Things to do this weekend in Chicago and the suburbs: Chicago Marathon, Lincoln Park Wine Fest

Family dinner for a celebration with red wine and cheers

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Happy spooky season, Chicago! Summer is still hanging on a little bit -- sorry autumn lovers. This weekend's forecast has highs between the low 80s and mid to low 70s, and lows in the mid to low 60s.

Now that we are in October, all things spooky and haunted are in full effect. Haunted houses are open and Halloween and fall-themed pop-ups are serving up creepy drinks. And outside of all things scary, Bank of America's Chicago Marathon returns this weekend, so come out and cheer on the runners! Or if you are more in the mood to both drink wine and learn all about wine, than there is the perfect event for you this weekend: Lincoln Park Wine Fest!

For sports fans, the Chicago White Sox play in the ALDS this week and take on the Houston Astros. Game 1 is Thursday, Oct. 7 at 3:07 p.m. in Houston; Game 2 is Friday, Oct. 8 at 1:07 p.m. in Houston; and Game 3 is Sunday, Oct. 10 at home at Guaranteed Rate Field. And for the first time, the Chicago Bears travel to Las Vegas for Week 5 to take on the Raiders. Plus, Chicago Bulls preseason has begun and they play the Pelicans at home on Friday at 7 p.m. and then travel to Cleveland on Sunday to take on the Cavaliers at 6 p.m. But that's not all! The Chicago Blackhawks preseason has also begun and they will play Minnesota Wild on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the United Center.

Looking for a quick road trip idea? The Illinois Office of Tourism has released the 2021 Fall Color Report as a helpful guide to help residents and visitors know the best time to spot fall foliage in all regions across the state. Along with the Fall Color Report, the Illinois Office of Tourism has also released new road trip itineraries highlighting incredible fall experiences around Illinois. Each itinerary features unique places to stay, authentic small businesses to discover, places to eat, and one-of-a-kind outdoor adventures among the state’s changing leaves. Plus, theater performances have returned and the Broadway in Chicago box office is open, so be sure to grab some tickets for the upcoming performances this fall and winter.

Here's a look at things to do this weekend in Chicago and the suburbs:

Bedan Karoki of Kenya runs in front of Dejene Debela of Ethiopia, Seifu Tura of Ethiopian, and Lawrence Cherono of Kenya during the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
Bedan Karoki of Kenya runs in front of Dejene Debela of Ethiopia, Seifu Tura of Ethiopian, and Lawrence Cherono of Kenya during the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo credit Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Runners are hitting the streets again this Sunday for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, so why not come out and cheer them on along the 26.5 mile route throughout the city. While the start and finish line in Grant Park is not open to the public, those interested can cheer on the runners in neighborhoods like the Loop, Lincoln Park, Northalsted, Pilsen, Chinatown, and more. MORE INFO.

Where: Throughout Chicago neighborhoods
When: Sunday, 9:30 a.m.
Cost: Free

Lincoln Park Wine Fest returns Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9 to Jonquil Park, located at 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave.
Lincoln Park Wine Fest returns Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9 to Jonquil Park, located at 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave. Photo credit The Silverman Group, Inc.

Lincoln Park Wine Fest

Lincoln Park Wine Fest returns Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9 to Jonquil Park, located at 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave. Wine and food pavilions will cover the park grounds selling top-of-the-line wine, food, and accoutrements. Sommeliers will be assisting wine experts and newbies alike in learning more about all things Oenology and Viticulture (or to help you learn what those words mean). MORE INFO.

Where: Jonquil Park, 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave.
When: Friday and Saturday
Cost: General admission tasting tickets including a commemorative wine glass start at $40, with VIP packages available.

Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes
Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes Photo credit Museum of Science and Industry

Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes

Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes celebrates Marvel history with more than 300 artifacts including original comic book pages, sculptures, interactive displays, and costumes and props from Marvel’s blockbuster films. Guests can examine the origins of iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Hulk, and Captain Marvel and see how they have evolved alongside society over the past 80 years, making these characters a pop culture mainstay. MORE INFO.

Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.
When: Now through Oct. 24
Cost: Requires an additional, timed-entry ticket in addition to museum admission: Adults $18, Children (3-11) $14, Members $9

Chicago Architecture Center
Chicago Architecture Center Photo credit WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding

Open House Chicago

Open House Chicago is a free public festival hosted by the Chicago Architecture Center that offers self-guided history and architecture trails throughout Chicago, talks and programming, and behind-the-scenes access to architecturally, historically, and culturally significant sites across the city.

Open House Chicago remains one of the largest events of its kind in the world. This year's program highlights more than 100 venues in more than 30 Chicago neighborhoods, North Shore suburbs, and Oak Park, with 30 trails for self-guided, outdoor exploration on themes, including community engagement, green spaces, historic preservation, residential architecture and more. Open House Chicago 2021 also includes a broad array of talks and virtual programs, as well as tips and itineraries for exploring shopping, dining, and other attractions in each neighborhood. MORE INFO.

Where: Various locations throughout Chicago
When: Now through Oct. 31
Cost: Free

Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up
Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up Photo credit We Love Pop Ups via Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up/Facebook

Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up

Fall is here and with that comes the return of Chicago's largest fall-inspired pop-up in the Goose Island neighborhood. For a limited time, now through Oct. 31, guests are invited to take part in a "larger than life, outdoor, multi-sensory adventure in the heart of Chicago."

