Things to do and see around the city.
ART
THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO: 111 S. Michigan Ave. 312-443-3600. “A Voyage to South America: Andean Art in the Spanish Empire” on display through Feb. 21, 2016.
CHICAGO ARTISTS COALITION: 217 N. Carpenter St. 312-491-8888. Create Webinar Recordings through June 2016.
EVANSTON ART CENTER: 2603 Sheridan Road. 847-475-5300.
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART: 220 E. Chicago. mcachicago.org.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART: 1852 W. 19th St. 312-738-1503. Exhibit “Nuestras Historias: Stories of Mexican Identity from the Permanent Collection” on display through Nov. 30, 2017. “Deportable Aliens: New Work” by Rodrigo Lara Zendejas through Feb. 28, 2016. “La Muerte Niña: Day of the Dead” will be on display through Dec. 13. Celebrate the Day of the Dead with the works of over 90 artists of Mexican descent from both sides of the border. Featured is the painting tradition of the Death Child and the little angels’ ritual. Thirteen ofrendas and installations were created to remember distinguished artists and members of the community alike. Folk art, paintings, and sculptures comprise the largest annual exhibition of Day of the Dead in the U.S. Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández, the internationally acclaimed dance company which captures the heart, spirit and rich traditions of the Mexican people, will present a free dance masterclass at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 26. Decorating Sugar Skulls at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 27, and at 10, 11, 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Oct. 18. Cost is $5. Registration required. Public tours for “La Muerte Niña: Day of the Dead” exhibit at noon Oct. 3.
NATIONAL VETERANS ART MUSEUM: 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773- 326-0270. Permanent exhibit includes “The Things They Carried.”
UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART: 2320 W. Chicago Ave. 773-227-5522; www.uima-chicago.org.
ZHOU B ART CENTER: 1029 W 35th St. 773- 523-0200.
COMEDY
HEMMENS CULTURAL CENTER: Corner of Symphony Way and North Grove Avenue, Elgin. GreenRoom Improv will perform the first Friday of the month at 8 p.m. through December. Tickets are $10-12. Discounts for groups available.
SECOND CITY: Piper’s Alley, 1608 N. Wells. 312-337-3992. “Soul Brother, Where Art Thou?,” “103rd Mainstage Revue: Panic on Cloud 9,” “The Second City’s Life Hacks,” “#DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment,” “Best of Second City,” “Death by Evening,” “Neighborhood Tour,” Second City’s “Game Night,” “Thank You, That’s Enough” will be performed through September. Tickets are $23-41 for each.
ZANIES: 1548 N. Wells. 312-337-4027. Michael Isaac, Sept. 27. Shane Mauss, Sept. 28. Adam Guerino, Sept. 29. Dr. Bill Miller, Sept. 30. Tom Wilson, Oct. 1. Mike Speirs, Oct. 2-4.
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ZANIES: Pheasant Run Resort and Spa, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. 630-513-1761. Mike Toomey, Oct. 1. Tom Wilson, Oct. 2-3.
ZANIES: MB Financial Park, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont. 847-813-0484. Tuesday Ten, Sept. 29. Patti Vasquez, Sept. 30, Oct. 1-3.
MEDLEY
BOLINGBROOK COUNTRY CLUB: 2001 Rodéo Drive. KindnessGala.com. The Kindness Gala, a fundraising and awareness-raising event that celebrates local groups whose mission is to give back to people in our communities, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1. It celebrates human kindness, compassion, and generosity. This is a red carpet event with light appetizers and an open bar. All of the ticket sale profits go directly to the non-profit groups who are honored guests in attendance. Additionally, since the first event is also a celebration of the third book in the series, “A Girl With A PINK Cape,” which honors those fighting breast cancer or any other illness, a portion of the profits from each book sold will also go to the Gala’s honored NPOs in attendance for an entire year. It’s the vision of Full Heart Publishing that the Kindness Gala will continue every year, highlighting and supporting different NPOs each year, providing them with the same support. Tickets are $35.
