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A guide to fun things to do in Chicago this weekend.

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Get smarter, faster on what matters in Chicago with Monica Eng, Justin Kaufmann, and Carrie Shepherd.

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Chicago's The Hand & The Eye and "Theater of the Mind" have introduced summer tickets for under $100.

The latest: The Mag Mile magic parlor is offering Summer Friday Magic every Friday through Labor Day for $65, and Theater of the Mind has a "Date Night" special for $99.

Flashback: The Hand & The Eye opened in April with multiple theaters, dining and cocktail options, and, of course, magic. 

The much-anticipated theater in the old Lawry's welcomed guests just weeks after David Byrne and Goodman's "Theater of the Mind" immersive experience opened in River North.

Reality check: The $225-plus ticket price at The Hand & The Eye can be out of reach for some visitors, especially tourists who may think they're just popping in for a magic show, rather than an upscale evening. 

It's scaled back from the regular experience. Still, it offers an introduction to the magic inside the Vault Theater and food and drinks are available for purchase.

A man in the foreground in profile, holding up a smartphone to take a photo, with several people standing in a red-lit room in the background.

Theater of the Mind. Photo: Courtesy of Todd Rosenberg

State of play: "Theater of the Mind's" new "Make it a Date Night" offers admission, two complimentary drinks at the theater bar and a free dessert with a dinner reservation at nearby Nonnina for $99.

Goodman just extended Theater of the Mind's run through Aug. 30.

Details: The show is every Tuesday through Sunday, with certain days including afternoon performances in addition to evening slots.  

Big Chicago attractions offer summer deals

New summer deals at The Hand & The Eye and Theater of the Mind lower the cost of entry.

Opulent interior with curved white staircase along teal walls of framed art. A grand piano, overhead chandelier, and tiger-striped stools around a black marble table on a patterned rug.

The Grand Salon at The Hand & The Eye. Photo: Matthew Reeves/Courtesy of The Hand & The Eye

Chicago&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Hand &amp; The Eye" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/04/07/the-hand-the-eye-opens-in-chicago" data-vars-content-id="2ea42d03-b727-4730-8c49-87d7d7122fe3" data-vars-headline="Big Chicago attractions offer summer deals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/04/07/the-hand-the-eye-opens-in-chicago" target="_self">The Hand &amp; The Eye</a> and &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Theater of the Mind" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/03/26/theater-of-the-mind-david-byrne-immersive-chicago" data-vars-content-id="2ea42d03-b727-4730-8c49-87d7d7122fe3" data-vars-headline="Big Chicago attractions offer summer deals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/03/26/theater-of-the-mind-david-byrne-immersive-chicago" target="_self">Theater of the Mind</a>&quot; have introduced summer tickets for under $100.

Things to Do

For months, I had seen little reveals here and there of the artists whose work would fill the Obama Presidential Center. 

Many of the most well-known names on the international scene are on display, but also Chicago artists who have dedicated their careers to creating stunning public art around the city.

Flashback: Louise Bernard started as museum director in 2017 and, along with curator Virginia Shore, has commissioned 28 works for the center that display the Obamas' tastes as well as their influence in popular culture.

In other words, what artist is going to say "No" when the Obamas ask them to create a piece of art for the presidential library?

President Obama especially, was involved in the commissioning process, Bernard told me in March.

What they're saying: "We knew that the arts were central to [the Obamas] thinking about how to engage people, how to reach people, the relationship between arts and education that was just central to their thinking," Bernard said.

"They had many artists come to the White House, especially performers. But they also hung art in the White House, they acquired new pieces."

Tall sculpture of interwoven metal mesh drapes down a wall beside a staircase in a modern atrium, featuring dark copper tones and white speckles against a gray interior.

Marie Watt’s "This Land, Shared Sky" (in collaboration with Nick Cave). Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios

What to expect: It would be nearly impossible to have a conversation about contemporary Chicago artists without including the late, great sculptor Richard Hunt, whose instantly recognizable bronze statue "Book Bird" sits next to the new Chicago Public Library on the campus.

The Obamas commissioned Hunt to create a work for the center very early on, and "Book Bird" ended up as Hunt's final work before he died in 2023.  

The bold, earth-toned tapestry by artist Nick Cave and artist Marie Watt is another nod to Chicago's rich artistic scene. 

