BEST Things To Do In Chicago
Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Event Oracle knows ALL the fun things to do in Chicago. Select your date above then scroll down for all the Arts, Entertainment, and Events in my crystal ball...

• Chicago: Crossroads of America

  Chicago History Museum
  1601 North Clark Street
  Chicago, IL 60614-6038
  

  Climb aboard L car no. 1, visit a jazz club, picture yourself in the fashions of the Marshall Field’s store window, and learn what makes Chicago home sweet home. Explore the city’s history through a series of galleries that highlight artifacts through interactive features and multimedia presentations.

• Setting the Stage: Objects of Chicago Theatre

  72 E. Randolph St.
  Chicago, IL 60601
  

  Design in theatre can take many forms, including costumes, lights, sound, props, and sets, among countless other examples. Setting the Stage celebrates the myriad ways design is employed in stage productions.

  Using objects on loan from Chicago theaters, this exhibit will emphasize the diversity, depth, and breadth of theaters in the city and explore how words are translated by designers into a production. See the process behind the final products and learn more about how and why design decisions in theaters are made.

  Celebrate the Year of Chicago Theatre with us and discover all that the city’s theatre has to offer through the objects which exemplify the soul of each institution.

• Chicago Authored

  Chicago History Museum
  1601 North Clark Street
  Chicago, IL 60614-6038
  

  Discover how those who write about Chicago shape our understanding of the city. Through a digital experience in a café-style space, our first-ever crowd-sourced exhibition features diverse, insightful, and inspiring writing. Explore a collection of works by contemporary authors and literary giants. Add your voice by writing a postcard or composing magnetic poetry.

• Jonathas de Andrade

  220 E. Chicago Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60611
  

  At once intimate and historical, the work of Brazilian artist Jonathas de Andrade evokes love, memory, and place. His photographs, installations, and videos often respond to the geography and culture surrounding Recife, the city in the northeast region of Brazil in which he lives and works. He grapples in particular with the promises, failures, and inequities of Brazil’s “modernist project” as the often-overlooked region undergoes rapid and often rocky urbanization. This exhibition will be the artist’s first solo presentation in a major US institution. This exhibition is organized by José Esparza Chong Cuy.

• Underground Adventure

  Field Museum
  1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.
  Chicago, IL 60605
  

  In this immersive exhibition, you’ll “shrink” to 1/100th of your actual size—smaller than a penny—to take a closer look at the soil beneath our feet.

  Once you’re down to size, you’ll meet a creepy, crawly cast of characters, including a giant mole cricket and a wolf spider. You’ll learn about the diversity of life that soil supports and how every species needs soil to survive and thrive.

• Brick Safari at Brookfield Zoo

  31st St. and First Ave.
  Brookfield, IL 60513
  

  Brick Safari features more than 40 life-size animal sculptures created from millions of individual colored LEGO® bricks. The menagerie of animals will be located along a winding wooded pathway on the east side of the park. Colorful graphics featuring interesting animal facts and statistics such as the size of each figure, how many bricks were used to build each one, and the amount of time it took to create each sculpture are displayed. To commemorate their visit to Brick Safari, zoogoers can take a selfie in the Safari Jeep created from LEGO® bricks or behind a life-size photo frame.

• Christien Meindertsma: Everything Connects

  111 South Michigan Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60603
  

  Since graduating from the Eindhoven Design Academy, Christien Meindertsma has become known for her research-oriented work that explores the potential of raw materials and reveals processes that have become obsolete due to industrialization. Her prototypes, documentary videos, and finished objects highlight our relationship to the materials and products in the world around us and address concerns of environmental sustainability.

• THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion

  5520 Fashion Outlets Way
  Rosemont, IL 60018
  

  THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion, the multifaceted contemporary art program of Fashion Outlets of Chicago, will welcome a rotating exhibition by 2018 Olympic costume designer Dr. Keysook Geum to the shopping center this February. Dr. Keysook Geum’s rotating exhibition will feature three life-sized sculptural forms, entitled Enlightenment III, Nirvana in Red IV and NIGHTINGALE. Dr. Geum is an author and professor of Textile Art and Fashion Design at Hong Ik University in Seoul, Korea, and recently served as the Artistic Director for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in 2018, designing both the uniforms and dresses worn in the opening ceremony. Dr. Geum’s dramatic sculptures of elegantly posed forms embody the fusion of timeless Asian aesthetics and philosophy with contemporary air. They are constructed of paper-wrapped or enamel coated wires, gems, beads and silk. Starting with a central focal point, Dr. Geum works outwardly in a concentric manner reminiscent of a spider. As the artist weaves, twists and bends wire two-dimensionally, intricate forms and unintentional patterns emerge. The natural tensions of interlacing wire push and pulls out until ¬-figurative shapes begin to take form.

• Inside Ancient Egypt

  Field Museum
  1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.
  Chicago, IL 60605
  

  Unwrap the mysteries of this civilization with mummies and more.

