24 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 14, 2016 4:50PM
Image via MSI's website.
Holiday spirit is in the air with a lot of the city’s festivities beginning this week including Christkindlmarket and the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Find dinners, happy hours, performance arts and more to complete your plans.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 14
DINING WITH GOOSE: Not that goose, this goose. Join Goose Island Beer Co. and the Chicago Reader for a four-course dinner at TWO. Each course of the hearty meal from Chef Kevin Cuddihee will be paired with a different Goose Island brew. 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $65.
NEIGHBORHOOD CHEF DINNER: River Roast teams up with Chefs Beth Partridge and Dan Pancake from Autre Monde Cafe for their first Neighborhood Chef Series dinner. Hamachi crudo, sautéed sea scallop and roasted breast of Guinea hen are all on the menu, which will also include wine pairings. 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $100.
FEMINIST HAPPY HOUR: Find some proud nasty women at SlutTalk’s Feminist Happy Hour at the Whistler from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. In the wake of a discouraging presidential election, it’s time for women to stand strong and stay positive, and they’ll do just that with speakers that include stand-ups and storytellers. Free.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15
Image via Sauced's Facebook event page.
SAUCED ANNIVERSARY: The nighttime food, drink and shopping market Sauced celebrates their two-year anniversary from 6 to 11 p.m. at Emporium Logan Square and their new neighbor, Surf. Look for the usual suspects: vendors like hot chicken slinger The Budlong, The Chow Brothers, handmade goods and furniture, and you might just spot The Field Museum’s 1963 VW bus parked out front promoting their Tattoo exhibit and giving out airbrush tats inside. Free.
SIGNATURE ROOM BOURBON DINNER: Have a fancy dinner with fancy bourbons in a fancy room with a fancy view. The Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building hosts a Bourbon Dinner with Beam Suntory at 6 p.m. that will include Oyster & Lobster Rockefeller, Braised Short Ribs, Godiva Chocolate Bread Pudding and more paired with seasonal bourbon cocktails. Tickets are $90. Call 312-280-0465 to purchase.
SPANISH WINE DINNER: The Spanish Square will be hosting their own wine dinner with Heritage Reserva from 7 to 9 p.m. The five-course dinner from Executive Chef Rafael Hurtado is paired with wines like Txispaz Getariako Txakolina and Juan Gil Dry Muscat and might just help you pick a for Thanksgiving dinner. Tickets are $49.
Image via Mother Ruin's Facebook page.
BAR TAKEOVER: The Violet Hour’s quarterly takeover series returns with New York City’s Mother’s Ruin at the helm for one night only. The “Breaking the House Rules” series invites another influential cocktail bar to take over the menu, and they even throw their strict house rules out the window for the occasion. From 6 p.m. to close seating will be first-come, first-served. All Mother’s Ruin cocktails will be $10.
BOURBON TASTING + CLASS: Big Star and Four Roses have gotten together for a special whiskey class that will include a special taco bar and bites, cocktails from 6 to 8 p.m. Beverage Director Laurent Lebec and Four Roses Global Brand Ambassador Al Young will lead the lesson, and attendees will receive a signed copy of Al’s book, “Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend.” Tickets are $50. Email laura@bigstarchicago.com for reservations.
ADVERTISING COMMUNITY SHORTS: Midwest Film Festival’s First Tuesday event was pushed back because of busy Cubs and election Tuesdays, but this week they’ve got a lineup of Advertising Community Shorts from the Midwest. Premieres include Gas, Hell and Lady of the House from creative teams at Ogilvy & Mather, Utopic and Company 3, respectively. Festivities get underway at 6 p.m. at Landmark Century Cinemas. Stick around for a post-screening discussion with filmmakers in attendance. Tickets start at $10.
CHAMPAGNE + SHELLFISH DINNER: Enjoy an indulgent six-course Champagne, Sparkling and Shellfish at Summer House Santa Monica put together by Chef Ben Goodnick and Wine Director Ryan Arnold. Alaskan Crab Salad, Nova Scotia Mussels and a Lemon Sorbet and Prosecco Float are just a few of the items on the docket for the dinner that begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $95. Call Katie at 773-634-4100 to purchase.