CENTRAL PARK: 1500 Forest Gate Road, Oak Brook. 630-990-4233. Haunted Forest open 6:30-9:30 p.m Oct. 9-10. It will feature a 13,000-square-foot haunted maze along with a pumpkin patch, face painting, fireside storytelling, candy in the haystack, a craft corner and tractor-pulled hayrides.
HOUSE OF TORMENT: 8240 N. Austin Ave., Morton Grove. 224-888-1031. Open Sept. 25 through Nov. 7. Fast pass and immediate access available. This haunted house features two attractions: Contagium (alien invasion creating half-alien, half-human hybrid race, with horrifying results) and The Abandoned (abandoned school, possessed schoolchildren, the most tortured among them being a girl named Hellen). Tickets are $24.99-29.99.
LISLE COMMUNITY PARK: 1825 Short St. www.wshs-dg.org/barkapalooza. Barkapalooza will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 27. This extremely dog-friendly event allows pet owners, prospective pet adopters and all-around pet lovers to raise money for homeless pets through a Dog Walkathon. Participants are encouraged to collect pledges for the walk, and all proceeds will support the West Suburban Humane Society. Visitors will enjoy a food, fun, music, vendors and a free goodie bag for participating in the walk. Rain or shine, parking is ample and free. The registration fee is $20. Children ages 12 and under may walk for free. Walkers with $100 or more in collected pledges will have their registration fee waived and walk for free. There will be clowns, face painting, and balloon sculptures, along with a “Kids and Kindness Zone” and a scavenger hunt.
MONTGOMERY VILLAGE HALL: 200 North River St. 630-466-6700. The village will host its annual 5K and 10K River Run at 9 a.m. Oct. 3. They are USA Track and Field certified with computerized race results provided by Race Time, a premier race management service provider in northern Illinois. The race will start and finish at Village Hall. Race day registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The race takes place on both sides of the scenic Fox River through beautiful landscaped parks and residential areas. Awards will be given to the first two male and first two female finishers in the age categories. There will be several area vendors set-up prior to and after the race. Same-day race registration for the 5K is $30 and $15 for children while the 10K is $45 and $25 for children. Children under age 3 are free for both races. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Montgomery VFW Post 7452 and to the Montgomery Foundation.
NAVY PIER: 600 E. Grand Ave. 312-595-5200. The exhibit “Boats!” will be on display through Nov. 1 in the Children’s Museum. Toddler Takeover weekdays, through Sept. 30 in Children’s Museum. Each day will feature a variety of brain-powering activities for the 12-month- to 4-year-old crowd. Math Fair: At the Square Root of Fun! from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 26. This free, family-fun event will excite young minds as they interact with mathematically-themed activities, games, exhibits and performances.
UNITED CENTER: 1901 W. Madison St. 312-455-4500. Madonna at 8 p.m. Sept. 28. Tickets start at 102.50. Ariana Grande at 7:30 p .m. Oct. 2. Tickets start at $20.
WEST TOWN: www.ChicagoCanineConcierge.com. West Town Pup Crawl from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 6, weather permitting. Chicagoans can get social with their pups at four area dog-friendly watering holes at the weekly yappy-hour. Mahoney’s Pub & Grille, 551 N. Ogden Ave., home to a large, dog-friendly patio, will partner with three other West Town bars, also with dog-friendly outdoor areas: Aberdeen Tap, 440 N. Aberdeen, G & O Tavern, 1367 W. Erie, and The Matchbox, 770 N. Milwaukee Ave. It is free of charge to leashed, friendly dogs and their unleashed, friendly owners.
