Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 4/7 and Beyond

It's been a wet start to April, but that shouldn't deter you from having some fun there's so much to do! The pandemic numbers are staying relatively low and it's feeling a little more normal to go out since Chicago dropped the masking and vaccination proof mandates on February 28 (for better or worse). While we're hopefully at the tail end of things, many venues are keeping their mask and vaccination requirements for the foreseeable future. So if you do plan to go out this weekend, make sure you check out the venue's policies and take initiative. Wear a mask, social distance, and get your vaccination shots and your booster even if the venue/event doesn't require it. And if you still feel that wearing a mask is a must (like many still do), then please wear one. Protect yourself and those around you. If you still don't feel entirely safe to go out (and quite honestly, who can blame you?) you can always stay in and support these places from home. Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, APRIL 1st - 3rd

Star Trek: Mission Chicago @ McCormick Place, 2301 S King Dr, 10am, All Ages WHAT: The perfect weekend getaway for the Trekkie in you! SO WHAT: The ultimate Star Trek fan Experience is making it’s way to Chicago!  Explore the past, present, and future of Star Trek with immersive experiences and unique encounters. There will be tons of celebrity guests, exclusive merch, and some exciting announcements about all thing Trek! Check out our preview of the event here! NOW WHAT: Single day tickets are $65 for adults, while three day tickets are $155 for adults and $35 for kids 6-12. There is also a 3-day Priority on Access VIP Pass for $750 for the diehard Star Trek fans! Star Trek: Mission Chicago requires proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry for all attendee fans age 5+.

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! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience

SATURDAY, APRIL 9th

Handmade Market Chicago @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave, Noon – 4:30pm WHAT: Shopping, eating, and drinking all in one place SO WHAT: Grab some food next door at Bite Cafe, maybe a drink from the Empty Bottle Bar, and start shopping the Handmade Market Chicago! They will bring over 30 makers of 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!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, APRIL 9th & 10th

The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, 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! With plenty of COVID precautions in place, you'll be able to enjoy the funny, disgusting, profound, terrifying, irreverent, and downright entertaining show with friends! Plan ahead as vaccination cards will be checked and booster will be required to be fully vaccinated. NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $10! Head over to their website to see all they have planned now that in-person audiences are a thing again! If you're still a little anxious about going out, The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon!

SUNDAY, APRIL 10th

Brews & Bites With Chicago’s Black Owned Breweries @ Time Out Market Chicago, 916 W Fulton Market, 4:00pm – 7:00pm, 21+ WHAT: Some delicious brews for you to try out! SO WHAT: Take an excellent tour of some of Chicago’s amazing Black owned breweries at this special event! You’ll have the chance to try out 6 beer which include a welcome drink and 5 brews paired with specialty curated dishes by a Time Out Market chef. Between 4pm-6pm there will be live music to add some jams to all the great drinks and food.  Head over to the Eventbrite page to see all the beers and pairings you’ll try at the event! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $30 for the beer tasting, $80 for the full experience with the special dishes and $100 for the VIP passes which adds an exclusive brewers talk and swag bag!

THE WHOLE SELF-DISTANCING 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 140 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 $30 for a single day, $45 for the three-day pass. Discounted tickets for current students and Seniors are $25 and Single day Guided Tour passes are $50
David Lynch: A Complete Retrospective – The Return @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave., Various times WHAT: A look at the entirety of David Lynch’s oeuvre and then some SO WHAT: The last time this wonderful retrospective hit the Music Box Screens was just before the third season of Twin Peaks made it debut. Now that we’re a few years away from that masterpieces, its time for David Lynch: A Complete Retrospective – The Return. This reasonably complete retrospective spans Lynch’s entire body of work in film, television, and music. This retrospective was programmed by Lynch expert Daniel Knox, who has cut together unique 20 minute pre-shows for each feature! Check out our full preview of the series here! NOW WHAT: Tickets are on sale now for members and go on sale for the general public on March 10th. Single screenings are $12.50 ($10 for members) and a festival pass is $150 ($125 for members). Check out the full showtimes of the retrospective here and go see some of David Lynch’s amazing works!
Chicago Restaurant Week 2022 @ Various Restaurants, Various Times WHAT: The 15th annual culinary celebration! SO WHAT: Over 300 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 $25 for brunch or lunch, and $39 and/or $55 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).
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! 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! Please note: proof of vaccination is required for entry to all shows at Lincoln Hall and Schubas in Chicago. Click here for more information on this policy.