SPASTIC POP: Nashville's PUJOL primarily specializes in trashy, sometimes artsy, glam-pop. Leader Daniel Pujol isn't afraid to follow his muse—last year's KISSES EP mixes poetry with a more experimental musical direction—but live the band delivers a string of firecrackers exploding onstage in the form of songs. Tuesday night's show at The Empty Bottle will run you $8.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16
TRAIL MIX TAVERN TALK: The 606 Trail Mix series turns to a tavern for their next education event. Tavern Talk will take place at Revolution Brewing Brewpub from 6 to 8 p.m. Hear from City Planner Jim Peters, Street Artist Flash and writer Yolanda Nieves about the neighborhoods’ history and culture. Free. RSVP in advance here.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17
RINGLING BROS + BARNUM + BAILEY: The circus is in town! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey present “Out Of This World” at the United Center. The “greatest show on earth” has been dazzling families for more than a century, and this program promises to be beyond the expected with gravity-defying acrobats, orbital aerialists, majestic animals, fearless daredevils and humorous clowns. The run continues through November 27. Tickets start at $20.
CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD: The Museum of Science & Industry’s holiday tradition returns. Christmas Around the World provides the opportunity to experience festive traditions from around the globe. Small decorated trees surround the floor-to-dome Grand Tree with 30,000 twinkling lights and periodic snowfalls. Did someone say photo-op? Santa Claus will also make a stop by MSI’s Holiday Lane where they’ll have cultural performances. The holiday exhibit will be up through January 8. Visit MSI’s website for a full schedule and more details.
Image via Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Facebook event page.
HUBBARD STREET DANCE: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago presents two world premieres this weekend at Harris Theater in their Fall Series. The new works come from long-time Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo (his 15th for the company) and inaugural Harris Theater Choreographer in Residence Brian Brooks. The program will also include two ensemble works by Czech-born contemporary choreographer Jiří Kylián. Friday’s show also includes a free “balcony talk” from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $30.
PODCAST FESTIVAL: Catch a few live podcasts at venues around the city for the next three days. Bob Saget, Rhymefest and Scott Adist are just a few of the celebrities slated to talk on shows like Kevin McDonald's Kevin McDonald Show, Improv Nerd and It’s All True!. Visit the festival website for a full schedule and ticket information.
COCKTAIL MASTER CLASS: Learn the next level of cocktail making at The Violet Hour’s Cocktails 201 from 6 to 8 p.m. With “tuition” at $130, this class isn’t for the faint of heart. Learn from James Beard award winning mixologist Toby Maloney who comes in all the way from New York. The hands-on class also includes three cocktails and bar nibbles. Email andrea@theviolethour.com or call 773-252-1500 for reservations.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18
Photo courtesy of Christkindlmarket.
CHRISTKINDLMARKET: The annual tradition Christkindlmarket returns to Daley Plaza with booths selling gifts, strudel, schnitzel and Glühwein in collectable souvenir mugs that either delight or disappoint us every year. The market will be up through Christmas Eve. Entry is free.
CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY: The city’s 103rd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony begins at 6 p.m. in Millennium Park. Look out for a performance from the creators of the hit percussion show STOMP, Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. The big man himself, Santa Claus will also make an appearance. Free.
TASTE OF RAVENSWOOD: The Taste of Ravenswood is ready for it’s 2nd annual event from 7 to 10 p.m. at Ravenswood Event Center’s Billiard Room. Try local restaurants, bakeries, breweries and distilleries including Ampersand Wine Bar, Fountainhead, Bang Bang Pie, Koval, Dovetail Brewery and more. Tickets are $70, or $100 for VIP with access to an exclusive happy hour with chefs, brewers and distillers an hour early.
McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. Photo via the City of Chicago.
MILLENNIUM ICE RINK: The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink also is open this Friday through next March, adding to the seasonal festivities in Millennium Park. Skating is free and open to the public. Rent skates for $12.
HOT HEELS SKATE NIGHT: The Chicago Athletic Association hotel dials the clock back for three nights of Hot Heels Soul Club: Skate Nights. The club’s original gymnasium Stagg Court is transformed into a classic roller skating venue with nightly local DJs. If you no longer have those roller skates hanging around, you can rent them for $3. Hot pants, tube socks, and all 1980’s attire encouraged. Admission is $12.
VOCALO HOUSE PARTY: With as little as a $10 donation, music-lovers can attend the Vocalo House Party at their studio from 7 to 10 p.m. The station focuses on local indie, rock and hip hop without commercials, and depends on the support of a tuned-in community. The party will have food, drinks, and Vocalo's own DJ collective spinning.
FLOSS TRAP SHOW: Local trap music duo, Flosstradamus is playing a kind of homecoming show at Aragon at 9 p.m. They’ve been playing the festival circuit and recently kicked off their Hi Def Youth tour that features a custom “bunker” stage set up complete with real working cannons. Tickets are $32.