Cave's provocative "Soundsuits," which I first saw at the Smart Museum of Art, another South Side treasure, and his  2022 retrospective at MCA have made the Chicago artist much more visible in recent years.

Interior mural: a large colorful mosaic map on a blue tiled wall, with a wavy olive-green border. Left side shows pinks and reds; background blue with light patches. Window and ceiling visible.

Mark Bradford’s "City of the Big Shoulders." Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios

Artist Mark Bradford isn't a Chicagoan, but his massive "City of the Big Shoulders" work, spanning multiple stories, captures the Chicago map the way so many of us have viewed it throughout the years, zooming in to figure out the boundary lines between our many neighborhoods; boundaries that we know can meet a whole lot.

Using a mix of materials, Bradford shows the panoramic east-to-west view of our city — lake, land, life. 

Zoom out: I love that longtime Chicago muralists Dorian Sylvain and Sam Kirk's "Pass It Forward" mural covers a wall of the gym, two artists who have dedicated their careers to sharing their art out in the open, accessible to all, especially on the South Side.

Window display with mannequins in colorful dresses: gold sequined coat, green floral, red, pink floral, white floral, beige-black geometric, and a yellow patterned cape behind glass.

Michelle Obama's outfits. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios

Zoom in: Paintings, sculptures, murals, and collages are well represented at the Obama Presidential Center, but so are several dresses and other articles of clothing Michelle Obama wore.

Fashion is, of course, art, and the first lady knew the power of style, tapping into emerging designers the world now knows about because of her. 

She elevated those artists, and their names are now memorialized next to their creations.

The bottom line: You know how every year the former president drops his favorite music, books and film list and everyone pays attention?

In a way, the museum is the Obamas' list of contemporary artists to watch. Pay attention.

Obama Presidential Center doubles as a showcase for contemporary art

From Richard Hunt to Nick Cave, the center highlights artists who helped shape Chicago's culture.

Metal sculpture of a bird with wings spread, perched on an open book, mounted on a circular pedestal outside a modern gray building with glass windows and greenery.

Richard Hunt's "Bird Book." Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios

For months, I had seen little reveals here and there of the artists whose work would fill the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Obama Presidential Center. " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/06/04/inside-the-obama-presidential-center-before-opening-day" data-vars-content-id="5512c35d-3931-4ec7-a785-5a985bb77580" data-vars-headline="Obama Presidential Center doubles as a showcase for contemporary art" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/06/04/inside-the-obama-presidential-center-before-opening-day" target="_self">Obama Presidential Center. </a><ul><li>Many of the most well-known names on the international scene are on display, but also Chicago artists who have dedicated their careers to creating stunning public art around the city.</li></ul>

Culture

News

With the World Cup in full swing, Watch Party Radar shows you where to catch the latest match from anywhere in the world.

The context: Stefan and Dennis Tan built the database and map because they often travel for work and found it difficult to find a place to watch sporting events with fellow fans.

"The World Cup felt like the perfect moment to fix (that), because cheering alongside fellow countrymen makes it come alive even more," Stefan tells Axios. 

"I am Dutch and moved to the US, so I am always hunting for the bar with orange in it (you can imagine how that goes)."

Gray map with orange and blue circles with numbers on it.

How it works: Watch Party Radar aggregates websites, social media posts, and articles about venues offering viewing opportunities and makes them accessible on a map.

No business has to sign up or pay, and it's open to users. 

Search for your city, and if it's not there, the Watch Party Radar will add it. 

The intrigue: The database started with 100 cities and around 5,000 venues, and now has more than 300 cities and 25,000 venues, Stefan says. 

Reality check: Time matters. Since the matches are very late for some countries, finding venues that stay open late is useful. 

Plus, fans care who else will be there. They want to cheer alongside their fellow fans from their home country and feel the collective spirit of the World Cup.

World Cup watch party map finds fellow supporters

This free map helps fans find bars and venues showing matches around the world.

Illustration of a cleated-foot kicking a soccer ball stylized as the globe with radiating zig zag action bubbles repeating outwards. 

