Things to do in Chicago
Explore the best events and things to do in Chicago, from parties and live shows to pop-ups, community events, and more.Updated September 23, 2026Location
rocknite at cole's bar
Tomorrow at 8pm · Chicago
a completely free & 21+ concert hosted by rocknite at Cole's Bar
features 3 local bands
see you there xRSVP Here
HALLOWEEN BALL 2026 🎃🎸🧌
Fri, Oct 23 at 7pm · Chicago
‘Twas The Week Before Halloween Ball: A Benefit show for Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and BUILD, Inc.
Joy 🤝 Resistance 🤝 Community Support. Join us for a lively night for good. 🎃💀🎃💀🎃
🎃 Bring your friends for an easy way to take action and get involved!
👻 Tickets only $15
🍻 21+
🧟♀️ Crowd-voted costume contest
🎨 We’ll have concert tickets to raffle, merch, and donated art for sale from local artists!
All profits will go to BUILD, Inc and Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) to support our neighbors and their families.
BUILD, Inc: Our mission is to inspire hope and offer opportunities so youth facing systemic obstacles can achieve positive futures. buildchicago.org.
ICIRR is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. ICIRR.org.
Parking & Transit Info: https://martyrslive.com/map-directions
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
SHADES OF TIME - Masterfully blending Latin rock, blues rock, and jazz fusion, Shades of Time delivers the best of Chicago’s Santana-influenced sound – immersive guitar work, all-star Latin percussion, and dynamic vocals, tied into fresh, modern arrangements.
SNARKY BUBBE - Have you eaten? You look hungry. Born in the basements of Wicker Park, this six-piece powerhouse bewitches with three-part harmony and infectious energy that makes every show a party. Playing favorites with flair, Snarky Bubbe melts hearts, faces, and all your blues away.
SWEET KAY STRING BAND - A little folk. A little bluegrass. A little outlaw country. A little rock and roll. Blending a touch of magic and a dollop of mischief, Sweet Kay String Band soars with spellbinding vocal artistry, dazzling string work, and soulful groove. Keeping one eye on the road and one in the rearview mirror—it's always a strange and lovely trip. More at tr.ee/sksb.
DJ CYRUS - From the depths of Indiana frat basements to the luxurious heights of Chicago’s finest rooftops, Cyrus has been throwing down and slinging beats for over a decade. Folk hero and long time collaborator with Snarky Bubbe.RSVP Here
(CHICAGO) TOUCH GRASS WALK CLUB: MATCHA EDITION
Sun at 10am · Chicago
hello chicago!!
addicted to your phone? stressed from work? tired of having no friends?
you need to touch some grass.
touch grass walk club is a social walking club with roots in san francisco, built around a very simple concept: getting off our phones, getting outside, and meeting cool people along the way. i recently moved to chicago and am SO excited to bring touch grass with me and start a new chapter in the city <3
expect themed walks every month, excuses to explore chicago, and many opportunities to make friends without having to ask someone on bumble bff if they want to get coffee.
FOR OUR FIRST CHICAGO WALK: BIG BACKS DRINK GRASS 🍵
for all you big backs out there, we’re kicking things off with a matcha crawl
we’ll spend ~2 hours walking around wicker park + surrounding neighborhoods and hitting 3 matcha-themed stops:
SIP → EAT → SWIRL
matcha drink. matcha treat. matcha soft serve. you get it.
after the crawl, we’ll hang around and mingle so you can actually talk to the people you just spent 2 hours walking around chicago with (bc i know some of u people desperately need friends) (i am people)
official crawl stops will be announced as they are confirmed
important note: everyone will purchase individually at each stop, so come HUNGRY or bring friends if you want to split things and try more stuff.
come alone. bring a friend. bring your hinge date idgaf. just get out of your house and feel the sun on your skin before the blistering winter.
very excited to assemble chicago’s matcha lovers for a day of eating, walking, yapping, and touching grass. see you there 🍵🌱RSVP Here
Art Show Opening
Sat at 2pm · Chicago
Solo Art Show about time and beyond time. Things are always becoming something else.
Join me for an afternoon of new work exploring time, transformation, and the space between what something was and what it becomes.
Come see a new collection of acrylic paintings and prints, enjoy drinks and light bites, and spend as little or as much time as you like.
Works and prints will be available for purchase, with pieces priced at $300 and under. An approachable way to start collecting art, or simply find something new for your space.
Come as you are. Stay as long as you want.RSVP Here
Portrait Party! (South Loop)
Next Sun at 11am · Chicago
Alternate title: Doodle Party!
Everybody draws everybody. One person sits in the hot seat, everyone else draws them for two minutes, then we rotate. Go all the way around the room and you leave with a stack of portraits of yourself, one from every person there.
Hot seat is optional. If you'd rather just draw the whole time and never take the seat, tell us and we'll skip you in the rotation.
No skill required and no instruction. Total beginners to regulars, same as always.
At the end we lay every portrait out on the table so we can walk around and see what everyone made, then you take home every drawing of you.
📍 Art studio on the 6th floor of 720 S Wells St. Tell the front desk you're here for the art studio on 6 to see Dean.
🗓️ Sunday, October 4 · 11:00 AM
✏️ Bring a pen or pencil. Paper provided.
Complete our survey to claim a free Rendr sketchbook at arrival, courtesy of Crescent Brands: https://forms.gle/M2jkPhvhT5W8Nh7K9
Fun video of the last session: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdUG8klxMsW/RSVP Here
Walk with Friends
Sat, Oct 10 at 9am · Chicago
Walk the Lakefront Trail with Friends! We will walk the entirety of the 18.5 mile trail (but feel free to come and go) starting at the South Trailhead (at South Shore Beach) and ending at the North Trailhead (Kathy Osterman Beach). We anticipate it taking around 6 hours and will stop along the way for coffees and sightseeing. Wear walking shoes and bring your friends!RSVP Here
📚 Books. 💨 Bongs. 🗣️ Banter.
