Chicago spring is here! That means one very warm and pleasant day, one full of April showers, and a few moderately cool days. But no matter how disparate the days get, there is always a great assortment of events waiting for you to attend. This weekend features tons of concerts, markets, movies and art shows ready for you to enjoy!
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 Dead Presidents! 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!
- 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 Eggstravaganza!
- 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! Right now is the Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show: Rooted in Mystery
- Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens
- 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 - 7/13 Titanique The Musical @ Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!
- 4/24 Yukimi (of Little Dragon) with DJ SKOLi @ Thalia Hall
- 4/24 - 4/27 Riverdance 30 - The New Generation @ Cadillac Palace Theatre
- 4/25 Denzel Curry - Mischievous South Tour @ Salt Shed
- 4/25 - 6/7 ART on THE MART
- 4/25 Taste of Northalsted 2025
- 4/25 Miss Congeniality Bar Crawl
- 4/26 Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl
- 4/26 Varietopia with Paul F. Tompkins @ The Riviera Theatre
- 4/26 The Goonies 40th Anniversary in Concert @ Auditorium Theatre
- 4/27 Mexico in a Bottle @ Bridgeport Art Center
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, APRIL 25 - 27 (& BEYOND)
2025 Spring One of a Kind Show @ The Mart, 222 Merchandise Mart Plz, Various times, All Ages
WHAT: Three days of artists and makers selling their wares!
SO WHAT: The One of a Kind Spring Show will feature immersive experiences for shoppers to enjoy! You’ll have the opportunity to shop for handcrafted work from 350 exhibiting artists, makers, and designers from across the country and beyond. There will also be live entertainment provided by local musicians, a gourmet market, fine art gallery and on-site cafes and bars all weekend long.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $15 per adult for entry to all three days, $8 for a tote bag, and $20 for the ticket and tote bundle! Children under 11 receive free admission.
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 Folktales, Prime Minister, and many more!!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $16 for in-theater screenings. There is a 10% discount for students, seniors, and military.
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, APRIL 26
Chicago Rum Festival 2025 @ Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N Kedzie Blvd, 1:30pm – 7pm, 21+
WHAT: The Chicago Rum Festival (aka Midwest Rum Fest) is back for another outing!
SO WHAT: Get a taste of the world of rum with this fantastic festival! There are four unique sessions available for rum lovers all skill levels. Whether you're an industry professional, just starting your rum journey, a verifiable rum expert, or somewhere in between, the Chicago Rum Festival has a session ready for you!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are still available!
Sor Juana Festival 2025 @ National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W 19th St, 7pm, 21+
WHAT: The National Museum of Mexican Art presents the 31st annual Sor Juana Festival, honoring one of Mexico’s greatest writers, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
SO WHAT: The Sor Juana Festival brings weeks of special events to the National Museum of Mexican Art! There is a variety of conversations, concerts and special presentations happening every weekend to honor Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $35 for this 21+ event and drinks are included in ticket prices
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, APRIL 26 & 27
MUBI Fest @ Music Box Theatre (3733 N Southport Ave,) & The Salt Shed (1357 N Elston Ave), Various times
WHAT: A fantastic movie festival in two of our favorite venues
SO WHAT: MUBI is a wonderful stream platform/production company/film distributor that is curating some of the best coillections of films you'll get to see. They've expanded that curation to MUBI Fest, a weekend full of amazing movies with a little bit of drinking, music, and shopping thrown in. Check out the lineup below!
- SATURDAY
- SUNDAY
- 11:45am Cooley High 50th Anniversary Screening @ Music Box
- 1pm Pavements with director Alex Ross Perry @ Salt Shed
- NOON - 6pm MUBI Market @ Salt Shed
- 2:15pm Magic Farm @ Music Box
- 4:30pm The Fall 4K with special guest @ Salt Shed SOLD OUT
- 9pm Boy Harsher Live @ Salt Shed
NOW WHAT: Head over to their website and pick up some tickets to these great movies! Head to their Happy Hour and MUBI Market for free!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
EXPO CHICAGO @ Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Various times, All Ages
WHAT: EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, is back!
SO WHAT: The ninth in-person edition of EXPO CHICAGO features art from more than 170 leading international exhibitors. Admission includes a dynamic roster of on-site programming, including panel discussions, large scale installations, film and so much more. You can see full details at their website!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $40 for a single day ($35 for students and seniors), $68 for the three-day pass, and $165 for the Opening night Ticket! There are also guided tours available!
One Earth Film Festival @ Various Locations or Right at Home, Various Times
WHAT: Celebrate our planet with some excellent films!
SO WHAT: Join One Earth Film Festival for a weekend full of great films and discussions in celebration of Earth Day. These incredible films and conversations "will help you understand topical issues and move toward concrete actions to mitigate climate change, address environmental justice and more."
NOW WHAT: Head over to their website for more info on screenings (both virtual and in person)!
Chicago Palestine Film Festival @ Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State St, various times
WHAT: This excellent film festival will give you a view of other lives.
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
- 4/24 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas FREE
- 4/24 -Husbands + Jaguar Sun @ Lincoln Hall
- 4/24 - Laila! Gap Year! Tour + DJ Zillion @ Schubas SOLD OUT
- 4/25 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Anthony Cruz and Double Dipp Present: Full Circle @ Schubas
- 4/25 - Jane Remover Presents Turn Up or Die with special guest dazegxd + d0llywood1 @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
- 4/25 - Korine + Johnny Dynamite and the Bloodsuckers + Ghost Days @ Schubas
- 4/26 - Martin Bandz + Yna and the Seasons + Middle Sister @ Schubas
- 4/26 -Ben Kweller Cover The Mirrors Tour + cheese touch @ Lincoln Hall
- 4/27 - Russell! “Dearly Loved” Tour 2.0 + Omar Pierce + Manny Torres @ Schubas
- 4/27 -The Ocean Blue performing their Self-Titled and Cerulean albums + Brian Tighe of The Hang Ups @ 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 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 The Shrouds, When Fall is Coming, Basket Case, MUBI Fest 2025, and so much more!
NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theaters 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. 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:
- 4/24 Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality @ Francis W. Parker School
- 4/24 THE ALCHEMY TOUR with Suleika Jaouad, hosted by Jon Batiste @The Salt Shed
- 4/25 An Evening with Bill Callahan @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Maurer Concert Hall
- 4/27 Beyond Closure: A Screening and Conversation @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 4/27 Heather Cox Richardson on Democracy Awakening @ Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
- 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
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!