Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 5/12 and Beyond

So it looks like we skipped spring and dove head first into insanely hot temps and obnoxious humidity! That means that there's even more going on over the weekends! There's tons of outdoor markets for those who want to take advantage of the summery weather and plenty of indoor events for those that want to cool off. And with the pandemic numbers staying relatively low (but rising a bit), it's feeling a little more normal to go out since Chicago dropped the masking and vaccination proof mandates on February 28 (for better or worse).

While we're hopefully at the tail end of things, many venues are keeping their mask and vaccination requirements for the foreseeable future. So if you do plan to go out this weekend, make sure you check out the venue's policies and take initiative. Wear a mask, social distance, and get your vaccination shots and your booster even if the venue/event doesn't require it. And if you still feel that wearing a mask is a must (like many still do), then please wear one. Protect yourself and those around you. If you still don't feel entirely safe to go out (and quite honestly, who can blame you?) you can always stay in and support these places from home.

Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!

THURSDAY, MAY 12th

French Market @ Gallagher Way, 3635 N Clark St, 4:00pm - 8:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A little taste of France in Wrigleyville!
SO WHAT: French Market will be a perfect way to spend your Thursday evening with its casual, European flair and wide variety of vendors. Each day of the market will feature 20+ vendors! Whether you're looking for some tasty treats, hand made goods, or just a good time in the setting summer sun, French Market is there for you! Plus there will be a kids craft corner to keep the kids' imaginations growing. You can bring your blanket and sit on the grass or pick a patio table to sit back and enjoy the live music each week! Check out the music schedule below!

NOW WHAT: Entry is free, just bring your totes and stock up on some amazing food and wares!

Photo by Ted Bois

Destroyer & Rosali @ Thalia Hall, 1807 S Allport St, 7:00pm, 18+
WHAT: The enigmatic Dan Bejar makes his way to Thalia Hall.
SO WHAT: Dan Bejar’s musical career is unparalleled. His solo project Destroyer has been sending out his incredibly unique voice our for over two decades. Add to that his work with The New Pornographers and you have an incredibly prolific and interesting songwriter who will surely envelop you in his complex songs. Joining him this evening will be Rosali!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are only $25 , so don’t miss this wonderful show!

THURSDAY - SUNDAY, MAY 12th - MAY 15th

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 below for showings this weekend and in the future!

NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience

FRIDAY, MAY 13th

Whisky Fest @ Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E Wacker Dr, 6:30pm – 9:30pm, 21+
WHAT: The delicious nectar that is whisky/whiskey
SO WHAT: This is the perfect opportunity to try a huge variety of whiskies from around the globe! Seriously, whether you’re looking for Canadian or Japanese, rye or bourbon, you’ll find it here. WhiskyFest will also include seminars conducted by master distillers and blenders to get you all the more acquainted with the wonderful spirit!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $295 for this incredible whisky experience. 

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 13th & 14th

Sauced Night Market @ House of Vans, 113 N Elizabeth, 5:00pm – 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A night time market in Chicago’s coolest venue
SO WHAT: Sauced Night Market returns to the recently reopened House of Vans. The roving night market has been showcasingvendors for quite a while  now and they’ll be returning to the West Loop warehouse/skate park/concert hall with another great lineup of 45 local vendors slinging their awesome wares across two nights! The full lineup of vendors  can be found at their website. Plus for the first time since 2019, the Spring Night Market welcomes the return of live painting at Sauced. Artists Natalie Clare and Diosa will spend both nights painting a 16-foot mural on stage at the event. DJ Johnny Walker will provide the tunes all night long!
NOW WHAT: It’s free with RSVP! This event is all ages!

SATURDAY, MAY 14th

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. Be on the lookout for updates to the upcoming season as their website is constantly updated with new talks.  Check out the links below for the current lineup of talks on their schedule!

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 2022.

Spring Fun Fest 2022 @ Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Pl Rosemont, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
WHAT: Family fun in Rosemont!
SO WHAT: Families are invited to visit Parkway Bank Park for a fun-filled day of outdoor festivities at Spring Fun Fest. Families will be able to enjoy balloon sculpting, bounce houses, face painting, petting zoo and live entertainment by Scribble Monsters
NOW WHAT: It’s a free event!

