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25 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Weekend

By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 9, 2016 4:00PM

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Oktoberfest begins this weekend in Lincoln Square. Photo courtesy of German-American Fest.

There's so much going on this weekend we could barely fit it on the site. Street fests, art walks, the first Oktoberfest, and more are begging you to get outside!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9

OKTOBERFEST: Kick off Oktoberfest season with the German-American Fest in Lincoln Square. Louis Glunz Beer, Inc. will perform the traditional firkin tapping at 8 p.m. on Friday, with festivities continuing through the weekend. German beers, food and entertainment will be at the forefront of the fest and the Steuben Parade taking place at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Free.

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Occidental Brothers Dance Band International. Photo courtesy of DCASE.

WORLD MUSIC FEST: The 18th Annual World Music Festival Chicago features artists from around the world at venues across the city including Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center. Some highlights include Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music, The 606 Polyrhythmic Procession & Global Peace Picnic and a collaboration with Chicago SummerDance on the first weekend of the fest. Events continue through Sept. 25. Check the World Music Fest website for the full schedule. Free.

FESTIVAL DE LA VILLITA: Celebrate Mexican independence with the community of Little Village this weekend at the 27th annual Festival de La Villita. The fest will have more than 30 food vendors serving up authentic Mexican cuisine, plus live music, carnival rides, a rodeo and more. There’s also a stand-alone ticketed concert on Sunday with Latin Grammy Award winners Ramon "King of the Accordion" Ayala, and Conjunto Primavera. Entry to the festival is free. For more information on the ticketed concert, click here.

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Photo courtesy of Qatar Airways Chicago Beach Polo Cup.

BEACH POLO: If you’ve ever wanted to see polo live, here’s your chance. The Qatar Airways Chicago Beach Polo Cup will be on North Avenue Beach this weekend. United States, Wales (The Royal Team), Buenos Aires, Canada, Chicago, and Washington will all be competing for the cup head to head and horse to horse. For the event schedule, visit their website. Tickets are $65.

THROWBACK MUSIC FEST: Gladstone Park welcomes a new retro street festival this weekend. The Throwback Music Fest will include music spanning generations from an Elvis impersonator and Fab Four tribute band to disco beats and a Bon Jovi tribute band. Purchase a daily tasting pass for the craft beer tastings. Entry is a $5 donation benefiting the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce.

FUNNY READING SERIES: The literary humor series Funny Ha-Ha returns to the Hideout this Friday with an evening called “Get Lit.” Speakers include writer, performer, and beat poet JW Basilo, standup comedian and host of We Still Like You Tyler Snodgrass, co-Host of the podcast Vital Social Issues & Stuff Jasmine Davila and more. 6:30 p.m. Entry is a $10 suggested donation benefiting Sit Stay Read.

POWER POP DEMI-GODS: Matthew Sweet's power pop masterpiece Girlfriend might have come out 25 years ago but it hasn't shown a single sign of age. That's because it's one of those rare, nigh perfect albums that are absolutely timeless, constructed impeccably. Even more amazing is that since then Sweet has continued to release album after excellent album of hard driving and indelibly melodic material—no mean feat. Sweet just wrapped up a Kickstarter campaign to fund his next album, 2017's Tomorrow Forever, so his appearance at Park West on Friday should provide a glimpse into that new material as well as a solid set from his deep catalog. We've seen Sweet play a few times in the past and have never left a show disappointed. Chicago's own power pop legends Material Reissue, the remaining members of Material Issue, open the show so it should be an excellent evening of music, all around. Tickets are $25.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10

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Photo courtesy of Oysterfest.

SHOCK TOP OYSTER FEST: Head to Roscoe Village on Saturday for the 18th Annual Shock Top Oyster Fest from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s a shucking good time at the street and food fest which will also have plenty of good music from local artists Michael McDermott and Waco Brothers early in the day, and cover rockers Bruce in the USA at night. Entry is a $7 gate donation benefiting the Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce.

RAVENSWOOD ARTWALK: Nearly 50 venues of the Ravenswood “creative corridor” will participate in this year’s Ravenswood ArtWalk from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Themed as a “Tour of Arts & Industry,” the event will feature the RAW Artist Market, open houses and an outdoor festival with live music, beer from Begyle Brewing and food trucks.

LAKEVIEW EAST FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS: View and shop more than 150-juried artists this weekend at the 12th Annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts. Original paintings, sculpture, photography, furniture, jewelry and more will be featured. And in true street fest fashion, there will also be live music, food and family activities. There’s also a sneak-peek pre-festival concert on Friday if you’re feeling extra eager. Entry is a $5 donation which will enter you to win Southwest Airlines tickets.

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Photo via Hideout Inn's Facebook Page.

