It's Memorial Day weekend and the events are flowing! So many festivals, market, concerts, and just pure fun are waiting to fill up you holiday weekend! There's no reason not to get out there and enjoy all the fantastic things going on in the city including these fantastic literary events happening throughout the month!
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 WEEKEND!
- 5/23 Memorial Day Parade @ Daley Plaza
- NOW - 9/7 Chicago Dogs @ Impact Field
- NOW - 9/5 Millennium Park Summer Workouts
- NOW - 7/12 David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind @ Reid Murdoch Building
- NOW - 9/7 EmotionAir: Art You Can Feel @ The Fields Studios
- NOW - 6/1 Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color @ The Art Institute of Chicago
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MAY 22 - 24 (& BEYOND)
Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival @ Sheffield from Belmont Ave. to Roscoe St., 3200 N. Sheffield Ave., Friday 5pm-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 11:00am – 10:00pm, all ages
WHAT: The annual Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival celebrates another great year!
SO WHAT: Spend your weekend at the Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival and catch some fun local tribute bands on the main stage (near Roscoe), great eats, a few drinks (beer and wine) and pick up some cool items from some incredible artisans. There will also be an eclectic “community” entertainment stage (near Belmont) featuring fun neighborhood music acts, DJs, and other performers. Check out the lineups at their event page!
NOW WHAT: Head out and enjoy the North side festival!
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!
- 5/22 Shrek 8:30pm
- 5/22 Friday the 13th 10:30pm
- 5/23 GOAT (With Stephen Curry) 8:30pm
- 5/23 Nightmare on Elm Street 10:30pm
- 5/24 Ferris Bueller's Day Off 8:30pm
- 5/24 Halloween (the 1978 Original!) 10:30pm
- 5/25 Grease 8:30pm
- 5/25 Nightmare on Elm Street 10:30pm
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, MAY 23
Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony & Parade @ Daley Plaza , 50 W. Washington St.,11 am. Parade, Dearborn Street from Lake St. to Van Buren St. 12noon
WHAT: Commemorate Memorial Day in downtown Chicago
SO WHAT: The Memorial Day ceremony will be emceed by Karen Hernandez, Executive Director of Chicago Veterans, and Master Sgt. Adam Shaw, U.S. Army (retired), and will include the keynote address delivered by Grand Marshal Sergeant Major Janet Sandoval, United States Marine Corps,
NOW WHAT: It’s free! The Wreath Laying ceremony will be livestreamed for public viewing at Chicago.gov/live.
Zine Club Chicago Launches Southwest Side Zine Library @ Archer Heights Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 5505 S. Archer Ave., 2–4 p.m. FREE
WHAT: Add some Zines to your weekend!
NOW WHAT: Zine Club Chicago announces their brand-new Southwest Side Zine Library, a free community resource stocked with assorted self-published titles. The collection will be permanently housed at the Archer Heights branch of the Chicago Public Library. The event is open to all ages. Participants may review the zine library and engage in a zine-making session. Zine Club Chicago founding member Liz Mason will be available for an Ask the Zine Doctor session, answering all zine-related questions. Snacks will be available.
NOW WHAT: It's FREE!
Blues, Brews & BBQ Fest @ The Mount at The Forge Lemont Quarries, 227 Heritage Quarries Dr, Lemont, Noon - 6:30pm
WHAT: Beer tastings, smoky barbecue and live Blues music all day!
SO WHAT: Blues, Brews & BBQ is an outdoor festival featuring live music, delicious barbecue and craft brews from over 15 regional breweries. The brewery lineup includes Bubblehouse Brewing Company, Forbidden Root, Foxes Den Meadery, Lakefront Brewery, New Holland Brewing Co., Nik & Ivy Brewing Company, Noon Whistle Brewing Co., Pig Minds Brewing Co., Pipeworks Brewery, Pollyanna Brewing, Revolution Brewing, and Two Brothers Brewing Co.! Head over to their event page to see the full lineup of bands and BBQers!
NOW WHAT: General Admission tickets are $18.39, General Admission Plus (General Admission +16 sample tickets + a souvenir glass) are $51.67 and additional drink tickets are extra! Prices go up day of so get your tickets now.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 23 & 24
Warm Love Cool Dreams @ The Salt Shed, 1357 N Elston Ave., 2pm-10pm
WHAT: Warm Love Cool Dreams Music and Arts Festival is coming back to the Salt Shed!
