The best things to do in Chicago this week

Get ready to show off your most creative and exquisite cosplay outfit when the Chicago
Comic & Entertainment Expo, one of the largest pop culture conventions in the country,
returns to its annual stomping grounds at McCormick Place. You'll be able to wander through a massive wonderland filled with comics, toys, games, movies and television. Mingle with fellow fans, search for one-of-a-kind merch or attend live panels featuring some of biggest names in the industry. This year’s guest lineup includes professional wrestler Sting, Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, Amy Jo Johnson and more.

The sixth edition of Cinema Femme Short Film Festival is being held at Music Box Theatre from April 25-May 2. Showcasing and uplifting female and non-binary filmmakers, the fest will screen 20 short films plus the Chicago premiere of 2023 Sundance winner Smoked Sauna Sisterhood. See the full schedule of events here.

Tabú Chicago and Atomic Hospitality Group host this evening dedicated to tequila and mezcal. Sample new products and old favorites from a variety of brands, including Dos Hombres, Onda, Cambrio, Don Julio and more. Tabú’s kitchen will also be whipping up tasty bites to pair with the agave all night long.

Celebrate the “Best of Chicago” with this Chicago Reader event at Lincoln Park Zoo. Hosted by Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, the evening will feature live entertainment and performances from “Best of Chicago” winners, pop-up bars with food and drinks for purchase throughout the park, free carousel rides, photo ops and more. Splurge on VIP tickets for early entry and an exclusive reception with hors d'oeuvres and private performances. 

Too nervous to break the ice at a singles mixer? Let a friend do the talking! This quirky play on speed dating will have pairs of friends meeting, with each participant pitching their BFF instead of talking about themselves. The event will be followed by a casual mixer, where fun conversations with all can continue.

If you’ve ever wanted to get behind the wheel of a supercar and take it around a track, head out to Autobahn Country Club in Joliet from April 25-28. Xtreme Xperience will allow participants to drive or ride along in a host of exotic cars, including the Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4, Porsche 911 GT3, Audi R8 V10 Performance, Nissan GT-R and more. The four-lap rides will happen on a 1.46-mile race track; no experience needed—professional instructors will teach you how to navigate the course.

The Joffrey Ballet is bringing back a favorite to close out its 2023-24 season—Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman’s ballet rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which takes cues from Scandinavian Midsummer traditions rather than Shakespeare. The Lyric Opera Orchestra performs the score by Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson, with Swedish singer Anna von Hausswolff joining the dancers onstage at every performance.

One of Chicago's most popular farmer's markets, Green City Market welcomes vendors selling regional produce to the south end of Lincoln Park (between Clark Street and Stockton Drive) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Amid the rows, you’ll find farm-fresh eggs from Michigan, cheese from Wisconsin and scrumptious pies baked by Chicago’s own Hoosier Mama Pie Co.

Tropical speakeasy Three Dots and a Dash is partnering with some of the best Japanese bars from the U.S. and Japan for a pop-up series throughout the month of April. The event will feature guest bartenders creating a menu of specialty cocktails, plus a selection of exclusive and rare Japanese whiskeys. To enhance the ambiance, a retro jukebox spinning vintage vinyls will provide the soundtrack. The guest lineup includes Bar Goto (April 4-7), Katana Kitchen (April 11-14), Bar Trench (April 18-21) and SG Club (April 25-28).

Displaying a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of THE MART, ART on THE MART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with programming that changes seasonally. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations after dusk every evening. It’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

This annual festival assembles luminaries from the fields of politics, journalism and the arts for a multi-week series of programming across the city, with events ranging from lectures and discussions to screenings and musical performances. Not sure which events to hit? Some of the fest’s biggest speakers this season include former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, architect Jeanne Gang, musician Kathleen Hanna and comedian Reggie Watts. You can see a full schedule of programming on the Chicago Humanities Festival website.

The Museum of Science and Industry debuts a new exhibit dedicated to the science and technology behind the world’s longest-running film franchise, James Bond. Fans can check out 13 vehicles and over 90 additional artifacts, including the prototype jetpack used in Thunderball, an MI6 Retina Scanner from GoldenEye and the Parahawk snowmobile hybrid from The World Is Not Enough. You’ll also be able to step into a lab space inspired by “Q” and test your skills developing the perfect vehicle for spy activities, designing stunts and more.

