Bundle up because the temps finally dropped! The fall atmosphere is in full force for the Halloween events that have been overtaking the city! So get a warm coat out of the closet and head out there for some incredible movies, concerts, festivals, and more!
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!
- NOW - Nov. 2: Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up @ West Town
- NOW - Oct. 26: Night of 1,000 Jack-o-‘Lanterns @ Chicago Botanic Garden
- Oct. 9: Hinsdale Wine Walk
- Oct. 10-12: St. Charles Scarecrow Fest
- Oct. 10-12: Glass Pumpkin Patch @ Morton Arboretum
- Oct. 11: Slow & Low Chicago Lowrider Festival @ Navy Pier
- Oct. 11: Zoo Fiesta @ Lincoln Park Zoo
- Oct. 11: Stews & Brews Port Clinton Square, Highland Park
- Oct. 11-12: Harvest Pow Wow @ DuPage County Fairgrounds (indoors), Wheaton,IL
- Oct. 12: Maxwell Street Market
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-12 (& 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 & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 & 12
Oktoberfestiversary @ Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery,1800 W Belle Plaine Ave, Saturday 11:00am -9:00pm, Sunday 11:00am – 8:00pm
WHAT: Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery‘s annual fall street fest!
SO WHAT: Join the two amazing breweries as they celebrate Ravenswood Corridor and all things Oktoberfest! Oktoberfestiversary will have plenty of amazing food trucks, live music, fun activities for the kids, and special tappings of brews from both breweries. Plus its a do friendly evnet!
NOW WHAT: There is a $5 suggested donation will benefit The Friendship Center, a local food pantry that’s been providing groceries and more for the Northside neighbors facing hunger for more than 50 years.
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!
- 10/9 Superman (2025) 7pm
- 10/9 Halloween (the 1978 Original!) 9:30pm
- 10/10 Hocus Pocus 7pm
- 10/10 Beetlejuice! 9pm
- 10/11 Sinners 6:30pm
- 10/11 Halloween (the 1978 Original!) 9pm
- 10/12 Hocus Pocus 7pm
- 10/12 Nightmare on Elm Street 9pm
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
BOO! at the Zoo @ Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W 31st St, 10:00am – 6:00pm, All ages
WHAT: Add a little Halloween fun to your Zoo Trip!
SO WHAT: Brookfield Zoo turns into a Halloween wonderland during the spooky season with tons of fantastic activations! Everyday will feature the Zoo festively decorated, chance to enjoy Halloween-themed food and drink, and trick or treating in select retail locations! Weekends will feature extra trick-or-treating locations, FREE inflatables, a magician, and tons of thrilling surprises! Sundays will give attendees a chance to check out the Zoo Art Fair! Head over to their event page for all the ghoulish details!
NOW WHAT: Entry to the Zoo is $29.95 for adults, $24.95 for seniors, $20.95 for children 3-11, and children 2 and under are free!
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
- 10/9 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM and SAM SELBY @ Schubas
- 10/9 - Interlay We Weren't Invited + Pat and the Pissers + Kangaroo Court + Vatos Tristes @ Lincoln Hall
- 10/9 - GOON Dream 3 Tour + Beaming @ Schubas
- 10/10 - Juice @ Schubas
- 10/10 - Molly Grace + Meg Smith @ Lincoln Hall
- 10/11- Pool Hall + Surf Cowboy + The Bend with Ben Gossow@ Schubas
- 10/11 - Model/Actriz + Kassie Krut @ Lincoln Hall
- 10/12 - quinnie The Paper Doll Tour + Operelly @ Lincoln Hall
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of 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! Take a look at some of their upcoming events below:
- 10/12 Poetics of Place: Humanities, Justice, & Movement @ James Stone Freedom Square
- 10/12 Catherine Russell: American Songbook in Concert @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Myron R. Szold Music & Dance Hall
- 10/13 Robin Wall Kimmerer in Conversation @ Morton Arboretum
- 10/18 Gary Shteyngart: Vera, or Faith @ Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
- 10/18 Princeton University President on Academic Free Speech @ University of Chicago - Ida Noyes Hall
- 10/18 Roxane Gay: 10 Years of Being a Bad Feminist @ University of Chicago - Reynolds Club
- 10/18 UChicago Arts & Humanities Day Member Reception @ University of Chicago - Ida Noyes Hall
- 10/18 Amitav Ghosh: Wild Fictions @ Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
- 10/18 Sally Mann: Art Work @ University of Chicago - Ida Noyes Hall
- 10/18 20 Years of Freakonomics with Stephen Dubner @ University of Chicago - Reynolds Club
- 10/18 Lyric Opera of Chicago: A Conversation on Medea @ Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
- 10/18 Professor Stephanie Burt on the Genius of Taylor Swift @ University of Chicago - Ida Noyes Hall
- 10/18 An Evening with Steven Pinker @ University of Chicago - Reynolds Club
- 10/18 Woodworking and Tomfoolery with Nick Offerman @ University of Chicago - Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
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
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 Lovers on the Bridge, Plainclothes, Gaudyween, Good Boy, multiple movies as part of Music Box of Horrors: Dead and Loving It!, midnight screenings of Deadtime Stories and Wolf Guy, and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theaters in the city!
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!