  Inside Ancient Egypt is an up-close look at the daily lives of ancient Egyptians—as well as how they thought about death.

  Enter through a three-story replica of a mastaba, a type of ancient Egyptian tomb, that houses two authentic chamber rooms from the burial site of 5th Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Unis’s son Unis-Ankh.

• D-Day Warriors: American Indians in the Military

  Field Museum
  1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.
  Chicago, IL 60605
  

  On June 6, 1944, Charles Shay landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. As a young Army medic, he was one of an estimated 500 American Indian soldiers who participated in the D-Day invasion to retake France in the fight against Nazi Germany.

  In D-Day Warriors: American Indians in the Military, hear Shay’s story and explore the important role that Native servicemen and servicewomen continue to play in the armed forces.

• Indigenous Entrepreneurship: Tribal Enterprises & Co-ops

  3001 Central St
  Evanston, IL 60201
  

  As there are no reservations in Illinois, most tribal based businesses are not well known in this area. While many people are familiar with the arts, crafts, and casinos, there are many other products and services offered by Indigenous businesses today.

  The Mitchell Museum is proud to present the latest exhibit showcasing Indigenous-owned businesses, tribal co-ops and enterprises; Indigenous Entrepreneurship: Tribal Enterprises & Entrepreneurs about the expansion of tribal initiatives that support tribal sustainability and the incorporation of tribal values into business models.

  The exhibit also covers the challenges that many tribal entrepreneurs face, their unique opportunities based on their sovereign nation status, and the programs that offer them support. Learn about the various products and services offered by tribal enterprises and Indigenous entrepreneurs, from Ioway Honey to buffalo meat Tanka Bars!

• Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech”

  Museum of Contemporary Art
  220 E Chicago Ave
  Chicago, IL 60611
  

  The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presents Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech," the first museum exhibition devoted to the work of the genre-bending artist and designer Virgil Abloh (American, b. 1980). Abloh pioneers a practice that cuts across media and connects visual artists, musicians, graphic designers, fashion designers, and architects.

  Abloh cultivated an interest in design and music at an early age, finding inspiration in the urban culture of Chicago. While pursuing a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, he connected with Kanye West and joined West’s creative team to work on album covers, concert designs, and merchandising. In 2013, Abloh founded his stand-alone fashion brand Off-White™ in Milan, Italy, and in 2018 assumed the position of artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear.

• River North Gallery Tours

  714 N. Wells St.
  Chicago, IL 60654
  

  Free and open to the public - weekend gallery tours organized by Chicago Gallery News in partnership with Fabcakes.

  A gallery representative leads a guided tour of four galleries. The gallery roster and tour leader change weekly. Conversation centers on the exhibits and artists on view.

• Seadog River & Lake Architectural Tours

  Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60611
  

  A 75-minute cruise through the historic Chicago Locks and up the Chicago River
  Up-close views of all the famous bridges of the Chicago River
  Entertaining narration with amusing stories and facts on Chicago’s history
  Fascinating stories about some of Chicago’s most famous buildings including the Tribune Building, Willis Tower, Lyric Opera and the Merchandise Mart
  An exciting speedboat ride along the lakefront featuring views of Chicago including Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago Harbor, Chicago’s Museum Campus and more!

• The Best of The Second City

  1616 N. Wells St.,
  Chicago, IL 60614
  

  Come see where it all began! The Best of The Second City features some of the best sketches, songs, and improvisations from their fifty-two year history performed by The Second City Touring Company. From the company that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and more, comes the next generation of the comedy world’s best and brightest performing hilarious sketch comedy and The Second City’s trademark improvisation.

• True West

  1650 N Halsted St
  Chicago, IL 60614
  

  Centered on the tempestuous relationship between two brothers, Pultizer-nominated True West is one of Sam Shepard's finest works. The story follows warring siblings Austin and Lee who find themselves alone together in their mother's empty house. Austin is an ambitious screenwriter, while his brother Lee hasn't quite settled on a path through life. With no one to talk to but each other, old grievances are aired and memories recalled in a cathartic blood-letting which may ultimately bring them closer, or force them further apart.

  Steppewolf previously staged True West in 1982, with a then-unknown Gary Sinise and John Malkovich in the lead roles. This 2019 production could well launch a new set of stars of its own.

• The Public House Theatre

  3914 N. Clark St
  Chicago, IL 60613
  

  With its skillfully executed shows, cabaret-style seating, and comfortable and inviting lobby, The Public House Theatre has an experience for everyone! 

  We offer only the best comedy and theatre, and you’ll be delighted at our incredibly friendly staff that strive to make you feel welcome…because you are.

  Our drink specials are amazing and every show is lovingly put together and polished into something you can’t help but enjoy. We’re ready to make any night of your week a very special, entertaining evening.

  We want you to come, we want you to laugh, and we look forward to your visit.