The best things to do in Chicago this weekend

Chicago hosts NASCAR’s first ever street race this weekend, sending cars going 120 miles per hour down Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, Columbus Drive and other downtown thoroughfares. You can purchase tickets to watch all the action from reserved seats and designated viewing areas, and also enjoy concerts by The Chainsmokers, The Black Crowes, Miranda Lambert and Charley Crockett.

For three decades, the African Caribbean International Festival of Love has brought reggae and world music performances, Afro-Caribbean food, games, crafts and more to Washington Park. This year, the fest will take place over Independence Day weekend, with performances from I-Octane, Mr. Killa, Heatwave, Roody Roodboy and more. 

Show off your pride on Saturday at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Washington Park. Providing a safe space for Black and Brown members of the LGBTQ+ community, the fifth annual Pride South Side celebration will feature musical performances, a vendor fair with local small businesses, family-friendly activities and more. The event is part of Chicago Black Pride weekend.

The Beer Mile World Classic comes to Chicago this year with more than $15,000 in prize money. The premise is simple: Drink a beer and then run a mile, repeating the process three more times until four beers and four miles have been completed. The event will feature a beer garden, a DJ bumping tunes and loads of other activities to keep the party going after the race. All registrants will receive a custom bib, a bottle opener medal and four beers to compete with.

It’s been decades since Shania Twain’s country-pop ruled the airwaves, but she’s still the leopard print-wearing diva that you dream of seeing in concert. Prepare yourself as she comes to Tinley Park’s Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in support of her latest album, Queen of Me. Expect to hear new hits alongside favorites like "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "From This Moment On."

Join Furama in celebrating two years of dim sum and drag. Asian performers like Angelíca Grace, Jake Soup and Pussy Bangkok will put on a drag show while guests enjoy a buffet-style dim sum feast. Plus, there will be beats supplied by Club Chow. Seatings are at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

Put on your best pink attire and let your nostalgia run wild at this pop-up inspired by the iconic doll. Fans will enjoy all-day brunch fare from Master Chef semi-finalist Becky Brown and sip on refreshing cocktails while hanging out on a breezy, beach-themed patio. There are plenty of photo ops—including a life-sized Barbie box—plus exclusive merch to pick up. You can even strap on roller skates and glide around an outdoor rink!

Spin classes and weight lifting can wait for the winter. This summer, jump start your weekend with free cardio kickboxing, yoga, pilates and Zumba classes on Millennium Park’s Great Lawn every Saturday from May through September.

Rooftop Cinema Club, the open-air theater perched atop The Emily Hotel, is back for a second season. Guests can catch showings of hand-picked classics, cult films and recent releases while also enjoying sweeping views of the skyline and craft beverages. It’s the perfect summer cinema experience.

During the summer, one of the best aerial displays you'll find in Chicago originates from Navy Pier. The Chicago attraction hosts twice-weekly fireworks shows (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, with stunning views available from across the pier's public spaces. Of course, you can also take in the show from nearby beaches or while cruising along the Lakefront Trail.

Originally established in the late 1800s, the Maxwell Street Market brought vendors, musicians and cooks to an open-air flea market where shoppers could find just about anything they wanted. The market introduced the Maxwell Street Polish sausage, provided a venue for rising Chicago blues musicians and was immortalized in a scene in The Blues Brothers. These days, the market sets up on nearby Desplaines Street (between Roosevelt and Howard) every Sunday, where visitors will find vendors hawking their wares, an abundance of delicious Mexican food and occasional performances by local bands and dance troupes. Don't let the cold or wet weather scare you away—the Maxwell Street Market takes place outdoors year-round.

Head to 360 Chicago on Saturdays for yoga with a killer view. Instructor Britta Eumann will lead an hour-long class on the 94th floor of 875 N Michigan Avenue (formerly the John Hancock Center) that’s suitable for all ages and skill levels—you just need to bring your own mat and arrived properly dressed. Registration is $50 and includes a cocktail or coffee, plus admission to the observation deck so you can stick around and snap some photos after you're done striking poses on the mat.

Pixar Putt returns to Polk Bros Park at Navy Pier for the 2023 season. The mini golf pop-up presents 18 holes of fun inspired by some of Pixar’s most beloved films, including Toy Story, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Wall-E and more. Looking for a date night activity? Visit Thursday-Sunday from 7pm-10pm for Pixar Putt After Dark, which is reserved for patrons over 18. Illinois residents can save $3.50 off each ticket with proof of residency.

Projecting a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of the Merchandise Mart, ART on THE Mart's summer programming includes a piece by global design and architecture firm Gensler—Building Light—as well as a newly commissioned work by the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations at 8:30pm and 9pm every evening. It’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

From the team that created Immersive Van Gogh, Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius is a new production that brings the famous Classical composer’s brilliant works to life with  captivating visuals built around the auditory experience. Audiences will be surrounded by bustling city streets, ornate royal auditoriums, lavish paintings and otherworldly dreamscapes, all accompanied by some of Mozart’s most beloved melodies. Some of Mozart’s best compositions will be featured, including Symphony No. 40, Requiem, Turkish March, Ave Verum Corpus and selections from his acclaimed operas. Immersive Van Gogh is also currently running in the same space and customers who purchase tickets to Mozart Immersive can watch both shows back to back.

Yer a wizard, Harry! Or at least, you can pretend to be one at this immersive Harry Potter experience that’s popping up at Water Tower Place through September 2023. Visitors are invited to step into Harry’s life at Hogwarts with interactive features like Quidditch lessons, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, sipping sweet drinks at the Butterbeer Bar, Patronus-seeking in the Forbidden Forest and learning their Hogwarts house via the Sorting Hat, among other magical experiences. FYI: In addition to regular operating hours, the exhibition is open on “select” Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and may offer different hours around holidays. 

Chicago Gamespace, a video game museum in Logan Square, is opening a new exhibition dedicated to the game universe of TRON. Visitors will enter through Flynn's Arcade, the immortal arcade owned by Jeff Bridges' Flynn character in the sci-fi classic, and learn about the original TRON arcade game’s history and development before entering an immersive Light Cycle arena featuring other games from the franchise. General admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids, and includes access to the video game history collection.

Tap into feelings of childhood nostalgia at the Museum of Science and Industry’s newest exhibit, a colorful glimpse into the world of Mold-A-Rama™ machines. Explore a collection of popular, rare and experimental souvenirs, learn about the history of the machines’ production and breathe in the iconic scent of their plastic toymaking—you can even take home a few new Mold-A-Rama™ souvenirs if you’re looking to expand your collection. 

Delve into the often-mystifying process of death in this surprisingly life-affirming exhibit at the Field Museum, which explores dying through a variety of natural and cultural processes. Attendees can explore highlights like a full-sized ofrenda made by Chicago artist Norma Rios-Sierra, a replica of a whale's body on the ocean floor and check out a variety of interactive media and soundscapes to help ponder some of life's big questions about death. 

Bye Bye Liver combines two robust Chicago traditions: comedy and heavy drinking. The show opened 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.

Settle in for an evening of burlesque performers, belly dancers, drag artists and variety entertainers during this weekly show at Newport Theater. The hour-long show features speciality cocktails and intimate seating arrangements, making this feel like a clandestine speakeasy experience. Bring some singles so that you can tip performers throughout the night!

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.

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.