Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 11/23 and Beyond

The winter holidays are in full force with Thanksgiving kicking off this weekend! Then begins the countdown of the final month of the year. But for now let's focus on what you can do this holiday weekend! Tons of events are going on so start getting some shopping done, go and see a concert, and enjoy yourself in the still bearable Chicago temps.

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

ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

SPECIAL WINTER EVENTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Lydia Loveless & Reese McHenry @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., 9pm, 21+
WHAT: A fantstic show to cap off your Black Friday
SO WHAT: Lydia Loveless (she/her/they/them) is going back on the road in support of her fantastic album Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again, which was just released in September via the resurgent Bloodshot Records. If you're unfamiliar with Loveless' undeniably alluring voice and rollicking instrumentation, then this is the perfect way to experience it! Joining her at this first stop of her tour will be Reese McHenry!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $25

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24 & 25 (& BEYOND)

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

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 - 26 (& BEYOND)

Holiday Magic @ Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St (1st Avenue and 31st Street), Brookfield, IL, 3:00pm – 9:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Add some holiday cheer to your zoo visit!
SO WHAT: Celebrate the holiday season as over two million lights wrap around Brookfield Zoo! Holiday Magic lets attendees explore the zoo as the synchronized lights dance to the music. You’ll have fun discovering all the enormous illuminated animal structures, taking a trip to the skating rink, riding on the Carousel, taking some special holiday photos, and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $29.95 for adults 12- 64, $20.95 for children ages 3 – 11,  $24.95 for Seniors. Parking is $15.18

Light Up the Lake @ Navy Pier, 600 E Grand, Various times, All ages
WHAT: Winter festivities without all the cold!
SO WHAT: Navy Pier will be putting on Chicagoland’s biggest indoor, temperature-controlled winter celebration! Light Up the Lake will feature a light garden, featuring large-scale light-sculpture displays; an Alpine ice rink, kiddie train rides, gift market—and, of course, a chance to visit with SANTA!
NOW WHAT: It's free but there are ticketed activities ranging from $5 to $20.

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, NOVEMBER 25

Chicago Vintage Festival @ Morgan MFG, 401 N Morgan St, Noon – 6:00pm
WHAT: A wonderful market for all!
SO WHAT: Head over to Chicago Vintage Festival and discover the wares of over 100 vendors sharing vintage finds and handmade items! Plus you can enjoy some delicious food and curated cocktails for Small Business Saturday!
NOW WHAT: It’s free!

MUSIC FOR MARS: Liquid Soul Benefiting Mars Williams @ Metro, 3730 N Clark St., 7pm, 18+
WHAT: A tribute show for an amazing musician
SO WHAT: Originally meant as a benefit show for Mars Williams' cancer treatment, this evening has become a tribute show as Williams died on Monday. So let's honor the memory of the storied musician whose talents reached far and wide working with his own Liquid Soul acid jazz band, Psychedelic Furs and so much more. This tribute concert will feature the Joe Marcinek Band, Jesse De La Pena and special guests Jeff Coffin of Dave Matthews Band and Ike Reilly!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 day for this bittersweet show.

THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND

Winterland @ Gallagher’s Way, 3635 N Clark St, various times, All Ages
WHAT: Some more winter festivities
SO WHAT: Enjoy the return of Gallagher Way’s Winterland with the fun expanding into Wrigley Field itself!! Enjoy fun rides (Wintertube, Infield Express, Hot Cocoa Cups, and Winter Whirl), games (Chimney Toss, Tree Topper, and Snow Pitch), and of course the usual ice skating, ice bumper cars, and the Christkindlmarket will be on hand!
NOW WHAT: Entry to the Wrigley Field portion starts at $5 and attraction tickets are $4 (10 for $36 & 20 for $69)! Ice Skating + Skate Rental is 5 attraction tickets or $20, rink access only is 3 tickets or $12.

ZooLights @ Lincoln Park Zoo, pedestrian entrance at Stockton Drive and Webster Street, 4:30pm – 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: One of the largest displays of the season’s lights!
SO WHAT: ZooLights, presented By ComEd and Invesco QQQ,  at Lincoln Park Zoo makes the most wonderful time of year even better with the most wonderful lighting event. The one-of-a-kind experience offers fun family-oriented holiday celebrations that feature beautiful  displays and incredible seasonal activities all under the glow of millions of lights! Check out their event page for a full rundown of all the fun that is waiting for you at the annual ZooLights event!
NOW WHAT: Entry is free on Mondays, $7 on most other weeknights and Sundays, and Fridays and Saturdays are $10! Tickets for the Winter Experiences are additional.

Christkindlmarket @ Daley Plaza (50 W Washington St) & Gallagher Way (3635 N Clark St) & RiverEdge Park (360 N. Broadway, Aurora), Various Times, All Ages
WHAT: The Chicago Christmas time tradition is back in person!
SO WHAT: After going digital last year, Christkindlmarket is back with all the familiar foods, music, and ornaments you expect! Head over to their website for info on special events, hours, and more!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! But if you want to skip the lines and take home one of those Souvenir Mugs you can buy an advance fast pass for $25

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!

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 The Holdovers, The Sound of Music Sing-a-Long, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GET699ZC7eM

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 watch this fun piece!

Julian Ramirez