BEST Things To Do In Chicago Tomorrow
Friday, October 18, 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...

• The Magic Parlour

  Palmer House
  17 E Monroe St
  Chicago, IL 60603
  

  Enjoy an elegant and classic evening of magic and mind-reading with magician Dennis Watkins at the historic Palmer House Hotel. The Magic Parlour is for small intimate audiences of under 50 guests, cocktail attire suggested. The price of your ticket includes a selection of wine, beer, and soft drinks. Dennis is a 3rd generation magician who learned many of his classic tricks from his grandfather. He is also known for originating the role of Houdini in the production of Death and Harry Houdini, where he played for seven sold-out runs of pure Chicago Magic.

• Heritage Markers: Local Native American History and Culture

  3001 Central St
  Evanston, IL 60201
  

  From street signs to statues, Native American heritage is all around us. While Illinois no longer has any reservations, over 40,000 American Indian peoples representing over 150 tribes live in the Chicagoland area. Dotted throughout the area are markers of Native American heritage from yesterday and today. Expanding on the existing fishing and hunting wigwam and the mural of the Skokie lagoons on the museum’s second floor, "Heritage Markers: Local Native American History and Culture" uses local heritage markers, contemporary Native organizations, street signs, and town names as touchstones to discuss the local Native history.

  The exhibit begins with projectile points and potsherds found in the backyards of Evanston and Wilmette. In this section, the exhibit explains the tribal presence throughout Illinois before European contact and highlights the development and decline of these many tribes including the Illinois Nation. Origin stories will be contrasted with archeological interpretation of regional sites like Cahokia, Aztalan, and Dickson Mounds. Visitors can learn about the culture of the Ho-Chunk and Potawatomi peoples who lived in this area with quotes from descendants who returned to make this area their home again today.

• Chicago Works: Assaf Evron

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

  The work of Assaf Evron (Israeli, b. 1977) dwells at the interstice of architecture, decoration, place, and image. A former photojournalist, the artist uses a wide variety of media to both upend and connect an even wider variety of references, materials, and geographies. While global in scope, Evron’s practice is rooted in a rigorous investigation of local histories and context. The meander, a decorative motif based on natural curves of rivers and streams, wends its way through the artist’s work, which follows the design as it moves from sedimentation lines on the face of Mount Sodom to the ornamental facades of some of Chicago’s most iconic buildings to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. In this exhibition, Evron traces how different forms of decorative design meander and meet as images across the world, accruing new cultural significance in each collision.

• The Harvey L. Miller Family Youth Exhibition

  9603 Woods Dr
  Skokie, IL 60077
  

  Make a Difference! provides an age-appropriate and highly interactive space where hands-on activities for kids ages 8-12 foster leadership skills, empathy, self-esteem, and positive decision making. Children can:

  • Peek inside school lockers to learn about Upstanders like Rosa Parks and Ryan Herljac, who took a stand for positive change.
  • Help problem-solve situations they might encounter at school, on the playground, or in the neighborhood.
  • Create self-portraits through the power of words, learning more about what makes you, you.
  • Make a pledge to be an Upstander and learn how other visitors are making a difference.
  • Tell their own stories on video about local or global issues that matter to them, and share how they might work toward change.

• Skyline

  Chicago Children’s Museum
  700 East Grand Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60611-3428
  

  What’s the strongest shape? Find out when you design and build your own one-of-a-kind structure using wooden struts, real tools, and authentic gear. Take the Skyscraper Challenge to record yourself at work and tell the story of what you did. Includes special activities for babies and toddlers.

• The Teaching Wigwam

  3001 Central St
  Evanston, IL 60201
  

  Located on the second floor of the museum, the teaching lodge is an interactive exhibit that provides unique hands on experience for museum patrons. The exhibit focuses on an Anishinaabek (Potawatomie, Oddawa, and Ojibwe) hunting lodge and aspects of Anishinaabek culture. Wiig-i-waams varied in size from 8 to 20 feet in diameter, and could house two people to a family of 8-10 members.

