We're at the end of the month and the days are still a little chilly, but the sun is making its way through the clouds most days! So enjoy it as you check out some incredible markets, movies, concerts and more in this weekend's events!
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! Currently they are showing LIGHT CYCLES: 40 Years of TRON in Games & Film
- 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 Donut Bears: New Works by Mr. Likey
- 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
- Ice Skating at Maggie Daley Park “Harry Potter: Magic at Play” @ Water Tower Place
- “Mold-A-Rama™: Molded for the Future” @ Museum of Science and Industry
- Wicker Park Winter Market Series @ the Robey
- Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius
- Karen's Diner - A pop up dining establishment where you get an extra dose of sass with your order
- 4/7-5/14 Dinner With A View
- Art on the Mart - Funtime Unicorn: Ruby Rides Through Four Seasons premieres Friday April 14th, 2023 at 8:30pm.
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MAY 5th - MAY 7th (& BEYOND)
Mexico Fest @ Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Friday 4:00pm - 6:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 1:00pm - 5:00pm, all ages
WHAT: A festival celebrating Mexican heritage!
SO WHAT: Mexican Fest will be taking place this weekend at Navy Pier with tons of fun activities for the whole family. There will be over 30 artisan vendors from Mexico setting up a mercadito across Navy Pier as well as plenty of musical and dance performances and workshops for kids! Check out their event page for more details!
NOW WHAT: Its Free
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!
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $15! 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, MAY 6th
Free Comic Book Day @ Various Locations, All Day, All Ages
WHAT: FREE COMICS!
SO WHAT: Don’t you love events that are pretty much exactly what they sound like? Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where comic book shops like Chicago Comics, First Aid Comics, Graham Crackers, Challenger, Zone Comics & Games, Amazing Fantasy, and many more give away special issues of comics so that you can see what the medium is all about! Plus while you’re there you can support these shops and purchase some of your favorite comics and collectibles!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Head out and pick up some comics and enjoy!
Chicago Humanities Festival Spring 2023: 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!
- 5/6 Chicago Artist Claire Ashley: Inflatable Artwork in Unconventional Places (PASS ONLY)
- 5/6 Poems While You Wait (PASS ONLY)
- 5/6 A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution
- 5/6 From the Lab to the Page: Brandon Taylor and Weike Wang
- 5/6 Adam Gopnik On the Art of Mastering A New Skill
- 5/6 Alan Lightman on Spirituality and Science (PASS ONLY)
- 5/6 Chicago’s Pilsen Art Community House (PASS ONLY)
- 5/6 Epiphany Spring Celebration
- 5/6 Making Music in the Catacombs with Joe Rauen (PASS ONLY)
- 5/6 Just Like Me: Short Documentary Screening (PASS ONLY)
- 5/6 Kid Koala: Creatures Board Game Event Session 2 (PASS ONLY)
- 5/6 Cabinet of Curiosity and PARA.MAR (PASS ONLY)
- 5/8 Sound Opinions Live with Robbie Fulks in Concert
- 5/9 The Microphones and Mount Eerie
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 2023
Chicago Latino Spirits Festival @ Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N Kedzie Blvd, 11:00am - 7:00pm, 21+
WHAT: The first Latino Spirits Festival on Cinco de Mayo Weekend!
SO WHAT: This special festival will give you the chance to try out some incredible spirits and wines! You'll also get the chance to meet the top Latino mixologist blenders and winemakers in the industry.
NOW WHAT: There are three sessions for this fun spirits festival starting at $65 and going up to $95! Check out their website for all the details on the tasting sessions!
The Batman in Concert @ Auditorium Theatre, 50 East Ida B. Wells Drive , 8:00pm, all ages
WHAT: Amazing live music to accompany an amazing film
SO WHAT: DC in Concert is an all-new global touring film concert series making its debut in Chicago this weekend with The Batman. The series lets comic book movie fans see their favorites on the big screen again while their amazing scores are performed live. The Batman is the perfect first movie in the series as its memorable score is powerful and impactful, lending itself for an amazing performance by the Chicago Philharmonic!
NOW WHAT: Tickets range from $74.75-$127 for this incredible experience!
MOST OF THE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND
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!
- 5/4 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – 8:15pm
- 5/5 Shrek– 8:15pm
- 5/5 Nightmare on Elm Street - 10:30pm
- 5/6 The Sandlot– 8:15pm
- 5/6 Nope - 10:30pm
- 5/7 Spiderman: No Way Home 8:30pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience
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!
- May 4 - LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY NAOMI SPUNGEN, ADRIENNE STOUT, AND SUZ BALLOUT @ Schubas
- May 4- OK Cool Record Release Show Scarlet Demore + Background Character @ Schubas SOLD OUT
- May 5 Vedo The Mood Swings Tour Keithian + Final Draft @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
- May 5 -Winona Forever Modern Nun + Sick Day @ Schubas
- May 5- Meet Me Upstairs Presents:DJ Moonlanding @ Schubas
- May 5- Schubas Comedy Showcase Hosted by Aaron Klinger @ Schubas
- May 6 -Latrice Royale Life Goes On Tour! @ Lincoln Hall
- May 6 -The Crystal Casino Band / City Twigs@ Schubas
- May 6 - Brian Dunne / Brennan Wedl@ 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 Other People's Children, Beau is Afraid, The Chicago Critics Film Festival 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 a month, $49.99 a year, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy!
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 Balfa Toujours, Donka & Nikolay Kolev, Juan Rivera, Henry Barnes & Conner Vlietstra, Po' Ramblin' Boys, Jerron Paxton; Tim Britton, John Williams and Katie Grennan!
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!
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 this great story!