It's a new month and it's as chilly as ever! Spring is a little slow to catch up (as it usual;y is in Chicago) but that doesn't mean we need to stay inside all weekend long! There are plenty of fantastic events going on this weekend including tons of concerts, markets, movies and art shows ready for you to enjoy!
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 Dead Presidents! 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!
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm!
- 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 Eggstravaganza!
- 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! Right now is the Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show: Rooted in Mystery
- Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens
- 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 - 7/13 Titanique The Musical @ Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
- NOW - 6/7 ART on THE MART
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MAY 2 - 4 (& BEYOND)
Nightmare Weekend Chicago @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Rd, Rosemont, Friday 5pm - 2am, Saturday 10am - 2am, Sunday 10am - 8am, all ages
WHAT: Some scary fun to start summer!
SO WHAT: Nightmare Weekend Chicago brings three jam-packed days of horror to Donald E. Stephens Convention Center to satisfy all your spooky needs. Special guests like Cassandra Petersen, William Shatner, James Marsters, Robert Kurtzman, and so many more will be on hand for signings and panels to fill you in on behind-the-scene fun! Plus there are plenty of opportunities for cosplay, shopping, tattoos, gaming and more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are available now! Single day tickets start at $40, 2 day passes for Saturday and Sunday start at $5, and full weekend passes start at $105!
Mexico Fest @ Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Friday Noon - 7pm, Saturday 11pm - 7pm and Sunday 11pm - 6pm, all ages
WHAT: A festival celebrating Mexican heritage!
SO WHAT: Mexican Fest will be taking place this weekend at Navy Pier with tons of fun activities for the whole family. There will be over 30 artisan vendors from Mexico setting up a mercadito across Navy Pier as well as plenty of musical and dance performances throughout the weekend, Tequila and Wine Tasting on Friday, and workshops for kids! Check out their event page for more details!
NOW WHAT: Its Free
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
SUNDAY, MAY 4
The Andersonville Wine Walk @ Andersonville, North (5706 N Clark), Middle (5344 N Clark), and South (4872 N Clark), 3:00pm - 6:00pm, 21+
WHAT: The 20th year of this wine tasting walk!
SO WHAT: The Andersonville Wine Walk turns businesses throughout the district into wine tasting destinations! You’ll check in at one of 3 locations (North - 5706 N Clark, Middle - 5344 N Clark, and South - 4872 N Clark) between 2pm-4:30pm and then head to their long list of participating shops and try samples of delicious wines. Head over to their website for full details on the route and more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $50 for this wine walk
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
DOC10 Film Festival @ Davis Theater and the Gene Siskel Film Center, 4614 N Lincoln Ave & 164 N State St,, Various times.
WHAT: Chicago’s premier documentary film festival, DOC10 Film Festival returns for another year of great films!
SO WHAT:Â The festival will be hosted at the Davis Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center and will feature some of the best documentaries of the current season including Folktales, Prime Minister, and many more!!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $16 for in-theater screenings. There is a 10% discount for students, seniors, and military.
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
- 5/1 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas FREE
- 5/1 - L.A. Witch + Daiistar @ Lincoln Hall
- 5/1 - Sunday (1994) The Debut Tour + Theo Moss @ Schubas SOLD OUT
- 5/2 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Bye Dad + Dad Shoes @ Schubas
- 5/2 - Riovaz + Blesstonio @ Lincoln Hall
- 5/2 - Kaz Moon + Ocean Childs @ Schubas
- 5/3 - Speed Therapy + Authentic Pines + Rareforms @ Schubas
- 5/3 -Papooz + Cornelia Murr @ Lincoln Hall
- 5/4 - VINTAGE BLONDE CHICAGO Afterlife Album Release Party @ Schubas
- 5/4 -Grace VanderWaal CHILDSTAR ON TOUR + ALINA @ Lincoln Hall
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 it's ready for all your movie needs with some excellent films like The Shrouds, When Fall Is Coming, The Cathedral of New Emotions, The Chicago Critics Film Festival, 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:
- 5/3Ed Helms on SNAFU @ First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple
- 5/6 Fredrik Backman: My Friends @ First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple
- 5/9 Celebrating Differences: Immigration, Sanctuary, and Food @ SANCTUARY
- 5/10 Melissa Clark and Emily Weinstein: Easy Weeknight Dinners @ Ramova
- 5/10 Sustainability, Community, and the Arts in Chicago @ Co-Prosperity
- 5/10 Maggie Nelson on Like Love @ Ramova
- 5/10 Heavy Pages Press with Andrew and Kelsey McClellan @ Co-Prosperity
- 5/10 Rebecca Solnit: No Straight Road Takes You There @ Ramova
- 5/10 Tom Torluemke in Conversation @ Co-Prosperity
- 5/10 Eve L. Ewing: Original Sins @ Ramova
- 5/10 Kristen Kish: Accidentally on Purpose @ Ramova
- 5/10 Rick Atkinson on The Fate of the Day @ Ramova
- 5/10 microplastique in Concert @ Co-Prosperity
- 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
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 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!
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!