It's technically speaking Valentines weekend and there are so many great markets, shows and food otiions for you to partake in! Don;t delay and head out and enjoy all the great events going on!
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!
- Support Local Venues
- Kingston Mines is open with some great lineups this weekend
- Fitzgerald's is also back in full swing
- Evanston Space
- Head over to the Hideout's regular shop and get yourself some great merch! Their 2020 Holiday Sale page is also still up with links to great local artists!
- Metro shop is full of fantastic concert posters from yesteryear and cool merch
- Lincoln Hall/Schubas always has great items in their shop waiting for you! Plus Schubas/Tied House is open and events are on their way back!
- Same goes for Thalia Hall's merch store (those holiday socks? *chef's kiss*)
- Let's not forget Empty Bottle's fantastic merch shop! Plus they just added some new stuff designed by some awesome people that is sure to catch your eye! Shows are going on now as well, so head over to their venue site and go to some concerts if you're comfortable
- Art Galleries and Special Events
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm!
- All Star Press is constantly putting up new prints for you to decorate your space with! Plus you can check out some of their prints from last year's Vertical Gallery collab, which you can purchase here!! There is also a virtual gallery featuring all the works! You can see their previous show "Saturday Morning Fever” featuring the works of Griffin Goodman through their virtual gallery! And don't forget to check out the virtual edition of JC Rivera's new exhibition "Still Undefeated" !
- Galerie F has a fun stock of prints from concert posters, pop culture prints and more!
- Rotofugi is the perfect nexus of art and toys! Head over to see what new pieces of art they have in stocks and on display in their gallery space! They are currently showing
- 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. Plus Keith Haring!
- Garfield Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely!
- Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely
FRIDAY - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10th - 11th
University of Chicago Folk Festival @ Mandel Hall 1131 E. 57th St., Friday 8:00pm & Sunday 7:30pm, Workshops Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm, All Ages
WHAT:A fantastic folk festival
SO WHAT: University of Chicago Folk Festival is back in person but that doesn't mean their livestreaming days are over! The festival will have both an in-person and digital presence, making sure the wonderful music reaches as many people as possible! Performers will include Balfa Toujours, Donka & Nikolay Kolev, Juan Rivera, Henry Barnes & Conner Vlietstra, Po' Ramblin' Boys, Jerron Paxton; Tim Britton, John Williams and Katie Grennan! There will also be workshops on Saturday running from 10:00am – 5:00pm! And don't forget, you can check out the past two years of performances on their Facebook page!
NOW WHAT: Tickets for in person performances are $30 regular, $20 senior, and $5 students and the workshops on Saturday are free!. Shows and workshops are streaming free here!! We highly encourage you to donate to help support this fantastic folk festival!
FRIDAY - SUNDAY & BEYOND, FEBRUARY 10th & BEYOND
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
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!
- 2/10 The Wedding Singer 7:00pm
- 2/10 The Notebook 9:00pm
- 2/11 Lady and the Tramp 5:15pm
- 2/11 10 Things I Hate About You 7:00pm
- 2/11 The Wedding Singer 9:00pm
- 2/12 Lady and the Tramp 5:15pm
- 2/12 The Notebook 7:00pm
- 2/12 La La Land 9:00pm
- 2/14 The Wedding Singer 7:00pm
- 2/14 The Notebook 9:00pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11th
Handmade Market Chicago @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave, Noon – 4:30pm
WHAT: Shopping, eating, and drinking all in one place
SO WHAT: Grab a drink from the Empty Bottle Bar, and start shopping the Handmade Market Chicago! They will bring a nice collection of makers with beautiful and unique items to the Empty Bottle! Join in and see what all the sellers will have to offer. You can check out some of the sellers that will be featured over on their Facebook page.
NOW WHAT: This event as always is free!
Winspear Review w/Brenda's Friend, Video Age, Lutalo, & Divino Niño @ Thalia Hall, 1807 S Allport st, 7:00pm, 17+
WHAT: A celebration of a fantastic record label's roster
SO WHAT: Winspear has been firing on all cylinders for quite a while. The New York based label has tons of connections to Chicago as they are home two of this evening amazing lineup. Chicago own Divino Niño will be headlining this In the round show at Thalia Hall with Bloomington based Brenda's Friend, Vermont's Lutalo, and New Orleans' Video Age! In the Round shows are a great and even more intimate way to see a show at Thalia Hall and this label showcase is not one to miss!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $25 for this incredible Saturday night show!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11th & BEYOND
2023 Chicago Auto Show @ McCormick Place, 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr, 10:00am -10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Chicago Auto Show is back
SO WHAT:Head out to McCormick Place to see the latest vehicles, experience added outdoor test tracks, or take a test drive on city streets! It’s North America’s largest auto show and will be open to the public February 11 – 20, so indulge in your love of automobiles! Check out our photo gallery of 2021’s show here!
NOW WHAT: Ticket are $15 adults, $10 seniors 62+, $10 for children 4-12, and children 0-3 are free!
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12th & BEYOND
Chicago Black Restaurant Week @ Various Locations, Various Times, All Ages
WHAT: Two weeks of this incredible dining opportunity
SO WHAT: Chicago Black Restaurant Week returns with another exciting lineup of local eateries. CBRW was designed to create a platform for African-American Owned Eateries inviting foodies to check out our town’s hidden gems and maybe find some new favorite locales in the process.
NOW WHAT: Check out all the participating restaurants on their website and get ready for some great food!
MOST OF THE 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 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!
- February 9 - LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY NAOMI SPUNGEN, ADRIENNE STOUT, AND SUZ BALLOUT @ Schubas
- February 9 - Modern Nun / Joey Nebulous / Hard Femme @ Schubas
- February 10 - DJ Kitchen @ Schubas
- February 10 - Kaash Paige / Amari Noelle @ Lincoln Hall
- February 10 - Agua / DJ IGGY / DJ Chava @ Schubas
- February 11 - BabyTron / Shitty Boyz / DaBoii @ Lincoln Hall
- February 11 - Felix Rabito / Saint Dismas / The Trenchies / The Meeks @ Schubas
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, Close, Full Time, Some Like It Hot a midnight screenings of Psychos in Love and Nekromantik 2 andmore! 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
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