We're still in the middle of these cold winter temps with some snowfall in our future. But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun this weekend with all the amazing events going on! We're in the middle of Chicago Restaurant Week, the final weekend of International Puppet Theater Festival and Buddy Guy's annual performances, and so much more! Bundle up and remember to stay warm while you enjoy everything the city has to offer!
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
EVENTS THIS WINTER SEASON!
- NOW - 1/31 Happy’s Holiday Bar @ Chicago Athletic Association
- NOW - 2/1 Ice Skating in Millennium Park
- NOW - 2/16 The Peninsula Sky Rink @ Peninsula Chicago
- NOW - 3/8 Ice Skating at Maggie Daley Park
- NOW - 3/30 Indoor Winter Farmers Market @ Roosevelt Collection (Saturdays) & Water Tower Place (Sundays)
EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 - 30 (& 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!
- Thurs Jan 29 — Buddy Guy w/ Nicholas Alexander
- Fri Jan 30 — Buddy Guy w/ Carlise Guy and The NuBlu Band
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $85 for standing room and $135 for reserved seating !
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 1 (& BEYOND)
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, JANUARY 31
The Winter Carnival Tour w/ Atmosphere, , Sage Francis, R.A. The Rugged Man, Mr. Dibbs, and Kool Keith @ The Salt Shed, 1357 N Elston Ave,
WHAT: Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere, composed of MC Slug and producer Ant celebrate 30 years of group!
SO WHAT: Fresh off their 26 song album Jestures, Atmosphere is on the road with The Winter Carnival Tour The lineup will feature sets from the famed duo, Sage Francis and R.A. The Rugged Man, a premier DJ set by Mr. Dibbs, and a special performance by the prolific shapeshifter Kool Keith! Check out our full preview here!
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $49.95 for this jam packed show. Check out our review and photos from the last time they were in town!
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1
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
Chicago Boat Show @ Donald E Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Rd, Rosemont
WHAT: BOATS! BOATS! BOATS!
SO WHAT: Ever dream of sailing the open seas? Or at the very least Lake Michigan? Then this con is for you as the Chicago Boat Show rounds up a huge variety of yachts, motorboats, and more! Check out all the nautical vehicles and enjoy some fun times at the Discover Boating Beach club, participate int he bags tournament or take a test ride in the paddle fest pool !
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $13 for 13+, $10 for those 62+. and kids 12 and under are free!
Chicago Restaurant Week 2025 @ Various Restaurants, Various Times
WHAT: Another edition of this annual culinary celebration!
SO WHAT: Over 550 restaurants (a new record) will take part in Restaurant Week (which is actually 17 days long!), letting everyone have a taste of Chicago’s restaurant scene from Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese and more! You can feast on delicious multi-course menus all across the city and suburbs. You can find all the participating restaurants on the Restaurant Week website!
NOW WHAT: These multi-course meals are $30 for brunch or lunch, and $45 or $60 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival @ Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: Discover the world of puppetry!
SO WHAT: Add a little something different to your weekend plans as the Chicago International Puppet Theater festival spends the last half of January in town. Check out a variety of shows, experiences, and workshops throughout town and home letting audiences immerse themselves in a world of puppets. Special events like neighborhood tours will be great multi-day highlights! Check out this weekend's schedule at their website!
NOW WHAT: You can find full ticket info in the links above or on the festival's website!
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!
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!
- 1/22 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM and SAM SELBY @ Schubas
- 1/23 - Meet Me Upstairs Antic + Grey People + Tony G + Nate T + QTC @ Schubas
- 2/1 Joe Jordan + Holy Joke @ Schubas
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!
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 Arco, Working Girl: The Films of Barbara Stanwyck, Angel's Egg, The Testament of Ann Lee, The Room (Greg Sestero in person for a post-film Q&A), 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! Check out their talk with Ed Helms below!
- 2/9 George Saunders on Vigil @ Francis W. Parker School
- 3/5 Jokermen Live: Cut Worms with Jeff Tweedy
- 4/15 Michael Pollan: A World Appears @ Francis W. Parker School
- 4/18 Dr. Ibram X. Kendi: Chain of Ideas @ Ramova
- 4/23 A Night With NPR’s Planet Money @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
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!
