Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 8/12 and Beyond

While everything seems to be open like the old days, there is still that looming presence of the Delta variant in the background threatening all we've done to get back to normal. Many locations have doubled down on their efforts to keep everyone safe, requiring proof of vaccination and masks be worn to enjoy their services. Music venues in particular have stepped up tons after the free-for-all that Lollapalooza felt like and our doing their best to help keep COVID numbers down. So if you do plan to go out this weekend make sure you check out the venue's policies and quite honestly, take initiative. Wear a mask, social distance, and get your vaccination shots even if the venue/event is lax. Protect yourself and those around you. Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend! And if you're opting to stay home, then let's find something fun to do! Whether you're doing your part in fighting against police brutality, working out, trying out some new recipes, or whatever catches your fancy; you may still have a few hours in your day that need filling up. There are tons of fun ideas highlighted in this week's curated weekend including some from previous #StaytheFHome editions where the editors here at Third Coast Review suggested a few things you can enjoy while you're at home during these social distancing, self-quarantining days! Stay home and stay safe and healthy. Listen to our healthcare policy experts. Science matters. Wear a mask. Keep washing your hands. And check in on 3CR, where we promote the arts for everyone's sake.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12th

  Fulton Street Collective Jazz Series @ ​Fulton Street Collective & Their YouTube channel, 1821 W. Hubbard St, Suite 307, or the coziest spot in your home, 8:00pm WHAT: Some excellent jazz for your evening SO WHAT: Fulton Street Collective are back with in person events, but they are still determined to give Chicago its much needed dose of jazz at home! Most of their shows are also streaming so you can see and hear the beautiful music on their YouTube channel! Below are just some of the upcoming shows from the collective. NOW WHAT: The shows are free online, but in person there is a $15 suggested donation unless noted! Also you should definitely support Fulton Street Collective by becoming a member!

THURSDAY - SUNDAY, AUGUST 12th - AUGUST 15th

Weekend Shows @ Lincoln Hall & Schubas, 2424 N Lincoln Ave & 3159 N Southport Ave, various times, WHAT: A full weekend of amazing shows at Schubas! SO WHAT: Things have opened back up for the most part and two of our favorite venues are stacking up some stellar lineups! Check out what Schubas has going on this weekend. NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas and enjoy this great lineup of shows!

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 & AUGUST 14th

Grant Park Music Festival: Dvořák New World Symphony @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E Randolph St, 6:30pm WHAT: A Chicago tradition returns! SO WHAT: The Grant Park Music Festival and its deservedly acclaimed orchestra and chorus has offered some wonderful summertime concerts by classical, modern, and contemporary composers. You can check out their full schedule over at their website! This weekend  will feature three events! NOW WHAT: Head over to their website to register for the event and reserve a seat! The concerts are always free and will also be broadcast and streamed live on 98.7WFMT/wfmt.com.

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, AUGUST 13th - AUGUST 15th

Retro on Roscoe @ Roscoe/Damen, 2000 W. Roscoe St., Friday 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Saturday & Sunday Noon - 10:00pm, all ages WHAT: 24th annual Retro on Roscoe festival! SO WHAT: Enjoy all everything Retro on Roscoe has to offer this weekend! Shop unique artisans, antique vendors, and cool merchants before heading to grab some tasty treats. There is also a family area offering activities for all ages, an Antique and Classic Car and Motorcycle show, and three stages featuring some fun bands playing all your favorite throwbacks and oldies! NOW WHAT: There is a $10 suggested donation for admission to Retro on Roscoe, which benefits Roscoe Village Neighbors . Evanston Art Fest @ Sherman and Church Streets, 800 Church St Evanston, IL, Noon - 5:00pm, all ages WHAT: A wonderful variety of art for you to peruse! SO WHAT: This art lovers festival brings together over 130 juried artists from around the country, including a few in the brand new Emerging Artist Section. They will be showcasing unique art pieces that will be available for purchase throughout the weekend. In addition to all the great art pieces, you’ll will have the opportunity to see the masters at work with live art demonstrations along with one-on-one booth chat! NOW WHAT: The festival is FREE and open to the public. Free reservations encouraged to help spread crowds through the fest weekend. Walkups welcome!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14th

