It;s a big weekend in Chicago as St. Patrick's Day celebrations will be taking over the city! Once this stormy day is done the weekend is looking to be nice and sunny, allowing all the celebrations to have their moment. Markets, concerts, food, movies, and more are waiting for you to stop by and enjoy. So get ready and make the best of these amazing events!
Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!
ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS
- All Star Press is constantly putting up new prints for you to decorate your space with! RIGHT NOW they are showing Breaking the Bank: Solo Show by E.LEE & Friends ! Plus you can check out some of their prints from their Vertical Gallery collab, which you can purchase here!! There is also a virtual gallery featuring all the works! You can also see "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" ! Or the All Decked Out virtual show!
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm! Currently they are showing "Vector vs. Raster"
- 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! This month they are showing Brain Killer and the Gang: Bugz and Crypts featuring Chicago-based artists: Shawnimals, Angel Onofre, Don Mega, Alisa Duda, China Cat 663, and (Sub)urban Warrior.
- 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
- “Mold-A-Rama™: Molded for the Future” @ Museum of Science and Industry
- Art on the Mart
- Wonderverse takes popular franchises like Ghostbusters, Bad Boys, and more and puts them together in this immersive venue! Enjoy tons of activities including escape rooms, virtual reality games, racing simulators, and more! Plus there are plenty of themed food and drinks for you to try.
- NOW - 5/12 Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show: Bee's Knees
- NOW - 4/14 Disney100: The Exhibition
- NOW - 4/21 "Titanic: The Exhibition"
- NOW - 3/31 Teeny Tiny, Tropical Bar
- NOW - 3/24 Chicago Botanic Garden: The Orchid Show of Wonders
- NOW - 3/24 Downton Abbey: The Exhibition
- NOW - 3/24 Charm’d Bar
- NOW - 10/27 "007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond" @ Museum of Science and Industry
THIS WEEKEND
- 3/14 - 3/17 Shen Yun@ Rosemont Theatre
- 3/16 Cut, Copy, Paste: A Group Show @ All Star Press
- 3/16 NEWCITY's Super Egg Hunt @ 1457 North Halsted Street
- 3/16 Bingo Loco @ Recess
- 3/16 Alkaline Trio
- NOW - 3/24 Charm’d Bar @ Bamboo Club
THURSDAY - FRIDAY, MARCH 14 & 15
Northside Restaurant Week 2024 @ Various Restaurants, Various Times
WHAT: A great way to explore cuisine and fine dining at restaurants throughout the Northside
SO WHAT: Take a break from eating at home and check out some of the great restaurants in the expanded Northside Restaurant Week! Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Andersonville, Edgewater, Northcenter, Rogers Park, and Uptown restaurants are now included in this fantastic foodie event! Enjoy cuisine from all over the world—from Argentinian, French, and Italian to southern comfort food and beyond. Restaurants will show off their wide array of dining options with special prix-fixe menus to enjoy.
NOW WHAT: Head over to their website and check out all the [participating restaurants and their offering
FRIDAY, MARCH 15
The Kooks + The Vaccines + Daisy the Great @ Riviera Theatre, 4746 North Racine Avenue, 6:30pm
WHAT: Some incredible jams for your Friday night
SO WHAT: The Kooks have been dominating their pop rock sound since the mid 2000s, consistently putting out excellent albums since their inception. The Vaccines formed at the start of a new decade in 2010, dishing out sharp indie rock tracks just as consistently. Daisy the Great are the relative newcomers as they kicked off their pristine indie pop careers in 2017. Together these three bands will be taking over the Riviera for a perfect look at the spectrum of modern indie rock.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are still available but are going fast!
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 15 & 16
K.Flay @ Chop Shop, 2033 W North Ave, 7:30pm,18+
WHAT: A hometown show you shouldn't miss!
SO WHAT: K.Flay is back in Chicago for a very special series of shows. K.Flay usually plays substantially bigger venues, but for the MONO: Live in Stereo tour she is performing at more intimate venues to give her fans a better experience for her latest album. Mono is her the first release since going completely and suddenly deaf in her right ear and since making the decision to go sober. It's a departure form her sound as well, making for a new beginning and a perfect chance to dive into K.Flay's amazing musicianship. Joining her will be Cam Kahin.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are currently sold out but you can join the waiting list here.
