14 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Weekend
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 16, 2017 5:42PM
Sunday is Father's Day. Call your dad.
FRIDAY JUNE 16
TASTE OF RANDOLPH: Taste of Randolph is one street fest known for its stellar music lineup. While the focus of the name is on restaurant row, the three-day street fest could double as a legit music festival with headliners like Dawes, Eden and !!! (Chk Chk Chk). Admission is a $10 suggested donation. VIP options are also available.
CRAFT ZOO: Enjoy “Craft Brews at the Zoo” during the third annual beer festival at Lincoln Park Zoo. More than 75 specialty brews produced by more than 35 local and regional breweries will be up for grabs at tasting stations throughout the zoo’s gardens. Pick from Friday or Saturday from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $49. Designated Driver tickets are also available for $20.
THE LORD OF COOL: If you are one of the few unaware as to what an utter and complete badass Nick Cave is, the just-released Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 1984 - 2014 should serve as an excellent primer. And to fans, it's an excellent excuse to submerge yourself in the dark noir that Cave inhabits so well, digging and scraping at the base of human existence and slow-burning desire. The collection also gives Nick Cave an excuse to hit the road with The Bad Seeds, arriving at the Auditorium Theatre Friday night.
ART GALA FOR ANIMALS: Chicago Canine Rescue hosts their 2nd “Art Unleashed!” fundraiser at Architectural Artifacts from 7 to 11 p.m. The event will be filled with local art, music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres by Chef Rick Gresh. Come prepared to bid on your favorite pieces through silent and live auctions. Tickets start at $85 for a single ticket.
SATURDAY JUNE 17
Image via Chicago Pride Fest's Facebook page.
PRIDE FEST: Chicago Pride Fest 2017 kicks off this weekend with a two-day street festival in Boystown. Celebrate the city’s LGBTQ history leading up to next weekend’s parade. They’ll have three stages with drag shows, DJs and live bands to keep the party going. Entry is a $10 suggested donation.
GOLD COAST ART FAIR: More than 300 artists from around the world will gather in Grant Park’s Butler Field this weekend for the 59th annual Gold Coast Art Fair. The juried art festival will have artwork of all media for sale, plus live music, demonstrations and interactive art projects like the Spin Art machine.
Image via Mercadito's website.
MIXOLOGY CLASS: Try your hand at mixing Bulleit Bourbon cocktails during Mercadito’s Mixology Class at 3 p.m. Beverage Director Paul Tanguay will lead the course in the La Mez Agave Lounge. Appetizers will be served. Tickets are $45. Call 312-329-9555 to reserve a spot.
21MINUS: The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's Teen Creative Agency will present the fifth annual 21Minus event this Saturday. The museum will be filled with eclectic and unexpected projects created by local teens. Admission is free for everyone 21 and under and their families.
NOT ACTUALLY SURFERS: Surfer Blood's latest album, Snowdonia, was written in the wake of losing guitarist Thomas Fekete to cancer last year. The result is an album that lyrically grapples with some of the darker edges of mortality, countering that content with music that is more life-affirming and upbeat. Band leader John Paul Pitts wrote and mixed the album alone, and its his singular vision that allows the counterpoints to merge seamlessly in one of the band's best albums to date. Join the band and celebrate life when they play Lincoln Hall on Saturday night.
TWO DAYS OF TACOS: Pilsen Taco Fest 2017 is this Saturday and Sunday! Take in two days of amazing food, beer, art and raffles, kids activities and more. There's even going to be a Father's Day stand-up comedy show on Sunday. You can find all the family-friendly fun at 18th and Newberry in the Byline Bank Parking Lot. Admission is free.
SUNDAY JUNE 18: FATHER’S DAY
Image via Vintage Garage's Facebook page.
VINTAGE GARAGE: It’s a Vintage Garage weekend in Uptown, and this month they’re honoring dads. Pick up some vintage vinyl or toys that dad might like for Father’s Day. As always, they’ll have free appraisals (one per person) from noon to 4 p.m. The sale runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5.
FATHER’S DAY MSI BBQ: Treat dear ol’ dad to a different kind of BBQ for Father’s Day at the Museum of Science and Industry. There are two seating times for a Barbecue Brunch with prime rib and grilled St. Louis-style ribs and more on the museum’s South Portico. They’ll also have a a brewery tasting and a raffle for a backyard smoker. Choose from 10:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. and then enjoy the museum for the day. Tickets are $35.
FATHER'S DAY DANCE PARTY: Duet Dance Studio hosts a dance party for dads and their kids this Sunday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The "Beauty and the Beast"-themed class will include open dancing and light refreshments after the lesson. No experience required. Tickets are $15 per person.
THE HEAVIEST OF FATHER'S DAYS: We wonder if Metallica's kids will be joining them onstage at all when they play Soldier Field on Sunday to bang their heads and thrash away alongside the metal titans. Imagine, what must it be like to be in the school pickup lane and see James Hetfield in your rearview mirror, or at soccer practice and see Lars Ulrich just leaning back in a lawn chair watching his kids run up and down the field? Or being their kids and probably thinking to yourself your dad has the most boring job in the world? If you are the child of a Metallica member, let me reassure you, your dad's job kicks butt. And the band's live shows have been consistently blazing, marathon affairs every time we've seen them. Sunday night's show will be no different. As an added bonus, get there early for the local boys in Local H, opening for Metallica.