The Bud Billiken Parade @ 45th and King Drive,10:00am -4:00pm, allages WHAT: Celebrate 90+ years of this wonderful parade SO WHAT: The Bud Billiken Parade is a commemoration of African Americans' past and a celebration of the future, uniting everyone for a beautiful event full of music, dance, food, and laughter.  The start point of the Bud Billiken Parade is 45th and King Drive, then continues south on King Drive and enters Washington Park on Ellsworth Drive and continues to the end point at 55th Street. The theme for the parade this year is "Back to School, Back to Life and Back to Bud Billiken." NOW WHAT: Head out and celebrate!
Wrigleyville Art Market @ Gallagher Way, 3635 N Clark Street, 10:00am - 5:00pm WHAT: A pop up market right inside of Gallagher Way outside of Wrigley Field SO WHAT: This great market will be filled with 50 unique artists showing DIY-themed pieces, beautiful jewelry, functional art for beer and wine lovers, and unique wearables. Since it’s right in the middle of Wrigley, there are tons of food options nearby for a complete and enjoyable experience! NOW WHAT: Register in advance for this fun market here!
Summer Concert Series w/ Rok Brigade and The Atomic Punks @ Copernicus Center, 5216 W Lawrence Ave WHAT: An eight-week outdoor concert series! SO WHAT: Music lovers of all ages can come enjoy live bands at the Copernicus Center in Jefferson Park thanks to the Copernicus Foundation’s fun Outdoor Summer Concert Series. Enjoy drinks and snacks from a full bar and kitchen as you dance the evening away to some cover bands playing the hits! Tonight features Rok Brigade and The Atomic Punks! Check out the full lineup below and at their website!
  • August 14, 2021
    • 6pm – Breakfast Club
    • 8pm – Tributosaurus becomes Rolling Stones
  • August 21, 2021
    • 6pm – Semple
    • 8pm – Heroes – David Bowie Tribute Band
  • August 28, 2021
    • 6pm – Lance Lipinsky and the Lovers
    • 8pm – Trippin Billies
NOW WHAT: Doors open at 5pm for all these shows and GA is $10. A full series pass is available for $49! New Music For Winds @ Constellation, 3111 N Western Ave, or in the most musically inclined room in your home, 8:30pm WHAT: An amazing pair of shows for your weekend! SO WHAT: Constellation has been putting on some incredible shows during the pandemic and this weekend is no different! Whether you decide to stay home and watch the livestreams or head out to the venue and enjoy the live music in person, Constellation is a great way to spend the night! Check out some of the upcoming shows below! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $15, head out and enjoy the incredible show this weekend! There is also a streaming option, so if you stay home, be sure to donate to support Constellation!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 14th & 15th

Wells Street Art Festival @ Wells St. Between North Ave. and Division, 1400 N Wells Street, 10:00am - 8:00pm, all ages WHAT: The 46th year of this beautiful arts festival! SO WHAT: A diverse mix of over 125 juried artists will be filling up this year’s Wells Street Art Festival with their incredible works! Other highlights include the myriad of neighborhood restaurants, excellent live music, and kids' art activities so everyone has something fun to do at this fest! Check out full details at their website! NOW WHAT: The festival has an $8 suggested donation and fest proceeds will benefit the programs and services of the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association! Thirsty Ears Music Festival 2021 @ Wilson Ave Between Hermitage and Ravenswood, Saturday  2:00pm – 10:00pm, Sunday 2:00pm-9:00pm, All Ages WHAT:The sixth annual Thirsty Ears Festival, SO WHAT: Thirsty Ears Festival is Chicago’s only street fair centered on classical music. Hosted by Access Contemporary Music, performers will feature music from the whole classical spectrum, from baroque to contemporary. Check out their full line up here! NOW WHAT: There is a $10 suggested donation for the fest! All proceeds support the ACM School of Music, a non-profit organization.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15th

Sundays on State @ State Street from Lake to Madison, 11:00am - 8:00pm WHAT: From Lake to Madison, State Street becomes an open street full of surprises! SO WHAT: Neighbors from every Chicago community and beyond are invited for this interactive block party that will let you safely enjoy art, culture, active recreation, retail, bars, restaurants, and local attractions! Experience everyone’s neighborhood, the Loop, like never before! NOW WHAT: This fantastic way to spend your Sundays this summer is FREE! Sundays on State will strictly follow all public health guidelines in place at the time of each event. Pilsen Vendor Market @ Pilsen Art House, 1756 W 19th St., Noon - 5:00pm WHAT: A socially distanced mini handmade market! SO WHAT: This is a weekly market for artists and makers to come together, make new friends and sell their wonderful wares. NOW WHAT:Entry is free, just be sure to wear your mask as they are required!

