20 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Weekend

By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 23, 2017 3:13PM

Positive summer vibes will be out in force with our LGBTQ community at Sunday's Pride Parade. And there's plenty of other pride, music, food and fun to be had this weekend.

FRIDAY JUNE 23

LAKESHAKE: Country music gets its weekend in the sun with the LakeShake Festival at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island. Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett top the three-day lineup. Lawn Passes start at $49.75.

BLACKHAWKS FAN FEST: The NHL Draft takes place at the United Center this weekend, and outside the venue will be the first ever Blackhawks Fan Fest. Pop band Neon Trees are slated to perform on Friday at 5 p.m., plus there will be Blackhawks player and alumni appearances, interactive games and attractions and the NHL Centennial Fan Arena (a 53-foot museum truck, pop-up ball hockey rink, Zamboni virtual reality driving experience, and Stanley Cup appearance). Free Fan Fest Passes are available at the United Center Box Office, and other select locations. Tickets to go inside the United Center for the NHL Draft are $10 and include Fan Fest passes.

WORLD’S LARGEST BLOCK PARTY: The Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party, which became known as a hot spot to meet your future spouse, returns to it’s roots and original location this weekend. The two-day family friendly event moves back to the church where it originated with a Kid Zone, food trucks and live music from cover and tribute bands like Mike & Joe, Wedding Banned and Elevation. Tickets are $10 at the gate. (Free entrance from 5 to 6 p.m. on Friday).

MSI AFTER HOURS: “Humans Welcome” at the next MSI After Hours event from 7 to 10 p.m. The adults-only evening offers kid-free access to the Museum of Science and Industry exhibits plus snacks, a complimentary cocktail and free parking. Tickets are $30.

DOSE MARKET: Revival Food Hall hosts a Dose Market pop-up bazaar from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Local makers including craftspeople, artists, and designers come together for a to create a free afternoon market.

SMASHED RELEASE: We are big fans of the 2014 release from The Hushdrops, Tomorrow. So when we learned the band's frontman John San Juan was releasing his first solo album, Smashed, we got pretty excited. Once we heard it, we weren't disappointed; Smashed an impressive collection of songs that feel to have a slightly more personal nature than his previous work, while still retaining a timeless quality and universal feel that makes the messages still feel instantly accessible. The music spans multiple genres, and gives San Juan a chance to show off his prodigious talents, once again proving he may be one of Chicago's most commercially under-appreciated musical geniuses. Friday night’s show at The Hideout will also serve as the Smashed album release party.

LOGAN SQUARE ARTS FEST: Two days and three nights of live art and music mark the Logan Square Arts Fest. Bands like METZ, Strand of Oaks, and Air Credits represent on a lineup curated by The Whistler and Elastic Arts. Other local businesses like Revolution Brewing and Lula Cafe and Comfort Station will get in on the art and food game. Entry is a $5 gate donation benefiting Logan Square Preservation.

PARTY PUNK: Straight out of Carbondale, Illinois, The Copyrights play a mixture of pop-punk that owes equal debts to Chicago area institutions Naked Raygun and the Bay Area scene that brought us Green Day. If you're just looking for a way to kick off your weekend with crackling guitars and positive vibes, then you'll want to catch the band when they play Quenchers Friday night.

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE: Watch the cringe-worthy game Cards Against Humanity come to life at Greenhouse Theater Center at 10 p.m. Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s Wait, Wait... Don’t Tell Me and co-founder Max Temkin will co-host the evening with improvisers and CAH writers acting out suggestions from audience members. Tickets are $10 with proceeds donated to the ACLU.

SATURDAY JUNE 24

MAMBY ON THE BEACH: MGMT. Walk the Moon. Miike Snow. Cut Copy. These are just a few of the bands playing Mamby on the Beach this year. The two-day music festival on Oakwood Beach comes to us from the folks at React and is Chicago’s only beachside summer music festival. There’s also “more than music” at the fest with Nadi Yoga and wellness workshops. Leave the kids at home though, because this fest is 17 and up. Tickets start at $122 for a two-day pass. Single day tickets are also available.

