Chicago
Augment your culture calendar with the best of what Chicago, Madison and the Twin Cities have to offer. They are all just a car ride away!
Expo Chicago September 13-17 · Navy Pier Festival Hall · expochicago.com 135 galleries from 25 different countries will descend upon Navy Pier, attracting tens of thousands of visitors over the course of this five-day event. Stop by to see what’s new and noteworthy in the art world.
Riot Fest September 15-17 · Douglas Park · riotfest.org After enduring youthful crowds at festivals like Eaux Claires and Lollapalooza all summer long, Gen X-ers finally get their reward: for one glorious weekend, they can pretend it’s the 90s again. Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age and Jawbreaker headline. All that and carnival rides too. Bring it on.
Chicago Architecture Biennial September 16, 2017January 7, 2018 · Chicago Cultural Center · chicago architecturebiennial.org The finest minds in architecture ponder the influence of the past and look toward the future while enjoying spirited discussions and exhibitions, including a pop-up show curated by Katell Jaffrès, of the Palais de Tokyo. Johnston Marklee, the architectural firm celebrated for its design of the Menil Drawing Institute, oversees the event this year.
Bill Vogler Murray,and FriendsJan October 10 · Chicago Symphony Orchestra · cso.org Is this an early sign that the Cubs won’t make it to the post-season? Why else would Murray, their most ardent fan, tour the country reading selections of prose and poetry to the accompaniment of Vogler’s cello?
Chicago International Film Festival October 12-26 · Various locations · chicagofilmfestival.com At the longest-running international competitive film festival in North America, you’ll find both low- and high-budget films and many world premieres. One of the most anticipated is Tea Time, a poignant Chilean documentary that has won several awards since its 2014 release.
Chicago Humanities Festival October 28-November 12 · Various locations · chicagohumanities.org It’s time for Chicago’s annual celebration of ideas. Al Gore, Samantha Power and Jill Soloway ("I Love Dick" and "Transparent") are among this year’s crop of speakers, who will consider belief, a theme that leads "into the ambiguity of our modern world,” says artistic director Jonathan Elmer.
The Minutes November 9-December 31 · Steppenwolf Theatre · steppenwolf.org This new comedy about small-town politics by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts (August: Osage County) opens on Broadway after it closes in Chicago in December. See it here now for maximum bragging rights.
Twyla Tharp: Minimalism and Me December 7-10 · Museum of Contemporary Art · mcachicago.org The MCA turns 50 this year and is celebrating by putting the spotlight on bold, rebellious artists in its exhibitions and programming. So the museum has commissioned MacArthur fellow Twyla Tharp to create a performance inspired by the many artists she collaborated with and the more than 160 dances she choreographed over the course of her long career.