Back on the Big Screen and Virtual Cinema @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave and at your home, any time you want to watch a movie WHAT: A great way to support a great local theater SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is currently open to the public, so if you feel comfortable you can go out and have a theater experience this weekend with You Won't Be Alone, X, the David Lynch: A Complete Retrospective - The Return (which you can see our full preview above) , and more! But if you want to watch some first-run movies at home, you can still watch great movies and support them online! They are currently screening films via their The Music Box Direct series! There are also tons of select titles available on their new platform! NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy! Remember that a physical/digital vaccination card or negative PCR COVID test is required for entrance! Fulton Street Collective Jazz Series @ ​Fulton Street Collective & Their YouTube channel, 1821 W. Hubbard St, Suite 307, or the coziest spot in your home, 8:00pm WHAT: Some excellent jazz for your evening SO WHAT: Fulton Street Collective are back with in-person events, but they are still determined to give Chicago its much needed dose of jazz at home! Most of their shows are also streaming so you can see and hear the beautiful music on their YouTube channel! Below are just some of the upcoming shows from the collective. NOW WHAT: The shows are free, but there is usually a $15 suggested donation to help support the musicians and Fulton Street Collective. ! Also you should definitely support Fulton Street Collective by becoming a member!
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 bring some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. Be on the lookout for the upcoming season as their website is constantly updated with new talks. They just announced their first talk of the new year!  Click the link below for more details!
Lyric Opera Streaming On Demand @ Your favorite streaming device, the most lavish spot in your home WHAT: The Lyric Opera at home SO WHAT: Revisit some of your favorite Lyric moments, or experience for the first time performances you've missed.Check out their website for schedule of upcoming shows. Currently streaming is Luisa Miller (2019), The Queen of Spades (2020), and Die Walküre (2017). NOW WHAT: It's free!!
Concerts Livestreams and Local Shows Archives @ Your House, Any time you please, All Ages WHAT: There's tons of concerts from Chicago's yesteryear available online for your enjoyment! SO WHAT: Oh My Rockness and Do312 has done a fantastic job of cataloging some of the upcoming live-streams from the awesome musical acts out there! Check out Oh My Rockness' listings here, Do312's roundup of shows here, and tune in to these great shows from the comfort of home! Do312 have also shared some past Chicago shows that are certainly worth a watch. There are also so many great local concerts recorded for posterity and what better time to check them all out than during this self isolation period. Audiotree has a fantastic and huge list of sessions with links to band's websites and merch to help support them even more. In addition to our previous recommendations like Fran, Tasha, KAINA, Divino Nino, and The Ophelias, we also recommend ROOKIE, Emily Blue, Sen Morimoto, Beach Bunny, Tennis, and Gia Margaret! Then head over to their record concerts from Lincoln Hall, Schubas, and beyond to check out Orville Peck, of Montreal, and so many more! JBTV is also a fantastic resource for sessions from bands that have come through Chicago! Just take a look at this playlist of Blind Melon's '95 set at Metro! NOW WHAT: Stay home, watch some live music, and be sure to check out your favorite artists' social media, you never know who might be live streaming next! Video Games @ Your home PC or Console, As long as it takes, Just check the game rating WHAT: Video-games for all! SO WHAT: Check out our games page for some recommendations of what games to download (and avoid) while we're stuck at home. If you're a PC user, head over to the Epic Games store as they will be releasing a few new FREE games for you to download ! There are also tons of free games on Twitch Prime waiting for you to download! NOW WHAT: Wash your hands and dive head first into some fun games! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLZdrtsaHis
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 for an evening of magical weirdness. Click here and begin reading and watching the videos.
Julian Ramirez