U of C Folk Festival

Waltz down to Hyde Park this weekend to participate in the 45th annual University of Chicago Folk Festival. A diverse line-up of concerts take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Saturday and Sunday during the daytime, check out lots of interesting-looking workshops on fiddling, drumming, dancing and lots more.
Tickets are $15-20 or $7 for students.

Negotiating High School

Whether you have nagging memories of high school, have children in high school, or are currently in high school yourself, you'd be hard pressed to deny that the period of time has lasting effects on a person. The Chicago Historical Society, with its Teen Council, presents Negotiating High School, answering such questions as "What would it be like if students could shape their own learning experience?" Running from 10:30 am-2:00 pm, the event will feature a panel of Chicago students discussing their high school experiences. Admission is free and, hey!, you could receive extra credit for participating in the program.

Clown Around Town

Clown Around Town, a new program from The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, celebrates the circus arts all weekend long with acrobatic workshops, clown performances, and a circus museum exhibit.

Highlights of today's events include: Pippi Goes to the Circus from 11 am-2 pm at the Swedish American Museum Center (5211 N. Clark Street), The Actors Gymnasium Presents A Circus Workshop from Noon-2 pm at the Chicago Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph Street), and Navy Pier's circus extravaganza from Noon-5 pm.

Archer Prewitt Record Release @ Empty Bottle

Archer Prewitt lays down some tunes and celebrates the release of his latest album Wilderness tonight at The Empty Bottle. From the Bottle: "As an artist, Archer Prewitt has been making significant contributions to underground culture for over fifteen years now. An acclaimed illustrator, Prewitt has also found considerable success musically, first with the Coctails, then with Sea & Cake and as a solo artist. The release of his latest solo endeavor, Wilderness, will be celebrated here. The Early Day Miners will themselves be celebrating a new release, Secretly Canadian longplayer All Harm Ends Here. The album is perhaps their strongest offering to date, engrossing pastoral music that is cinematic and richly textured. Independent music luminary Chris Brokaw will open." Tickets are $10 and music starts at 10pm. The Empty Bottle is located at 1035 N. Western Ave. Chicago.