  Our exhibit features a Bajiishka'ogaan (ba-jeesh-ka-o-gaan) which is made up of two words; bajiishkikodan (to be made into a point/pointed); and o'gaan (house/shelter). It is a low-lying, conical lodge used for temporary purposes, such as hunting and fishing camps, unlike the larger dome shaped wiigiwaam which tend to be larger and more permanent. This type of lodge could house anywhere from two to four adults and would be used primarily for sleeping, while most camp activities would be conducted outside. The lodge in the exhibit is constructed of rough birch and box elder limbs and covered with sheets of birch bark.

• Madagascar - A Musical Adventure

  10 Marriott Dr
  Lincolnshire, IL 60069
  

  Relive the fun of the DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar in as the Marriot revive their acclaimed production! Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and the breakout stars, the Penguins will all crash the stage as they find themselves shipped off to foreign climes from their boring New York City Zoo home, only to find themselves washed up on the lemur-run island of Madagascar. What will it's quirky inhabitants make of these new, naive visitors? And how will the 'pansies' ever get home?

  A short, one-hour show, this is a perfect opportunity to introduce your young children to the delights of musical theater, and a great chance for bonding together - rather like Alex and co! Filled to the island brim with outlandish characters, uplifting adventure and an original upbeat score, you'll have no choice but to Move It, Move It!, before meeting the cast with a special question and answer session with the talented cast.

• Morning Glories

  300 N. Central Park Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60624
  

  Enjoy learning together with your little one during this weekly drop-in session. Activities are fun, interactive, and encourage children’s curiosity about the natural world. Children and their care-givers rotate to different stations around the Children’s Garden. Stations include planting projects, soil digging stations, tours, story-time, and more. Participation is free, but donations for material costs are appreciated.

  Please note that while all children 5 years old and under are welcome to take part in Morning Glories with adult supervision, some projects are designed specifically for children ages 3-5 years old. Younger children are welcome to participate in all stations with the support of their care-givers. Adult supervision is required for participation in the Morning Glories Program.

• A Regional Tour of American Indian Cultures

  3001 Central St
  Evanston, IL 60201
  

  This exhibit brings visitors on a tour through the major regions of the US and Canada and highlights the art and material culture of the tribes who lived there. Many of the objects you’ll see were collected by John and Betty Seabury Mitchell. This couple shared their passion for Native American art and culture with Evanstonians both old and young. In that spirit the exhibit strives to provide a deeper understanding of Native American art, history, and cultures to all our visitors.

   

• WaterWays

  Chicago Children’s Museum
  700 East Grand Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60611-3428
  

  Make a splash in this flowing, squirting, pumping playground. Feel the power of water as you control the flow with pulleys, wheels, and pipes. Navigate your boat through the locks and dams of the mighty river. You may get wet as you immerse yourself in the sensory-rich world of water—hand dryers are available nearby!

• Treehouse Trails

  Chicago Children’s Museum
  700 East Grand Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60611-3428
  

  Camp, climb, burrow, and pretend in this enchanted forest setting. Canoe and fish in the blue river, splash in a mountain waterfall, build a fort under the enormous tree house, and serve a stew in the log cabin. Babies can stretch, explore, and relax in the new infant area.

• 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!

• Teatro ZinZanni

  32 W Randolph St
  Chicago, IL 60601
  

  Enter a realm where reality and dreams converge; an experience unlike any other! Teatro ZinZanni is a three-hour whirlwind of international cirque, comedy and cabaret served with a multi-course feast. Described as the “Kit Kat Klub on acid,” the fast-paced action unfolds around, above and alongside guests as world-class acrobats, musicians, divas, illusionists, madmen, and aerialists fill our intimate Spiegeltent ZaZou, a unique jewel box mirror tent located in the heart of Chicago’s Downtown Theater District. At center ring is the sensual Madame ZinZanni, inviting all who attend to a celebratory evening featuring a dazzling combination of improv comedy, vaudeville revue, music, dance, circus acts,  while served a scrumptious menu designed by The Goddess herself — Chicago’s own Debbie Sharpe. Teatro ZinZanni’s signature blend of Love, Chaos & Dinner has played to sold out audiences in Seattle, San Francisco and Costa Mesa. Don’t miss the show The New York Times calls, “A feast for the senses” and the “city’s hottest ticket!”  

• SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical

  24 W Randolph St
  Chicago, IL 60601
  

  She was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn’t know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. With a score featuring more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits including “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff,” this electric experience is a moving tribute to the voice of a generation.

• Robin Hood: A Little John Goes a Long Way

  1225 W Belmont Ave
  Chicago, IL 60657
  

  We've all heard the tale of Robin Hood and the Merry Men: rob the rich, give to the poor, and show how fun the Middle Ages really was. But what if everything you've been told is not the real story? What if the Merry Men had interesting stories of their own? What if robbing the rich and giving to the poor was actually a pyramid scheme? What if Robin Hood...was really a big jerk?

• Best of Enemies

  902 South Ridgeland Avenue
  Oak Park, AZ 60304
  

  The Grand Cyclops of the KKK, C.P. Ellis and African-American civil rights activist, Ann Atwater, battled each other during the desegregation of the Durham, North Carolina schools in 1971. This true story exposes the poison, prejudice and hatred found in the hearts of both Atwater and Ellis. Confronting each other, they are forced to face the worst and the best in themselves. It's a story of hate, redemption and hope, featuring Jordan Gleaves, Felisha, McNeal, Brendan Murphy and Kit O'Kelly. Directed by Sonita Surratt and Mary Pat Sieck.

• The Creature Creeps

  11-13 South Water Street Mall
  Aurora, IL 60505
  

  The Creature Creeps by Jack Sharkey is a hilarious send up of the horror story genre that has an ancient castle, creaking doors, a mad scientist, his misshapen assistant, a grim housekeeper, secret laboratory, shrieks from the depths of the cellar, disappearing villagers, an incredibly stalwart and stupid hero of sterling character, the scientist's absolutely dopey daughter, and so many laughs you'll lose count.

• Oh Sh#t!, It's Haunted

  1623 W Howard St
  Chicago, IL 60626
  

  They say that the old Lockwood place is haunted, not only by a heartbroken old man, but also by actual ghosts. Sounds of polka music, acid guitar and people chomping on pierogi are witnessed from outside. Can the gang of Darla, Mo, Slats and Henry get to the bottom of this mystery before the opportunistic Mrs. Ingersson buys the property? Find out in this very Scooby-Doo-like tale from ensemble member Scott OKen, author of Factory's 2017 hit, Fight City.

• Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play

  1225 W. Belmont Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60657
  

  2 Parts Comedy, 1 Part Drinking Game, it's the show that blends Chicago's two favorite past times...drinking and laughing. Now in it's 10th Year!
  Whether it’s the girl that should never, ever drink liquor, that one guy that confuses courage with shots of Jameson, or a boozy time-traveller shooting down a bad date in every century, we’ve all known them…or been them. This is the hilarious romp that satirizes all of those fun times and f*ck ups we’ve all had when we had just one too many. Interspersed with hilarious, interactive drinking games, you’ll laugh until you cry at “Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play.”

• Magic & Mystery

  1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60622
  

  Experience a miraculous world of magic, mind reading, and hypnosis from world class ‘Astonishment Artist’ Mat LaVore.

  Is it possible to change someone's memories? Read minds? Predict the future? Magic & Mystery showcases 90-minutes of the most spellbinding and revolutionary magic and hypnosis ever performed on stage.

  Witness LaVore swallow needles, hypnotize people to forget their own names, and even predict the future in this amazing showcase of mystery arts that is guaranteed to leave even the most discerning audiences astonished.

• The Second City After Hours: A Late Night Improv Show

  230 W. North Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60614
  

  Stay up late with The Second City as we bring you our latest and greatest. It’s interactive. It’s hyperactive. It’s the most fun you’ve had past bedtime. Come see an entirely improvised, entirely ridiculous 60 minutes that’ll leave you with a full-fledged comedy hangover. Suggested Rating: R