Chicagoist's Guide To April: 25 Events To Get You Out Of The House

By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 8, 2015 2:00PM

Need to get out of the house and enjoy some fun in the city? We've got our favorite picks for events happening during April to bulk up your social calendar. From beer, geek or film festivals, book swaps to record fairs and everything in between, read on for all the details.

Wine in Film: A Series
Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport Ave.)
April 8, 15, 22, 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Every Wednesday this month, the Music Box Theatre will be hosting a series of films that celebrate the relationship between wine and cinema. In conjunction with Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the Music Box will present four films, each paired with special guests and featured wines. Check out their schedule for more information. - Sophie Day

Fountainhead Singles Night: A Celebration of Single Cask/Barrel Whisk(e)y
Fountainhead (1970 W. Montrose Ave.)
April 8 at 7:00 p.m.
No, not that kind of singles, we're talking about single barrel whiskeys here. Your $40 ticket gets you a guided tasting of delights like Evan Williams Single Cask and Dewar Rattray Bowmore 17. - Melissa McEwen

Third Man Rolling Record Store at Empty Bottle
Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.)
April 8 4:00 p.m.
Jack White's superb record label, Third Man, is rolling into town with their rolling record store on wheels. They'll park and hang out at the Empty Bottle for an afternoon of limited edition Rolling Record Store-only merchandise and records. Chances are they'll have some other surprises in the works. Third Man has released some awesome material, so you want to stop by and shop. Our friends at the Empty Bottle suggest leaving work early that day, they'll have the bar open for ya, and we think that sounds like a perfect plan. - Lisa White

Chicago Latino Film Festival
AMC River East 21 Theatre (mainly) (322 E. Illinois St.)
Running April 9 through 23
From the fest website: "The Chicago Latino Film Festival is considered the largest, most comprehensive and best Latino film festival in the United States, and presents over 100 films of cultural and social significance from Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the U.S." Check out our preview of the festival here. - Joel Wicklund

CHIRP Record Fair and Other Delights
Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union Hall (1340 W. Washington Blvd.)
April 11 at 8:00 a.m.
Spend the day digging through crates with fellow vinyl lovers at the CHIRP Record Fair. New this year, you can snag a mystery record grab bag for $5, full of 10 different LPs and singles, possibly a bonus CD or cassette, all packaged in a handy CHIRP tote bag. And back this year is the Record Fair Raffle, which includes prizes from some of our favorites like KOVAL distillery, Johnny Casserole, Jackalope Coffee & Tea House, HoZac Records and many more. Head out and support your local community radio station and score some sweet new tunes at the same time. - Lisa White

Game of Thrones Wild Boar Feast
Frontier (1072 N. Milwaukee Ave.)
April 12 at 3:00 p.m.
Celebrate the return of Game of Thrones to television with a Westeros-inspired feast of wild boar paired with mead and glogg. Grab a ticket for $30. - Melissa McEwen

Barrel Aged Beer Fest
Delilah's (2771 N. Lincoln Ave.)
April 12 at 12:00 p.m.
It is a well-known fact that aging and vintage are important vocabulary for wine and spirits. Far fewer people would think that beer could be experienced in the same way, but Mike over at Delilah's wants to change that. Every few months, Delilah's hosts a vintage beer fest, featuring a wide selection of beers to be tasted and enjoyed. In many cases, there are even multiple bottles of the same beer from different years for your comparison. - Sophie Day

Stomping Grounds
Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.)
April 14 at 6:00 p.m.
Chicago Rhythm Fest begins tonight with the first of a series of free events around the city. Chicago’s top percussive arts companies collaborate in several upcoming performances, but the series kicks off tonight at the Chicago Cultural Center with Moving Dialogs, a panel discussion featuring the artistic directors of the Stomping Grounds companies. Check their website for info on additional events. - Michelle Meywes