THE WHOLE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND

Neon Summer Chicago @ Neon Summer, 1265 W Le Moyne Ave, Various times WHAT: A family friendly summer pop up SO WHAT: Neon Summer takes over two acres of Chicago for a pop-up that splits its time between family friendly daytime fun and late night party!  The pop-up provides access to a go-kart track, a miniature golf course, axe throwing, plenty of fun photo ops, a nice assortment of food, and of course NEON! There are multiple bars serving drinks throughout the venue including alcohol for those 21+ . NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $19 and vary based on the chosen timed entry and the activities you want to partake in! Check out their website for full ticketing details!

Back on the Big Screen and Virtual Cinema @ Music Box Theatre, unsurprisingly at your home, any time you want to watch a movie WHAT: A great way to support a great local theater SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is currently open to the public, so if you feel comfortable you can go out and have a theater experience this weekend with Ema and The Green Knight; and fun Music Box Garden Movies! But if you want to watch some first run movies at home, you can still watch great moves and support them online! They are currently screening films via their The Music Box Direct series! There also tons of select titles available on their new platform! NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, in person screenings are $11, so sit back and enjoy!
Film Center from Your Sofa @ The Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute, your couch or preferred movie watching spot in your place, pretty much any time WHAT: The Film Center at Home SO WHAT:The Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute is open again and they are continuing their excellent series Film Center from Your Sofa. This is a fun way to stay in digital touch with the Film Center and watch some great films from the comfort of home! Head over to their listings and start watching--in person or from your sofa! NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, so sit back and enjoy!
New Talks and Video Archives @ Chicago Humanities Festival YouTube channel, your favorite browser or YouTube's app, any time you want some inspiration, All Ages WHAT: Interesting conversations with interesting people! SO WHAT: Chicago Humanities Festival is back with some  in person events! They always bring some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. Their website is constantly updated with new talks, so check out the wealth of upcoming and previous events in their archives! Below is just a taste of what is coming in the next few weeks 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 2021.
Pitch In for the Parks! @ Various local parks, Various times, all ages WHAT: A good way to keep your community nice and clean! SO WHAT: The nonprofit Chicago Parks Foundation (CPF) is currently in the second season of its citywide volunteer effort “Pitch In for the Parks!” to help keep the city’s 600+ public parks clean. The program is open to anyone who wants to host a clean-up group or join an existing event from the interactive map on the CPF website. CPF is providing trash pick-up supplies, volunteer coordination and safety guidelines to supportthe parks’ ongoing maintenance from June through October. NOW WHAT: Clean-ups continue at parks citywide June 1st-October. Anyone can host a Pitch In clean-up group or join a free volunteer event on their calendar.  Lyric Opera Streaming On Demand @ Your favorite streaming device, the most lavish spot in your home WHAT: The Lyric Opera at home SO WHAT: Revisit some of your favorite Lyric moments, or experience for the first time performances you've missed.Check out their website for schedule of upcoming shows. Currently streaming is Luisa Miller (2019), The Queen of Spades (2020), and Die Walküre (2017). NOW WHAT: It's free!! Steppenwolf NOW @ Your best streaming device, the most theatrical spot in your place, Any time through August 31, 2021 WHAT: The talented voices of Steppenwolf's ensemble beamed straight into your home SO WHAT: Steppenwolf NOW is a new virtual programming stream featuring a dynamic and innovative slate of immersive and visual experiences crafted and produced for the virtual platform. Membership will let you experience a one-time screening of the current lineup of six projects each until August 31, 2021. The newest production is Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! NOW WHAT: The membership is $75 and a great way to experience six great shows and support a local institution. The Great Grow Along @ Your home, next to your soon-to-be-thriving home garden, Friday 1:00pm - 5:00pm, Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm, and Sunday 1:00pm - 3:45pm WHAT: A chance to make your thumb a little greener SO WHAT: The Great Grow Along was a three-day virtual garden festival that will provide gardeners with 40+ hours of sessions with plant pros to help up everyone's growing game! There will be learning tracks to guide you through the talks and they have made the festival's content available on demand to watch at your own pace over the next six months! NOW  WHAT: Tickets are $29.95 for this great collection of gardening talks! Fun Times with Local Museums @ the comfort of your own home, a various collection of websites, whenever you want a little dose of educational fun, All Ages WHAT: A chance to explore and help out some great local museums during these quarantine days SO WHAT: Our incredible Museums editor Mariel Bokor has compiled a great list of interesting programming available from museums like the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum, MSI, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium during this stay at home time. It also notes which are closed for the season and how you can help support them during these times! NOW WHAT: Check out our most recent update on what museums are doing as they reopen and continue their online presence!