MUSEUMS
ADLER PLANETARIUM: 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. 312-922-7827. “Destination Solar System,” a live show that takes adventurous space explorers on an immersive tour of the Solar System. “Mission Moon,” a permanent exhibit that follows the legendary career of Captain James A. Lovell Jr. — an astronaut immortalized on film as the Commander of Apollo 13 — from his rocket crazed childhood through his quest for the Moon. “Community Design Lab” is a flexible, creative space that celebrate the Adler’s 85-year history and offers guests hands-on, minds-on activities that will challenge them to think about science — and the Adler — in new ways.
ELGIN PUBLIC MUSEUM: Lords Park, 225 Grand Blvd. 847-741-6655. Enjoy an up close and personal look at the bison, deer and elk at the Lords Park Zoo Sept. 26. Meet at the Museum for a short introduction after which we head to the zoo to assist the Lords Park Zookeeper in feeding these magnificent creatures. The Bison Feeding will begin at 7 a.m. at the Museum building. Cost is $2, and $1 for children. Registration required. .
FIELD MUSEUM: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. Permanent exhibits include “The Crown Family PlayLab,” “Evolving Planet,” “Sue the T-Rex,” “Cyrus Tang Hall of China” and more.
ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & EDUCATION CENTER: 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie. 847-967-4889.
KOHL CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: 2100 Patriot Drive, Glenview. 847-832-6600.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY: 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive. 773-684-1414. The exhibits on display include “80 at 80,” “Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze,” “Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle” and more. Robot Revolution through Jan. 3. Interact with a cutting-edge collection of robots from around the world. Materials Science on display through Jan. 31. Explore the history and future of materials that impact our lives everyday.
NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM: 333. S. Halsted St. 312-655-1234; www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org. “Monumental” will be on display through November. “Street is my Gallery” on display through October. The works in the exhibition, created at the height of Greece’s economic difficulties, offer pointed messages for political and economic leaders and take on social issues such as racism, immigration, individual responsibility, and empowerment. The Museum encourages Greek Americans to celebrate their immigrant heritage by telling their own unique individual or family story. The Museum’s Oral History Project preserves these stories for the future so that we can learn about the immigrant experience and Greek journey. Interviews are free for individuals and groups. Call for an appointment. “Transcending Boundaries: The Art of Anthony Quinn” will be on display through October. The depth and breadth of Quinn’s creative genius is showcased in an exhibition of more than 70 of his emotive paintings and powerful sculptures. Personal items from his studio will also be on display. Visitors will see reflections of Quinn’s life experiences, traces of his proud Mexican heritage, his love of cultures throughout the world, and the impact of his long friendship with the Greek people. New series of Greek dance lessons for teens and adults, which are held on Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., will cover the basic Pan-Hellenic dances: Kalamatiano, Xasaposerviko and Tsamiko at the beginning of each class. All dance abilities are welcome. The session runs through Nov. 10 for ages 15 and up. Drop-ins are welcome.
PEGGY NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM: 2430 Cannon Drive. 773-755-5100. Features Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, a 2,700-square-foot greenhouse filled with pools of water, flowers, tropical trees and 1,000 butterflies, including those never-before-seen in our region. Release of new butterflies at 2 p.m. daily. Permanent exhibit “Nature’s Lunchbox” shines the spotlight on healthy eating. In the spirit of the Smithsonian Museums, which offer free admission every day, Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by “Smithsonian” magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 26.
POLISH MUSEUM OF AMERICA: 984 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-384-3352; www.polishmuseumofamerica.org. One of the nation’s oldest and largest ethnic museums features a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits as well as events and resources for the Polish community.
MUSIC
BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS: 700 S. Wabash. 312-427-1190; www.buddyguy.com. Live blues every night. Set times are 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and jam until 12:45 a.m. Monday; 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and jam from 11:30 p.m. until 12:45 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday; opening band 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., headliner 10:30 p.m. to midnight and jam from 12:30 to 1:15 a.m. Saturday; and Sunday Night Jazz Party is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cover charge is $10 for the Sunday through Thursday night shows and $20 for the Friday and Saturday night shows.
THEATER
ABOUT FACE THEATRE: 5252 N. Broadway St. 773- 784-8565.
