CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Who's ready for a long weekend? It's the unofficial end of summer this weekend and the forecast looks fantastic, so be sure to enjoy every last bit of it!
If you are looking for something to do this weekend, it is the last weekend to catch a fireworks show at Navy Pier! But that's not all, it is also the last weekend to enjoy a 35-minute yoga class lead by CorePower Yoga instructors inside of the "Immersive Van Gogh" experience; and the last weekend to check out the very popular Frida Kahlo: Timeless exhibit in Glen Ellyn.
Additionally, Chicago Gourmet kicks off this month with a variety of events throughout the city; and theater performances have returned, so why not check out a classic like Blue Man Group or Teatro Zinzanni, with has some new cast members!
Here's a look at things to do this weekend in Chicago and the suburbs:
Chicago Gourmet
Chicago Gourmet, the annual food festival hosted by the Illinois Restaurant Association, returns this year with a month-long lineup of smaller events and dinners celebrating the city's dining scene. Normally a three-day event, the lengthened version includes a Tacos & Tequila event hosted by Chef Rick Bayless; The Hamburger Hop is back and bigger than ever; an expanded version of our fabulous Grand Cru, presented by UnitedHealthcare, that will feature the world's finest wines, craft spirits, and unforgettable cuisine from Chicago's award winning chefs, all in-person at the beautiful Harris Theater Rooftop; and back by popular demand, "Go Gourmet" returns in 2021, featuring a lineup of in-person dining events throughout the entire month of September at leading restaurants and venues citywide. MORE INFO.
Where: Various locations throughout Chicago
When: Throughout September
Cost: Varies
Navy Pier Fireworks
Navy Pier Fireworks
To celebrate its reopening, Navy Pier is bring back Chicago's favorite sky spectacle show Wednesday and Saturday nights from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Find a spot anywhere on the pier to take in this dazzling free display. Soundtracks feature dramatic and popular music with some special occasion soundtracks. MORE INFO.
Where: Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.
When: Saturday, 10:15-10:25 p.m.
Cost: Free
WNDR museumWNDR 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
Gogh with Lifeway Immersive Yoga in partnership with CorePower YogaProvided by Carol Fox and Associates Public Relations
Gogh with Lifeway Immersive Yoga in partnership with CorePower Yoga
Grab a mat and enjoy a 35-minute yoga class lead by CorePower Yoga instructors inside of the "Immersive Van Gogh" experience. Each workout is designed to challenge the body and inspire the mind; choreographed in harmony with the music, sounds, light, and moving images from Van Gogh's vast catalog of masterpieces. After your class, guests are invited to stay and experience the art around them one more time. The classes take place early in the morning on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays—before the exhibit opens to the general public. MORE INFO.
Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace, 108 W. Germania Pl.
When: Now through Sept. 5
Cost: $54.99 per person per class plus fees
Frida Kahlo: Timeless
Presented by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL, this comprehensive presentation of the life and works of the artist Frida Kahlo will feature 26 original pieces as well as an immersive historical exhibit that provides a framework of the life, circumstances and events that led to Kahlo becoming one of the most important painters of the 20th century and of our time. Alongside the 26 original works, this immersive exhibition features a multimedia timeline with reproductions of Kahlo's clothing; more than 100 photographic images from the artist's life; a family-friendly children's area; and, a Frida Kahlo-inspired garden designed by Ball Horticultural. MORE INFO.
Where: Cleve Carney Museum of Art, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn
When: Now through Sept. 6
Cost: Untimed entry tickets $40 and timed tickets $23
State Street featuring the Chicago TheaterJonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Sundays on State
Starting July 11, a section of State Street spanning from Madison to Lake Streets will close to vehicle traffic for Sundays on State, a new initiative from the city and Chicago Loop Alliance that invites pedestrians to explore the iconic downtown stretch without interruption from cars. More than 70 vendors will be on hand for the inaugural event—everything from typewriter demos from the American Writers Museum to movies projected on the side of the Gene Siskel Film Center by the Chicago Film Society, plus tons of other activations, performances, shopping, and dining options.
Come together with neighbors from every Chicago community and beyond for this free, interactive city-wide block party, while safely enjoying art, culture, active recreation, shopping, food, drinks, and local attractions. Experience everyone's neighborhood, the Loop, like never before! MORE INFO.
Where: State Street and Lake Street, Loop
When: Sunday, July 11 through Sunday, Sept. 12; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Dale Messick Brenda Starr 2-21-1954Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
CHICAGO: Where Comics Came to Life (1880–1960)
A significant, but often overlooked contribution to American art and culture is Chicago's role in the development of the early comic strip. Through its countless newspapers and its publishing industry, Chicago led the transformation of comics from daily fantasy and joke features into ongoing stories grounded in the textures and details of real life, its first real step towards legitimacy as an expressive language and semi-literary art form.
The exhibition focuses on the origins of the comics in popular publishing, the immeasurable importance of African-American cartoonists and publishing, the first woman cartoonists and editors, the first daily comic strip, and finally the art and comics of undeservedly forgotten Frank King, who with "Gasoline Alley" captured not only the rhythms and tone of everyday existence in his characters that aged not only at the same daily rate as its newspaper readers, but were also fictionalized versions of real people.
The exhibition is designed and planned as an intentional historical companion to the concurrently appearing survey of contemporary Chicago comics at the Museum of Contemporary Art, in which Ware's work also appears. MORE INFO.
Where: Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St., Sidney R. Yates Gallery, 4th Floor North
When: Now through Oct. 3, open daily 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Lynda Barry, 100 Demons: Dancing, 2000-02. Watercolor on board; 8 × 10Adam Baumgold Fine Art
Chicago Comics: 1960s to Now
Chicago has been a center for comics for decades—a haven not only for making and publishing cartoons, but also for innovating on the medium. Chicago Comics: 1960s to Now tells the story of the art form in the influential city through the work of Chicago's many cartoonists: known, under-recognized, and up-and-coming.
The exhibition traces the evolution of comics in Chicago, as cartoonists ventured beyond the pages of newspapers and into experimental territory including long-form storytelling, countercultural critique, and political activism. Chicago Comics examines styles, schools of thought, and modes of publication across six decades of cartooning, including works from artists who are changing the medium today. The exhibition seeks to bring to the fore artists of color who were previously under-recognized throughout their careers. In this pursuit, the exhibition features archival material previously not seen in museums and offers a revised history of the art form. Represented throughout this timeline are special sections that highlight key artists including Kerry James Marshall, Lynda Barry, and Chris Ware. MORE INFO.
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
When: Now through Oct. 3
Cost: Included in museum admission
A decorative wall panel at the Chicago Architecture Center's new exhibit on Helmut Jahn.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 GoghWBBM 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
Marvel: Universe of Super HeroesMuseum 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
Human+NatureMorton 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
