The best February 2026 events in Chicago

Open wide! Chicago Restaurant Week is back for its 19th year. More than 470 Chicagoland eateries will offer specially curated prix fixe menus for brunch ($30), lunch ($30) or dinner ($45/$60) between January 24 and February are 9. With more than two weeks to chow down, there's plenty of time to make a few reservations and check out some of the best restaurants in Chicago while saving some coin.

The Chicago Auto Show—the largest car show in North America—is headed back to McCormick Place for 10 days this February to showcase the latest and greatest developments in the world of cars, trucks, electric cars and concept cars. Manufacturers trot out their newest models in elaborate exhibitions, often accompanied by interactive installations that allow you to get behind the wheel (whether physically via indoor/outdoor test track or virtually).

Every year, in the coldest depths of the winter, Chicago Theatre Week gives us a great reason to venture outside. The annual event runs from February 5 to 15, taking over stages throughout the city—from major regional hubs like the Goodman Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre to intimate spaces such as Raven Theatre. During Chicago Theatre Week, companies offer tickets priced at $15 or $30 (or sometimes less!). 

Can't get enough of marionettes? You'll love the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, which brings puppeteers from across the globe to the city for 12 days of symposiums and more than 100 performances and events. The Puppet Hub returns this year, which includes events on the fourth floor of the Fine Arts Building on Michigan Avenue—take a look around to find everything from a puppet-themed cafe to live puppet spectacle productions in the building’s massive Studebaker Theater. 

Uptown's annual Lunar New Year Celebration kicks off the Chinese New Year with dazzling dragons, dancers, drummers and more. The parade starts at 1pm at Argyle Street and Sheridan Road. More than 20 local community groups will be marching and there will be performances as well as family-friendly activities to enjoy between 10:30am–4pm.

February is the last month to catch this expansive retrospective celebrating key moments of Yoko Ono’s illustrious career. Tracing Ono’s career back to the 1950s, “Music of the Mind” presents over 200 works across a variety of media including performance footage, music and sound recordings, scores, film, photography, installation and archival materials. The exhibition also features participatory works—a key component of Ono’s creative practice—where visitors are encouraged to interact with instruction-based artworks.

Chicago's notorious frigid winter temperatures and the possibility of snow don't stop the Empty Bottle from throwing an outdoor concert in February. The Music Frozen Dancing block party sets up a stage outside of the Ukrainian Village rock club, fires up some heat lamps, stocks the coolers wil Goose Island beer and presents an afternoon of live music that you can take in while bundled up in your warmest winter coat. As usual, admission to Music Frozen Dancing is free, but the Empty Bottle will collect donations for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless at the gate.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's bombastic megamusical haunts the Cadillac Palace for a spectacular eight-week run. The age-old tale of love, loss and revenge unfolds against the Baroque interior of the Cadillac Palace Theatre—transporting you straight to late 19th-century Paris. 

The seventh annual West Loop Wedding Walk returns on February 1. Couples can spend the afternoon touring 12 of the neighborhood's premier event venues—which have been staged for the occasion—while enjoying food and drinks and meeting more than 200 vendors. Transportation between venues will be provided. Once you've had your fill, head over to Salvage One for an afterparty hosted by Bluewater Kings.

The weekend-long celebration will take over the 28,000-square-foot Gangnam Market, an expansive Asian-American hybrid supermarket and food hall. Throughout the event, guests can enjoy complimentary food, beer and wine samples from a variety of market vendors. Those who spend $16 or more will receive a traditional Lucky Red Envelope, each containing a special prize. The festivities also include twice-daily performances by lion dancers and drummers, photo ops with three roaming Pokémon characters and exclusive discounts throughout the store.