Mickey Mouse leads the holiday procession on Saturday.
Magnificent Mile Lights Festival All day Saturday along the Magnificent Mile; free
Let the holiday season begin! Mickey Mouse leads the parade of floats down Michigan Avenue as more than 1 million lights are illuminated to kick off the season. There will be music all day at the Harris Stage (401 N. Michigan Ave.) including Plain White T's at 3 p.m. There's also a fireworks display over the river starting at 7 p.m. Need some help getting into the holiday spirit? Check out our holiday guide.
If you've been thinking of taking your kids to see the new YOU! The Experience exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, this Saturday might be a good time. With admission to the museum, you'll not only get to check out the human-size hamster wheels and giant hearts, but also enjoy the one-day-only Wonder Kids event. This day of interactive science experiments includes such activities as whole-body painting (paint with your elbows, knees or ankles), blind taste tests, fingerprinting and more. The event, a collaboration between MSI and the Chicago Children's Museum, runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Museum hours are from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, and admission is $12-$13 for adults and $9 for kids 3-11.
Make Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket proud on Saturday. (via talklikeapirate.com)
Shiver me timbers! Is it International Talk Like a Pirate Day again already? Seems like just last month we were shouting "avast!" at unsuspecting children. No matter. Come this Saturday, September 19, we'll be ready to parrrrrty. To make sure you arrrre too, we've compiled a list of ways to celebrate like a true pirate. Use at your own risk:
Storm one of the many ships cruising the Chicago River and demand to see the "plank." If you can't afford the tour fee, or you're prone to seasickness, just do the same thing at the ship-shaped El Barco.
Heckle the parrotheads at the Landshark Lager Oyster Fest (sponsored by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Brewing). Actually, we'd suggest this any year.
Try to count all the decorative birds at Lakeview's Parrots. "One! Two! Three! Fourrrrrrr!"
Run aimlessly through noted parrot-haven Hyde Park in full buccaneer gear, calling desperately for your lost pal "Arrrrchie."
Head to the Cubs game armed with some Willie Stargell quotes. See who gets the joke. (Make sure to stop into the Captain Morgan Club to order a noggin o' rum.)
Hit the barrrr. Actually, five of 'em. The Booty Pub Crawl (beginning at 8 p.m. on Saturday, $20) starts at McGee's and moves on to Wrightwood Tap, Durkin's, Duffy's and Redmond's. A buffet, rum punch and domestic drafts are included in the price, and a free trolley will be your vessel for the night.
Learn how pirates really talked. The eye patch-obsessed Field Museum will be hosting all sorts of activities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., including treasure hunts, sword-fighting performances and even an appearance from Navy Pier's mascot, Patch the Pirate Dog. Kids are encouraged to dress up - and we guess parents can, too. Free w/museum admission.
The Blacks reunite at Saturday's Bloodshot Beer-B-Q.(photo via bloodshotrecords.com)
Bloodshot Records 15th Anniversary Beer-B-Q noon Saturday at Hideout; $10
Ok, so there's no Hideout Block Party this year. Done crying yet? Good. Because the popular fest's replacement ain't so shabby: local (and nationally acclaimed) alt-country label Bloodshot Records will celebrate its 15th anniversary with an all-day "Beer-B-Q". The lineup is predictably strong and diverse; along with the more high-profile appearances from Alejandro Escovedo and The Waco Brothers, we're excited for the reunion of The Blacks, whose two albums rank, for us, among Bloodshot's finest releases to date. There will also be food from Honky Tonk Barbecue, an art show, kids' area and more. Sounds like a fest to us.
A final summer fling
Danny Lemmon and the Squeeze milk the summer for one more bash when they take the Entertainment stage at 2 p.m. for the Last Fling at the Naperville Riverwalk, 100 W. Jackson, Naperville. Admission is free. Information: (630) 961-4143; www.lastfling.org.
Time for one more staycation Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, 2024 N. Hasted, offers $3 tapas from 4-6 p.m. and reminds us of when we went to Barcelona (back when we could afford to go on vacation).
Ultimately, the Dude abides
Gorilla Tango Theater, 1919 N. Milwaukee, presents “Rollin’ Outta Here Naked: A Big Lebowski Burlesque,” an evening of mature comedy, music and striptease themed around the Coen Brothers’ cult classic “The Big Lebowski,” at 10 tonight. Tickets: $15. Information: (773) 598-4549; www.gorillatango.com.
