Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 2/1 and Beyond

It's a new month, so let's find something fun to do this first weekend of Black History month! There are plenty of markets, shows, and delicious food ready to wow you 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!

ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

SPECIAL WINTER EVENTS

THIS WEEKEND ONLY

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2-4 (& 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!
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

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Ravenswood Makers Market @ Koval Distillery, 4241 N Ravenswood Ave, 1:00pm - 6:00pm.
WHAT: A fun local market
SO WHAT: Head over to Koval Distillery and shop 25 makers with a drink in hand! You'll be able to purchase a wide variety of handmade goods such as jewelry, knit goods, home decor, metal working, prints, soap, paintings, candles, etc.
NOW WHAT: It's a free and family-friendly event!

Cider Summit Chicago @ Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier, 840 E Grand Ave, 2:00pm - 6:00pm , 21+
WHAT: Cider Summit Chicago returns to Navy Pier!
SO WHAT: Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom is welcoming back Cider Summit Chicago for another edition of delicious drinks! The 10th Annual Cider Summit Chicago will feature a huge collection of over 150 ciders and cider cocktails from more than 40 producers during their extended tasting session! There will also be a pre-opening cider-cheese-charcuterie tasting for those more interested in snacks than drinks!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $40 for GA, $50 for VIP, and $35 for the pre-opening cider-cheese-charcuterie tasting!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4

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

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).

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, various times
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 Anselm, The Teachers' Lounge, All of Us Strangers, Malcolm X (Part of: Melanin, Roots, and Culture), Departing Seniors (Star Ireon Roach and Producer Dashawna Wright in Person to Introduce the Movie), midnight screenings of Resident Evil: Extinction and more!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theatres in the city!

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

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