Summer vibes are coming in nicely this weekend as the temps and events are running pretty hot! There are so many excellent concerts at our favorite venues, film festivals throughout the city, markets, art exhibitions, and so much more are just waiting for you!
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 Method for Panic Attacks: New Works by James 'Jimbot' Demski
- 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- 11/30 Green City Market @ Lincoln Park on Saturdays and Wednesdays!
- NOW - 10/31 Chicago: Home of House Exhibit @ Navy Pier
- NOW - 10/27 Wicker Park Farmers Market on Sundays!
- NOW - 10/27 "007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond" @ Museum of Science and Industry
- NOW - 10/27 Wolff's Flea Market @ Allstate Arena on Sundays!
- NOW - 7/7 "Titanic: The Exhibition"
- NOW - 5/12 Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show: Bee's Knees
- NOW - 10/31
STARTING OR ONLY THIS WEEKEND
- NOW - 5/4 Inanimate @ Theater Wit
- NOW - 5/4 Joffrey Ballet: Midsummer Night’s Dream
- NOW - 5/19 Chicago Writers' Bloc 2024 New Play Festival @ Theatre Wit
- 5/4 An Evening With Phil Rosenthal @ Chicago Theatre
- 5/4 Camp Hide N Seek @ Chicago Children’s Museum
- 5/4 - 5/5 Market for Makers @ Artifact Events
- 5/5 Lakefront Loop 5K @ Navy Pier
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 3 & 4 (& 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!
- 5/3 - Wonka! – 8:15pm
- 5/3 - Nightmare on Elm Street – 10:30pm
- 5/4 - The Empire Strikes Back- 8:30pm
- 5/4 - Us – 11pm
- 5/10 - Shrek - 8:15pm
- 5/10 - Friday the 13th - 10:30pm
- 5/11 - The Notebook - 8:30pm
- 5/11 - Nope – 11pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $35 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MAY 3 - 5 (& BEYOND)
The 35th Annual Chicago Horror Film Festival @ Facets, 1517 W Fullerton
WHAT: It's half way to Halloween, why not spend it watching some spooky movies!
SO WHAT: Join some like-minded horror fans at Facets for a weekend chock full of scary movies for this fun three-day festival. The film festival is lovingly curated with a nice diverse set of full length movies, short films, and every type of horror you can imagine!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are available now so don't miss out on the scares!
Mexico Fest @ Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Friday Noon - 7pm, Saturday 11pm - 7pm and Sunday 11pm - 6pm, 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!
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, MAY 4
Illinois Brewery Running Series @ Temperance Beer Co.,2000 Dempster Street Evanston, Noon
WHAT: A fun run for beer!
SO WHAT: Take a quick run and be rewarded with a beer at these series of 5k walks and runs! All the Illinois Brewery Running Series events are untimed, emphasizing a fun time more than anything else! All the runs include one beer, collector’s glassware or seasonal swag item, and an invitation to enjoy the day’s scheduled festivities like live music, food, goodies, and giveaways! Check out the details.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $35 (or $55, which gets you a shirt)! Click the ticket links above!A portion of proceeds help support local non profits!
SUNDAY, MAY 5 & BEYOND
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.
- 5/4 Bakari Sellers: Moving Forward from The Race Reckoning @ Ramova
- 5/4 Everyday Objects: Public Housing to Prison Pipeline @ Co-Prosperity
- 5/4 Two Tales of (In)Justice @ Co-Prosperity
- 5/4 Dr. Todd Boyd: Hip Hop History from the Notorious Ph.D. @ Ramova
- 5/4 Dr. Mark Santow: Saul Alinsky – Chicago’s Genius of Grassroots Organizing @ Co-Prosperity
- 5/4 James Spooner: Black Punk Now @ Ramova
- 5/4 Ronnie Malley: A Musical Reflection: On This Earth @ Co-Prosperity
- 5/6 The Art of Small Talk Members Only Pre-Show Dinner @ Chop Shop
- 5/6 The Art of Small Talk @ Chop Shop
- 5/8 Renée Fleming: Music and Mind @ First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple
- 5/12 Amy Tan: The Backyard Bird Chronicles @ Chop Shop
- 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
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
DOC10 Film Festival @ Davis Theater and The Gene Siskel Film Center, 4614 N Lincoln Ave & 164 N State St,, Various times,
WHAT: Chicago’s premier documentary film festival, DOC10 Film Festival returns for another year of great films!
SO WHAT: The festival will be hosted at the Davis Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center and will feature some of the best documentaries of the current season including Girls State, Super/Man, Apolonia Apolonia, and many more!!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $16 for in-theater screenings. There is a 10% discount for students, seniors, and military.
Chicago Palestine Film Festival @ Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State St, various times
WHAT: An excellent film festival
SO WHAT: Chicago Palestine Film Festival returns with an incredible lineup of films. The films in the festival aim to showcase the multifaceted aspects of Palestinian life, allowing viewers to experience a deeper understanding of the Palestinian experience.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are selling out so grab yours ASAP!
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 2 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas FREE
- May 2 - Eric Slick + The Darling Suns + Alicia Walter @ Schubas
- May 2 - Sam Evian + Hannah Cohen @ Lincoln Hall
- May 3 - meth. + Usurp Synapse + We Weren't Invited + Godseyes + colacon @ Schubas
- May 3 - KYLE: SMYLE LIVE AGAIN Johnny 2 Phones + Jay Eazy @ Lincoln Hall
- May 4 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Daniel Chavez + Adam Raphael + Leja Hazer @ Schubas FREE
- May 4 -Sweet Pill Equipment + Taking Meds@ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
- May 4 - Gabacho + Mexico City Heartbreak @ Schubas
- May 5 - Porridge Radio (solo) + Ester @ Schubas
- May 5 - Gabacho + Mexico City Heartbreak @ Schubas
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 The Chicago Critics Film Festival, The People's Joker, Le Samourai (a personal favorite), and more! Tons of great fillmakers will be in attendance for the The Chicago Critics Film Festival so head over to the festival page to plan out your weekend right!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theatres in the city!
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!