Summer officially ends Sept. 22, so make the most of the rest of the season with these food and drink events around town:
Bid farewell to summer
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Pour one for the end of our favorite season with Fountainhead’s Rooftop Bash. Co-hosted by the Ravenswood bar and Windy City Distributing, the party features a lineup of local brews with some national craft offerings sprinkled in (Left Hand Brewing, Off Color, Stone and Allagash, to name a few). Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, 1970 W. Montrose Ave.
Learn about raising urban chickens
Curious about raising chickens in the city? Chicago’s chicken enthusiasts are hosting the seventh annual Windy City Coop Tour this weekend, inviting the curious to check out their hens, ducks, quails, what-have-you in a free, low-key setting. The self-guided tour is available to anyone interested, with 20 spots mapped out through a number of neighborhoods. This year, the tour concludes with a show at Martyrs, plus a game of bingo called by a hen named Clara Cluck. No, really. Free, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit chicagochickens.org for exact locations.
Start oyster season
If we’re to go by an old saying about consuming oysters only in months that contain the letter “r,” well, we’ve got carte blanche to go crazy at this weekend’s Oyster Fest. Organized by Tinley Park’s Tribes Beer Co., the fest was inspired by owner Niall Freyne’s native Galway, Ireland, oyster and seafood festival. Tribes is flying in fresh bivalves from both coasts, setting up a massive raw bar (accompanied by King crab, jumbo shrimp, clams and more), washed down with Ballast Point beers. Priced a la carte, 4-9 p.m. Thursday; 2-9 p.m. Friday; and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday at Tribes Beer Co., 9501 West 171st Street, Tinley Park, www.tribesalehouse.com
Celebrate the spirit of Mexican Independence Day
Taco Joint’s two locations in Lincoln Park and River North are taking cues from the colors of the Mexican flag on Friday (Mexican Independence Day) to offer up a special guacamole studded with pomegranate seeds, queso fresco and nopales (cactus). Other selections include traditional, rojo (a guac with tomato, onion and roasted red jalapeno salsa) and a fruta, with papaya, pineapple and mango (served individually for $6, as a pair for $8 or as a trio for $10). Wash it down with Modelo Especial and a shot of tequila ($6). 11 a.m. to midnight Friday at Taco Joint, 158 W. Ontario St. or 1969 N. Halsted St., tacojoint.com.
Stock your bar pantry
Go beyond cocktail fundamentals with this level-up session at Billy Sunday. Learn how to make and customize your own bitters and syrups using fresh fruit, herbs and other ingredients, then mix them up in some bartender-approved tipples. You’ll walk away with a guidebook and the bar’s own blend of bitters, plus more impressive moves. $125, 1 p.m. Sunday at Billy Sunday, 3143 W. Logan Blvd., billy-sunday.com