It's the final weekend of August as we jump into Labor Day weekend for a full lineup of amazing events! If you decided to stay in town, there are tons of festivals, movies, concerts, and more waiting to make this holiday weekend exciting as ever! So enjoy the mild temps and have a blast!
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!
- 8/29-8/31: Nashwood @ Highwood
- 8/29-9/1: Naperville Jaycees’ Last Fling
- 8/30: Alley Art Festival @ Aurora
- 8/30-9/1: Frankfort Fall Festival
- 8/30-9/1: Irish Days @ Long Grove
- 8/30-9/1: Schaumburg Septemberfest
- 8/30-9/1: African Festival of the Arts @ Washington Park
- 8/31: Block Party & Taste of Batavia
- 8/31: Meet Me on Milwaukee @ Wicker Park
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 & 29 (& 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 29 - 31 (& BEYOND)
North Coast Music Festival 2025 @ SeatGeek Stadium, 7000 Harlem Ave, Bridgeview, Friday & Saturday 2pm – Midnight, Sunday 2pm – 10:30pm
WHAT: A lot of EDM for your Labor Day Weekend
SO WHAT: NCMF has transformed over the years, changing venues and musical styles in the past few years. It has now reached its full-on EDM era with three days of nonstop dance music. The rest of the lineup looks great too with Kaskade, Atliens, ZEDD, RL Grime, Zeds Dead, Excision, Chris Lake and many more! Check out the full lineup on their website!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are still available!
ARC Music Festival @ Union Park, 1501 W Randolph St, Friday-Sunday, 2pm – 10pm
WHAT: ARC is back in Union Park for 3 days of EDM goodness!
SO WHAT: ARC Music Festival is holding the second edition of their festival in Union Park! The fest has its sights set on connecting the global electronic music scene including modern house music icons, Chicago’s own originators, international techno artists and multi-genre live performances. There are some great sets to catch including Jamie XX, Felix da Housecat, Eric Prydz, Derrick Carter, Fisher and many more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are selling out fast!
Taste of Polonia Festival @ Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence, Friday 4:30pm – 10:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 11:30am– 10:30pm, Monday 11:30am - 9:30pm, All Ages
WHAT: Don’t know what to do with the kids this Labor Day weekend? Check out the Taste of Polonia for pierogis, kabobs, Polish sausage and potato pancakes.
SO WHAT: Non-stop live music, food and fun for days! It’s a must-do family event with enough scheduling to keep both little kids and adults happy. Cooking classes, carnival rides, craft beer tent and more.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 for Friday only, $15 for single day passes, and $45 for the weekend pass. Shuttle and parking available. For more info visit Taste of Polonia.
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 & SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 & 31
Wingout Chicago @ Gallagher Way, 3635 N Clark St, Noon – 8:00pm
WHAT: Some delicious wings for your weekend
SO WHAT: WingOut Chicago is an outdoor, chicken wing block party, offering all-you-can-eat wings from the top vendors in the city. Beyond the delicious treats, there will be a live music stage, a la carte food items for order, shopping, and cold beverages. Special Guest Sean Evans of Hot Ones fame will be in attendance on Sunday!
NOW WHAT: General admission is $25!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 31
ZINEmercado 2024 @ Hairpin Arts Center, 2810 N. Milwaukee Ave., 11:00am – 6:00pm, all ages
WHAT: ZINES!
SO WHAT: Join the crowd at a new venue, Hairpin Arts Center, for another edition of the annual ZINEmercado. As always this fantastic festival will feature zines created by artists, writers, musicians, and photographers from around the country and even a few from outside the US! Of course there will be music provided by DJs and beat-makers throughout the day, so head out and discover some new amazing art.
NOW WHAT: It’s free!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Chicago Jazz Festival @ Millennium Park, 201 E Randolph St, 11am-9pm, All Ages
WHAT: A full weekend of free jazz (pun intended)
SO WHAT: The Chicago Jazz Festival is a fantastic Labor Day weekend tradition that celebrates all forms of jazz with free amazing live musical performances. The festival’s mission is to showcase the vast jazz talent of Chicago alongside national and international artists to help further the awareness of this beautiful musical genre. Performers this year include esperanza spalding, Monty Alexander , Kermit Ruffins , Eliades Ochoa, Ernest Dawkins Ensemble New Horizon Redux and many more!.
NOW WHAT: The festival is free to enjoy, just head there early and bask in the sounds of some great musicians. You can check out the full schedule here.
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!
- 8/28 Grease 8pm
- 8/28 Scream (The Original!) 10:15pm
- 8/29 Sinners 8pm
- 8/29 Friday the 13th 10:45pm
- 8/30 Mean Girls (the orginal!) 8pm
- 8/30 Halloween (the 1978 Original!)10pm
- 8/31 Shrek 8pm
- 8/31 Final Destination Bloodlines 10pm
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
- 8/28 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM and SAM SELBY @ Schubas
- 8/28 - Sleeper's Bell + Feller + Joe Glass @ Schubas
- 8/29 - Bleary Eyed + Daundry + Yours, Mookie @ Schubas
- 8/29 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Dad Shoes + 1ndone @ Schubas
- 8/30 - wilt + hearthands @ Schubas
- 8/30 - Cheap Monarchy Album Release Show + C.H.E.F. + The Staleys @ 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 A Little Prayer, Lurker (Featuring a post-film Q&A with director Alex Russell and stars Théodore Pellerin & Zack Fox), Boys Go to Jupiter, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Music Box Movie Trivia, and midnight showings of Hackers 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. 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:
- 9/21 Chefs Jesse Valenciana and Rick Bayless Celebrate Mexican Cuisine @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21 NMMA Parking Lot Pop Up @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21 In Context: A Docent Tour of Mexican Identity in Art 12:15pm @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21 Pilsen Public Art Tour 12:15pm @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21 David De Baca: Inside the World of Teen Angel's Magazine @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21 In Context: A Docent Tour of Mexican Identity in Art 3:00pm @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21 Pilsen Public Art Tour 3:00pm @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21Zosia Mamet: Does This Make Me Funny? @ Apollo's 2000
- 9/21Inside the Lens of Photographer Estevan Oriol @ National Museum of Mexican Art
- 9/21 Cheech Marin: Culture, Comedy, and Chicano Art @ Apollo's 2000
- 11/12 GOOD THINGS: An Evening with Samin Nosrat @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
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!
