 8
BOO! at the Zoo @ Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W 31st St, 10:00am – 6:00pm, All ages
WHAT: Add a little Halloween fun to your Zoo Trip!
SO WHAT: Brookfield Zoo turns into a Halloween wonderland during the spooky season with tons of photo ops, a corn maze, a Creepy Carousel, Virtual reality 4D theater show Jinxed, a Magician, Pumpkin feedings for the animals, fun zoo chats and so much more! Head over to their event page for all the ghoulish details!
NOW WHAT: Entry to the Zoo is $29.95 for adults, $$24.95 for seniors, $20.95 for children 3-11, and children 2 and under are free!
Oktoberfestiversary @ Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery,1800 W Belle Plaine Ave, Saturday 11:00am -9:00pm, Sunday 11:00am – 8:00pm
WHAT: Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery‘s annual fall street fest!
SO WHAT: Join the two amazing breweries as they celebrate Ravenswood Corridor, Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend, and all things Oktoberfest! Oktoberfestiversary will have plenty of amazing food trucks, live music, fun activities for the kids, and special tappings of brews from both breweries.
NOW WHAT: There is a $5 suggested donation will benefit The Friendship Center, a local food pantry that’s been providing groceries and more for the Northside neighbors facing hunger for more than 50 years.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
Indigenous People's Day Chicago Arts & Music Festival @ Chop Shop, 2033 W North Ave., 5:30pm-10pm
WHAT: The fifth outing of this festival honoring and amplifying the voices and contributions of Indigenous peoples
SO WHAT: Chop Shop will host two days of amazing Indigenous music from Canada, the US, and Latin America! Night one will feature the sounds of Keith Secola, Raye Zaragoza, Earth Surface People, and Trio Hermanos Bautista! Night two will highlight Digging Roots, Novalima, OPLIAM , One Way Sky, and Hobawea Nahish! You can check out one of the previous concerts here!
NOW WHAT: The show is free, but you'll need to RSVP for each night to get in!
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
- October 5 - LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SUZ BALLOUT, Sharron Palm, and Sam Selby @ Schubas
- October 5 - Krooked Kings + Early Eyes @ Lincoln Hall
- October 5 -Bre Kennedy + Sarah Walk @ Schubas
- October 6 - Kangaroo Court + The Courts + The Knee Hi's@ Lincoln Hall
- October 6 - Tommy Lefroy + Haley Blais @ Schubas
- October 6 - Ballout Comedy Night Hosted by Suz Ballout @ Schubas
- October 7 - Trousdale Catching a Ride Tour + Anna Vaus@ Schubas SOLD OUT
- October 7 -Yumi Zouma @ Lincoln Hall
- October 8 - Hemlocke Springs @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
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!
- 10/6 Matilda- 7pm
- 10/6 Nightmare on Elm Street - 9:30pm
- 10/7 Hocus Pocus- 7pm
- 10/7 Nope- 9:30pm
- 10/13 Super Mario Brothers - 7:30pm
- 10/13 Friday the 13th- 9:30pm
- 10/14 The Notebook - 8pm
- 10/14 Scream 6 - 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 ready to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies including Stop Making Sense, My Sailor, My Love, Winter Kills, Flora and Son, The Cramps and the Mutants: The Napa State Tapes, Bride of Music Box of Horrors, Nobody's Perfect: Billy Wilder Matinees Part 2, 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!
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!