Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 2/6 and Beyond

It's the first full February Curated Weekend and it's a doozy! So while we endure the remaining weeks of winter, let's plan out our weekend with some fun concerts, plays, literary events (which you can plan even further ahead with Elizabeth Niarchos Neukirch's literary event roundup) movies, markets, restaurant experiences and more!

Let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!

ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

SEASONAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Taste of Ravenswood @ Ravenswood Event Center, 4021 North Ravenswood Avenue, 6pm - 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Taste of Ravenswood returns for the first time since 2019
SO WHAT: Along with being home to Malt Row, Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood boasts a vibrant community of culinary dynamos and decorated restaurants. A wide array of chefs, brewers, bakers, and distillers have conjured up a menu of one-night-only dishes that showcase the diversity of Ravenswood's culinary scene. Guests will also enjoy music by pianist Casey Cross from the District Lounge and live painting by Lydia Cash andthe cocktail hour will feature the incredible Bill MacKay.
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $100 for 7:30pm entry, $230 for 6:30pm entry which includes a cocktail hour, and $1000 for a VIP table reservation for 8 guests. Tickets go off sale at 11:59pm on Thursday so get you tickets now!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 - 9 (& BEYOND)

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The Neo-Futurists’ The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Friday and Saturday 10:30pm, Sunday 7pm, 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, FEBRUARY 8 (& BEYOND)

Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration @ Argyle & Winthrop, 10am- 4pm, all ages
WHAT: Join Uptown United and the local business, nonprofit, and cultural organizations on Argyle Street in 2024 as Uptown continues its annual tradition (going back 40+ years) of celebrating the Lunar New Year!
SO WHAT: Welcome the Year of the Dragon with the Lunar New Year Parade (kick-off at 1pm sharp at Argyle & Sheridan) featuring 20+ local community groups, cultural institutions, dancers and performers!  There will also be some fun pop-ups with family-friendly activities and performances! Check out their website for more details! And of course check out all the amazing art in the area anytime (and for some guidance check out the Uptown Public Art Map)!
NOW WHAT: It’s free!

Cider Summit Chicago @ Lakeview Terrace at Navy Pier, 840 E Grand Ave, 2pm - 6pm , 21+
WHAT: Cider Summit Chicago returns to Navy Pier!
SO WHAT: Navy Pier’s Lakeview Terrace is welcoming back Cider Summit Chicago for another edition of delicious drinks! The 10th Annual Cider Summit Chicago will feature a huge collection of over 150 ciders and cider cocktails from more than 40 producers during their extended tasting session!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $40 for GA!

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!

2025 Chicago Auto Show

2025 Chicago Auto Show @ McCormick Place, 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr, 10:00am -9:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Chicago Auto Show is back for another year
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 2024’s show here!
NOW WHAT: Ticket are $17 adults, $12 seniors 62+, $12 for children 4-12, and children 0-3 are free!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 (& BEYOND)

Images courtesy of Read & Run Chicago

Read & Run Chicago: Becoming by Michelle Obama@ Chicago Public Library’s Blackstone Branch, 4904 S. Lake Park Avenue, 2pm
WHAT: A fantastic lit and run mashup
SO WHAT: As proclaimed by Runner’s World: “this book club is faster than yours.” Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 ,and still going strong, Read & Run Chicago offers guided running tours inspired by the locations of books set in Chicago, written by locals. A great way for readers and recreational runners to explore the city and support Chicago authors! Up next on February 9 is a four-mile run through Hyde Park (at an easy 11-minute/mile pace) inspired by Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming, with stops at locations that shaped her trajectory from a South Shore student to a lawyer and eventually First Lady. After the run, participants will sit down for a book club discussion with snacks and drinks.
NOW WHAT: Tickets available HERE for $10–$35, including snacks and drinks

Lunar New Year Celebration @ Chinatown, 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue, 1pm – 3pm, All Ages
WHAT: Celebrate the Lunar New Year at Chicago’s Chinatown!
SO WHAT: Take part in this wonderful tradition in Chinatown as the community gathers to celebrate the Year of the Dragon! The parade will begin at the intersection of 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue and travel north on Wentworth towards the viewing stand at Cermak and Wentworth. This magnificent cultural display will feature traditional dragon and lion dancing teams, colorful floats, marching bands and marching groups.
NOW WHAT: It’s Free!

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 Black-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!

THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND

65th University of Chicago Folk Festival @ Mandel Hall 1131 E. 57th St., All Ages
WHAT: A fantastic folk festival
SO WHAT: University of Chicago Folk Festival is back again with both an in-person and digital presence, making sure the wonderful music reaches as many people as possible! Performers this year will include bohola – Jimmy Keane and Pat Broaders; Rhys Jones, Joseph Decosimo & Nokosee Fields; The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee; Nathan Gourley, Laura Feddersen, and Brian Miller; T'Monde; Izaki Metropoulos, Sophia Metropoulos Laouto & Geroge Lawler; Gabe Carter, and many more! There will also be plenty workshops! And don't forget, you can check out the past few 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!

Chicago Restaurant Week 2025 @ Various Restaurants, Various Times
WHAT: The 18th annual culinary celebration!
SO WHAT: Over 470 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 $30 for brunch or lunch, and $45 or $60 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).

Chicago Theatre Week 2025 @ Various Locations, various times
WHAT: A glorious return of Chicago Theatre Week
SO WHAT: Chicago Theatre Week is meant to give theater-lovers a chance to discover a new theater company in person. This year they are back in person with over 100 performances throughout the city ready to dazzle you with improv, dramas, musicals and more! Check out the lineup of theaters and shows over at their website! And be sure to check out our Stages page for reviews of many of the shows featured in this event!
NOW WHAT: Tickets range from $15 to $30 or even less! head out and discover some incredible shows!

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!

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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 recently underwent some great renovations,and are ready for all your movie needs u with some excellent films like The Brutalist, No Other Land, Bringing Up Baby, Dead Mail, The Monkey (Director Osgood Perkins in attendance for a post-film Q&A), DIG! XX, midnight showings of House & Rocky Horror Picture Show and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theatres in the city!

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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. There's tons of talks going on this season, so head over to their website which is constantly updated with new talks. In fact they just announced a good portion of their Spring lineup! And be sure to check out their podcast Chicago Humanities Tapes, which features conversations with some of their best presenters and other great humanities-minded minds! Take a look at some of their upcoming events below:

Check out their talk "Edward Burns Shares a Pint with Chicago" below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vXcQNqQfTc

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 2025

Third Coast Review Staff

Posts with the Third Coast Review Staff byline are written by a combination of writers, credited by section within the article.