15 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Weekend
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 26, 2016 6:44PM
Taste of Greektown starts Friday. Photo courtesy of Special Events Management.
Get your fill of food, dogs, fun and more with our favorite events for the weekend.
FRIDAY AUGUST 26
TASTE OF GREEKTOWN: Chicago is rich with Greek culture and you can taste it this weekend at the 27th annual Taste of Greektown. Greektown is the center of Mediterranean cuisine in the city with restaurants lined up and down Halsted. The street fest will also have live music and entertainment and is open Aug. 26 through 28 from noon to 11 p.m.
RIVER TO ROOFTOP: Go from River to Rooftop at City Winery and Virgin Hotels’ latest event. Start at City Winery’s riverwalk location with drinks and a NOLA-style second line marching band, and then continue the party at Cerise Rooftop. Starts at 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include two drinks.
LINCOLN AVE PUB RIDE: Celebrate the return of the #11 bus with the 11 on 11 Lincoln Avenue Pub Ride. Visit 11 pubs and restaurants along the route between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. including Burnt City Brewing, Beermiscuous and The Grafton Pub and Grill for specials on food and drink. Visit the Active Trans website for a full list of participating establishments.
Image via The Talbott Hotel's Facebook page.
DOG DAY: It’s National Dog Day! Celebrate with The Talbott Hotel as they hold their annual Doggy Fashion Show benefitting local shelters. Local pups will walk the runway in front of the hotel from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and 100 percent of sales from the Two Brothers Dog Days draft beer and Bavarian Pretzels will go toward Alive and One Tail at a Time.
SATURDAY AUGUST 27
MOTOR ROW BEER + WINE FEST: Motor Row District, which lines Michigan Avenue on the Near South Side, was once home to car sale and repair shops, but has morphed into a residential and entertainment area. The Motor Row Craft Beer & Wine Fest follows suit this Saturday and Sunday, bringing libations and fun to the neighborhood for it’s second year. Fittingly, the fest will feature vintage cars along with live music and entertainment. $5 general gate donation benefits the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance.
BUCKTOWN ARTS FEST: The Bucktown Arts Fest returns this weekend to Senior Citizen’s Park and the surrounding streets. The fest has been going strong for more than 30 years now, and features painting, photography, textile, sculpture, jewelry, and more for sale from local artists. There’s also live music, dancers, and food trucks plus adult beverages for purchase. Free.
MIDNIGHT CIRCUS: Okay, Chicago's Midnight Circus in the Parks isn’t really at midnight, but the fun does take place at night under the big top tent. It’s the 10th anniversary season for the tour, which kicks off this weekend in Ogden Park and continues in select parks across the city every weekend until Oct. 16. Check the Midnight Circus website to see when the circus is coming to your park. Tickets are $5 to $20.
TOUR FOR LOCALS: Chicago for Chicagoans has designed neighborhood tours for residents that want to get to know their city better. The “not for tourists” tours are led by founder Patti Swanson with a resident expert. This weekend’s tour features Wicker Park with comedian Brittany Meyer who also produces Uptown Underground's Strip Joker. Tours are a $10 suggested, but optional, donation and take place Saturday at 1 p.m. or Saturday at 2 p.m.
COMEDY: Join the Simmer Brown comedy collective at Bughouse Theater as they celebrate India and Pakistan’s Independence Days, or as they call it, “Asian Brexit.” Sammy Arechar headlines with Sameena Mustafa, Jerry Tran, Laura Hugg and Javid Iqbal also performing. 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.
MARGARITA CLASS: Mercadito’s La Mez Agave Lounge hosts Don Julio Tequila to teach us the art of the margarita at their latest Mixology Academy course. “Agave Maria” will guide participants through different flavors and seasonal ingredients. Tickets are $45. Call 312-329-9555 to reserve a spot.
SUNDAY AUGUST 28
Image via Yusho's Facebook page.
RAMEN BATTLE: Chef Nicole Bayani from Scofflaw faces off against Chef Jonathan Meyer from The Broken Shaker at Freehand Chicago in Yusho’s latest Ramen Battle at 4 p.m. With all that delicious ramen to eat, the real winner is you. Proceeds from the event benefit Pilot Light Chefs. Tickets are $35 and include ramen, soft serve and draft cocktail. For reservations, call (773) 904-8558.
BELLYQ BBQ: Honey Butter Fried Chicken join’s Chef Bill Kim for bellyQ’s last Backyard BBQ event of the season. They’ll be cooking up Elote Shooters, Charred Wings with Buffalo Sauce, a “Chicken OG Sandwich” and much more from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $45 and include two drink tickets.
CANINE CRUISE: Set sail on a boat full of adorable dogs on Mercury's Canine Cruise. Half the proceeds will be donated to the Live Like Roo Foundation which provides support and financial assistance for pets with cancer. Tickets are $34 for adults, $12 for kids and $8 for dogs.
SANGRIA FESTIVAL: Take some wine and make it better with fruit and juice at the Sangria Festival at Humboldt Park. This inaugural festival pairs sangria with a variety of small bites from local restaurants, plus live music, flamenco dance and more. Tickets start at $20.
SUNDAY FUNDAY ROCK SHOW: The Muffs have a long history of writing scrappy, sharp punk power-pop songs, topped off by singer Kim Shattuck's inimitable growling and screaming. So expect The Empty Bottle to be rattling and shaking on Sunday night. To sweeten the deal local hyperinstrumentalist, and a formidable power-pop songwriter in his own right, John San Juan opens. Tickets are $12.