We have a weekend chock full of amazing concerts at our favorite venues, film festivals throughout the city, markets, art exhibitions, and so much more just waiting for you! Don't let these fantastic events pass you by; start planning your perfect weekend in Chicago!
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!
- 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! Heawebd over to see what new pieces of art they have in stocks and on display in their gallery space! This month they are showing the Tweedlebop Variety Show: New Works by Michael Fleming!
- 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 - 7/7 Rooftop Cinema Club Fulton Market @ The Emily Hotel
THIS WEEKEND!
- 5/16 - 5/19 Chicago Writers' Bloc 2024 New Play Festival @ Theatre Wit
- 5/16 - 5/19 Mamma Mia! @ W James M. Nederlander Theatre
- 5/17 Nova Twins: Chicago Pop-Up Show w/ Orisun @ Cobra Lounge
- 5/17 Bad Bad Hats with PRONOUN @ Hideout
- 5/17 Chicano Batman with Lido Pimienta
- 5/17 - 5/19 Chicago Margarita Festival @ 1800 S Peoria
- 5/17 - 5/19 Long Grove Chocolate Fest
- 5/17 - 5/23 Asian American Showcase @ Gene Siskel Film Center
- 5/18 Prateek Kuhad: Silhouettes Tour @ Thalia Hall
- 5/18 Wright Plus Architectural Housewalk @ Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
- 5/18 Bacon & Bourbon Fest @ Headquarters Beercade River North
- 5/18 Swing into Summer @ Navy Pier
- 5/18 '90s Night at the Zoo @ Lincoln Park Zoo
- 5/18 Lincoln Roscoe Art and Craft Fair
- 5/19 Freddie Gibbs & Madlib with El Michel Affair and Eyedress @ Salt Shed
- 5/19 Life Time Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10k
- 5/19 Spring Fun Fest @ Parkway Bank Park
- 5/19 Hyde Park Handmade Artisan Bazaar @ The Promontory
- 5/19 Ravenswood Manor Garage Sale
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 17 & 18 (& 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!
- 5/17 - Wonka! - 8:30pm
- 5/17 - Nightmare on Elm Street - 11pm
- 5/18 - Mean Girls - 8:30pm
- 5/18 -Us – 10:30pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $35 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, MAY 16 - 19 (& BEYOND)
Chicago Jazz 2024 String Summit @ Constellation (3111 N. Western Ave, 8pm), University of Chicago Logan Center for the Arts (915 E. 60th St., 7pm), Hungry Brain (2319 W Belmont, 8pm)
WHAT:Beautiful music for your weekend
SO WHAT: Chicago Jazz String Summit, founded by critically acclaimed cellist and composer, Tomeka Reid, multi-day music festival that showcases jazz, classical & experimental music. The Chicago Jazz String Summit aims to bring recognition to contemporary string music and to foster a creative platform for talented improvising string musicians to convene and to experiment. Head over to their website to see the amazing lineup of musician performing this year!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are the show at Constellation, the University of Chicago Logan Center for the Arts show and $15 for the Hungry Brain show are $15!
Anime Central (ACen) @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Rd., Friday 10:00am – Sunday 4:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A place to get your fill of anime and more!
SO WHAT: Anime Central (ACen) is the largest anime, manga and Japanese popular culture convention in Chicago and the Midwest. The event brings fans together to enjoy their fandom with a huge exhibit hall, a massive video-game room, concerts, dances, educational panels and workshops, premiere screenings, autograph sessions, 24-hour video rooms, tabletop gaming, and much more!
NOW WHAT: Registration for the event is currently open. Three-day passes are $85 for adults and $25 children aged 6-12. Single-day passes are $55 for Friday or Saturday and $45 for Sunday at the con!
Chicago Mayfest @ Lincoln Park (Armitage & Sheffield), Friday 5pm-10pm,, Saturday Noon – 10pm, Sunday Noon – 9pm
WHAT: Fun times in Lincoln Park!
