3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
What to do in Chicago: Nikki Glaser, ‘Floating World' and a busy weekend for street festivals
The Queens: Expect three hours of hits as Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills command the stage at the United Center. The four R&B divas, who range in age from 68 to 81, demonstrate how they've earned their status over decades in the business.
Maifest Chicago: Lincoln Square promises Gemütlichkeit — geniality — at its annual celebration of German heritage. Eat, drink beer and dance 'til your lederhosen snap.
Do Division Street: Two stages programmed by The Empty Bottle and Subterranean are the draw for this West Town street fair, with Ax and the Hatchetmen among the headliners. Beyond the music, check out local artists, food trucks, fashion-forward sidewalk sales and a whole lineup of family fun including a petting zoo.
Nikki Glaser: The comedian who went viral for her razor-sharp roast of Tom Brady brings her 'Alive and Unwell' tour to the Chicago Theatre for a four-show stand. If you've only seen her as host of the Golden Globes, now's your chance to see what she can really do.
Windy City Hot Dog Fest: This four-year-old festival in Portage Park pits sausage against sausage, with 11 stands vying to be named top dog. Beyond all the hot dog eating — and yes, there also will be a contest to eat the most — the weekend will feature a dog parade (as in, canines) and live music.
Porchfest Lakeview: Maybe you've heard of NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concerts.' Lakeview does it better. Watch local acts perform front-porch concerts throughout the neighborhood. Can't make it this weekend? Watch for another installment in Roscoe Village on Aug. 17.
Chicago Puppet Lab Showcase: Get a glimpse of puppet theater works in progress, as eight Chicago artists take the stage. A offshoot of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the Chicago Puppet Lab will offer two programs featuring four artists each.
'Hokusai & Ukiyo-e — The Floating World': Promising an immersive experience that brings Japan's Shogun era to life, the Cleve Carney Museum of Art presents a 70-piece collection including paintings and woodblock prints by Hokusai and other masters of ukiyo-e. This is the first time this Chiossone Collection will be shown in the United States.
'Summer Camp': No s'mores here, but plenty of fun. The Siskel Film Center has put together a 10-film lineup of 'sweeping melodrama' and movies that are 'so bad they're actually brilliant.' It kicks off Sunday with Douglas Sirk's 'Written on the Wind' before winding its way through the Maysles brothers' classic documentary 'Grey Gardens,' the Joan Crawford biopic 'Mommie Dearest' and the Bette Davis humdinger 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' Of course there's John Waters and the disastrously fantastic Liz Taylor flick 'Boom!'
Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Giveaway: It's tomato season at the Chicago Botanic Garden's plant giveaway. Head to the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden to learn about featured plants — which this weekend will feature La Roma IV and Tomatoberry Garden tomatoes — and then take home a seedling. Plant giveaways run throughout the growing season, featuring a variety of herbs, vegetables and flowers.
