The best things to do in Chicago today

You probably know young Frenchwoman Amélie’s story from the silver screen, and now you can see it in Chicago’s intimate Chopin Theater. Transport yourself to the streets of Paris with this musical that closely follows the film’s plot—Amélie seeking connection and joy through her wondrous imagination. The musical will unfold throughout the Chopin Downstairs Studio, transforming the lobby, bar, and café into set pieces.

Link up with the Revolution Brewing crew for an Oktoberfest bar crawl along the Riverwalk! The boozy quest begins at Brews and Bites and ends at Island Party Hut, with plenty of stops in between. All bars will be holding giveaways and offering Revolution branded steins for anyone who orders the brewery's Oktoberfest lager. 

You’ve probably seen a Shakespeare play before, but never like this. Five professional actors come together for each performance of Drunk Shakespeare. The twist? One of them has had five shots before the show and is trying to stay on track while the other four actors do their best to hold the performance together.

With its latest exhibition, the Chicago Botanic Garden showcases the patterns and prints that adorn the natural world. Through meticulously planted gardens and nature-inspired art installations, Patterned by Nature highlights the intersection between graphic design and horticulture. Exhibition highlights include colossal embroidered flowers by Raquel Rodrigo, a collection of upcycled fashion sourced from garden materials by Columbia College Chicago’s School of Fashion and a paisley patterned succulent garden. 

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. Running Thursdays through Saturdays beginning at 7:30pm, it’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

During the summer, spending more time indoors than absolutely necessary feels almost sacrilegious. The Music Box Theatre gets it—and fully embraces the season by inviting movie lovers into its charming outdoor garden. Grab a specialty cocktail (each one cleverly named after an iconic film) and settle in for a night of cinema under the stars. Highlights of this year’s lineup include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the 2003 remake, for the horror purists out there), Dirty Dancing and The Goonies.

Returning to a two-acre plot of land just west of Goose Island, Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up saves you a trip to the suburbs by bringing a huge corn maze, more than 10,000 pumpkins, axe throwing, carnival games, food trucks, twinkling orange light displays and more fall fun to the city. A general admission ticket nets you access to the pop-up, but you can also opt for add-ons that let you take home a pumpkin, grab a drink at one of bars or go axe throwing.  When is Jack's Pumpkin Pop-up? The pop-up opens September 18 and runs through November 2. How do I get tickets to Jack's Pumpkin Pop-up? Timed-entry tickets can be purchased via Jack's website. Prices vary based on time and ticket type.

Get your claws up! Mother Monster is officially coming to Chicago: yes, Lady Gaga is bringing her hotly anticipated Mayhem Ball Tour to Chicago in support of her sixth studio album, the synth-happy Mayhem. The Mayhem Ball Tour marks the pop icon's first arena tour since 2018, promising over-the-top theatrics, staggering choreography and deep thematic exploration.

Every two years, Chicago becomes a global hub of architecture and design during the Chicago Architecture Biennial. This edition’s theme is SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, bringing together over 100 projects by architects, artists and designers from 30 countries—each piece engaging with the cultural, social and environmental fluxes transforming our world. Start your Biennial experience at the Chicago Cultural Center, then explore a citywide constellation of exhibitions and public programs hosted by dozens of leading cultural, program, and civic partners throughout Chicago. A full schedule of programming and locations is coming soon. Stay up-to-date by visiting the Chicago Architecture Biennial website.

Experience the Art Institute like never before by tagging along with Marielle Epstein, assistant director of Interpretation at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Mindful Looking” is a monthly program that teaches attendees how to use mindfulness practices to enhance their museum-going experience, encouraging reflection and contemplation. A close look at an artwork is followed by a discussion and a guided meditation around a theme presented in the session. No prior experience with meditation is required.

The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce hosts the neighborhood's Uncorked Wine Stroll, an evening showcasing Lincoln Park businesses. With over a dozen stops along Lincoln Avenue, light bites and—of course—lots of wine, there’s no better way to get to know the neighborhood. Cobble together a group of five or more to save $5 per ticket!

Founded in 1981 and organized by Chicago Filmmakers, Reeling is the second-oldest LGBTQ film festival in the U.S., featuring a lineup of features, shorts and documentaries highlighting the diversity of queer stories and filmmakers from around the world. The fest will show dozens of feature and short films this year in a mixture of in-person and virtual screenings. Screenings run from September 19–28 at Landmark Century Centre Cinemas (2828 N. Clark St) and Chicago Filmmakers (1326 W. Hollywood Ave). For a full schedule of films and other events, visit the festival's website.

This one’s for the birders out there! Stop by the Newberry Library this August and September for a free guided tour of "Winging It: A Brief History of Humanity's Relationship with Birds,” an exhibit exploring the cultural and environmental resilience of birds across eras and civilizations. The tour ends in one of the library’s cozy reading rooms, where you can chat about what you’ve learned or dive into everything else the Newberry has to offer. (Spoiler alert: it’s a lot.)

The Joffrey Ballet opens its 70th anniversary season with the U.S. premiere of Carmen—an epic story of love and betrayal set in 1930s Spain—reinterpreted by world-renowned choreographer Liam Scarlett. In this fiery ballet adaptation of arguably the world’s most popular opera, Scarlett brings a modernized intensity to Carmen. Don't wait on tickets—the Joffrey is staging just 10 performances of Carmen over two weekends.