CHIRP Radio's The First Time
Martyrs (3855 N. Lincoln Ave.)
April 15 at 8:00 p.m.
CHIRP's quarterly live music and literature series invites artists, writers, local heroes, comedians and performers to read original works based on a common ‘first’ theme. The topic this time around is “First Lie." Each reading is followed by a song (chosen by the reader) performed by a group dubbed the First Time Three. The band is Steve Frisbie, Grammy nominated composer/producer Liam Davis and Gerald Dowd (Robbie Fulks, Mavis Staples, etc), who perform in the power pop band Frisbie. Readers tonight include journalist Alison Flowers, iO Chicago's Bente Engelstoft, The Blackout Diaries' Sean Flannery, poet Sondra Morin, CHIRP DJ Bobby Evers, David McMillen from the band For Frances and Ben Jorvasky from the Chicago Reader. - Selena Fragassi

Seafood. See Beer Dinner.
Smylie Brothers Brewing Company (1615 Oak Ave., Evanston, IL)
April 15 at 6:00 p.m.
Tour the brewery and then enjoy a dinner of seafood dishes like salmon tartare with pickled ramps and halibut with wild mushrooms with their seasonal beer pairings. Tickets are $65 and can be reserved by calling 224-999-7320 or at the Facebook event page. - Melissa McEwen [Update: we've been notified this dinner has been cancelled]

CIMMFest
Various Locations
April 16 through 19
CIMMfest, the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival, is a four-day showcase of outstanding films, energetic concerts, visually stunning VJ/DJ sets, lively Q&A’s, daring live score performances, industry panels and presentations…anything to show just what movies and music mean to each other.

Each spring filmmakers, musicians and their passionate fans alike, descend upon Wicker Park and Logan Square, two of Chicago’s most eclectic, vibrant neighborhoods. That’s where CIMMfest takes place—the films by day, the live music by night—at theaters, galleries, bars, concert spaces and some of the city’s most storied venues. Check out our preview for some favorite picks. - Selena Fragassi

Chicago Reader Book Swap
Old Town School of Folk Music (4544 N. Lincoln Ave.)
April 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Obviously, as writers, we're fans of the written word. So of course the promise of swapping out our bookshelves for new pages to explore is one worth getting excited about. The Chicago Reader's Book Swamp is a wonderful event for fellow bibliophiles, where you can bring and take as many as 15 books and the first 100 swappers to show up receive a free Chicago Reader tote bag. Obviously used to tote books around. Make sure to follow the rules: nothing musty, dirty, torn or in poor condition and no encyclopedias, periodicals or technical, legal or medical information books. Bulk up your spring reading list in just one stop. - Lisa White

Baconfest
UIC Forum (725 W Roosevelt Rd)
April 17 and 18, times vary by date
To say we're fans of Baconfest at Chicagoist would be an understatement. The festival dedicated to all delicious things bacon is back again for another year of top chefs from across the city whipping up original, creative ideas using one of our favorite meat products. Prizes are awarded for various categories and a portion of the proceeds from the event help out the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Regular tickets are sold out for both Saturday sessions but some are still available for the Friday night event. VIP tickets are still available for Friday and the Saturday dinner session. - Lisa White

20x2 Chicago
Schubas (3519 W. Southport Ave.)
April 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Gapers Block presents 20x2 Chicago, a live event where 20 people are asked the same question then given two minutes each to answer however they like. This edition's question is "What's Next?" - Lisa White

Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day
Eataly (43 E. Ohio St.)
April 18
In celebration of Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day, Eataly Chicago is hosting several raw milk cheese producers for a day of tastings and learning. You can also celebrate at Potash Markets, Marion Street Cheese Market, Provenance Cheese and Wine, Pastoral, Standard Market or at home with a wedge of your favorite raw cheese. - Erika Kubick

Action Bronson
House of Blues (329 N. Dearborn St.)
April 21, doors at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Our favorite rapper who also happens to be an amazing chef is in town promoting his latest album, Mr. Wonderful. We fell in love with the album after hearing the track "Baby Blue," which features Chicago's own Chance the Rapper. Bronson is know for getting a little wild during his live shows. During North Coast last year we witnessed him jump on another stage during his set before running in slo-motion back to his own set while the DJ blasted Van Halen's "Runnin' With the Devil." Bronson is a lovable, charismatic dude— as long as you stay off the stage during his show. Expect a rowdy time even for an early set. - Lisa White