Ballpark Brew Fest @ Wintrust Field, 1999 S Springinsguth Rd, Schaumburg, IL, 1:00pm-6:00pm
WHAT: Delicious beers at the ballpark!
SO WHAT: Head over to Wintrust Field for Ballpark Brew Fest for a day of amazing beers! Dozens of breweries will be on hand offering up their best beers and ciders ioncluding Revolution, Buckledown, Pollyanna, and more! Check out the full lineup at their website! Tickets include 25 30z samples with additional drink tickets available at.50 cents. The VIP ticket adds 2 Food item Vouchers for any items from the ballpark and access to all the drinks before anyone else!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $49 for the general sampling (2pm-6pm) and $79 for the VIP sampling which starts at 1pm! There are also $10 DD tickets available!

Hatchie / Caroline Loveglow @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave., 8:00pm, 21+
WHAT: Fresh tunes to make your weekend shine
SO WHAT: Earlier this year, Hatchie released Giving The World Away, which saw her add some personal touches to her already dazzling dream-pop and shoegaze. The album takes a deep look at Hatchie’s emotions as she explores reclamation, self-confidence, and realization of who you are. It’s certainly a contender for one of the best albums of the year and this is a great opportunity to see it live! Joining her will be fellow dream pop songwriter Caroline Loveglow!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 14th & MAY 15th

The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Saturday 10:30pm, Sunday 7:00pm, 16+
WHAT: Quick plays live and online!
SO WHAT: The Neo-Futurists are back! Their Infinite Wrench is an  ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes for a live audience. Now it's actually a live audience that will be enjoying the performance in person! With plenty of COVID precautions in place, you'll be able to enjoy the funny, disgusting, profound, terrifying, irreverent, and downright entertaining show with friends! Plan ahead as vaccination cards will be checked and booster will be required to be fully vaccinated.
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $10! Head over to their website to see all they have planned now that in-person audiences are a thing again! If you're still a little anxious about going out, The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon!

SUNDAY, MAY 15th

The Andersonville Wine Walk @ Andersonville, 5228 N Clark, 3:00pm - 6:00pm, 21+
WHAT: The 16th year of this wine tasting walk!
SO WHAT: The Andersonville Wine Walk turns businesses throughout the district into wine tasting destinations! You’ll check in at the former Akira space at 5228 N Clark and receive a wine glass to present at each of retail site along the designated route for samples of delicious wines. Each location will be sampling 2-3 wines and there will be food samples along the way as well! Head over to their website for full details on the route and more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $40 for this wine walk!

THE WHOLE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND

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!
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!

NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows! Please note: proof of vaccination is required for entry to all shows at Lincoln Hall and Schubas in Chicago. Click here for more information on this policy.

Back on the Big Screen and Virtual Cinema @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave and 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 THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE (Thursday only), The Northman, Inland Empire, The Chicago Critics Film Festival, Doc Part of: Hell on the Homestead: Surviving the Frontier, ! But if you want to watch some first-run movies at home, you can still watch great movies and support them online! They are currently screening films via their The Music Box Direct series! There are also tons of select titles available on their new platform!
NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy!

To Be, William Shakespeare's 458th Birthday @ Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier's Website, the coziest spot in your home, All Ages
WHAT: Chicago Shakespeare Theater celebrates the Bard's 458th birthday with a free 40-minute virtual program by local artists.
SO WHAT: Eleri Ward performs Acoustic Sondheim from her indie-folk album, A Perfect Little Death. Musical performances by Chicago Shakes performers Missy Aguilar, Jerica Exum, Jacquelyne Jones, Evan Tyrone Martin, Liam Oh, Sawyer Smith and more. One of Shakespeare's most famous speeches will be performed by A.B.L.E. Ensemble, which creates theater and film projects for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
NOW WHAT: Watch To Be here. Streaming on demand through May 22. 

Fulton Street Collective Jazz Series @ Fulton Street Collective, Palmhouse619 (619 W. Howard St., Evanston, IL) ,Montrose Saloon (2933 West Montrose Avenue) & Their YouTube channel, 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, which has a great back catalog for you to enjoy! Below are just some of the upcoming shows from the collective.

NOW WHAT: The shows are free, but there is usually a $15 suggested donation to help support the musicians and Fulton Street Collective. ! Also you should definitely support Fulton Street Collective by becoming a member!

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!!

Concerts Livestreams 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 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!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLZdrtsaHis

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.

Julian Ramirez