We're in July, arguably the most summery of the summer months, and of course we're kicking it off with fireworks galore! It's the 4th of July weekend and there are so many amazing things to do this weekend from concerts at our favorite venues, great movies throughout the city, markets, art exhibitions, and much more just waiting for you! Don't let these fantastic events pass you by; start planning your perfect weekend in Chicago!
Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!
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!
- 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! This month they are showing the Outside Looking Out New Works by ChrisRWK!
- 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
- Wonderverse takes popular franchises like Ghostbusters, Bad Boys, and more and puts them together in this immersive venue! Enjoy tons of activities including escape rooms, virtual reality games, racing simulators, and more! Plus there are plenty of themed food and drinks for you to try.
- NOW- 11/30 Green City Market @ Lincoln Park on Saturdays and Wednesdays!
- NOW - 10/31 Chicago: Home of House Exhibit @ Navy Pier
- NOW - 10/27 Wicker Park Farmers Market on Sundays!
- NOW - 10/27 "007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond" @ Museum of Science and Industry
- NOW - 10/27 Wolff's Flea Market @ Allstate Arena on Sundays!
- NOW - 9/2 "Titanic: The Exhibition"
- NOW - 9/2 Rooftop Cinema Club Fulton Market @ The Emily Hotel
- NOW- 9/1 Sportsman’s Club Summer BBQ Series
- NOW - 9/15 Ravinia Festival
- 7/12, 7/27 Roaring Nights @ Brookfield Zoo
- 7/21, 8/18, 9/22 Andersonville Vintage Market
THIS WEEKEND!
- 7/5 Jazz in the Court: Tony Carpenter @ Harper Court
- 7/5 Bubba's Block Party @ Douglass Park
- 7/5 U.S. Men's National Rugby Union Team vs. Romania @ SeatGeek Stadium
- 7/5 - 7/7 Chicago Craft Beer Festival @ Jonquil Park
- 7/6 Pride South Side @ The DuSable Museum
- 7/6 - 7/7 NASCAR Chicago Street Race @ Grant Park
- 7/6 + 8/3 + 9/6 Chicago Bound: The Great Migration of the Blues @ Warren Park
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JULY 5 - JULY 7 (& 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
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JULY 5 & 6
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
- July 5 - Future Nobodies + Velvet Wounds + Heels @ Schubas
- July 6 - Bugsy + The Knee Hi's + Scam Likely @ Schubas
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!
SATURDAY, JULY 6
Summer Fireworks @ Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Avenue, 10:00pm – 10:10pm
WHAT: Enjoy the spectacle of fireworks all summer long
SO WHAT: Take a trip to Navy Pier and check out their dazzling display of fireworks! Each show features dramatic and popular music soundtracks with some special occasion soundtracks sprinkled throughout the season. It’s the first fireworks show of the year so kick off summer with this explosive tradition.
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Just make your way to Navy Pier, find a spot, and enjoy the show !
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
31st African/Caribbean International Festival of Life / 42nd Chicago Music Awards @ Washington Park, 5531 S. King Dr., Noon – 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A fantastic festival that puts the spotlight on African/Caribbean culture
SO WHAT: The African/Caribbean International Festival of Love is bringing a little bit of everything to Washington Park for four days of fun! Enjoy wonderful Afro-Caribbean food, games, crafts and amazing music from the likes of Teejay "Drift", Rose Royce, BLue Magic, and many more.
NOW WHAT: One day admission is $35 in advance ($18 for seniors), 3-Day ticekts are $140 in advance. VIP passes are also available! Children under the age of 12 are free to enter!
Rose on the River @ Salt Shed, 1357 N Elston Ave, 4:00pm - 10:00pm
WHAT: A four-day festival in one of the best outdoor venues in the city!
SO WHAT: Rose on the River brings four days of incredible music to the Salt Shed to kick off July! Seriously, each day feels like a perfectly curated day with a taste of indie rock, soul, funk hip-hop, and jam bands ready to blow your mind. Check out the lineups below and get ready for a fantastic way to spend you Fourth of July!
- July 4
- My Morning Jacket
- Neal Francis
- Andy Frasco & The U.N.
- Hans Williams
- July 5
- Tash Sultana
- Flying Lotus
- Tank and the Bangas
- Karina Rykman
- July 6
- Thundercat
- BADBADNOTGOOD
- DOMi & JD Beck
- CARRTOONS
- July 7
- Vulfpeck
- Celebration of The Meters featuring George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, and Dumpstaphunk
- Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
- Giacomo Turra
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $89 for GA and 159 for GA premium!
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!
- 7/4 - Jurassic Park - 8:45pm
- 7/4 - Nightmare on Elm St - 11pm
- 7/5 - Mamma Mia! - 8:45pm
- 7/5 - Us - 11pm
- 7/6 - Grease - 8:45pm
- 7/6 - Scream (the Original!) - 11pm
- 7/7 - Godzilla vs. Kong the New Empire - 8:45pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $35 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, 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 like Kinds of Kindness, A Place in the Sun, Thelma, MaXXXine, midnight screenings of The Room & Fantastic Planet; 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.
- 9/29 aja monet @ Thalia Hall
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 The Price Sisters, Brian Conway, Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, Ruby John, Sean "Mack" McDonald, and many more!
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!
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