Winter is almost over and the Garfield Park Conservatory is here to usher in warmer days with its Spring Flower Show. Make a reservation to explore this year's show, "What's in a Name?" which explains the history and science of botanical nomenclature. You'll find spring bulbs like Tulipa ‘Rococo’, Lilium ‘Josephine,’ Viola ‘Matrix Yellow’ and Anemone ‘Giant Blue Poppy.’ The show only sticks around through Mother's Day weekend, so book your visit soon!

Navy Pier’s newest attraction is here, transporting guests to some of Chicago’s most epic places via exhilarating flights. The multi-sensory experience incorporates drone technologies with aerial shots and first-person views to showcase the city like never before. Guests will swoop, dip and turn in motion seats as they climb up skyscrapers, check out iconic landmarks, float through fireworks and more.

Chicago Gamespace, a video game museum and gallery, opens a new exhibit that explores the unique and ephemeral history of vector (line) graphics in contrast to the dominant raster (pixel) visual displays that reign today. Notable games like Asteroids, Battlezone and Star Wars will be highlighted, as well as a recently-preserved emulation of Moonlander.

The largest and most immersive touring Titanic exhibition comes to Westfield Old Orchard mall in Skokie. Visitors will experience a narrative journey that brings to light the fates of the passengers and crew aboard the famous ship. Marvel at hundreds of artifacts that survived the sinking, plus props and costumes featured in James Cameron’s blockbuster film Titanic. Music from the era will play as patrons walk through detailed recreations of the ship’s interiors, including the grand staircase, while the Discovery Gallery will simulate what discovery teams saw during dives to the Titanic’s wreckage site.

Gather a group of friends for this show, an off-the-cuff ode to Jane Austen that has gained a loyal following in the 15 years since its debut. The cast calls upon an audience suggestion to inspire the show’s title (ensuring a totally new performance each time), then creates a long-form, Regency Era "Rom-Com" with Austen tropes and manners of yore. Expect a tale of laughs, love and surprises.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has brought its first immersive entertainment destination to Oakbrook Center, inviting guests to enter the worlds of popular franchises like Uncharted, Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Bad Boys, Zombieland and more. The 45,000-square-foot space is home to a variety of activities, ranging from escape rooms to virtual reality and racing simulators to bumper cars. When you need to refuel, drop into the Commissary Restaurant for a full menu of food, desserts and cocktails. Entry to Wonderverse is free, with attractions priced separately.

Escape the planet with exhibits about the first lunar missions, the solar system and more, plus immersive shows in the dome theater. The Doane Observatory is also home to the largest public telescope in the area, and gathers 7,000 times more light than the human eye. Every Wednesday, the Adler stays open late from 4pm-10pm so that folks can visit after work or school. And best of all, admission is free on those nights for Illinois residents.

This weekly “live magazine” is a cavalcade of culture, politics and wit featuring journalists, actors, comedians and musicians offering idiosyncratic reports on the news of the day. Head to Uptown’s iconic Green Mill for drinks, hot takes and laughs; the longstanding Saturday afternoon edition tends to run about two and a half hours.

What’s better than a show at the Empty Bottle? A free show at the Empty Bottle. Every Monday, Chicago’s premier indie rock club hosts a free concert. Check the website for a schedule of upcoming performances and to RSVP.

Bye Bye Liver combines two robust Chicago traditions: comedy and heavy drinking. The show opened over a decade ago for a three-week run, then kept getting extended. A cast of four to six performers portray characters at the fictional "Franks Bar," telling stories that explore the city's robust drinking culture. Each show incorporates interactive audience drinking games, allowing you to sip a cocktail or beer while taking cues from the cast. And if you're up for a nightcap after the performance, you can stick around for the official after party and mingle with the cast.

For more than 30-years, the Neo-Futurists have been delighting late-night crowds with performances that pack 30 miniature plays into a 60-minute show. Returning to in-person programming (attendees must be vaccinated and masked) after more than a year spent in the virtual realm, the company's signature show is more unpredictable than ever, with a handful of compact new plays premiering every week. Within the span of 10 minutes, you may be treated to a poignant monologue about everyday life or an irreverent diatribe delivered by a pantsless member of the cast—all inspired by the experiences of the performers on stage. Always changing and evolving, it's the rare show that truly offers something different everytime you show up to see it.