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

With the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Cup " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/11/world-cup-fifa-travel-immigration-woes" data-vars-content-id="969bd4a7-60b2-4b48-bcab-0762f6189c13" data-vars-headline="World Cup watch party map finds fellow supporters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/11/world-cup-fifa-travel-immigration-woes" target="_self">World Cup </a>in full swing, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Watch Party Radar " data-vars-click-url="https://watchpartyradar.com/?city=chicago" data-vars-content-id="969bd4a7-60b2-4b48-bcab-0762f6189c13" data-vars-headline="World Cup watch party map finds fellow supporters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://watchpartyradar.com/?city=chicago" target="_blank">Watch Party Radar </a>shows you where to catch the latest match from anywhere in the world.

Sports

The world's largest Hello Kitty Café is opening in Chicago this month.

Driving the news: The company announced Wednesday that the café will open at 10am on June 26 at 360 N. Michigan Ave. at the London House Hotel.

State of play: The two-level, 8,000-square-foot space — slated to be the largest Hello Kitty Café in the world — will offer indoor and outdoor patio seating, Chicago-exclusive desserts and beverages, merchandise, and, of course, plenty of photo opportunities.

Flashback: A Japanese illustrator created the Hello Kitty character in 1974 while working at the company Sanrio, according to the BBC.

The character helped generate $5 billion in 2023, Sanrio's Jill Cook told the "Today" show in 2024.

The intrigue: She's not actually a cat, but a girl.

"She was one of the first pop culture brands to introduce Japanese culture to an American audience and really opened up that new design aesthetic," Cook said.

What to expect: The café's online menu includes coffee and colorful specialty drinks topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, alongside cakes, cookies, pies and doughnuts.

Be ready for many Hello Kitty Instagram posts to flood your feed soon.

World's largest Hello Kitty Café opening in Chicago

The 8,000-square-foot café will feature exclusive treats, merch and plenty of photo ops.

Two pink Hello Kitty drinks and a decorated pink cookie on a white table inside a mall cafe with people and a glass ceiling in the background.

A Hello Kitty Cafe in California in 2025. Photo: Shawna Chen/Axios

The world&#x27;s largest <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hello Kitty Café" data-vars-click-url="http://axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/08/12/hello-kitty-cafe-experience-bay-area" data-vars-content-id="e06453c6-3757-4873-94aa-cd4f5be3431a" data-vars-headline="World&#x27;s largest Hello Kitty Café opening in Chicago" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/08/12/hello-kitty-cafe-experience-bay-area" target="_self">Hello Kitty Café</a> is opening in Chicago this month.Driving the news: The company announced Wednesday that the café will open at 10am on June 26 at 360 N. Michigan Ave. at the London House Hotel.

Food and Drink

From Juneteenth celebrations to Father's Day specials, this Chicago weekend is jam-packed.

Oh, and did we mention Pride Fest, art fairs, film fests and shopping?

🇲🇽 Fiesta Back of the Yards features live entertainment, carnival rides, Latin cuisine, games and more. | On Ashland from 45th to 47th Street | Free | Friday-Sunday | Details

🛥️ Black Yacht Weekend packs in music, food, meet-ups and, of course, boats. | Various locations | $114 | Through Sunday | Details

🤠 Morgan Wallen stops by Chicago on his Still The Problem Tour. | Soldier Field | $75+ | Friday and Saturday, 5:30pm |Details

🎂 Indulge in a limited-edition Funfetti Cake slice. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Center on Halsted. | Gene & Georgetti | $19 | Through Jun. 30 | Details

🎭 Check out the North American premiere of "Brokeback Mountain." | $99+ | Jentes Family Courtyard Theater at Chicago Shakespeare Theater | Through Jun. 28 | Details

🎭 Steppenwolf presents the Chicago premiere of Mia Chung's "Catch as Catch Can." | Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater | $20-$120 | Through Jul. 12 | Details

🥩 Prime Time with Dad prix fixe dinner featuring a 16-ounce prime rib for $75 per person. | The Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar | $75 | Through Sunday | Details

🍰 Mandy B's offers Father's Day-themed cookies, cupcakes and cakes with custom order options. | Multiple locations | $4.50-$52 | Friday-Sunday | Details

🍩 Stan's Donuts is offering =the fan-favorite Maple Bacon Long John at all Stan's Donuts locations. | Friday-Sunday | Details

🍽️ Taste of Highland Park returns to Downtown Highland Park, featuring headliners All American Throwbacks (Friday) and Eve 6 (Saturday). | Downtown Highland Park | Friday-Saturday | Details

