Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 2/2 and Beyond

We're already into a new month of 2023 and the events have been superb! So let's keep that going with another great weekend of concerts, movies, and more!

While it feels like the pandemic is behind us, you still need to be mindful when you go out this weekend and beyond. The winter season has seen a lot of colds, flu, RSV, and of course bouts of COVID. It's better to be safe and wear a mask when you go out to big events. And if you're still a little hesitant to go out, there are many events and things to do from home. So whether you're staying in or going out, keep safe and stay healthy!

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

THURSDAY - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd - 5th

Vino Camp—Chianti, An Immersive Italian Wine Experience @ Eataly, 43 E Ohio St, Thursday7:00pm, Friday and Saturday 6:00pm, 21+
WHAT: A special series for wine lovers
SO WHAT: Eataly will be putting on a unique Italian wine experience for fans of Chianti. Experience the long history of the wine varietal over the course of three different course including private dinner with a winemaker, a walk-around food and wine tasting featuring 20 different Chiantis and an intensive wine seminar.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $125 for the dinner, $$75 for the walk-around experience, and $95 for the seminar!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY & BEYOND, FEBRUARY 3rd & BEYOND

Fika Fest @ Andersonville, Various Locations, Various Times, All Ages
WHAT: A taste of the Scandinavian roots of Andersonville
SO WHAT:Andersonville‘s annual Fika Fest (formerly Hygge Fest) is a go this year with plenty of sales, pop ups, and more. For three days businesses like Raygun, Dearborn Denim & Apparel, Milk Handmade and more will be embracing the state of mind of Fika (a coffee and cake break) with some great promotions. Check out their website for more participating stores!
NOW WHAT: Head out and support some local businesses!

The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Friday and 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

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4th

Cider Summit Chicago @ Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier, 840 E Grand Ave, 11:00am - 3:00pm & 4:00pm - 8:00pm, 21+
WHAT: Cider Summit Chicago returns after a pandemic haitus!
SO WHAT: Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom is welcoming back Cider Summit Chicago for another edition of delicous drinks! Cider Summit Chicago will feature a huge collection of over 150 ciders and cider cocktails from 50 producers during both of their tasting sessions (11am-3pm & 4pm-8pm)! There will be plenty of surprises as well so don't miss out on this fantastic tasting event!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $40 for each session and designated driver tickets are $10 and will be available at the door!

Northwest Brewfest @ Meeting Tomorrow, 2901 W Lawrence Ave, 1:00pm - 3:00pm, 3:30pm - 5:30pm
WHAT: Explore some local brews
SO WHAT: The Northwest Brewfest is a celebration of the amazing brewers on the Northwest Side of Chicago. You’ll have a chance to experience a pair of 2 hour experiences of delicious drinks from Ravinia Brewing, Revolution Brewing, Burning Bush Brewery, Pilot Project, Eris Brewery and Cider house, Second City Meadery, Twisted Hippo Brewing, Metropolitan Brewing, Old Irving Brewing, Casa Humilde, Maplewood, Illuminated Brew Works, Alarmist Brewing and Taproom, Printers Row Brewing, and brü coffeeworks!
NOW WHAT: Tickets for one session at Northwest Brewfest are $45. Each attendee receives an official Northwest Brewfest 5 oz sample glass upon entry for unlimited samples. You can also support Bateman Elementary by purchasing a $5 pretzel necklace at the event

Ravenswood Makers Market @ Koval Distillery, 4241 N Ravenswood Ave, 1:00pm - 6:00pm.
WHAT: A fun local market
SO WHAT: Head over to Koval Distillery and shop 25 makers with a drink in hand! You'll be able to purchase a wide variety of handmade goods such as jewelry, knit goods, home decor, metal working, prints, soap, paintings, candles, etc.
NOW WHAT: It's a free and family friendly event!

Mavis Staples and Celisse @ Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 220 S Michigan Ave, 8:00pm
WHAT: A special concert with some incredible voices
SO WHAT: Honestly, what can you say about Mavis Staples that hasn’t already been said? She is a legendary artist who has influenced music and beyond. Seeing her live is always a pleasure and this evening with the incredible singer and guitarist Celisse is not to be missed!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are still available and start at $49!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5th

Reggies Art & Vendor Market! @ Bananna's Comedy Shack (2nd Floor of Reggies), 2105 S State Street
WHAT: A fun market in a great venue!
SO WHAT: Come shop an excellent selection of art, clothing, jewelry and more, all hand-crafted and curated by Reggies staff and friends! 20+ vendors! There will be a private bar offering drinks and a full kitchen menu, so come hungry!
NOW WHAT: Entry is Free!

Donut Fest Chicago Burbs @ Temperance Beer Co., 2000 Dempster St, Evanston, 1:00pm – 5:00pm
WHAT: Mmmm… donuts.
SO WHAT: Donut Fest is back ! The best bakeries in Chicago will gather and bring the best crullers, rings or long-johns for you to sample. Go out and discover all the tastes associated with these delicious entries from some of Chicagoand’s best bakers and finest coffee purveyors.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $50 for the 1pm entry VIP session and $35 for the 3pm entry! Kids and designated driver tickets are $25! Adult tickets get you samples of donuts and a beer voucher! The VIP tickets also include an additional beer ticket, and a take home goodie bag.

MOST OF THE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND

Chicago Restaurant Week 2023 @ Various Restaurants, Various Times
WHAT: The 16th annual culinary celebration!
SO WHAT: Over 300 restaurants will take part in Restaurant Week (which is actually 17 days long!), letting everyone have a taste of Chicago’s restaurant scene from Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese and more! You can feast on delicious multi-course menus all across the city and suburbs. You can find all the participating restaurants on the Restaurant Week website!
NOW WHAT: These multi-course meals are $25 for brunch or lunch, and $42 and/or $59 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).

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!

NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!

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 really to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies including with Infinity Pool, Broker, Close, Ace in the Hole, Cat Daddies, Wrong Reasons, Escape from New York, a midnight screening of and more! 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 subscription is $4.99, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy!

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.  Here is a taste of what's coming up!
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

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42ZUUBeHSY&t=3s

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