Every week we get just a little bit closer to it truly being summer in Chicago! The temps are starting to even out and the fun outdoor events are rolling in! So whether you are hankering to watching a great movie, picking up some interesting items at a fun market, see some great concerts, listen in on an interesting series of conversations or chow down with the best of them; this weekend has you covered. So get out there and enjoy!
Let’s get on with your 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 Dead Presidents! 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!
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm!
- Rotofugi is the perfect nexus of art and toys! Head over to see what new pieces of art they have in stock and on display in their gallery space! This month they’ll be exhibiting Hit The Streets! : An All American Trash Skate deck Exhibit!
- 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.
- Garfield Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens! Right now is the Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show: Rooted in Mystery
- Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens
- 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 – 7/13 Titanique The Musical @ Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
- NOW – 6/7 ART on THE MART
THURSDAY, JUNE 5 (& BEYOND)
Rockin’ in the Park @ Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Place, Rosemont
WHAT: A long lineup of great bands ready to rock
SO WHAT: Rockin’ in the Park will take over Parkway Bank Park for 18 shows full of fun tribute bands and rock-focused bands. Then after the shows enjoy a musical fireworks display (except on Fridays)!
NOW WHAT: It’s free! Head out and enjoy the shows!
FRIDAY – SUNDAY, MAY 30 – JUNE 1 (& BEYOND)
Lincoln Square Greek Fest @ St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2727 W. Winona St., Friday 4pm – 10pm, Saturday 3pm– Midnight, Sunday Noon – Midnight, All Ages
WHAT: Take a trip to Lincoln Square’s Greek Fest!
SO WHAT: St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Lincoln Square is throwing a fun Greek festival! This fantastic fest will allow you to celebrate Greek traditions with authentic food, great Greek music and dance troupes, a beautiful Hellenic marketplace, church tours, a kidzone, a grand raffle, and more
NOW WHAT: Head over to Lincoln Square and enjoy all the activities.
Ribfest Chicago @ Lincoln Avenue between Irving Park Road and Berteau Avenue, Friday 5pm – 10pm, Saturday & Sunday Noon – 10pm, All Ages
WHAT: 50,000 pounds of pork to satisfy your hunger!
SO WHAT: It’s Ribfest Chicago’s 25th outing! The Northcenter neighborhood festival has brought together the community for a quarter of a century of the best pork around! As always they will deliver the goods with plenty of amazing food and a fantastic musical lineup including Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press, Hello Weekend, RAVIV and many more! Highlights will also include the “Best Ribs” and “People’s Choice” competitions and a Kids Square for families to enjoy entertainment, inflatables, games and more.
NOW WHAT: The suggested donation is requested to benefit the Northcenter community and help support local schools, nonprofit organizations, economic development, and greening efforts. There are also VIP passes that include VIP Lounge access with private seating, bathroom, charging stations and swag bag, Official Ribfest Chicago 2025 T-Shirt, DAILY drink tickets, and fast pass line access to Belle Plaine / Middle beer booth!
Lincoln Park Greek Fest @ St George Greek Orthodox Church, 2701 N. Sheffield Ave, Friday 5pm – 11pm, Saturday Noon – 11pm, Sunday Noon – 10pm, All Ages
WHAT: Take a trip to Lincoln Park as it throws its Greek Fest!
SO WHAT: St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Lincoln Park, established in 1923 by Greek immigrants, is throwing a fun Greek festival! This fantastic fest will allow you to celebrate Greek traditions with authentic food, great modern and traditional Greek music, a beautiful craft fair, and dancing performances from some incredible dance troupes!
NOW WHAT: There is a suggested $10 donation, so just head over to Lincoln Park and enjoy all the activities.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JUNE 7 & 8
Gold Coast Art Fair @ Butler Field in Grant Park, S Lake Shore Dr & E Monroe St , 10am – 5pm
WHAT: 67th year of Gold Coast Art Fair
SO WHAT: Head out to Butler Field in Grant Park to see the work of 200 juried artists from across the country. Artists will be displaying beautiful pieces in a variety of mediums including painting, photography, ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and more. There will also be plenty of art demonstrations, art talks, 10 live acts performing live music, delicious food and drinks, and more throughout the fair!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $17.85, with $2 from each sale benefiting WINGS Program, Inc. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
Beyond Wonderland @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, 1300 S Linn White Dr., 2pm-11pm
WHAT: A electronic trip down the rabbit hole!
SO WHAT: It’s the debut of Beyond Wonderland in Chicago! This electronic dance music festival will take over the lakeside venue for two days of trippy Alice in Wonderland themed madness highlighted but some incredible music. The lineup includes the likes of Illenium, Marshmello, AfroJack, Coco & Breezy, and many more!
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $139.98 for single day passes, $229.98 for two day passes and go up for GA+ and VIP passes! Head over to their website for all the details!
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. There’s tons of talks going on this season, so head over to their website which is constantly updated with new talks. In fact they just announced a good portion of their Spring lineup! And be sure to check out their podcast Chicago Humanities Tapes, which features conversations with some of their best presenters and other great humanities-minded minds! Take a look at some of their upcoming events below:
Check out their talk “Edward Burns Shares a Pint with Chicago” below!
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
House Music Is Home @ Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., 3pm-8:15pm, After Party at VU Rooftop
WHAT: A special House Music event!
SO WHAT: The Navy Pier Beer Garden gets turned into a house patty as House Music Is Home takes over with Terry Hunter, Mike Dunn, Gene Hunt, Adorio B2B Amilio! Plus there will be an after party at VU Rooftop
NOW WHAT: The Navy Pier event is FREE, but you can grab tickets for the VU after party here!
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 bohola – Jimmy Keane and Pat Broaders; Rhys Jones, Joseph Decosimo & Nokosee Fields; The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee; Nathan Gourley, Laura Feddersen, and Brian Miller; T’Monde; Izaki Metropoulos, Sophia Metropoulos Laouto & Geroge Lawler; Gabe Carter, 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!