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 The Sixth Annual 1865 Fest is a free, two-day Juneteenth celebration featuring live music, family programming, food, art and wellness experiences. | Garfield Park Music Court Circle | Free | Friday-Saturday | Details

🎉 The Juneteenth Festival in West Pullman is a free all-ages event with live music, family activities, free food from local Black-owned restaurants and a resource fair. | 821 W. 115th Street (southwest corner of Halsted and 115th), West Pullman | Free | Friday, 1-6pm | Details

🍷 Lincolnshire Marriott Resort is hosting Nine & Wine at Crane's Landing Golf Club, a relaxed summer series combining golf and wine tastings at each hole. | Crane's Landing Golf Club (Lincolnshire Marriott Resort) | Friday, 5pm | Details

😋 Taste of Randolph kicks off with West Loop restaurants, a raffle and live music. | Friday, 5pm-Sunday, 10pm | Details

🧑‍🎨 Gold Coast Art Fair features over 200 juried artists from across the country, offering a diverse range of original works in painting, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, mixed media, and more. | $12.50 | Grant Park | Saturday, 10am-Sunday, 5pm | Details

🎣 Everyone Belongs Nature Festival invites families to enjoy free fishing, flag football, archery, canoeing, yoga, music, food and more. | Free | William W. Powers State Recreation Area | Saturday, 9am-1pm | Details 

🐉 Dragon Boat Race gathers 33 teams this year to compete on the Chicago River in beautifully decorated dragon boats. | Free | Ping Tom Park | Saturday, 9am | Details

🏳️‍🌈 Chicago Pride Fest celebrates LGBTQ+ life, culture and community with performances, a space for teens, food, dancing and a pet parade. | $20 suggested donation | Northalsted | Saturday-Sunday | Details

📽️ Little Fort Environmental Film Festival hosts stories about the most pressing environmental issues facing the Great Lakes. | Genesee Theatre | Saturday-Sunday, noon-4pm | Details

🎭 Black Ensemble Theater is reviving the musical revue "Men of Soul." | $69| Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center | Through Sunday, Aug. 2 | Details

🚲 The Pullman State Historic Site and the Historic Pullman Empowerment Organization are hosting the "Everyone Belongs in History: 1880s Black Founders of Pullman's North End" three-mile Juneteenth and Father's Day bike ride. | Free | Pullman State Historic Site | Saturday, noon | Details

🧺 The Jarvis Square Community Rummage Sale turns the square into an open-air marketplace. | Free | Jarvis Square | Saturday, 9am-3pm | Details

🎉 The Driehaus Museum is hosting a free family-friendly 18th birthday celebration with crafts, amusements, early merchandise access and giveaways. | Free | Driehaus Museum | Saturday, 11am-5pm | Details

🎵 Blues on the Fox at RiverEdge Park features Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Eric Gales, Ally Venable, and Tommy Castro & the Painkillers. | RiverEdge Park in Aurora | $44 | Saturday, 3pm | Details

🎭 Black Cat Theatre Company presents the inaugural Crossing Paths Festival, featuring seven original adaptations exploring the myths of the Pleiades; admission is free with a suggested $5 donation. | Madison Street Theater | Saturday, 7:30-9:30pm | Details

🎸 Tommy Stinson & Friends perform. | $25+ | Gman Tavern | Saturday, 8pm | Details

🧘 The Adler Planetarium is hosting Summer Solstice Yoga, an outdoor vinyasa class on the Sundial Plaza with panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. | $25 | Adler Planetarium's Sundial Plaza | Sunday, 8am | Details

🥩 Carmine's Chicago is offering a special Father's Day weekend dining experience, featuring a Steak Florentine paired with select wines. | Carmine's Chicago | $250 | Friday-Sunday | Details

🍔 Big Star Wicker Park is celebrating Father's Day with the Big Star Smash Burger, 20% off pours from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and children 12 and under eat free from the Lil' Star menu. | Big Star Wicker Park | Sunday | Details

🍸 SuSu's Father's Day steakhouse options include a 16-ounce Wagyu coulette and a 22-ounce dry-aged ribeye with composed sides and cocktails. | SuSu | Sunday | Details

🦞 Adalina Prime has a luxe Father's Day steakhouse experience with a Surf & Turf special, premium cuts like the Miyazaki ribeye and a 14 oz tomahawk, and specialty cocktails. | Adalina Prime | Sunday | Details