HIDEOUT 20-YEAR REUNION: Nostalgic for the years of the Hideout Block Parties? Head to the beloved small venue on Saturday for their 20th Anniversary celebration; it's essentially a reunion with some of their favorite bands providing the entertainment inside and outside on the patio. Some of the day’s performers include Mr. Rudy Day, Robbie Fulks, White Mystery, Eleventh Dream Day, JC Brooks Band, Kelly Hogan, Devil In A Woodpile and many more. The fun starts at 2 p.m. and goes to midnight. Tickets are $20.

LOGAN HOUSE + GARDEN WALK: Logan Square Preservation presents the 32nd House & Garden Walk this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See the lovely gardens, home interiors and churches of Logan Boulevard, plus vintage automobiles on the walk. Tickets are $25 in advance ($30 day of).

FESTIVAL ON PRAIRIE AVE: Tour Chicago’s oldest home, the Clarke House Museum, during The Festival on Prairie Avenue. Join other South Loopers for family-friendly fun from noon to 6 p.m. (Clarke House tours run from noon to 4 p.m.). Entry is a $7 suggested donation.

STAY SMOOTH ANNIVERSARY: Stay Smooth, the party of all the '70s and '80s yacht rock you can take, sets sail for their 10 Year Anniversary with a 3 hour ride on the Anita Dee II. The party is literally called ‘I Can Boat For That.’ DJs will play music from Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins and so many more. The Fabulous Ladies of Fitness will also perform. The boat departs DuSable Harbor at 8 p.m. Tickets are $62 and include hosted bar from Revolution Brewing.

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Renegade Craft Fair, photo by Chicagoist Flickr User Chicago Geek

RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR: The Renegade Craft Fair is back in Wicker Park on Division Street this Saturday and Sunday. Shop, make and eat as design, music, food, libations, DIY workshops, and more take over the street from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

POOLSIDE YOGA: Free poolside yoga at the InterContinental continues this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. An instructor from CorePower lead the one-hour C1 class. Advance RSVP is required. Email kylie@imrchicago.com to reserve a spot.

IN-STORE CONCERT: Stop by Madewell on Rush Street for some shopping and stay for the free in-store concert. The French & American duo Freedom Fry is playing as part of the Denim Forever Tour, a denim recycling pop-up. They’ll even be giving away Union Wine and High Brew Coffee after 5 p.m. Free. RSVP here.

SUSHI ROLLING CLASS: It’s back to school time, and adults don’t have to be left out of the learning. Enroll in Sushi Rolling at Roka Akor from 1 to 3 p.m. with Corporate Executive Sushi Chef Mike Lim. The curriculum will include the history of sushi making, how to select the best fish and how to roll your own California Roll. Tickets are $75 and include apps, rolls and sake samplings.
Call (312) 477-7652 for reservations.

MUSEUMS FREE FOR TEENS: Museum Campus hosts a free open house for area high school students this Saturday. That means free entry to Adler Planetarium, The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium with special programming for the event. Teens can register here. Student ID will be required for entry.

STOMP ROCK AND ROLL: Band Of Skulls has slightly tempered their hard blues-based rock attack over the years, but only slightly. The effect doesn't dilute their sound, though; it sharpens it. The hooks cut deeper and the bands swagger swings wider.Their latest LP By Default is a solid, slamming collection that should translate well and get The Metro hopping and dancing and getting sweaty throughout their entire Saturday night show. Tickets are $25.


SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11

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Photo via the City of Chicago's website.

MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE PARADE: Celebrate Mexican culture and independence at the most colorful parade around. The 26th Street Mexican Independence Parade steps off at noon and will feature floats, mariachi bands and dancing.

SUDS + SAUSAGE: It’s another evening of Chop Shop's Suds & Sausage series, this time collaborating with Kimski’s Won Kim. They’ll be grilling up new sausages on the patio--a Seoul sausage from Kim and the Havana Salchicha from Chop Shop. Marz brews will also be enjoyed. 5-7 p.m. Tickets are $20.

HERITAGE BBQ: Cochon555 hosts the 3rd Annual Heritage BBQ at Loews Hotel from 3 to 6 p.m. The cooking competition spotlights family farming and heritage breed pigs while benefiting the nonprofit Piggy Bank charity. Tickets are all inclusive and start at $100.

TASTE OF ITALY: Hobnob at the Waldorf Astoria this Sunday during their “Una Passeggiata” on the “Piazza D’Oro” from 3 to 7 p.m. They've partnered with Eataly for an outdoor afternoon on the courtyard with Italian delicacies. Tickets start at $40 and include coins for bites and drinks.

STRANGER THINGS: We're sure you've already binge-watched Stranger Things—perhaps more than once—but relive the series' glorious '80s spooky vibe this Sunday at The Burlington with period jams and a live synthesizer performance from Dr. Dustin Drase. There will also be art inspired by the show around the bar by Jaime Knight. So get on you Schwinn and get the to the Upside Down.