APOLLO THEATER: 2540 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-935-6100. “Million Dollar Quartet” open run. Tickets are $25-85.
ATHENAEUM THEATRE: 2936 N. Southport Ave. 773- 935-6875.
AUDITORIUM THEATRE: Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway. 800-982-2787; www.ticketmaster.com. Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26. Tickets are $30-73.
BANK OF AMERICA THEATRE: 18 W. Monroe St. 800-775-2000. “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,” a Broadway musical comedy, Sept. 29 through Oct. 11. Tickets start at $34.30.
BRIAR STREET THEATRE: 3133 N. Halsted St. “Blue Man Group” open run. Tickets are $49-$69;
CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE: 151 W. Randolph St. 312-386-8905; www.ticketmaster.com.
CIVIC OPERA HOUSE: 20 N. Wacker. www.lyricopera.org.
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DEN THEATRE: 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. 866- 811-4111; irishtheatreofchicago.org.
DRURY LANE, OAK BROOK: 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. (630) 530-0111.
FLAT IRON ARTS BUILDING: 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. bailiwickchicago.com.
THE GIFT THEATRE: 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. thegifttheatre.org
GOODMAN THEATRE: 170 N. Dearborn St. 312-443-3800. “Feathers and Teeth” through Oct. 18. Tickets are $10-25. “Disgraced” through Oct. 25. Tickets are $20-94.
MERCURY THEATER: 3745 N. Southport Ave. 773-325-1700. “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash” through Nov. 1. Tickets are $25-65.
METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE: 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. 847-577-2121. Award-winning musical comedy “Monty Python’s Spamalot” will be performed through Oct. 25. Winner of three Tony awards, including Best Musical, this highly irreverent comedy combines all your favorite moments from the cult classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail with the added flair of musical Vegas glitz. See King Arthur, Lancelot and the rest on their quest to find the Holy Grail, complete with Frenchmen, Knights that say “Ni”, and of course a killer rabbit. Tickets are $38.
NORTHSHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. 847-673-6300; www.northshorecenter.org. “Funnyman” by Bruce Graham will be performed through Oct. 18. Tickets are $15-60. The Vijay Iyer Trio performs at 8 p.m. Sept. 18. Tickets are $25-45.
PARAMOUNT THEATRE: 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630-896-6666. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” will be performed through Oct. 18. Tickets are $41-56.
ORACLE THEATRE: 3809 N Broadway (252) 220-0269; publicaccesstheatre.org.
SHAKESPEARE THEATRE: Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. 312-595-5633; . Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” will be performed through Nov. 8. Tickets start at $48. “Ride the Cyclone” will be performed Sept. 29 through Nov. 15. Recommended for audience members ages 13 and up. Tickets start at $30.
SKOKIE THEATRE: 7924 Lincoln Ave. 847-677-7761. “Next To Normal,” book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 27. This musical won three Tony Awards in 2009 and the Pulitzer Prize for its heartbreaking, humorous and unflinchingly authentic look at a modern family struggling with the effects of bipolar disorder. Tickets are $38, $33 for seniors, and $28 for students.
STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY: 1650 N Halsted St. 312-335-1650. “East of Eden” will be performed through Nov. 15. Tickets are $64.
THEATRE AT MEILEY-SWALLOW HALL: North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth Ave., Naperville. 630-637-7469; www.brightsidetheatre.com.
THEATER WIT: 1229 W. Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150.
TWISTED VINE: 3530 N. Halsted. 800-838-3006.
VICTORY GARDENS RICHARD CHRISTIANSEN THEATRE: 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. 773- 871-3000.
WILMETTE THEATRE: 11222 Central Ave. 847-323-0054.