Tue, Oct 13 at 6pm · Chicago
📚 Books. 💨 Bongs. 🗣️ Banter.
A little literature. A little smoke. A lot of conversation.
Join CLERISY —a cannabis friendly, literary social club, for an evening where we gather to swap books, swap bongs (or clean them) unpack ideas, exchange perspectives, and enjoy good company in a space made for curious minds.
Sometimes the best conversations happen when the book is open, the smoke is flowing, and nobody is afraid to say what they really think.
Welcome to CLERISY.RSVP Here
Bog Power, Rareforms and The Partakers @ Cafe Mustache
Tue, Oct 6 at 7:30pm · Chicago
21+
$5-$10 suggested donation
Bog Power - 7:30
The Partakers - 8:15
Rareforms - 9RSVP Here
$10 & Under Market
Sun at 12pm · Chicago
312 Markets is turning two and celebrating with their signature $10-and-under pop-up with clothes, jewelry, art, tarot, and handmade goods from Chicago small businesses, plus coffee and food on site
First 50 shoppers score a free tote!RSVP Here
RAINBOW_ Listening Party
Sat, Oct 17 at 8pm · Chicago
I wanna listen to da album wid yall i luv y'all sm thank u chicago foreva!RSVP Here
October Planted Porch
Sat, Oct 3 at 7:30pm · Chicago
October 3rd, we're pulling up chairs for something that matters. Every seat at this Planted Porch dinner funds a donation to Justice for Migrant Women and the Chicago Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP), two organizations doing the real, essential work of protecting the people who grow our food, tend our city, and deserve dignity and safety while they do so.
Same format for connecting with strangers. Same seasonal, plant-forward menu made with love. Same unreasonable hospitality. This time, every course comes with purpose.
How it works:
RSVP through the above link first: spots are limited, so seats are approved individually to make sure we can seat everyone comfortably.
Once you're approved, send $130 to @plantedporchsupperclub to confirm your seat:
🍽️ $100 covers dinner, beverages, and service
💛 $30 goes directly to Justice for Migrant Women and Chicago FLAP
Your spot isn't fully reserved until payment is received, so don't wait too long once you're approved!
Bring your appetite, bring your people, and come break bread for a reason bigger than the table.
Full refunds are given if 24 hours before the dinner. Seat purchase is transferrable, nonrefundable (similar system to concert ticket).
Allergens and Food Warning: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Our foods are prepared and cooked in a non industrial kitchen that is not allergen-free. However, we work to prevent cross contamination at every step. By attending a supper club you accept this risk without liability of Planted Porch Supper Club LLC.RSVP Here
That's So Y2K!: Cafe Edition
Sat at 11am · Chicago
We’re taking it back to the 2000s for the day ☀️💿
That’s so Y2K takes over Lit Cafe for the ultimate ✨cafe experience✨ brought to you by King Inesse & DJ Cher
Infused (+non-infused) pastries, coffee, matcha, & more 🍃🍵
Bring your friends— we’ll have all throwback pop + R&B hits you need… plus GIVEAWAYS🎁
FREE ENTRY w/ RSVPRSVP Here
Garage ahh House Show
Sat at 6pm · Chicago
Join us for an outdoor show in Wicker Park!
We’ll have local band VRTUE playing some live tunes, right on the deck of our wonderful hosts’ garage-esque abode.
WHEN:
- Saturday, September 26th
- 6 PM: Doors open - come hang!
- 7 PM: Show start
- 8 PM: Show end
WHERE:
- 1028 N. Marshfield Ave
- The show is in the backyard
- Greeter will be near the entrance
TICKETS:
- $10 admission
- Pick up an event wristband upon arrival
- Jason is handling payments! Please shoot Jason (one of the hosts) a Venmo or Zelle to RSVP
- Venmo: Jason-Inumerable
- Zelle: (847) 704-2415
- Prefer Cash? Feel free to reach out to Jason/the band directly.
REFRESHMENTS:
- Drinks and snacks available for purchase
- BYOB as well
QUESTIONS?
- DM @vrtueband on Instagram
- Kyle (847-848-1328)
- Jason (847-704-2415)
We have limited space so grab your spot while ya can. Hope to see you there!RSVP Here
Taste The Notes “Virgo’s Groove”
Fri at 8:30pm · Chicago
Brent Faiyaz, Amy Winehouse, Nas, Playboi Carti, Skepta, Barry White, Otis Redding, Rod Wave, Ludacris, Cassie, Freddie Mercury, Marc Anthony, and the real stars of the night, Beyoncé and the king of pop, Michael Jackson.
If you haven’t caught the theme yet, relax. I got you.
They Virgos.
Virgos who see everything, who move with intention, who carry a quiet devotion in the way they show up. People who love through action, who hold themselves to a higher standard, who care enough to get the details right even when nobody is watching.
So tonight we honor that energy.
We gather under all these stars, letting their brilliance pull us a little closer to each other.
We let the room warm up, let the music soften the edges, let the night feel like something worth remembering.
Let’s enjoy these stars and have a time before September ends.
Catch a vibe. Sip on some wine. Win a prize 😎RSVP Here
I Know You Ryan
Next Wed at 7pm · Chicago
We've missed you, Ryan!
Join us at the Graystone Tavern In Wrigleyville for the first event of the Ryan Meetup Chicago chapter, where the drinks will be flowing and the Ryans will be hanging.
See you there, Ryan! 21+RSVP Here
PRIMERA CLASE CHICAGO LISTENING PARTY
Today at 8pm · Chicago
First drop back, had to bring it back to the crib.RSVP Here