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up will feature Chicago’s largest corn maze, axe throwing, photo ops, three full-service bars with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (plus one hidden in the middle of the corn maze), gypsy caravans with fortune tellers, carnival games, craft donuts, and pumpkins for sale -- of course! MORE INFO.

Where: 1467 N. Elston Ave.
When: Now through Oct. 31 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. weeknights and 1p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
Cost: $22+

Neon and Light Museum
Neon and Light Museum Photo credit WBBM Newsradio/Shannon Blum

Neon and Light Museum

The new Neon and Light Museum pop-up invites guests to stand in, under and around some 70 professional neon and light-based sculptures in a dazzling and dramatic immersive exhibition.

Among the highlights are certain to be: Breathe, a 14-foot-tall perspective-based neon sculpture created by artist John Bannon; Circle’s Edge, Monika Wulfer’s dynamic installation inviting participation with activated gas trapped in glass tubes; and an iconic neon self-portrait by legendary Beatle John Lennon. Other remarkable talent represented in neon and light includes internationally renowned British artist Sarah Blood, feminist neon artist Zoelle Nagib, pop sign artist Jason Pickleman, neon master bender Jacob Fishman, the digital imagery of Detroit’s Annica Cuppetelli and Cristobal Mendoza, the projected light of Gary Justis, the language play of San Francisco’s Helen Lee, and abstract sculptor Michael Young, and more.

The Neon and Light Museum is an expansion of the successful On Neon show presented here in 2020 by the Ken Saunders Gallery, which, since 1995, has exhibited the most important and innovative artists working with glass in the world. MORE INFO.

Where: 325 West Huron, River North, Chicago
When: Now through Oct. 31
Cost: $25

A decorative wall panel at the Chicago Architecture Center's new exhibit on Helmut Jahn.
A decorative wall panel at the Chicago Architecture Center's new exhibit on Helmut Jahn. Photo credit WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding

Helmut Jahn: Life + Architecture

“HELMUT JAHN: LIFE + ARCHITECTURE,” running through October, is a retrospective organized in the wake of Jahn’s death in a bicycle accident in May.

According to the Chicago Architecture Center, the exhibit presents important designs by the powerhouse architect, ranging from signature early projects like the crystalline Michigan City Public Library (1977) and Chicago’s dazzlingly provocative James R. Thompson Center (1985) to the transformational urban marketplace Sony Center in Berlin (2000) and the forward-looking Pritzker Military Archives Center, currently under construction in Somers, Wisconsin.

“HELMUT JAHN: LIFE + ARCHITECTURE” showcases 17 scale models of some of Jahn’s most recognizable works in Chicago and around the world, said the CAC’s content manager, Ian Speela. It also will include photography and sketches illuminating each project and exploring the collaborative design and engineering process, while personal imagery, video, and recollections by those who knew and worked with Jahn underscore his flair for the dramatic and zest for life. Jahn’s career spanned more than 50 years. MORE INFO.

Where: Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E. Wacker Dr.
When: Now through Oct. 31
Cost: Free with general admission

Immersive Van Gogh
Immersive Van Gogh Photo credit WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding

Immersive Van Gogh

Step inside of Starry Night and The Bedroom in Arles with the help of more than 75 digital projectors in this high-tech exhibition that explores the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Designed by the Italian creative team that worked on the "Atelier des Lumières" exhibitions in Paris, "Immersive Van Gogh" covers 35-foot walls with animated versions of the Dutch painters work, accompanied by a score that blends electronic and classical compositions. MORE INFO.

Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace, 108 W. Germania Pl.
When: Now through Nov. 28
Cost: $40-50

Let's Survive Forever by Yayoi Kusama at WNDR Museum
Let's Survive Forever by Yayoi Kusama at WNDR Museum Photo credit WNDR Museum

WNDR museum

The home of Chicago's only Infinity Mirror Room (created by Japanese Yayoi Kusama) is open to the public once again, presenting a new collection of one-of-a-kind art installations alongside some old favorites. New additions to WNDR Museum include a multi-sensory experience from S̶A̶N̶T̶IA̶G̶O̶X that uses artificial intelligence, sounds, visuals and scents, as well as an installation called I Heard There Was a Secret Chord that allows guests to become part of an evolving virtual choir. MORE INFO.

Where: 1130 W. Monroe St.
When: Tickets available now through Dec. 31
Cost: $30

Human+Nature
Human+Nature Photo credit Morton Arboretum

Human+Nature

The Morton Arboretum’s next outdoor art exhibition, Human+Nature, will inspire awe and wonder as it connects people and trees. Internationally renowned artist Daniel Popper created five 15- to 26-foot-tall sculptures exclusively for the Arboretum that will be featured in various locations across its 1,700 acres, leading guests to areas they may not have explored before. It will be his largest exhibition to date anywhere in the world.

On the East Side, a short walk from the Visitor Center, guests will be able to step within a huge female figure, as if into the heart of nature. Continuing along a less than mile-long walk, they will encounter a majestic maternal figure as tall as a tree, and a sculpture of diverse human facial traits interwoven with root structures. On the West Side, two hands joined by intertwining roots will extend near a grove of old oaks, and a towering face will evoke the interconnectedness of humans and trees. Made of concrete, fiberglass, and steel, each sculpture will weigh several metric tons. The largest ground footprint will be 28 feet wide and 37 feet long.

Human+Nature will be included with timed-entry admission to the Arboretum. The exhibition is planned to run for at least one year. MORE INFO.

Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Rte 53, Lisle
When: Now through next year
Cost: Included with timed-entry Arboretum admission