HEY! YOU GOT THREE BETTER ONES?
Tell us your three favorite things about Saturday!
Hey, kids, want some classes you can actually look forward to this fall? Here's an idea: Sign up for some performing-arts training at Studio BE, the new Lakeview facility offering instruction for kids ages 6-18. The fall schedule sounds a lot more exciting than your average AP course load, with options like body building for actors, improvisation and tap/ballet. Classes begin September 8 and run for eight weeks. Registration is open now<(a href="http://www.studio-be.org">www.studio-be.org, (773) 248-5900); rates run from $89/class until September 1, so get your parents to shell out soon.
While you're checking out the school, make plans to see a show by Studio-BE's resident company, pH Productions (pHrenzy PG might be the way to go for you young'uns). Who knows, if you keep up with those classes, you could be on stage with these hilarious improv-ers one day. Either way, it'll be better than whatever family activity your mom could dream up.
This week, we’ve got song standards running through our head (kids, ask your grandparents):
1. You gotta have art The 52nd annual Gold Coast Art Fair (Superior, Huron and Erie between Clark and Wells) features approximately 400 juried artists, food and wine vendors, live music and various artistic demonstrations. Admission is free; 10 a.m. to 5 Saturday. Call (847) 926-4300.
2. Come Rain or Come Shine
No matter the weather, the Warped Tour will without a doubt be going on today. First Midwest Bank Amphitheater, 19100 Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park. Bad Religion, The Devil Wears Prada and Less Than Jake are just three of the more than 50 bands scheduled to appear beginning at noon Saturday. $33.75. (877) 598-8703; www.livenation.com.
3. The simple joys of maidenhood
Camelot hasn’t got anything on the Bristol Renaissance Faire (12550 120th Ave, Kenosha, Wis). Guenevere would have dumped both Arthur and Lancelot for one of Bristol’s roasted turkey legs! Get thee to Kenosha, post haste! 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Adults $16.95-18.95, children ages 5-12, $8-$9.50. (847) 395-7773. Head to the Web site and print a coupon good for $2.50 off your ticket.
Hey! You got three better ones?
Tell us your three favorite things to do Saturdays!
“All over the world. Everybody’s got the word,” quipped the singing muses of “Xanadu,” and this week we’re all about globe-trotting without ever leaving the city limits:
1. It’s like Epcot Center, but for barbecue
Fork and the Road’s International Barbecue Tour Bike Ride kicks off at 11 a.m. at Pause Cafe, 1107 W. Berwyn. The tour features stops at various Pakistani, Korean and Chinese barbecue joints. The 14.5-mile bike ride and tasting is $50 a person. Can’t make this tour? The next BBQ Bike Ride is slated for Sept. 5. Visit www.forkandtheroad.com.
2. Paris in the summer
The comedic cabaret duo of Colleen McHugh and Miriam Plotkin toast (and roast) the French in their annual “tour de farce,” “Bastille Magnolias.” Storm the barricades of Davenport’s Piano Bar, 1383 N. Milwaukee, at 8 tonight; $29. Details: (773) 278-1830 or www.davenportspianobar.com.
3. Venice on Lake Michigan
It’s the 52nd annual Venetian Night at 8 tonight. More than half a million people are expected to attend the annual parade of decorated boats. Monroe Harbor from Shedd Aquarium at Roosevelt north to the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe is rumored to be the best place to view the proceedings. Fireworks will follow. Free; www.explorechicago.org.
HEY! YOU GOT THREE BETTER ONES?
Tell us your three favorite things about Saturday!
Pierogi Fest Friday-Sunday at 1900 Indianapolis Blvd., Whiting, Indiana; free
Make your way to Whiting for this unique ethnic event featuring pierogi, polka bands, a parade and Mr. Pierogi. This costumed character, along with his friends The Pieroguettes and Miss Paczki, makes the rounds of the fest and performs a number of musical spoofs. There will also be plenty of family fun, a pierogi toss contest, a beer garden and an art show. Don't want to travel? Check out Centerstage's guide to the best pierogi right here in Chicago.
It's summer, and your kids have been driving you up the wall with their constant need to be entertained. You think you've exhausted all the possibilities -- but have you tried exhausting them? This Saturday, July 25, marks the second of four days of Mayor Daley's Summer Track Program, which takes place at locations across the city (subsequent events will be held on August 1 and August 16).