RANDOLPH STREET MARKET: Randolph Street Market’s "Red, White and Cool" Fourth of July-themed Market is here. More than 300 vendors will span the indoor and outdoor areas of Plumbers Hall on Saturday and Sunday with a mix of antique, vintage and modern goods, plus food and bars, shade cabanas and live music. There’s also a treasure hunt and animals from Erin’s Farm Sanctuary for the kids. Tickets are $8 in advance ($10 gate).

21st ANNUAL DYKE MARCH
After three years based in Humboldt Park, Dyke March, Chicago's annual pride celebration with a rotating location, is moving to Little Village, a.k.a. la Villita. Think of it as the more social justice-oriented, less corporate little sister to Chicago's massive annual Boystown Pride Parade. For the 21st annual march, organizers will begin gathering near Piotrowski Park at 4247 W. 31st St. at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, and then lead a half-mile march before ending up in Piotrowski Park around 3:30 p.m. Details are on Facebook.

Totally 90's w/ Kel - Chicago June 24, 2017 (bar crawl) from Peter Altholz on Vimeo.

TOTALLY '90S PUB CRAWL: Kel Mitchell (of Kenan & Kel fame) will take friends on a “Totally '90s” Pub Crawl in Wicker Park this Saturday. Wear your finest '90s style, and if you make it to all the bars on the crawl, earn a “Totally '90s” T-shirt. There’s a VIP ticket option available that includes Meet & Greet with Kel himself. Tickets are $34.99 in advance.

SUMMERDANCE: Swing, Cha-Cha, Salsa, Bollywood, Waltz, Tango… learn all of these styles and more at this season’s SummerDance. It’s the 21st year in a row for the city’s outdoor live music and dancing series includes a lesson and free-dance time for dancers of all levels. This season also includes a SummerDance-Off where residents can compete at local park contests with a finale in Millennium park on Aug. 26. For a list of all downtown and neighborhood dates, visit DCASE’s website.

DRAGON BOAT RACE: The Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce hosts the Dragon Boat Race for Literacy from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thirty teams will race at the event in Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown. There will also be children’s activities, exhibitor booths and entertainment programming throughout the day. Free.

RAVENSWOOD ON TAP: Ravesnswood shows off their breweries and distilleries this weekend at the 2nd annual Ravenswood on Tap. “Malt Row” businesses like Begyle Brewing Company, Half Acre Beer Company and KOVAL Distillery will be joined by local restaurants and a live music lineup that includes Tara Terra, Mike Maimone and more. Entry is a $5 donation supporting the Ravenswood Community Council, Bowmanville Community Organization, St. Matthias School and the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.

SUNDAY JUNE 25

PRIDE PARADE
Pride Fest culminates with the Pride Parade on the last Sunday of the month (in commemoration of the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots). This is the 48th year for the celebration of Chicago's vibrant LGBTQ community, and as usual there will be live music, extravagant floats and outrageous fun. The parade itself spans Broadway and Halsted between Montrose and Diversey and steps off at noon.

MARIACHI FESTIVAL: Head to Millennium Park this Sunday for some real Mariachi music at 2 p.m. The Chicago Mariachi Festival goes all day long and is free to attend. Headliners at the “largest mariachi event in the U.S.” include Mariachi Los Camperos, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, Mariachi Aztlán of the University of Texas-Río Grande Valley and Mariachi Herencia de Mexico.

NACHO FEST: Nachos are always good, and now there’s a festival for that. The very first Nacho Fest (from the same folks who brought us Donut Fest and Poutine Fest) will take place at Chop Shop’s First Ward from noon to 3 p.m. and will feature bites from Hub 51, Whisk, Half Acre and more. Awards are to be had. Tickets are $35 and include two drinks and a take-home nacho cup.

VINOVERSITY: Class is in session at ENO Wine Room’s ENOversity at 3 and 6 p.m. Learn all about Spanish Vino from the Galicia region while snacking on cheeses, charcuterie and chocolates. Tickets are $55.