🛥️ Chicago Boat Company is offering self-guided boat rentals for Father's Day with a diverse fleet including Duffy boats, pontoons, party barges and donut boats; rentals include Bluetooth speakers and allow BYO food and drinks. | $155+ | Chicago Boat Company | Sunday | Details

🥃 The Graceful Ordinary is offering a 22-ounce ribeye topped with lobster butter plus sides and a house Old Fashioned. | $80 | The Graceful Ordinary | Sunday | Details

🥩 The Greggory's Father's Day experience includes signature cuts from its wood-fired hearth, including international Wagyu and large tomahawk steaks. | The Greggory | Sunday | Details

🍖 Lexington Betty Smokehouse is offering Father's Day barbecue with smoked brisket, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and pulled pork. | Lexington Betty Smokehouse | Sunday | Details

🍦 Pretty Cool Ice Cream's Logan Square shop is offering walk-in Father's Day treats, including dipped and decorated pops in flavors like bourbon vanilla bean and catering options for events. | Pretty Cool Ice Cream | Sunday | Details

🥯 Schneider Deli is offering Father's Day lunch at its River North and Lincoln Park locations with deli staples like corned beef, pastrami and brisket paired with beers from Moody Tongue Brewery. | Multiple locations | Sunday | Details

🍺 Labriola Chicago will offer a free Labriola Lager to all dads. | Labriola on Michigan Avenue | Sunday | Details

🥞 Eden is offering a special Father's Day brunch on Sunday, June 21, featuring two savory features alongside its regular weekend brunch menu. | Eden | Sunday, 10am-3pm | Details

🎤 aliveOne is hosting a free comedy night, with an open mic starting at 5:30pm and a curated CRUSHES Comedy showcase at 8:30pm. | Free | aliveOne | Sunday | Details

💪 Rosemont is hosting "Zumba in the Park" from 6–7pm. | Parkway Bank Park | Free | Mondays through Aug. 3 | Details

⚾️ Chicago Park District brings pop-up lawn games and sports equipment to 40 parks. | Free | Tuesdays-Fridays, noon-5:30pm through July 31. | Details 

🖌️ ArtSeed brings art-making, storytelling and nature to explore themes such as environmental justice, reciprocity and community safety. | Free | Tuesday through Jul. 30. | Details 

🍷 Nonnina is hosting an exclusive Antinori Wine Dinner to celebrate its 10th anniversary, with a curated multi-course menu paired with selections from the Marchesi Antinori estate. | $105 | Nonnina | Wednesday | Details

🍹 About Last Knife is hosting Chicago Pride Drag Bingo with cocktails, prizes and Pride festivities. The event benefits the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. | About Last Knife (ALK) | Free | Wednesday, 5-7pm | Details

🍺 Malt Row on Damen is a one-night craft beer crawl along Damen Avenue in Ravenswood, offering local beer, spirits and wine tastings at multiple shops and galleries. | Multiple locations | $32 | Wednesday, 5:30-8:30pm | Details

🍽️ The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce hosts Cravings on Clark, a summertime food crawl offering 15+ tasting samples from local restaurants and bars. $50 | Multiple locations | Wednesday, 6-9pm | Details

🎻 The Driehaus Museum and Chicago Symphony Orchestra present an ensemble performance celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. | $25-$50 | Driehaus Museum | Wednesday, 6:30-8pm | Details

Chicago weekend: Pride Fest, Black Yacht Weekend, Morgan Wallen and more

From Pride Fest and Juneteenth celebrations to art fairs, food fests and Father's Day events.

Photo illustration of a vintage-style postcard reading Greetings from lovely Chicago, with a photo of Chicago within the text.

Photo Illustration: Brendan Lynch, Lindsey Bailey/Axios

From Juneteenth celebrations to Father&#x27;s Day specials, this Chicago weekend is jam-packed.Oh, and did we mention Pride Fest, art fairs, film fests and shopping?<ul><li>Take a look and get planning! </li></ul>

Carrie Shepherd

Featured stories

World Cup watch party map finds fellow supporters

Big Chicago attractions offer summer deals

Chicago weekend: Pride Fest, Black Yacht Weekend, Morgan Wallen and more

Obama Presidential Center doubles as a showcase for contemporary art

World's largest Hello Kitty Café opening in Chicago