It's the Fourth of July weekend and it's happening right at the tail end of this heatwave. While the weekend will be a little cooler, remember to lather on that sunscreen, keep hydrated, and enjoy all the fantastic events going on in the city!
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 & BEYOND!
- 7/3 Taste of Oak Brook
- 7/3 - 7/5 Anime Midwest @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
- 7/4 Lake Forest Festival & Fireworks
- 7/4 4th on 53rd Parade and Festival
- 7/4 - 7/5 Lincolnshire Art Festival
- 7/5 Pride South Side @ The DuSable Museum
- 7/5 NASCAR Cup: eero 400@ Chicagoland Speedway
- NOW - 8/15 Grant Park Music Festival @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
- NOW - 9/7 Live on the Lake! 2026 @ Navy Pier
- NOW - 9/20 Skyline Sessions 2026 @ Navy Pier (most Thursdays and Fridays)
- NOW - 10/25 Maxwell Street Market
- NOW - 10/25 Wicker Park Farmers Market
- NOW - 8/30 David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind @ Reid Murdoch Building
- NOW - 9/2 Summer Fireworks @ Navy Pier (Saturdays and Wednesdays)
- NOW -9/7 Chicago Dogs @ Impact Field
- NOW - 9/5 Millennium Park Summer Workouts
- 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
- NOW - 4/11/27 Pokémon Fossil Museum @ The Field Museum
- 7/22 - 7/25 Midwest Film Festival
THURSDAY - SATURDAY, JULY 2 - 4
Rockin’ in the Park USA FEST@ 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 full summer shows full of fun tribute bands and rock-focused bands. Then after the shows enjoy a musical fireworks display! This weekend is the Rockin int he USA Fest! July 2 will be Boy Band Night with Boy Band & Super Diamond,July 3 will feature Listen to the Music (Doobie Brother Tribute), and July 4 will close out the fest with Garth Guy, Toby Keith Made in America, Hillbilly Rockstarz
NOW WHAT: Head out and enjoy these free shows!
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JULY 3 - 5 (& 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!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
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!
- 7/2 The Sandlot 8:45pm
- 7/2 Scream 7 10:45pm
- 7/3 Jurassic Park 8:45pm
- 7/3 Friday the 13th11pm
- 7/4 The Sandlot 8:45pm
- 7/4 Jaws (the original) 10:30pm
- 7/5 Jaws (the original) 8:45pm
- 7/5 Nightmare on Elm Street 11pm
- 7/8 Indies Under the Stars 8:45pm
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 Rose of Nevada, Leviticus, Maddie's Secret, Fond of His Mother: Queer-coded Hitchcock, You Never Know Women (Live musical accompaniment by Robbie Ellis and Nicholas White), Night Nurse (2026) (Writer/Director Georgia Bernstein in person for a post-film Q&A!) and more 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.
- 7/2 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM and SAM SELBY @ Schubas (Upstairs) (FREE)
- 7/2 - Don Trip + Tha Landlord @ Lincoln Hall
- 7/2 - Middle Sister + Julia Minkin + Evan Montgomery @ Schubas
- 7/3 - Pleaser + Chan Fuze + Wild Zero @ Lincoln Hall
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!
SUNDAY, JULY 5 (& BEYOND)
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!
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 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!