Approximately 30 city wards will field teams of kids ages 9-14 for a variety of track events, including dashes, relays and long jumps. The program will feature a city-wide championship at the end, as well as several appearances by Olympic gold medalists Bob Beamon and Gail Devers. Check out World Sport Chicago (be prepared for lots of 2016 logos) for all the details.
Summer “camp”
Book passage on Hell in a Handbag’s latest campy parody, the very funny “Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical.” The show has been extended through Aug. 16, and you can catch it at 8 tonight at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division; $25. Details: www.brownpapertickets.com. Swim, Shelley, Swim!
Grillin’
Our condo is too small for a balcony to grill on. Thankfully, we can still get our barbecue fix at Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division. A slab of ribs (more than enough for two to share) will set you back $19.25 and comes with two sides (we’re partial to beans and slaw). Grab a bite and stay for the tunes by the Brandon Harvey Band, playing from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. (773) 772-6656.
Chillin’
Sunday is National Daiquiri Day (who knew, right?). Nacional 27, 325 W. Huron, gets a jump on things with “Daiquiri Eve.” Master mixologist Adam Seger serves up $10 frozen daiquiri creations from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. (312) 664-2727.
HEY! YOU GOT THREE BETTER ONES?
Tell us your three favorite things about Saturday!
Chicago Folk & Roots Festival Saturday-Sunday at Welles Park; $8
The Old Town School of Folk Music's eclectic annual fest may fly a bit under the radar of many Chicagoans, but to know it is to love it (especially if you've got kids in tow). Don't be fooled by the name, as you'll find a whole lot more than just folk music here; this year's eclectic lineup includes throwback soul (Austin's Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears), Mediterranean electro (France's Watcha Clan) and what we'll describe as Indian-inspired club sounds (Karsh Kale, from New York).
1. Life!
As in “get an active one.” There are miles of lakefront perfect for walking, blading or biking.
Of course, if you’re at the beach-slash-lakefront this weekend, you’ll be people watching. You can’t help it. Your attention will wander and then ... hey ... look at that guy!
So make a game of it ...
Click to download all four of our Beach Bingo cards ...
As you spot something in each square, mark it off. First one to make bingo wins — er, another hot dog?
2. Liberty!
As in Lady Liberty. She always said she wanted your tired, your hungry and your poor. While we aren’t sure about the tired part, the $9 Lady of Liberty salad (Bordeaux baby spinach, diced grapefruit,avocados, chopped garlic, strawberries, extra virgin olive oil and a splash of apple cider vinegar) at Martini Park (151 W Erie; 312-644-0577) will take care of the hunger and certainly won’t make you poor.
3. And the pursuit of happiness!
Which, for us, means fireworks. Like watching the ball drop in New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve, watching Fourth of July Fireworks at Navy Pier (600 E. Grand; 312-595-7437) is one of those things you have to do at least once in your life. Make it this year. Things kick off at 9 p.m. Saturday, but you’ll want to get there early.
1. The core of the Shedd’s sea otter collection was a group rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.
2. It’s here you’ll meet Granddad (above), an Australian lungfish considered to be the oldest fish in any aquarium in the world. He is at least 80 years old, and likes to make like a sunken log on the bottom of his habitat.
3. Getting a diver’s view, because there’s just five inches of glass between you and sharks, eels and all that iridescent coral in the Wild Reef exhibit.
The Shedd Aquarium is at 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr. Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. through Labor Day (Sept. 7). More information: (312) 939-2438 or www.sheddaquarium.org.
HEY! YOU GOT THREE BETTER ONES?
Tell us your three favorite things about the Shedd Aquarium!
Just call us Mr. Peabody, because this week we’re all about time traveling in our own Way Back Machine:
1. To the Jurassic era
The Brookfield Zoo (First Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield) is featuring “Dinosaurs Alive!” through October. Remote-controlled dinosaurs in the exhibit include the stegosaurs, the triceratops and others. From 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Exhibit admission is adults $17, seniors and children ages 3-11, $11 (includes general admission to the zoo). (708) 485-0263.
2. To the 1970s
The heyday of Led Zeppelin is here and now, thanks to the uncanny performances by tribute band Led Zeppelin 2. The band plays the House of Blues (329 N. Dearborn) tonight at 9 p.m. $13. (312) 923-2000
3. To the future
The long-running performance art/comedy show Blue Man Group hints at a technologically advanced future that is as much cold and alienating as it is funny. Catch it at 4 or 7 tonight at the Briar Street Theatre (3133 N. Halsted). Tickets: $49-$64. (773) 348-4000.
