Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 8/14 and Beyond

There are a few more scorching hot days going on this weekend ready to warm you up for a full weekend of fantastic events! So get out there and enjoy the incredible weather going on this weekend!

Let's get on with your 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 stock and on display in their gallery space! Right Now they're showing Cosmic Collections A Series of Imaginary Products New Works by Michelle Romo
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.
Garfield Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens! See what current exhibits are on display now.
Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens
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.

EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!

8/15-8/16: Naper Nights
8/15-8/17: Chicago Air and Water Show
8/16: Roaring Nights w/Better Than Ezra & Tonic @ Brookfield Zoo
8/16-8/17: Evanston Art & Big Fork Festival
8/16-8/17: Wine and Art Walk @ The Morton Arboretum
8/17: Around the World Food Festival @ The Forge (Lemont)
8/17: Bloody Mary Fest @ Everts Park (111 North Ave)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 (& BEYOND)

Rockin’ in the Park @ Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Place, Rosemont
WHAT: A long lineup of great bands ready to rock
SO WHAT: Rockin’ in the Park will take over Parkway Bank Park for 18 shows full of fun tribute bands and rock-focused bands. Then after the shows enjoy a musical fireworks display (except on Fridays)!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Head out and enjoy the shows!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 - 17 (& BEYOND)

Fan Expo Chicago 2025 @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Rd, Rosemont, Friday 4pm – 9pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, Sunday 10am-5pm , All Ages
WHAT: Another year of FanExpo!
SO WHAT: Fan Expo is three days of everything you ever wanted to know about nerd culture and geek stuff. There will be plenty of guests signing autographs, panels featuring interesting talks on the ins and outs of every creative process, and a constant parade of cosplayers walking the convention floor.
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $99 for all three days of the convention! Single day tickets are also available starting at $12 for ages 6-12, $40 for ages 13-17, and $50 for adults!

Glenwood Ave. Arts Fest @ Glenwood Ave Arts District, N Glenwood Ave & W Morse Ave, Friday 6pm -10pm, Saturday 11am – 9pm, Sunday 11am – 7pm
WHAT: Art, music, food, and more in Rogers Park!
SO WHAT: The Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest is a free arts festival featuring over 100+ artists, open studios, and live entertainment on two outdoor stages. Attendees can view and purchase these artists’ wonderful artworks directly from the creators. Enjoy all the performances and art demonstrations alongside some tasty street food and craft beer! Music performances include The O'My's, Tiwa Bleu, Pictoria Vark, Neptune's Core, Smut and more!
NOW WHAT: It’s free!

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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' Infinite Wrench is an ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes for a live audience.
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $15-20! The Infinite Wrench and more is also available over at their Patreon!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

Oak Park Micro Brew Review @ Downtown Oak Park, 100 N Marion St, Oak Park, 2:00pm – 6:00pm
WHAT: Brews, bites and tunes at the largest zero-waste craft beer fest in the Midwest!
SO WHAT: This awesome Micro Brew Review features unique and inventive brews from 50+ Illinois craft breweries for you to try! Additionally there will be plenty of live music and small plates from local restaurants available!
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $73.25 for the main tasting event! There are also tickets that give you VIP access ($104.25) and Friend of the Fest entry ($515.00)! Enjoy a great beer festival and help raise funds for Seven Generations Ahead, an environmental nonprofit working to promote healthy and sustainable communities.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 & 17

The Great American Lobster Fest 2024 @ Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Saturday Noon – 11pm, Sunday Noon – 8pm, All Ages
WHAT: Another year of lobster goodness at Navy Pier
SO WHAT: The Great American Lobster Fest is two full days of fresh lobster flown in from the east coast that will be accented by some great live music performances including Sam Thousand, Nordista Freeze, Son Monarcas, and Kofi and the New Roots! There will also be plenty of fun family-friendly activities and unique shopping experiences for you to indulge in. And don't forget that there will be fireworks on Saturday and the Air & Water Show going on.
NOW WHAT: Entry to the festival grounds is free! Meal tickets for the fest are currently available for $75 for the fist session on Saturday then $70 for most other sessions and $65 for the final session on Sunday!!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17

PorchFest Roscoe Village @ Between Addison and Wellington and from Ravenswood to Western, Various Locations, 1:00pm – 5:00pm, All ages
WHAT: Some fun music out on the porch
SO WHAT: PorchFest Roscoe Village is a community-building festival featuring local musicians performing on front porches across 10+ front porches throughout the afternoon! Roscoe Village volunteer their porches to host the concerts by local musicians throughout the afternoon. Head over to their event page for a full lineup of artists participating in the fest!
NOW WHAT: Register on Eventbrite to receive an event map with porch locations and showtimes sent via email the day before the program. Registration is $12.51 per person and there are group rates available. Children 12 and under are free!

THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND

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 at their website for showings this weekend and in the future!

8/14 The Incredibles 8pm
8/14 Texas Chainsaw Massacre 10:30pm
8/15 Sinners 8pm
8/15 Friday the 13th 10:45pm
8/16 Grease 8pm
8/16 Dazed and Confused 10pm
8/16 Lifers 11:59pm
8/17 Shrek 8pm
8/17 Final Destination Bloodlines 10pm

NOW WHAT:Tickets are $35 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience! Double Features are $45 and triple features are $50

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

August 14 - Hermitage Green + Tom Mulvey @ Schubas
August 14 - Upstairs Neighbors @ Lincoln Hall
August 15 - This Paranormal Life@ Lincoln Hall
August 15 - Tiger Bomb Takeover + Tenci + Sima Cunningham + Half Gringa + Samuel Aaron @ Schubas
August 16 - Totally Cashed + Hostages + Cocojoey + Strapped @ Lincoln Hall
August 17 - Yuno + Windser@ 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 it's ready for all your movie needs with some excellent films like East of Wall, Top Gun: Maverick, Beauty and the Beast (Panna a Netvor), Der Fan, The Ninth Heart, The Premiere, The Music Box 70mm Festival 2025, and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theaters in the city!

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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. 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: