It's Valentine's Day Weekend! I know there are some last-minute planners out there that may need some suggestions so let's take a look at what's coming up this weekend including all the fun concerts, plays, literary events (which you can plan even further ahead with Elizabeth Niarchos Neukirch's literary event roundup) movies, markets, restaurant experiences and more!
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 "REGULARS" A Solo Show by PITR! 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 Goodmanthrough 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! They are currently showing some awesome art from Stay Focused New Works by Netherland
- 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 - 2/15 Insert Coin: Inside Midway’s Arcade Revolution @ Cleve Carney Museum of Art
- NOW -2/15 More Light @ Poetry Foundation (check out our full preview of this an many other literary events here!)
- NOW - 3/2 Fat Ham @ Goodman Theatre (Check out our full review here!)
- NOW - 3/2 Fun Home @ Porchlight Music Theatre (Check out our full review here!)
- NOW - 3/31 007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond @ Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
SEASONAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!
- 2/13 - 2/14 Crying at the Shed @The Salt Shed
- 2/14 Justin Timberlake @ United Center
- 2/14 Valentine's Day Fireworks @ Navy Pier
- 2/15 Champagne & Sparkling Wine Fest @ Hubbard Inn
- 2/15 Chicago Winter Tequila Tasting Festival @ Welcome to the Farm
- 2/15 - 2/16 Cupid's Vintage Fest @ Artifact Events
- NOW - 2/28 Fairmont Lodge @ Fairmont Chicago
- NOW - 2/28 Après Ski Pop-Up @ Cindy’s
- NOW - 3/9 Winter Curl & Chill @ The Gwen
- NOW - 3/9 Ice Skating @ Maggie Daley Park
- NOW - 3/28 Bingo Loco @ Morgan MFG
- NOW - 3/30 Winter Wonderland @ I|O Godfrey
- NOW - 3/30 South Loop Winter Farmers Market @ Water Tower Place
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 - 16 (& BEYOND)
The Neo-Futurists’ The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Friday and Saturday 10:30pm, Sunday 7pm, 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 15 (& BEYOND)
Pancake & Booze Art Show Chicago @ Reggies, 2109 S State St, 8:00pm – 2:00am, 21+
WHAT: The breakfast, booze and art party is back!
SO WHAT: Pancakes & Booze is an underground art event that aims to delight attendees with a mix all things art, booze, and of course pancakes. There will be over 750 pieces of artwork from over 100 emerging artists displaying their work as well as live body painting happening throughout the night. Between perusing the art you can dance the night away with DJs or head to the free pancake bar for, you guessed it, all you can eat pancakes.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $15 in advance! Once those tickets are gone it’s $20 at the door!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Chicago Theatre Week 2025 @ 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! And be sure to check out our Stages page for reviews of many of the shows featured in this event!
NOW WHAT: Tickets range from $15 to $30 or even less! head out and discover some incredible shows!
2025 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 2024’s show here!
NOW WHAT: Ticket are $17 adults, $12 seniors 62+, $12 for children 4-12, and children 0-3 are free!
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!
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
- 2/13 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas FREE
- 2/13 - Rachel Grae + Holden Miller + Alana Cruz @ Schubas
- 2/14 - Michigan Rattlers + Elias Hix @ Lincoln Hall
- 2/14- Nico Play + Starcharm @ Schubas
- 2/14 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Lover's Lounge + Cowboy Picasso @ Schubas
- 2/15 - The Vulgar Boatmen + 6Kitty @ Schubas SOLD OUT
- 2/15 - Dua Saleh I SHOULD CALL THEM WORLD TOUR + Shawnee Dez @ Lincoln Hall
- 2/16 - Emily Jane Powers Album Release Show + Humdrum + Wolfman@ Schubas
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 movie theater
SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre recently underwent some great renovations,and are ready for all your movie needs with some excellent films like 2025 Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts, 2025 Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts, No Other Land, The Princess Bride, Rounding, Only Angels Have Wings, The Unknown, The Thing from Another World, midnight showings of True Romance and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theaters 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. There's tons of talks going on this season, so head over to their website which is constantly updated with new talks. In fact they just announced a good portion of their Spring lineup! And be sure to check out their podcast Chicago Humanities Tapes, which features conversations with some of their best presenters and other great humanities-minded minds! Take a look at some of their upcoming events below:
- 3/1 Juan Williams: New Prize for These Eyes @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 3/1 You Didn’t Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip with Kelsey McKinney @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 3/3 Destroyer (solo) @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Maurer Concert Hall
- 3/8 MBIZO!: A Gathering for Johnny Dyani @ Constellation
- 3/9 Dylan Mulvaney: Paper Doll @ The Den Theatre
- 3/13 Paul Reiser: A Career-Spanning Conversation @ Music Box Theatre
- 3/17 Chris Hayes Laureates+ Member Reception @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 3/17 Julian Lage in Performance @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Maurer Concert Hall
- 3/17 The Sirens' Call: Chris Hayes on the Attention Economy @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 3/17 Second Show Added: Julian Lage in Performance @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Maurer Concert Hall
- 3/20 The Interview Show: Samantha Harvey + Jonathan Weisman @ FitzGerald's
- 4/1 Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson on Abundance @ UIC Dorin Forum
- 5/14 Nils Frahm in Concert @ The Salt Shed
Check out their talk "Edward Burns Shares a Pint with Chicago" below!
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 2025
65th 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 this year will include bohola – Jimmy Keane and Pat Broaders; Rhys Jones, Joseph Decosimo & Nokosee Fields; The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee; Nathan Gourley, Laura Feddersen, and Brian Miller; T'Monde; Izaki Metropoulos, Sophia Metropoulos Laouto & Geroge Lawler; Gabe Carter, 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!