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MARCH 15-17 (& 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!
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $20! The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MARCH 16 & 17
Chicago Vintage Festival @ 4325 N Ravenswood Ave, Noon - 6:00pm
WHAT: A wonderful market for all!
SO WHAT: Head over to Chicago Vintage Festival and discover the wares of over 150 vendors sharing vintage finds and handmade items! Plus you can enjoy some delicious food and drinks from a couple of food trucks on hand.
NOW WHAT: It's free with RSVP or $5 at the door!
St. Patrick’s Day Festivities @ Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago can be a lot, so why not plan ahead and decide exactly what you’ll be doing this weekend!
March 16
- 10am – Dyeing of the Chicago River @ The River West of Columbus to East of Orleans
- 11:30am – 4:15pm – Shamrock’n the Block @ 625 W. Adams Advance tickets sales are sold out! A very limited amount of general admission tickets will be sold at the door.
- 12:15pm (entry starts at 10am) – Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade @ Jackson Blvd. and Ida B. Wells (entry point) & broadcast on ABC-Channel 7 and streaming on their website and app! The parade will also be available on-demand after the event
- Parade starts at Balbo and Columbus and proceeds north on Columbus Dr.
- 1pm – 11:30pm – St. Patricks Fest 2024 @ Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave.
- Enjoy traditional and contemporary Irish music, dance, food and drink for purchase, children’s activities, and an Arts and Craft Fair with vendors selling Irish gifts. Tickets are $15 in advance for adults, $20 the day of the party, and children 12 and under are free.
March 17
- 10am – Northwest Side Irish Parade @ Neola & Raven (start of parade)
- Noon - 3:00pm – South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade @ 103rd and Western Avenue. It will be livestreamed on Youtube and their website!
- 3pm – 11pm – St. Patricks Fest 2024 @ Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave.
- Enjoy a day of music in the Fifth Province Pub, and children’s activities in the Erin Room. Admission is $10 for adults. Children 12 and under are free.
NOW WHAT: Click the links above for more details and have a splendid St. Patrick’s Day Weekend!
THE WHOLE CURATED 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
- March 14 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas
- March 14- Stephen Wilson Jr. @ Schubas SOLD OUT
- March 14 - Hurray For The Riff Raff + NNAMDÏ @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
- March 15 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: feral + nada fácil @ Schubas
- March 15 - Video Age + Sean Nicholas Savage @ Schubas SOLD OUT
- March 15 - Luna + Sam Blasucci @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
- March 16 -The Ike Reilly Assassination @ Schubas 3pm
- March 16 -The Ike Reilly Assassination @ Schubas 7:30pm
- March 16 - Luna + Twin Coast @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
- March 17 -The Ike Reilly Assassination @ Schubas
- March 17 -The Pop Up + Jay Wood @ Schubas
- March 17- Tigran Hamasyan @ Lincoln Hall
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!
Movies on the Big Screen and Home @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave, various times
WHAT: A great way to support a great local theater
SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is ready to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies including 35mm screenings of Dune: Part Two in 70mm, Perfect Days, Glitter & Doom; midnight screenings of Corruption, The Room and Big Shark; and moremore!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theatres in the city!
Chicago Humanities: 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. Their year may be over, but certainly be on the lookout for updates for next year's season as their website is constantly updated with new talks.
- 3/18 Shirley: Preview Screening and Conversation
- 3/21 Kara Swisher: A Tech Love Story
- 4/13 Doris Conant Lecture on Women and Culture Joy-Ann Reid: A Love Story that Awakened America
- 4/25 Presented by Old Town School and Chicago Humanities Kara Jackson
- 5/18 George Stephanopoulos: Inside White House Situation Room
- 5/18 Kathleen Hanna - Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk
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
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 The Price Sisters, Brian Conway, Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, Ruby John, Sean "Mack" McDonald, and many more!
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 watch this fun piece