The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral 30 Digital Plays in 60 Analog Minutes @ The Neo Futurists' Patreon, one episode a week, 14+ WHAT: Quick plays online! SO WHAT: The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral! 30 Digital Plays in 60 Analog Minutesis the online adaptation of the Neo-Futurists', ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes for a live audience. Since live audiences are still a no-no, this is the perfect way to experience this fun project from home! They also just released45 Plays for America’s First Ladies, a series of 1-5 minute plays that adopt a variety of shapes, tones, and theatrical conventions centered around the lives of the women who have served in the role of First Lady. NOW WHAT: Join the Neo Futurists' Patreon page for either $3, $5, or $9 a week (with added incentives in the higher tiers) and enjoy the 30 plays in an hour every week! Concerts Live-streams and Local Shows Archives @ Your House, Any time you please, All Ages WHAT: There's tons of concerts from Chicago's yesteryear available online for your enjoyment! SO WHAT: Oh My Rockness and Do312 has done a fantastic job of cataloging some of the upcoming live-streams from the awesome musical acts out there! Check out Oh My Rockness' listings here, Do312's roundup of shows here, and tune in to these great shows from the comfort of home! Do312 have also shared some past Chicago shows that are certainly worth of a watch. There are also so many great local concerts recorded for posterity and what better time to check them all out than during this self isolation period. Audiotree has a fantastic and huge list of sessions with links to band's websites and merch to help support them even more. In addition to our previous recommendations like Fran, Tasha, KAINA, Divino Nino, and The Ophelias, we also recommend ROOKIE, Emily Blue, Sen Morimoto, Beach Bunny, Tennis, and Gia Margaret! Then head over to their record concerts from Lincoln Hall, Schubas, and beyond to check out Orville Peck, of Montreal, and so many more! JBTV is also a fantastic resource for sessions from bands that have come through Chicago! Just take a look at this playlist of Blind Melon's '95 set at Metro! NOW WHAT: Stay home, watch some live music, and be sure to check out your favorite artists' social media, you never know who might be live streaming next! Video Games @ Your home PC or Console, As long as it takes, Just check the game rating WHAT: Video-games for all! SO WHAT: Check out our games page for some recommendations of what games to download (and avoid) while we're stuck at home. If you're a PC user, head over to the Epic Games store as they will be releasing a few new FREE games for you to download ! There are also tons of free games on Twitch Prime waiting for you to download! NOW WHAT: Wash your hands and dive head first into some fun games! Bring the Zoo to You @ Brookfield Zoo's Facebook page, when you want to see some animals besides your pets or specifically 11:00am, All Ages WHAT: A great way to make your kids' time at home entertaining and educational NOW WHAT: Join Brookfield Zoo on Facebook every weekday at 11:00am for a "Bring The Zoo To You" Facebook Live featuring one of their animals as well as plenty of educational, informative insight from one of our Animal Care Specialists. If you can't make it at 11, that's okay. The video will be saved afterward on Facebook as well as on their YouTube channel. SO WHAT: Just jump in to the chat at their Facebook page to learn something new https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42ZUUBeHSY
Masque of the Red Coronavirus! @ Black Button Eyes Productions, Any time on your computer or mobile device. For 18+. WHAT: Written by Black Button Eyes Productions producing artistic director Ed Rutherford, this short satirical piece is available online free as a combined script-and-video experience. SO WHAT: In addition to reading the play, you will see various Chicago artists act out portions of the script on video, recorded remotely. The event includes puppets, burlesque, original music, fire dancing and more in a brief, darkly comedic confection. With the Red Coronavirus running rampant across the countryside and a vaccine still months away, what's a Prince to do? Lock himself in a secure bunker in an undisclosed location along with a cohort of his top donors, of course. To prevent him and his rich supporters from becoming bored, the Prince has also brought a few artists into the bunker to entertain the crowd. But as the hour grows later and the night grows weirder, it's clear that something else has also invaded the party. NOW WHAT: Settle down for an evening of magical weirdness. Click here and begin reading and watching the videos.
#things to do#things to do in chicago#things to do this weekend#things to do this weekend in chicago
Julian Ramirez