1. They’re world-class
With a 1.5 million gallon capacity, 134 powerful jets and 820 lights that may well be visible from outer space (or at least a faraway really tall building), Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park does nothing in half measures and lures gawking tourists from all over creation — many of whom have never seen an episode of “Married With Children.”
2. They’re an excellent alternative to wimpy backyard sprinklers.
The Crown Fountains at Millennium Park are a tot favorite for just that reason. Glass towers that stand 50 feet tall, they sport blinking, smiling, kinda creepy human faces that intermittently gush forth cool aqua into a shallow and barefoot-friendly wading pool. Ah, summer bliss.
3. They’re much-needed settings of serenity.
Wherever the fountain is — whether it’s in the Chicago Women’s Park, 1827 S. Indiana (behind the Clarke House Museum), or the one on the southern end of Loyola University’s lake shore campus — they offer a tranquil respite from the breakneck pace that is city life.
FESTIVAL SHOPPING
The Randolph Street Market Festival, home of the Chicago Antique and Indie Designer markets, returns this weekend for monthly stints. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday this weekend and then the last weekend of each month through September. Admission to the market, bounded by Washington, Ada, Randolph and Ogden, is $10 for both days, $5 for students; children age 12 and younger are free. Featured will be live music, food vendors and shopping. Regular trolleys run from Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan. Call (312) 666-1200.
Hmmm. We've always enjoyed the occasional outdoor summer concerts at the Lincoln Park Zoo because they booked quirky acts from a certain era — from ABC to They Might Be Giants. This year's lineup was just announced and, well, it's certainly a different era ...
June 26: Sister Hazel with Josh Kelley
July 24: Matt Nathanson and Brett Dennen with Pat McGee
August 28: Five for Fighting with Angel Taylor
Only that July date sounds to us remotely worth the ticket prices (which, OK, support the animals), but we know y'all love your Sister Hazel. Tickets are $23 and on sale this Friday here, by phone at (312) 742-2283 or at the Zoo’s Gateway Pavilion.
Kanye West and his mom, the late Donda West, on stage together in 2006.(AP file)
Tickets go on sale Thursday for the next hometown concert by hip-hop hero Kanye West — and this one's for a special cause.
The performance will be 8:30 p.m. June 11 as part of the second "Stay in School" Benefit Concert at the Chicago Theatre, supporting the Kanye West Foundation, which was founded in 2007 by Kanye's momma, the late Dr. Donda West, to help combat the school dropout problem plaguing the country (along with Chicago Public Schools and S.H.O.W.). The show will also be broadcast later in the summer on Fuse TV.
Tickets range from $49.50 to $500 (for the VIP Reception) and can be purchased here.
From an event press release:
Highland Park High School sophomore, David Abrams, conceived the event concept as he listened to a story on NPR about a Chicago Public School (CPS) student who was failing out of school. As an incentive to stay in school, the student’s mother offered two tickets to a Lil Wayne concert. David then turned to his mom and said “We should do that – let’s get kids to SHOW up to school, get their grades up and put on a free concert for them.” David formed S.H.O.W (Students Helping Our World), which is run by a group of Highland Park teens and supported by parents like Wendy Abrams, an environmental activist and founder of Cool Globes. S.H.O.W formed partnerships with CPS, the City of Chicago, former quarterback of the Chicago Bears Kyle Orton, and ultimately the Kanye West Foundation.
... S.H.O.W will offer free tickets to students who demonstrate marked improvements in attendance and/or grades in the last quarter of the current school year. Approximately 3,000 inner city and Chicago area students will have the opportunity to meet Kanye West and experience an intimate behind-the-scenes snapshot of how he prepares for a concert.
“I have always had the desire to help people and make the world a better place. I believe that youth are the music for creating a world filled with harmony. To create such a world, however, we must all do our part,” Kanye says in the same statement.
This pizza will be $3 cheaper on Sunday...if you can wait that long. (photo: eforrest)
Three-year-olds are known for a lot of things, but saving you money is not typically one of them. Frasca, the popular Lakeview pizzeria and wine bar, aims to change that. This weekend, the spot celebrates its third anniversary on Sunday with $3 wine tastings (two-ounce pours), $3 draft beers and $3 off all dine-in pizza orders all day long.
Got a three-year-old of your own? You can save even more with Frasca's nightly "kids eat free" promotion from 4:30-6 p.m.
