The best things to do in Chicago this week

Learn more about politics, technology, criminal justice, the human body and other interesting topics at the annual Chicago Ideas Week. The week-long event brings together more than 200 thought leaders from a variety of fields for a series of discussions and panels that take place in front of a live audience. This year's Chicago Ideas Week lineup features former Secretary of State John Kerry, #TimesUp co-founder Amber Tamblyn, Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley, gun control activist David Hogg and comedian Chris Gethard. Discussions on the schedule include a breakdown of blockchain technology, a deep dive into life's biggest questions, a talk about overcoming fear and panel that tackles taboo topics. You can find a complete schedule of events on the Chicago Ideas Week website.  

Sample wines from around the globe paired with bites from some of Chicago's top restaurants at Wine Riot. After you've sipped your way through pours of riesling, merlot and pinot noir, sit down for a quick seminars or check out the Bubble Bar, where you'll find prosecco, cava and champagne. 

Journalists, writers, filmmakers, photographers, poets and musicians take part in a multimedia variety show that's designed to capture the feeling on flipping through the pages of your favorite magazine. At the latest Chicago edition of Pop-Up Magazine, you'll see author Rebecca Skloot, photographer Lara Shipley, criminal justice reporter Albert Samaha and more guests take the stage, accompanied by music from Magik*Magik Orchestra.

Blending old-school tunes, contemporary hip-hop and classic circus acts, the UniverSoul Circus celebrates its 25th anniversary with another month-long residency in Chicago. Head to Washington Park and you'll see a slew of stunts, including new ballerina, trampoline and aerial acts as well as the event's signature Soul Train line. Everything that happens under the big top is family-friendly, so feel free to bring along the little ones.

Celebrate Halloween a few days early at the Arts in the Dark parade, which sends a string of performers, puppets, lanterns and floats through the streets of Chicago. Local artists help create most of the costumes and objects featured in the parade, making this annual tradition a celebration of local creativity (as well as spooky sights). This year, the procession moves from Grant Park to State Street, where it will begin at Lake Street and move south to Van Buren. 

Dogs aren't usually allowed in the Chicago Botanic Garden, but the exception to that rule is the annual Spooky Pooch Parade. Pups and their owners dress up, compete for prizes and celebrate Halloween. You'll need to register if you want to bring your dog, but admission is free for spectators.

Want to run through a corn maze without making a trip to the suburbs? Jack's Pumpkin Pop-up, a new Halloween-themed pop-up experience, brings the seasonal outdoor fun to a two-acre lot near Goose Island. Guests can enjoy pumpkin carving, carnival games and nightly live performances from sword swallowers and fire dancers. Plus, there's a bar inside of the corn maze stocked with beer and cider. 

Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski, Nemo and WALL-E are all heading to Hyde Park. "The Science Behind Pixar" explores the science and technology that go into making some of your favorite animated films, closely examining the techniques used by artists and computer scientists to bring movies like Toy Story and The Incredibles to the big screen.  The traveling exhibit originated at the Museum of Science in Boston and contains more than 40 interactive elements that give guests a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating a computer-animated film. You'll even be able to control a camera while learning how animators created a sense of scale in A Bug's Life and explore the properties of lighting that made it challenging to create convincing water animations in Finding Nemo.  The special exhibit is not included in MSI's museum entry and will require a timed-admission ticket, which is $14 for adults and $11 for children (ages 3–11).

The Little Big Top heads out on its longest tour of the Chicago Parks District to-date, bringing acrobats, tightrope walkers, aerialists, jugglers and more to parks throughout the city. The Midnight Circus touches down in a new park each weekend, staging intimate performances that allow audiences to get up-close to the onstage action.