It's a warm and sunny St. Patrick's Day weekend! The vacillating weather seems to be working out for the first portion of the weekend before we return to the typically cool March temps, so let's take advantage and enjoy all the holiday's festivities! There's so much coming up this weekend including all the fun concerts, plays, movies, markets, restaurant experiences and more!
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 "REGULARS" A Solo Show by PITR! 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 Goodmanthrough 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!
- 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 some awesome art from Stay Focused New Works by Netherland
- 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 - 3/31 007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond @ Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
SEASONAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!
- 3/15 Holi @ Chicago Women's Park and Gardens
- 3/15 - 3/16 Shamrock & Roll @ The Lodge
- NOW - 3/23 JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival @ Various Locations
- NOW - 3/28 Bingo Loco @ Morgan MFG
- NOW - 3/30 Winter Wonderland @ I|O Godfrey
- NOW - 3/30 South Loop Winter Farmers Market @ Water Tower Place
THURSDAY, MARCH 13 (& 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. 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:
- 3/13 Paul Reiser: A Career-Spanning Conversation @ Music Box Theatre
- 3/17 Chris Hayes, Laureates+ Member Reception @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 3/17 Julian Lage in Performance @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Maurer Concert Hall
- 3/17 The Sirens' Call: Chris Hayes on the Attention Economy @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 3/17 Second Show Added: Julian Lage in Performance @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Maurer Concert Hall
- 3/20 The Interview Show: Samantha Harvey + Jonathan Weisman @ FitzGerald's
- 4/1 Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson on Abundance @ UIC Dorin Forum
- 5/14 Nils Frahm in Concert @ The Salt Shed
Check out their talk "Edward Burns Shares a Pint with Chicago" below!
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
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 14 & 15
Synth Fest 2025 @ Marz Community Brewing, 3630 S Iron St, Various Times
WHAT: Good beer, great music, and an awesome flea market
SO WHAT: Share the love of electronic and synthesizer music with some like-minded folks over at Marz Community Brewing. Check out some live performances from Chicagoland's excellent electronic music scene, have a few brews, and don't miss out on the Synth Flea Market! Check out the full lineup on their website!
- 3/14 - Marz Mothership - 8pm
- Tat Songs
- Bobby Conn
- Hunter Husar
- DJ Beau Wanzer
- 3/14 - Life on Marz - 8pm
- Stardust Waltz
- 3/15 - Life on Marz - 8pm
- Vogue Memory / Anti-Synthwave Club
NOW WHAT: It's free to attend so head out and enjoy the vibes!
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MARCH 14-16 (& BEYOND)
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 & SUNDAY, MARCH 15 & 16 (& BEYOND)
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 15
- 10am – Dyeing of the Chicago River @ The Chicago River, West of Columbus to East of Orleans
- 10am - Avondale St. Patrick's Day Parade @ 3471 N. Elston Ave
- 11am – 5pm – 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.
- Noon - Archer Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade @ Archer Avenue east from Oak Park to Merrimac.
- 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 – 11pm – St. Patricks Fest 2025 @ 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 16
- 11am - 3pm St. Patrick’s Day @ Gallagher Way
- Noon – Northwest Side Irish Parade @ Neola & Raven (start of parade)
- Noon - 3:00pm – South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade @ 103rd and Western Avenue.
March 17
- 3pm – 11pm – St. Patricks Fest 2025 @ Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave.
NOW WHAT: Click the links above for more details and have a splendid St. Patrick’s Day Weekend!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Chicago Flamenco Festival @ Instituto Cervantes (31 W. Ohio) & Space (1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston), Various times
WHAT: Chicago Flamenco Festival returns to celebrate its 23rd anniversary"
SO WHAT: With a focus on the preservation and presentation of the multi-cultural art form of flamenco, this incredible festival brings together the world’s finest flamenco artists for a month of live performances, workshops, lectures, and films! Head over to their website for a full list of events!
NOW WHAT: Get your month of flamenco dance performance sorted with links to all the shows here!
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
- 3/13 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas FREE
- 3/13 - Abby Holliday + Imani Graham @ Schubas
- 3/13 - Lip Sync for Life 2025 @ Lincoln Hall
- 3/14 - Orions Belte + Vinyl Williams @ Schubas
- 3/14 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: RAD III + rylescan @ Schubas
- 3/14- Fana Hues Matters of the Heart Tour + PAMÉ @ Lincoln Hall
- 3/15 - The Ike Reilly Assassination @ Schubas (Early Show)
- 3/15 - The Ike Reilly Assassination @ Schubas
- 3/15 - Ray Bull + Tyler Berrier @ Lincoln Hall
- 3/16 - EMEI + Haiden Henderson + Ashley Mehta @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
- 3/16 - The Ike Reilly Assassination @ 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 movie theater
SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre recently underwent some great renovations,and are ready for all your movie needs with some excellent films like Mickey 17, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, Stop Making Sense, The Monkey, A League of Their Own, Warfare (Featuring a post-film Q&A with filmmakers Alex Garland & U.S. Navy Seal Ray Mendoza and actor Will Poulter/Free Screening for Music Box Members Only) a midnight screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theaters 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 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!
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!