That snow storm last week wasn't as bad as it could have been and while the temps have been drastically low, things are getting better! Only one day this weekend seems to have negative temps and next week we're back to just good ole' freezing temps. So let's make the best of what we got and discover something fun this weekend! Grab your heavy coat and put on your mask (since COVID numbers are unfortunately rising) and enjoy!
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 Breaking the Bank: Solo Show by E.LEE & Friends ! 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!
- 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
- Art on the Mart
- NOW - 3/31 Teeny ,Tiny, Tropical Bar
- NOW - 3/24 Downton Abbey: The Exhibition
- NOW - 3/17 Disney100: The Exhibition
- NOW - 1/27 Young Playwrights Festival @ Chicago Dramatists
- NOW - 1/21 Fillet of Solo @ Various Locations
SPECIAL WINTER EVENTS
- NOW - 1/28 Rudolph's Rooftop at LondonHouse Chicago
- NOW - 1/28 Ice Skating at Rosemont's Parkway Bank Park
- NOW - 3/3 Ice Skating in Millennium Park
- NOW - 3/10 Ice Skating at Maggie Daley Park
- 1/20 - 2/17 Polar Adventure Days @ Big Marsh Park
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JANUARY 19-21 (& BEYOND)
Chicago Restaurant Week 2024 @ Various Restaurants, Various Times
WHAT: The 17th annual culinary celebration!
SO WHAT: Over 350 restaurants will take part in Restaurant Week (which is actually 17 days long!), letting everyone have a taste of Chicago’s restaurant scene from Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese and more! You can feast on delicious multi-course menus all across the city and suburbs. You can find all the participating restaurants on the Restaurant Week website!
NOW WHAT: These multi-course meals are $25 for brunch or lunch, and $42 or $59 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).
The Great American Dog Show @ Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Dr Schaumburg, 10:00am-5:00pm
WHAT: A perfect event for dog lovers!
SO WHAT:The Great American Dog Show is coming back to Illinois this weekend for three full days of dog fun! You'll have the opportunity to meet over hundreds of breeds, enjoy some amazing demonstrations and tricks, pick up some doggy gifts and products, and see all the wonderfully groomed pups in the Windy City Grooming Show!
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $25 ($20 for seniors, $15 for children)!
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!
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $20! The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21
Wicker Park Winter Market Series @ The Robey, 2018 W North Ave, 9am-2pm
WHAT: An indoor farmers market for the colder months
SO WHAT: Get some fresh produce action during the wonderful winter edition of the Wicker Park market inside The Robey! Wicker Park Farmers Market's mission "is to provide a space for regional food producers to sell to and interact with customers, for our residents and neighbors to access healthful foods and local goods, and to foster a sense of place and community in the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood." You can check out their lineup of vendors over at their website!
NOW WHAT: Just bring your tote and get ready to grab some amazing food from local vendors!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Tomorrow Never Knows Festival @ Lincoln Hall / Schubas / Sleeping Village / Gman Tavern, Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: Tomorrow Never Knows unites Lincoln Hall, Schubas, Sleeping Village, and Gman Tavern for a fantastic festival
SO WHAT: TNK curates the best of rising musicians (with a focus on local acts) across five days and venues, delivering an incredible early-year fest! This one is stacked as always with killer linueps to make your evening all the better!
- January 18
- Buggin Big Laugh + Enervate + Instill + Useless Information @ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 7pm, 18+, $20
- Rust Ring + Strawberry Boy + Bottom Bunk @ Gman Tavern, 3740 N Clark St, 8pm, 21+, $12
- TORRES + My Brightest Diamond + Aisha Burns @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 7pm, 18+, $20
- Woes, Senite, Khaliyah X, Gayun Cannon, DJ Miles Kalchik @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W Belmont Ave, 8:30pm, $21+ $20
- January 19
- Squirrel Flower + Greg Freeman + Tenci @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 7pm, 18+, $25
- Alice Longyu Gao w/ Fraxiom @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W Belmont Ave, 9pm, $21+ $20
- L’Rain + Trinity Star Ultra @ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 8pm, 18+, $25
- Fuerza Bruta + The Slads + Consensus Madness + Maneaters Fuerza Bruta + The Slads + Consensus Madness + Maneaters @ Gman Tavern, 3740 N Clark St, 8:30pm, 21+, $12
- January 20
- Lowertown+Cursecharm+Sharp Pins @ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 7pm, 18+, $25
- Asha Imuno w/ theMIND, SoloSam @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W Belmont Ave, , 8:30pm, 21+, $15
- Nabihah Iqbal + Rahill + Girl K@ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 8pm, 18+ , $20
- Wishy + Sports Boyfriend @ Gman Tavern, 3740 N Clark St, 8pm, 21+, $15
- January 21
- Mali Velasquez + Sluice + Minor Moon @ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 8pm, 18+, $20
- RESURGENCE Produced by Pepper Jelly / Hosted by Lucy Stoole featuring Denali, Tenderoni @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 8pm, 18+ , $20
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival @ Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: Discover the world of puppetry over the next eleven days!
SO WHAT: Add a little something different to your weekend plans as the Chicago International Puppet Theater festival makes it's way to town. Check out a variety of shows, experiences, and workshops throughout town and home letting audiences immerse themselves in a world of puppets. Special events like neighborhood tours and the The Puppet Hub will be great multi-day highlights! Check out this weekend's lineup below and the rest of the festival's schedule at their website !
NOW WHAT: You can find full ticket info in the links above or on the festivals website!
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 All of Us Strangers, The Teachers' Lounge, Hitchcock and Friends, midnight screenings of Captives, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Big Shark, 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. Their year may be over, but certainly be on the lookout for updates for next year's season as their website is constantly updated with new talks.
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 acrossz