SO WHAT: Chicago Mayfest offers a wide variety of entertainment for all ages. There will be plenty of live entertainment at two stages showcasing Chicago’s most acclaimed musicians. A kids area will be open with tons of carnival like fun and much more! There will also be delicious summertime food and all the libations needed to light up your weekend! The Armitage Art Show will also be on hand with plenty of amazing works on display for you to purchase and take home!
NOW WHAT: There is a suggested donation of $10 that will help support RANCH Triangle Community Conservation Association
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 18
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.
- 5/18 George Stephanopoulos: Inside White House Situation Room
- 5/18 Kathleen Hanna - Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk
- 5/18 Jamaica Kincaid: The Hidden History of Gardens
- 5/18 Jen Psaki: Lessons From the Work, White House and World
- 5/18 Ruha Benjamin: How Imagination Can Build a Better World
- 5/18 Illinois Tech Day Reception
- 5/18 Hebru Brantley: The Art of Representation
- 5/18 Ijeoma Oluo: Be A Revolution
- 5/18 Ali Velshi: Small Acts of Courage Endure
- 5/18 Marina Abramović: A Journey Through Performance Art
- 5/18 Walter Hood: Architecture and Urbanism
- 5/18 John Maeda and Anijo Mathew: Redefining Design in the Era of AI
- 5/18 Miranda July: A Woman’s Quest for Freedom
- 5/18 Nadya Tolokonnikova of puss* Riot
- 5/18 Caro Murphy: Interactive Experience Design
- 5/21 Doris Kearns Goodwin: An Unfinished Love Story
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
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 18 & 19
Renegade Craft Fair @ Andersonville, Clark St. between Bryn Mawr Ave. + Edgewater Ave., 11:00pm – 6:00pm, all ages
WHAT: A craft fair focused on independent makers.
SO WHAT: Over 250 independent crafters and makers will be at this Renegade Craft Fair celebrating DIY spirit for the first time in Andersonville! This great market/fair has been bringing some of the best vendors to Chicago for years and this one is sure to be great. Head over to their event page for a full vendor list and more info.
NOW WHAT: The event is free and open to the public. The fair will be on Clark St. between Bryn Mawr Ave. + Edgewater Ave., giving you tons of space to shop and support DIY crafters.
SUNDAY, MAY 18 & 19
Guitar Wolf / Hans Condor / The Kozmic Kicks @ Avondale Music Hall, 3336 N. Milwaukee Ave., 7pm
WHAT: Rock, punk, and leather
SO WHAT: Finish off your weekend right with this insane lineup of noisy band including The Kosmic Kicks, Hans Condor, and the legendary Guitar Wolf! It Jet Rock n Roll that you need to experience in person! You can see our full preview for the show here!
NOW WHAT: Tickets for are $33.99 for this fantastic show!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
Chicago Cabaret Week @ Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: Chicago Cabaret Week returns for its second year!
SO WHAT: Chicago Cabaret Week is a 10-day festival featuring a variety of blues, jazz, American songbook, world music, pop, and Broadway by some of Chicago’s finest artists. This is the perfect opportunity to experience Chicago’s revitalized cabaret scene. There will be 40+ performers at 15 shows across 15 venues!
NOW WHAT: Tickets vary, head over to the event page for the week’s schedule and links to tickets!
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 16 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas FREE
- May 16 - Dent May "What's For Breakfast?" Tour + Jimmy Whispers @ Schubas
- May 17 - ELewis OfMan Cristal Medium Blue + Fonteyn @ Lincoln Hall
- May 17 - Matthew Logan Vasquez + Justin & The Cosmics @ Schubas
- May 17 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Stereo Pair @ Schubas
- May 18 - Combo Chimbita and Pachyman + TRQPiTECA @ Lincoln Hall
- May 18 -Fazerdaze (solo) + Accessory @ Schubas
- May 19 - LOONY + Sophia Galaté @ Lincoln Hall
- May 19 - Humbird + Maiden King @ 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 final day of Le Samourai (a personal favorite) & I Like Movies, Wildcat, Gasoline Rainbow, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Midnight screenings of Hundreds of Beavers and more!
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!