UNDER THE SUN
BROOKFIELD ZOO: First Avenue between Ogden Avenue and 31st Street. 708-688-8000. Hispanic Heritage Celebration from 1 to 5 p.m. Sept. 26. Celebrate Hispanic culture with music, dancing, and art. This traditional celebration coincides with the independence of several Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and Chile. Decorate your very own sugar skull with Brookfield Public Library staff, make a beautiful monarch butterfly, meet one of the Animal Ambassadors, and enjoy hands-on science activities with the University of Illinois Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Cat Awareness Weekend Sept. 26-27. Learn about the zoo’s cats, from the big cats like African lions, Amur leopards, Amur tigers, and snow leopards to the small ones, including servals, fishing cats and domestic house cats. There will be special Zoo Chats and cat-themed activities for cat lovers of all ages.
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN: 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. 847-556-1778, www.chicagobotanic.org. Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting, through Oct. 25. Admission is $4-6, and free for children ages 2 and under. Garden Chef series at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sundays through Oct. 4. South Water Kitchen with Chef Roger Waysok Sept. 26, My Private Chef, Inc. with Chef Christopher Tonghe Sept. 27, Shedd Aquarium with Chef Michael Hiller Oct. 3, and Garden View Café with Chef Pete Pettorossi Oct. 4. American Craft Exposition from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 25-26, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 27. A 3-day ticket is $15. Benefit Preview will be from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 24. Tickets begin at $175. This highly competitive juried show and sale of fine craft features one-of-a-kind handcrafted artwork and luxury collections from the country’s leading crafts people. Fall Bulb Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 2-4. Members only Oct. 2. There will be live music, a harvest market, cider, wine, and beer to purchase, the gourd mountain, more than 20 local vendors, a straw-bale maze and more. Representatives from SavATree answer your tree questions beginning at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 3 and a tree walk follows. Farmers’ market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 4.
LINCOLN PARK ZOO: 2001 N. Clark St. 312-742-2000; lpzoo.org. “Nature in Motion: Sculpture” through Oct. 31. Fiesta Familiar presented by Hoy from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 26. Take part in the largest Hispanic family event of its kind in the Midwest. Enjoy live music and dance performances throughout the day as well as activity stations highlighting art, health, gardening, science, music and more. Free. Wine & Wildlife at 6 p.m. Sept. 30. The after-hours series lets adults enjoy a glass of wine while learning about the zoo’s global conservation programs from animal care experts and research scientists. Cost is $17. Fall Fest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 2-4, 9-12, and 16-18. Free admission. Features a corn maze and hay mountain, pumpkin patch, hay ride, Ferris wheel, pumpkin bounce house, strolling entertainers, animal chats and learning stations and more. Also, pumpkins will be sold at the pumpkin patch Oct. 1–31.
MORTON ARBORETUM: I-88 and Route 53, Lisle. 630-968-0074. Acorn Express Adventures through Oct. at 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Theatre-Hikes with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]” at 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in September; and “In This Final Century” at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in October, including Oct. 12. Cost is $20, and $10 for children. Nature Connects: Art with LEGO bricks by Sean Kenney through Nov. 1. The exhibit has been engineered from nearly half a million LEGO bricks. LEGO Brick Play from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends in September and October. Children can play and let the bricks stay as they create their own LEGO brick masterpieces in this self-guided hands-on discovery activity. Themes will change monthly and include turtles, monarchs, gardens, and spiders. Scarecrow Trail beginning at 7 a.m. daily in October. Admire creations from local scout troops and vote for your favorite scarecrow. Splendid Spiders from 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends in October. Find out where spiders live and how they help our gardens. There will be some spider specimens to look at. Trick or Trees from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends in October. Play tricky games, fashion fun fall crafts, and plant a tree seed to take home as your treat. Small pumpkins to paint will also be available for purchase. Annual Bulb Sale beginning Oct. 3-4 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fall Color 5K Run & Walk Oct. 4. Includes a Kids Dash for ages 2-10. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m., 5Krun/Walk begins at 8 a.m. and the Kids Dash begins at 9 a.m. Cost is $35, and $15 for the dash in advance, and $40 and $20, respectively, the day of the event.
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