Springtime in Chicago
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April 2027 events calendar for Chicago

Plan your April in Chicago with our calendar of the best things to do, including concerts, theater and art exhibits.

Shannon Shreibak
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Get excited, Chicagoans, because spring in Chicago is officially here. (Later, snow!) The warmer temps are perfect for hiking near Chicago or taking a day trip to enjoy a quick getaway but there’ll be plenty of fun in the city, too. There's plenty to do outside, including the city's much-anticipated cherry blossom viewing. So celebrate the spring season—and all the new beginnings that go along with it—with our list of the best things to do in Chicago this April.

RECOMMENDED: Events calendar for Chicago in 2027

The best events in Chicago this April

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Museum Campus
Whether you’re parenting a pint-sized Pokémon devotee or a nostalgic millennial still clinging to a holographic Charizard card for its “possible resale value” (guilty), the Pokémon Fossil Museum is designed to surprise and delight. Making its U.S. debut at the Field Museum in spring 2026, the international exhibition invites visitors to compare Fossil Pokémon like Tyrantrum and Archeops with real-world fossils—including SUE the T. rex. Expect Pokémon models, real fossil excavation tools and immersive soundscapes throughout.
  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Streeterville
“Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers” is a major survey spanning the Chicago artist’s nearly three-decade career. Through photography, video, immersive painting and large-scale installation, the exhibition explores the fragility of the human psyche against the weight of historic forces. Centering freedom as his primary muse, Johnson draws inspiration from radical movements of the late 20th century, showcasing how individuals and communities resist established orders to carve out new paths through history.
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