Sauced Night Market
Emporium Arcade Bar (2363 N. Milwaukee Ave.)
April 21 at 6:00 p.m.
Sauced Market returns to Emporium Arcade Bar for a night of street food, art, pinball, cocktails and beer. - Melissa McEwen

Fulcrum Point New Music Project presents THE NEWS
Thalia Hall (1807 S. Allport St.)
April 21, doors at 6:30 p.m.
THE NEWS is a pop opera by renowned Dutch composer JacobTV which parodies world events through actual media footage synchronized with a live band and presented by singing anchors. JacobTV blends classical, world, jazz, blues, rock and pop music to take shots at international politics, the economy, religion, war and peace, as well as show business and other trivialities. - Casey Moffitt

Joffrey Ballet's New Works
Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.)
April 22 at 7:30 p.m.
The Joffrey Ballet’s spring program, New Works, is a celebration of how far ballet has come in the current landscape. This mixed repertory program will feature works from choreographers Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Nicolas Blanc and Val Caniparoli. See website for ticket prices and show times. - Michelle Meywes

Spiteful Brewing and Arcade Brewery Beer Dinner With Chef Won Kim
Whole Foods Kingsbury (1550 N. Kingsbury St.)
April 23 at 6:30 p.m.
Join the brewers from Spiteful Brewing and Arcade Brewery for a beer dinner cooked up by Chef Won Kim of the upcoming Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Bar restaurant. $30 a person and you can call 312-587-0648 to reserve. - Melissa McEwen

C2E2
McCormick Place (2301 S. Lake Shore Dr.)
April 24 through 26
If you're a fan of comic books, sci-fi, cosplay or general nerd and/or geek culture, then C2E2 is the place to be later this month. The weekend convention features panels and screenings, special celebrity guests, an exhibition hall full of awesome stuff to purchase as well as plenty of cosplay to enjoy. Some of our favorite guests stopping by this year include David Ramsey (Diggle!) from Arrow, Hayley Atwell of Agent Carter, Ming-Na Win from Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Jason Momoa from Game of Thrones, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, a slew of cast members from Orphan Black and of course, Stan Lee. - Lisa

5th Annual Artisan Producer Festival
Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton Ave.)
April 25 at 11:00 a.m.
Every April, hundreds of artisanal producers gather at the Chicago French Market Pastoral to share their high-quality food and beverage items with the city. The festival is free and includes tastings, demonstrations and live discussions about the featured products. - Erika Kubick

Vegan Vortex Spring Market
LAMA (3519 W. Fullerton Ave.)
April 26 at 11:00 a.m.
Paper Moon Pastry hosts a bazaar filled with Chicago-based vendors selling art, clothing, jewelry, garden wares, food and much more. All 100% cruelty-free. There will also be a Bloody Mary bar, a DJ and a raffle with prizes from Parts and Labor, the Chicago Diner and others. - Carrie Laski

Conversations on Chicago Dance: Tap Over Time
Old Town School of Folk Music (4545 N. Lincoln Ave.)
April 27 at 7:00 p.m.
The newly formed Chicago Dance History Project hosts its first public event at the Old Town School of Folk Music, where a multi-generational panel will discuss the history of tap dance in Chicago. Tap artists Reggio “The Hoofer" McLaughlin, Mark Yonally and Starinah “Star" Dixon make up the panel moderated by CDHP Director Jenai Cutcher West. - Michelle Meywes

Daniel Clowes at Quimby's
Qumby's (1854 W. North Ave.)
April 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Daniel Clowes is stopping by his hometown to sign his new book, The Complete Eightball 1-18, which collects 18 issues of Clowes' comic book series Eightball. Clowes' work is iconic, from his numerous New Yorker covers to his poster for Todd Solondz's Happiness to the Academy Award nominated Ghost World. This is a great chance to dive deeper into his body of work and pick up his recent release. - Lisa White