Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 1/15 and Beyond

The snow has made another appearance this winter season, but that shouldn't dissuade you from heading out and discovering something fun to do this weekend! There are plenty of concerts, movies, markets, plays and winter activities ready to fill up your days and keep you entertained.

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 "ParkLife" BY Blake Jones and Friends!
  • 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 Further Isn't Far Enough, Paintings and Prints by Chuck U!
  • 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 WINTER SEASON!

EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!

Save Ferris (Photo: Earshot Media)

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JANUARY 16 - 18 (& BEYOND)

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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!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18

Wicker Park Winter Market Series @ Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, 1750 N Milwaukee Avenue, 9am-2pm
WHAT: An indoor farmers market for the colder months
SO WHAT: Get some fresh produce action during the wonderful winter edition of the Wicker Park market inside Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club! Wicker Park Farmers Market's mission "is to provide a space for regional food producers to sell to and interact with customers, for our residents and neighbors to access healthful foods and local goods, and to foster a sense of place and community in the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood." You can check out their lineup of vendors over at their website!
NOW WHAT: Just bring your tote and get ready to grab some amazing food from local vendors!

THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND

Buddy Guy and Special Guests @ Buddy Guy’s Legends, 700 S Wabash Ave, Various times, 21+
WHAT: Experience one of the great musicians of all time performing live!
SO WHAT: Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy is back for 16 electrifying shows over the next four weekends at Buddy Guy’s Legends. He’ll be performing with 15 amazing musicians including Bobby Rush, Corey Dennison, Kingfish, Laretha Weathersby and more! Check out the remaining dates below!

NOW  WHAT: Tickets are $85 for standing room and $135 for reserved seating !

Tomorrow Never Knows Festival @ Lincoln Hall / Schubas / Metro / Sleeping Village / Hideout / Gman Tavern / Ramova, Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: Tomorrow Never Knows unites some of our favorite venues for a fantastic festival
SO WHAT: TNK curates the best of rising musicians (with a focus on local acts) for an incredible early-year fest! Usually it's only a five day shindig but this year they've spread the love over the entire month of January! This one is stacked as always with killer lineups to make your evening all the better! Click here or on the image below to grab tickets to all these great shows (I highly recommend the Swamp Dogg show)!
NOW WHAT: Grab your tickets for one of this weekend's shows are any of the upcoming TNK concerts over at their website!

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. This weekend is the start of their month long festival TNK, so you can check out what those show have going on just above this!

NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!

Winterland @ Gallagher Way, 3635 N Clark St, various times, All Ages
WHAT: Some more winter festivities
SO WHAT: Enjoy the return of Gallagher Way’s Winterland with all the fun activities! Enjoy Holiday Movie nights, ice skating, the Holiday train, and plenty of popups around the area! This weekend will feature Ice Bumper Cars and a Themed Skate Night With Chicago Mascots Benny the Bull, Clark the Cub, Skye the Lioness, and Southpaw.
NOW WHAT: Entry to the Winterland is FREE!

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 No Other Choice, Father Mother Sister Brother, The Testament of Ann Lee, 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! Check out their talk with Leslie Odom Jr. 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVu78AAPu9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGuyLnmJQR4

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!

Julian Ramirez