On the eve of Thanksgiving, some of us are busy baking pies, brining turkeys, cleaning house or routing our Black Friday plan of attack.
And some of us party.
The following events for the latter group on Thanksgiving eve, also known as Black Wednesday, range from dancing to a polka band or DJ mixes to imbibing on barrel-aged brews and tackling trivia.
All events will be held Nov. 22 unless otherwise noted.
*The annual Thanksgiving Eve Polka Hop from 7 to 11 p.m. at Polonia Banquets, 4604 S. Archer Ave. in Chicago, will have music by Tri-City Drive, turkeys and door prizes. Admission is $10. Details at 773-523-7980 or poloniabanquethall.com.
*The band Tributosaurus will pay homage to Bruce Springsteen in concert at 8 p.m. at Wire, 6815 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn. Tickets are $25 or $60 for VIP reserved balcony seating. Details at 708-669-9473 or wireismusic.com.
*The AC/DC tribute band Chicago Bonfire will perform at J.J. Kelley’s Bar & Grill, 2455 Bernice Road in Lansing. The band Sybil will open. Details at 708-474-9977 or jjkelleyslansing.com.
*The band Maggie Speaks will perform at 9:30 p.m. at CD & ME, 23320 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort. Details at 815-469-7315 or cdandme.com.
More Top Picks Best Double Wall Ovens For Kitchens
*The Brass Buckle Band will perform at 9 p.m. at Skooters Roadhouse, 700 W. Jefferson St. in Shorewood. Details at 815-799-4700 or skootersroadhouse.com.
*Hairbangers Ball and Rockzilla will play an 18-and-older Black Wednesday party at 10:30 p.m. at The Forge, 22 W. Cass St. in Joliet. Tickets are $28. Details at 815-280-5246 or theforgelive.com.
*DJ Boolumaster will spin at Xavier’s Club, 4456 S. Western Ave. in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood. Details at 773-376-1992 or xaviersclub.net.
*Drink and food specials and DJ music will be offered at the fifth annual Black Wednesday party at Island Bar & Grill, 13414 Olde Western Ave. in Blue Island. Black and white attire is encouraged. Details at 708-371-4400 or islandsportsbarandgrill.com.
*The third annual Black Wednesday Pre-Thanksgiving Comedy and After Party at Red Star Cocktail Lounge, 5093 Sauk Trail in Richton Park, will feature 50-cent wings, drink specials, comedy at 8 p.m. and DJ music until 2 a.m. Black and white attire is encouraged. The lounge is open to those 25 and older Sundays to Thursdays and 30 and older Fridays and Saturdays. Details at 708-980-2280 or redstarcocktaillounge.com.
*Test your knowledge of TV’s “Big Bang Theory” during trivia night at the Brass Tap, 14225 95th Ave. in Orland Park. Details at 708-226-1827 or brasstapbeerbar.com.
*Matt & the Underground Prophets will perform at Bulldog Brewing Co., 1409 119th St. in Whiting, Ind., for a party featuring food and drink specials. Details at 219-655-5284 or bulldogbrewing.com.
*The third annual Barrel Aged Black Wednesday Party at the Open Bottle, 7101 183rd St. in Tinley Park, from 3 to 10 p.m. will have tacos and more from Mario’s Cart food truck and tappings of barrel-aged beers from Revolution, Hailstorm, New Holland and others. Details at 708-263-0449 or theopenbottle.com.
*BuckleDown Brewing, 8700 W. 47th St. in Lyons, will host a party celebrating the first release of Significant Imperial Stout, a bourbon barrel-aged coffee chocolate stout, in four packs of 12-ounce cans ($25) plus tapping of Significant variants, Carnivale food truck and music by Common Allies at 7 p.m. Details at 708-777-1842 or buckledownbrewing.com
*The annual Black Friday Dark Secret Bottle Release Nov. 24 at BrickStone Brewery & Restaurant, 557 William Latham Drive in Bourbonnais, will feature biscuits and gravy to go with Original Barrel Aged Dark Secret, 18-year Elijah Craig Barrel Aged Dark Secret and Maple Syrup Barrel Aged Dark Secret. Details at 815-936-9277 or brickstonebrewery.com
*Bruges Brothers food truck will be onsite and special tappings will be offered from 4 to 9 p.m. at Werk Force Brewing, 14903 S. Center St. in Plainfield. Details at 815-531-5557 or werkforcebrewing.com.
Vickie Snow Jurkowski is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.