19 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 31, 2016 5:06PM
Northalsted's Halloween Parade is Monday. Image via the City of Chicago's website.
Candy, adult beverages and art. This week has a little bit of everything.
MONDAY OCTOBER 31: HALLOWEEN
BOO-MINGDALE TRAIL: The Bloomingdale Trail gets spooky for trick-or-treating on The 606 from 5 to 7 p.m. Bring your cutest and/or scariest little ones up on the trail for “Boomingdale” Halloween bags while CAPS Officers get in on the fun, too. Free.
SOUTHPORT TRICK OR TREAT: Lakeview celebrates with Trick or Treat Southport from 4 to 8 p.m. Presented by the Cubs, the event will feature free, family friendly activities with local businesses like a photo booth, pop-up pumpkin patch and beer garden for the adults.
MARS CANDY TREATS: Candy-lovers on the west side can get in on the trick-or-treating fun right at the source, the local Mars Candy Factory in Galewood. There will be plenty of fun-size treats to be had from 3 to 6 p.m., plus photo opportunities with M&M’s characters. Free.
Image courtesy of Chicago Film Archives.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CONCERT: Chicago Sinfonietta performs their 7th annual Día de los Muertos concert at 7:30 p.m. In their first collaboration with Chicago Film Archives, they’ll honor the Mexican holiday with classical works alongside screenings of silent films Night on Bald Mountain and Danse Macabre. Tickets start at $18.
NORTHALSTED HALLOWEEN PARADE: When Halloween and Boystown come together, you can bet on one outrageous parade with on-point costumes. The 19th Annual Northalsted Halloween Parade steps off at 5 p.m. and has more than 2,000 entries into the annual costume contest, so the photo ops should be on point. Free.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1
LIVE READING SERIES: Get your literary funk on at the Tuesday Funk reading series at Hopleaf at 7:30 p.m. The 99th episode features speakers Megan Stielstra, Coya Paz, Cesar Torres, Mary Robinette Kowal and Veronica Arreola plus special guest co-host Jasmine Davila with Andrew Huff. Free.
Image via Atlas Obscura's website.
ELECTION RIGGING: There’s certainly enough paranoia and speculation about fixing elections right now, but have you wondered what it would actually take to steal an election? Atlas Obscura and the Chicago Corruption Walking Tour will show us how with a night of craft cocktails and undermining democracy at speakeasy Room 13. The hour long tutorial will show the tricky and surprisingly legal ways to get it done. 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.
WINE CLASS: We love learning that involves drinking. Attend a Parisian Wine Class at Animale this Tuesday at 6:60 p.m. Students will sample 10 to 12 varietals while learning the ins and outs of Rhone and the southwest regions of France. Cost is $15. To reserve a spot in advance, email audrey@animalechicago.com.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2
Image via Barley's Angels' Facebook event page.
BEER HISTORY: Barley’s Angels want to take you on an exploration of Chicago’s beer history. The women’s craft beer and education group will host a field trip to the exhibit Beer Chicago: The Refreshing History at Harold Washington Library, and then continue on to Monk’s Pub to examine the subject in real life. The group will meet at Harold Washington Library at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $24 and include two beers and appetizers at Monk’s Pub.
WINE FOR GOOD: Support the Center for Conflict Resolution with a wine tasting benefit at Grant Thornton LLP from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The not-for-profit organization helps individuals, communities, courts, and other institutions through pro-bono mediation services and conflict management training. Sample upwards of 30 wines from Cuvee Cellars. Tickets are $20.
Image courtesy of Nacional 27.
COCKTAIL CLASS: Nacional 27 hosts a Dia de los Muertos themed cocktail class at 7 p.m. Try your hand at the "Morgue-a-rita" with blood orange plus other La Catrina cocktails and tapas from Executive Chef Chico Vilchez. Tickets are $40 ($50 at the door). UPDATE: This event has been postponed due to the Cubs game.
BY GOD, THE BY GODS: We caught Nashville's The By Gods at their first Chicago show a few months ago and were blown away. The trio packs a lot of power into their sets, and their straightforward songs will draw you right in. On this year's The Phone Calls EP, the trio kicks out 4 insta-classics in 12 minutes; songs that you'll want to sing along with at every opportunity. They make their next Chicago appearance this Wednesday at The Burlington and the show starts at 8 p.m.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3
KOUZINA FOOD FESTIVAL: It’s time for the National Hellenic Museum’s annual food festival benefit featuring some of the finest Greek cuisine in the city from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Kouzina welcomes some of the city’s top chefs to provide tastings, wine and dessert. Tickets are $125.
Image courtesy of SOFA Chicago.
SOFA CHICAGO: The longest-running art fair in the country opens up this Thursday at Navy Pier. SOFA Chicago stands for sculpture, objects and functional art and design and features more than 500 artists from fiber art to massive glass sculptures. There will also be Glass Blowing and Wood Turning Demonstrations, plus special exhibits from 6 graduates of ChiArts. The fair runs through Sunday. Tickets are $20 in advance, $30 for a three-day pass.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4
WIRED FRIDAY: Every other Friday the Chicago Cultural Center turns into a dance club at lunch time. This Wired Friday’s DJ is native Chicagoan and House aficionado, Diz. Noon to 1 p.m. Free.
CASTING AUCTION: If you feel like the world’s a stage and you’re the star, head to Michelle's Ballroom at 7:30 p.m. for a casting auction benefitting Porchlight Music Theatre. You could win one of thirty roles up for grabs in their musical production All Shook Up. The evening will also include live entertainment, bites and an open bar. Tickets are $75 ($85 at the door).
CHRP GALA: Chicago Human Rhythm Project honors Michelle Dorrance & Nicholas Young with performances at their Jubalee! Gala at the Museum of Contemporary Art at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the event directly support their summer TAP SCHOLAR program as well as year-round, free, rhythm based arts education programs in Chicago Public Schools. Tickets are $150.
END OF THE RAINBOW: Porchlight Music Theater imagines the inner conflict of Judy Garland during her last days in End of the Rainbow, premiering at 8 p.m. at Stage 773. The “savagely funny” musical features music from Garland’s songbook as the Wizard of Oz star fruitlessly attempts to move beyond the rainbow. Tickets are $38.
HERE AND NOW: Letters To Cleo joins the '90s reunion cycle with a show at Double Door on Friday night (and a "secret" show on Saturday at an undisclosed location). But this is no sentimentality tour, no! The band just released their first new music in 17 years, the Back To Nebraska EP, and it is excellent. It's 5 songs find the band in fine form, packing in hook after hook to bolster Kay Hanley's hasn't-aged-a-day vocals. Tickets are $25.