SO WHAT: Need some wild synths, maybe a little gothic flavor or straight up indie rock to make your memorial day weekend all the better? The head over to the second edition of Warm Love Cool Dreams where bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Whitney, Pixel Grip, Courtney Barnett and more will be blowing everyone's minds over at the Salt Shed! This is a perfect opportunity to explore the Salt Shed campus and catch some incredible band and shop some interesting vendors!
NOW WHAT: Tickets for Saturday and Sunday start at $75.20, Two day passes are $134.75. You can check out our playlist for day one here!
Mayfestiversary 2026 @ Dovetail Brewery & Begyle Brewing, 1820 W Belle Plaine Ave/4114 N Ravenswood Ave/1800 W Cuyler Ave, Saturday 11am– 10pm, Sunday 11am– 9pm
WHAT: Mayfestiversary returns!
SO WHAT: Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery are teaming up again for two days of amazing beer, live music (including Nora O’Connor on Sunday!!), and the finest food trucks this city has to offer! Check out the full lineup of music and food over at their website.
NOW WHAT: Entry is free! The suggested donation of $5 goes to The Friendship Center and their mission of fostering hope and dignity through access to food, vital resources, and critical social services in the community!
Randolph Street Market Festival @ 1341 W Randolph St., 10am – 5pm
WHAT: This fun street market is back for another great year!
SO WHAT: Celebrate the Randolph Street Market Festival where you can experience vendors with a wide variety of items perfect for the summer 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!
Sueños Music Festival @ Grant Park, 337 E Randolph St, Noon – 10:00pm, 18+
WHAT: Another edition of the Latin Music festival Sueños !
SO WHAT: Sueños is the perfect festival for Latin music fans! This brand new 18+ fest will be taking over Grant Park with tons of talented Reggaeton and Latin artists for an unforgettable weekend. Dance your weekend away with headliners like J Balvin, Kali Uchis, Fuerza Regida and many more!
NOW WHAT: Two-day passes start at $329.99, while single day passes start at $189!
SUNDAY, MAY 24 (& 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 a full summer shows full of fun tribute bands and rock-focused bands. Then after the shows enjoy a musical fireworks display! This evening will feature Anthem!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Head out and enjoy the shows!
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!
- 5/29 Dinner + Drinks: Granor Farm and Chicago Humanities @ Granor Farm
- 6/9 Matt Haig: The Midnight Train @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 6/10Dave Eggers: Contrapposto @ Old Town School of Folk Music
- 6/11 Gallery Talk and Performance: NEA Jazz Master Marilyn Crispell on Cy Twombly @ Art Institute of Chicago
- 6/12A Night with Billy Eichner @ Old Town School of Folk Music
- 5/15 A Conversation with Dr. Jill Biden @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 6/28 Ann Patchett: Whistler @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 10/12 SIMPLE TOO: An Evening with Yotam Ottolenghi @ 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
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
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 Obsession, Je tu il elle, Nitrate Kisses, a midnight screenings of The Room & Little Man this weekend!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theaters in the city!
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!
- 5/21 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM and SAM SELBY @ Schubas (Upstairs) (FREE)
- 5/21 - FIGHTMASTER The All or Nothing Tour + Hannah Hill @ Lincoln Hall
- 5/21- Trash Kickers Album Release Show + Pleaser + Joe Glass @ Schubas
- 5/22 - Heavy Crownz Trench Baby Turned Farmer Album Release Show + KING LOUIE + BELLA BAHHS + DJ Ca$h Era + CASINO TRELL + Special Guests @ Lincoln Hall
- 5/22 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents Anthony Cruz and Double Dipp Present: Full Circle + Adorio @ Schubas(Upstairs)
- 5/22 -The Orchard Album Release Show + Poolish + Julian Saunders @ Schubas
- 5/23 - Dope After Dark Presents: Pleasures @ Schubas
- 5/23 - RECESSION INDICATOR Recession Pop Dance Party: Memorial Day Weekend + DJ Moonlanding + Sara Kay @ Lincoln Hall
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!
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 Gap Civil, High Fidelity, Lissa Schneckenburger & Garrett Cameron, Ethan Leinwand, Jontavious Willis, Luke Huval Band, Mariachi Flor de Primavera, and 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!
