Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 2/8 and Beyond

We have a few warm days this weekend, so why not take advantage of them and go out to some amazing events! There are plenty of markets, shows, and delicious food ready to wow you this weekend! Grab your 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 9-11 (& BEYOND)

World of Chocolate @ Union Station Chicago, 225 S Canal St, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
WHAT: 15 Chicago restaurants, bars, hotels and bakeries will serve signature chocolate delicacies for this annual gala to raises funds and awareness for vital programs and services provided by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
SO WHAT: Guests will enjoy light bites with open bar, music, a raffle and punchboard with prizes galore. World of Chocolate will showcase sweets, savory bites and craft cocktails from Chicago venues competing for the evening's best creations, decided by a panel of judges. Funds raised through World of Chocolate support AFC’s work to end new cases of HIV in Chicago and beyond. Proceeds will help AFC advance its mission, which includes help in housing, case management services, training for medical professionals, policy leadership on health equity, and working with partners across the state to achieve Getting to Zero Illinois, a state-wide initiative to end new HIV transmissions in Illinois by 2030.
NOW WHAT: Single tickets start at $175. VIP and ticket packages at $245, $900 and $2000

Fika Fest @ Andersonville, Various Locations, Various Times, All Ages
WHAT: A taste of the Scandinavian roots of Andersonville
SO WHAT:Andersonville‘s annual Fika Fest (formerly Hygge Fest) is a go this year with plenty of sales, pop-ups, and more. For three days businesses around Andersonville will be embracing the state of mind of Fika (a coffee and cake break) with some great promotions. There will be a Coffee & Cocoa Crawl on February 10 and a Puzzle Exchange on February 11! Check out their website for more participating stores!
NOW WHAT: Head out and support some local businesses!

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

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 & 10

64th University of Chicago Folk Festival @ Mandel Hall 1131 E. 57th St., All Ages
WHAT: A fantastic folk festival
SO WHAT: University of Chicago Folk Festival is back again with both an in-person and digital presence, making sure the wonderful music reaches as many people as possible! Performers will include The Price Sisters, Brian Conway, Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, Ruby John, Sean "Mack" McDonald, and many more!   There will also be plenty workshops! And don't forget, you can check out the past few years of performances on their Facebook page!
NOW WHAT: Tickets for in person performances are $30 regular, $20 senior, and $5 students and the workshops on Saturday are free!. Shows and workshops are streaming free here!! We highly encourage you to donate to help support this fantastic folk festival!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10 & BEYOND

Global Connections: Lunar New Year @ Navy Pier Aon Grand Ballroom, 840 E Grand Ave, 1pm-5pm, All Ages
WHAT: The first event in Navy Pier's Global Celebrations series!
SO WHAT: The Aon Grand Ballroom will be undergo a fantastic transformation for the Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Dragon! This festive, interactive, and family-friendly event will feature performances from local artists, dancers, traditional and contemporary music, plenty of food vendors, and much more!
NOW WHAT: It's free! Head over to their event page for the full lineup of artists!

2024 Chicago Auto Show, Feb. 10-19

2024 Chicago Auto Show @ McCormick Place, 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr, 10:00am -9:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Chicago Auto Show is back for another year
SO WHAT: Head out to McCormick Place to see the latest vehicles, experience added outdoor test tracks, or take a test drive on city streets! It’s North America’s largest auto show and will be open to the public February 11 – 20, so indulge in your love of automobiles! Check out our photo gallery of 2021’s show here!
NOW WHAT: Ticket are $17 adults, $12 seniors 62+, $12 for children 4-12, and children 0-3 are free!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 & BEYOND

Chicago Black Restaurant Week @ Various Locations, Various Times, All Ages
WHAT: Two weeks of this incredible dining opportunity
SO WHAT: Chicago Black Restaurant Week returns with another exciting lineup of local eateries. CBRW  was designed to create a platform for Black-owned eateries inviting foodies to check out our town’s hidden gems and maybe find some new favorite locales in the process.
NOW WHAT: Check out all the participating restaurants on their website and get ready for some great food!

THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND

Chicago Theatre Week @ Various Locations, various times
WHAT: A glorious return of Chicago Theatre Week
SO WHAT: Chicago Theatre Week is meant to give theater-lovers a chance to discover a new theater company in person. This year they are back in person with over 100 performances throughout the city ready to dazzle you with improv, dramas, musicals and more! Check out the lineup of theaters and shows over at their website!
NOW WHAT: Tickets range from $15 to $30 or even less! head out and discover some incredible shows!

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 35mm screenings of Poor Things, Perfect Days, Anselm, The Teachers' Lounge, Departing Seniors, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Cinematographer Roger Deakins, and Collaborator James Deakins (Team Deakins) in Attendance for a Post-Film Q&A), Love Jones & midnight screenings of The Last Dragon (Part of: Melanin, Roots, and Culture) 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=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