17 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on May 31, 2016 3:26PM
Heckle movies with the best of em at Cinema Sacrifice. Photo courtesy of Cinema Sacrifice.
Still lots of fun things to do post-Memorial Day this week.
TUESDAY MAY 31
CINEMA SACRIFICE: Cinema Sacrifice takes a page from Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax taking jabs at “bad” movies at the Public House Theatre. Tuesday is their opening night and they’ll screen a different “terrible” movie each month. Tickets are $10.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 1
Millennium Park's Free Summer Workouts begin June 1. Photo courtesy of DCASE.
FREE SUMMER WORKOUTS: “Stretch, kick and dance the summer away” at the city’s free Summer Workouts in Millennium Park. Every Saturday morning beginning at 7 a.m. just show up for free Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and Zumba® classes. They also offer Wednesday morning yoga classes at 7:30 a.m. with local instructors from studios like Moksha and Kundalini Yoga in the Loop. Visit Millennium Park's website for the full class schedule.
AV CLUB COMEDY FESTIVAL: The 3rd Annual 26th Annual (those guys at The Onion AV Club are so funny) AV Club Comedy Festival is upon us. Taking place at different venues all over the city, the club has pulled in names like Sarah Silverman, Tracy Morgan, Reggie Watts, Jenny Slate, Michael Che and more. We’re starstruck already. For the full schedule, locations and tickets, check the festival’s website.
SAVED BY THE MAX POP-UP: If you haven’t noticed, we’re pretty excited about the Saved By The Max pop-up. The Saved By The Bell themed restaurant and bar was announced in February and has earned national attention and some cast members are even on board. Who knew were all missing the Bayside crew so much?! Tickets have been selling like hotcakes (or uh, A.C. Sliders) but some are still available for later dates. The good news is that there will be limited availability for walk-ins each night for dinner, and brunch and late-night menus are walk-in only. Other surprises include meet-and-greets, TV-karaoke, trivia and a Zack Attack cover band.
SOUND OPINIONS AT THE MOVIES: Join the hosts of WBEZ’s rock and roll show Sound Opinions at Music Box Theatre for a screening of Jamaican music and crime film, The Harder They Come. The 1972 film stars and features a soundtrack from reggae icon Jimmy Cliff
7 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Tim Meadows hosts the Break Out Comedy Festival. Photo courtesy of The Second City.
BREAK OUT COMEDY FESTIVAL: Check out the next generation of diverse comedy stars at UP Comedy Club during The Second City & NBCUniversal’s Break Out Comedy Festival. The festival, hosted by Second City and Saturday Night Live alum Tim Meadows, celebrates young, diverse talent in sketch, improv and stand-up. The Defiant Thomas Brothers and Sammy Arechar are just a couple of names scheduled to perform, plus graduates from the Bob Curry Fellowship program. The festival kicks off on Wednesday, June 1 with the Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase in The Second City e.t.c. Theatre. All tickets are $20.
THURSDAY JUNE 2
RIVERWALK WINE TASTING: Get out on the riverwalk for a wine glass seminar from the experts at Riedel Crystal from 6 to 8 p.m. City Winery hosts the tasting which will include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir and they’ll explain why the shape of the glass matters when it comes to aroma and flavor. Tickets are $90 and include a 4 glass Riedel gift set.
MAIFEST: Food, entertainment, cultural activities and more on the streets of Lincoln Square makes up the latest Maifest. Running all the way from Thursday to Sunday, the festival is a traditional German celebration welcoming the arrival of spring, or in our case, the unofficial start of summer in Chicago.
Photo courtesy of Low-Line Market.
LOW-LINE MARKET: Conveniently located in the shadows of the Southport CTA L stop, Low-Line Market returns to the Southport Corridor for the fourth year. Every Thursday now through Oct. 14, commuters and residents can shop local produce, proteins and artisanal foods. The market will also participate in First Thursdays promotions that include sidewalk sales and special offers at Southport businesses the first Thursday of every month.
BOOK LAUNCH: Local journalist and author Alison Flowers examines the lives of four exonerated prisoners in her new book, Exoneree Diaries. As she tells their stories of “reclaiming life, overcoming adversity, and searching for purpose,” she looks at issues within the justice system. Thursday is the book launch, signing and discussion at Loyola University School of Law at 6 p.m. Free.
HOMETOWN SHOW: Cullen Omori used to front Smith Westerns, so it's no surprise his solo debut New Misery sounds like an extension of that band's slick latter years. New Misery is a very pretty album, but it lacks the grit that made early Smith Westerns material so exciting. We're hoping that some of that edge slips into his live set at Schubas Wednesday night, though. Tickets are $15.
PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL: The fourth annual Pivot Arts Festival kicks off with a wine tasting, dinner and performance from Chicago Folklore Ensemble at Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant. The ten day festival includes performances from local artistic innovators in music, theater, dance and more. There’s also a “Celebrate Community!” Parade on Saturday that includes family friendly performances. See website for performance schedule and tickets.
FRIDAY JUNE 3
DO DIVISION: West Town is on full display at the Do Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale. The street is closed from Ashland to Leavitt with local vendors and more than a few boutiques moving business outside. The big draw for this street fest though is the two main stages at each end boasting a lineup of bands curated by The Empty Bottle and Subterranean. Headliners this year include BADBADNOTGOOD, Doomtree, Beach Fossils and A Place To Bury Strangers, plus some local acts rounding out the bill like ShowYouSuck and Bloodiest. Entry is a $5 donation.
GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL: The 31st Annual Gospel Music Festival takes place at Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center with concerts on Friday and Saturday. Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship, Travis Greene, Shirley Caesar and Brian Courtney Wilson are just a few of the headliners this year. Visit the festival’s website for the full schedule and other sponsored concerts throughout the year. Free.
ART SHAY PHOTO EXHIBITION: Legendary photographer and friend of Chicagoist Art Shay will see some of his work on display at Ann Nathan Gallery with an opening on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. His photographs appeared in Life, Time, Look, The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and so many others over his storied 70 year career. As the gallery says, “Art Shay’s life is the stuff of movies,” and based on the few stories we’ve heard him tell, we wholeheartedly agree.
LINCOLN PARK GREEK FEST: Celebrate all things Greek at the 39th Annual Lincoln Park Greek Fest this weekend. The family-friendly festival takes place inside and outside St. George Greek Orthodox Church and will have live entertainment and tons of authentic Greek food. Proceeds from food and drink go toward church restoration.
FLAVORS OF MEXICO: For more Mexican flair, head to Little Village for the 2nd annual Flavors of Mexico. The three-day food festival will feature cuisine from local restaurants like La Barca El Taconazo, Taqueria Los Comales, Margarita Portillo and many more plus festive music and cooking demonstrations.