Well will you look at that! It's the fall season in full effect as some wonderful autumnal festivities are starting to take over the events around the city. So let's indulge in some fun and make the most out of the next few days!
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 the "Staff Only" show, featuring works by Gwen Gilbert-Gebhart, Sean One, Ethan Hutchinson, Ella Markovic, and Sam Theis.
- 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!
- Sept. 26-28: Apple Fest @ Long Grove
- Sept. 26-28: Oktoberfest Chicago @ Lakeview
- Sept. 27: HOPtober Fest @ Wheaton
- Sept. 27: Hispanic Heritage Fest @ Brookfield Zoo
- Sept. 27: Rosetoberfest @ Rosemont
- Sept. 27-28: Celebración de los Árboles @ Lisle
- Sept. 28: Meet Me on Milwaukee @ Wicker Park
- Sept. 28: Oktoberfest @ Brookfield Zoo
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Panda Bear & Deakin @ Thalia Hall, 7pm
WHAT: A little experimental psychedelia to start your weekend!
SO WHAT: When two members of legendary band Animal Collective are in town performing their solo work, you need to listen! Panda Bear has been riding high off his latest album Sinister Grift, which pushes its sound forward brilliantly while maintaining the aura of Noah Lennox's incredible solo project. Joining Panda Bear will be Animal Collective bandmate Deakin, whose solo output may be small (Sleep Cycle and Harpy Sketches), but is extraordinary!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $46.39 - $55.59 for this fantastic show! Don't miss it!
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26-28 (& BEYOND)
World Music Festival Chicago @ Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: A little taste of music from around the world
SO WHAT: World Music Festival Chicago brings award-winning artists from around the world to share their amazing music for this citywide, multi-venue festival. Across 10 days and 11 venues, the World Music Festival Chicago will feature artists from all over the world!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Head over to their website to check out this year’s schedule and RSVP for all the shows you want to see!
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, SEPTEMBER 27 & 28
The 19th Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival @ Various locations around Hyde Park, Saturday 1:00am-11:59pm, Sunday 1:00pm– 7:00pm
WHAT: Some beautiful music throughout Hyde Park
SO WHAT: The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is back with an amazing lineup featuring the likes of Jazz 4 Joy + Peace, Alyssa Allgood Quintet, Ari Brown Quintet, Dee Alexander's Evolution Ensemble Reunion, Isaiah Spencer Quartet, The JuJu Exchange, La Cantera featuring Richard Peña and so many more! Check out their full schedule over at their website!
NOW WHAT: There is a suggested donation of $10, but the shows are always meant to be free! So donate some cash, keep this wonderful fest alive, and enjoy the show!
Randolph Street Market Festival @ 1341 W Randolph St., 10am – 5pm
WHAT: This fun street market is back for a fall affair for their 20th year
SO WHAT: Celebrate the Randolph Street Market Festival where you can experience incredible vendors with a wide variety of items perfect for the fall season! Shop for vintage and antique items while enjoying a drink and the live music playing throughout the market!
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $12, which are good for both days and go up with a nice selection of tiers including drink packages, totes, and more!
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!
- 9/26 Hocus Pocus 7pm
- 9/26 Beetlejuice! 9pm
- 9/27 Hocus Pocus 7pm
- 9/27 Halloween (the 1978 Original!) 9pm
- 9/28 The Notebook 7pm
- 9/28 Scream (The Original!) 9:30pm
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Cold Waves Festival XIII @ Metro (3730 N. Clark St.) & Bottom Lounge (1375 W Lake St), various times
WHAT: A synthy four nights at the Metro with kick off shows at Bottom Lounge!
SO WHAT: Cold Waves is an annual celebration of synth-punk, industrial, and intense music beyond those labels. This iteration of the fest will feature Nitzer Ebb, Clipping., She Past Away, Sidewalks and Skeletons, and more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are still available for the fest. Don't miss out on this unique gathering of fantastic music!
Reeling: the Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival @ Chicago Filmmakers – 1326 W Hollywood Ave; & Landmark Theater - 2828 N Clark St, various times
WHAT:This LGBTQ+-focused festival returns in both in-person theater screenings and online!
SO WHAT: Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival is the second longest-running film festival of its kind, showcasing the best LGBTQ+ films and videos each year. The festival always delivers a great range of films from award-winning international feature films to social documentaries to experimental shorts. Head over to their website for more info!
NOW WHAT: See info on all the ticket options and passes here.
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
- 9/25 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM and SAM SELBY @ Schubas
- 9/26 - Cafuné + crushed@ Lincoln Hall
- 9/26 - She's Crafty @ Schubas
- 9/26 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Anthony Cruz and Double Dipp Present: Full Circle + Cano Cruz @ Schubas
- 9/27 -Oracle Sisters + Wide Orbit @ Lincoln Hall
- 9/27 - Material Issue + Tamar Berk @ Schubas
- 9/28 - Vintage Karaoke Night with The Brothers Sinatra @ Schubas
- 9/28 - S. Carey and John Raymond - Shadowlands + Driftless Region @ Schubas
- 9/28 -Willi Carlisle Winged Victory Tour + The Lowest Pair @ 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 One Battle After Another, The Baltimorons, The Summer Book, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, midnight screenings of Tourist Trap & Hatchet for the Honeymoon 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:
- 10/2 Wildflowers: Kurt Elling with Christian Sands @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Maurer Concert Hall
- 10/4 Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need @ Illinois Tech - Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship
- 10/4 Nate Silver and Richard Thaler in Conversation @ Illinois Tech - Hermann Hall
- 10/4 Illinois Tech Afternoon Member Reception @ Illinois Tech - Hermann Hall
- 10/4 Bronzeville Bus Tour With Shermann Dilla Thomas 12:30pm @ Illinois Tech - Hermann Hall
- 10/4 Christian Davenport on the Rocket Dreams of Musk and Bezos @ Illinois Tech - Hermann Hall
- 10/4 Kate McKinnon: Secrets of the Purple Pearl @ Illinois Tech - Hermann Hall
- 10/4 The Wrigley Building: The Making of an Icon @ Illinois Tech - Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship
- 10/4 Disability Advocate and Online Creative Molly Burke: Unseen @ Illinois Tech - Hermann Hall
- 10/4 This is a Rehearsal: Catalogue Launch and Conversation @ Illinois Tech - Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship
- 10/4 Robin Givhan on Virgil Abloh @ Illinois Tech - Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship
- 10/4 A Performance with Angela Davis and Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble @ Illinois Tech - Hermann Hall
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!
