Zombie Pub Crawl @ Andersonville

The undead will walk the earth today from 2:30 pm until 9 pm for the fifth annual Zombie Pub Crawl. The rotting masses will shuffle through Mary's Attic, Simon's Tavern, and other Andersonville bars while supporting Lakeview's comedy theater company pH Productions. Register for $20 beginning March 1, and $25 after March 15 here. Registration includes a t-shirt, access to drink specials, and all the brains you can get your teeth around (just look out for those shotgun wielding farmers).

Chicago Improv Festival

The Chicago Improv Festival runs April 23-29 at several locations around the city. Tonight's lineup includes multiple shows at the Athenaeum Theater, 2936 N. Southport Ave.; the Chemically Imbalanced, 1420 W. Irving Park Rd.; the Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.; the Second City Skybox, 1618 N. Wells, 4th Flr.; and the Laugh Out Loud Theater, 601 N. Martingale Rd. in Schaumburg. Tickets are $15-20, with discounts for students. See the full schedule and ticket info here.

The Abstract of ThYck @ Grossinger City Autoplex

The Grossinger City Autoplex, 1530 N. Dayton, hosts the ThYck Troupe of Chicago's "The Abstract of ThYck," tonight at 7pm. The troupe, which features and promotes full-figured women in arts and entertainment, will perform in a showcase featuring live music, spoken word, a runway fashion show and more. General admission tickets are $25; VIP tickets are $50-$100. For more information, call 847-582-0555.

The Paper Machete

The Paper Machete this week features readings by Ian Belknap, Lacy Campbell, Fawzia Mirza, Tawny Newsome, Marz Timms, Scott Smith and Michael Patrick Thornton, plus performances by New York improve group PIG (Pretty Improv Girls), country folk music by Arielle Bess Luckman and Pinto and the Bean. The show begins at 3pm at the Horseshoe, 4115 N. Lincoln Ave.

Road Food: Exploring the Midwest One Bite at a Time

The Greater Midwest Food Alliance holds a symposium, Road Food: Exploring the Midwest One Bite at a Time, this weekend at Kendall College, from April 27 to April 29. Today's activities run from 9am to 4pm and include a keynote by RoadFood.com's Michael Stern titled "Will Success Spoil Regional Food?" and panel discussions on drive-in restaurants, culinary traditions in small-town cafes, horseshoe sandwiches, Depression-era pie trucks, the history of the Midwest supper club and more (full schedule here). Lunch features a range of Midwestern specialties including horseshoes, pork tenderloin sandwiches and runza; an afternoon break features a tasting of Midwestern wines and Wisconsin cheese. Tickets to the conference are $85 for the weekend, available online

Obscura Day

Atlas Obscura's Obscura Day is today, and Chicago events include a tour of the Busy Beaver Button Museum, 3279 W. Armitage Ave.; a visit to the Letter Writers Alliance at the Read/Write Library, 914 N. California, Walton Entrance; a Forgotten Chicago tour of Goose Island and Pulaski Park, starting at the North & Clybourn Red Line stop; an Art of Darkness scavenger hunt at the Art Institute, 111 S. Michigan Ave.; and a day of fun at the Boring Store, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Times and costs vary.

Beast Women @ Greenhouse Theater

Beast Women, now in its fifth season, is a cabaret-style show that features some of the best female talent in Chicago. It runs Saturday nights at 10:30pm April 7-May 12 in the Greenhouse Theater Downstairs Main Stage, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets are $15, available online or at the box office.

Teens Together Playwriting Ensemble

Storycatchers Theater works with Chicago high school students to develop musical theater scripts that focus on writing skills, collaboration and promoting social change. Tonight's performance by the Playwriting Ensemble is a preview of the Summer Theater Ensemble and the official launch of the "Teens Together" online anthology. This event is free and open to the public; RSVP is required by April 27. Stick around for the post-performance reception to meet the cast. 1104 S. Wabash, 1PM.

Open Books Sidewalk Sale

If you love books, getting a great deal and being outside then the 2012 Open Books Sidewalk Sale is a must for you and your family/friends this spring. Thousands of books are on sale, priced from $1-3, so get outside and take in the sun and the joy of bringing home some new adventures, all in support of, Open Books, an awesome Chicago nonprofit organization that provides literacy and creative programming to thousands of students throughout the city. The event is this Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, from 12-5pm both days (1PM Storytime in the famous bookstore Children's Corner ). Admission is free. Open Books Bookstore, 213 W. Institute Place.

The Late Live Show @Stage 773

Taking the classic talk show format and giving it with a contemporary sensibility, The Late Live Show has everything you'd see in a late night show. Previous runs have included guests like Danny Pudi from NBC's Community, Olympic gold medalist Shani Davis, and director of Hoop Dreams and The Interrupters, Steve James.

Shows are every Saturday for six weeks, beginning April 21 at Stage 773 (1225 West Belmont). Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here, or at the door.

Pastoral's Artisan Producer Festival

Today from 11am to 3pm, Pastoral hosts its Artisan Producer Festival at the Chicago French Market, 131 N. Clinton St. Sample products and celebrate artisanal food, beer and wine from around the world, and meet some of the people who make them. Free. Details on Facebook.

Mastering the Audition @ Chicago State University

Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Dr., presents actor and Northwestern University alum John Marshall Jones in "Mastering the Audition," today from 10am-12pm. Led by Jones, known for his roles in "Smart Guy," "The Troop," and "Still Standing," this free event for aspiring actors will offer advice, interactive exercises and tips on theater and performance art auditioning. For more information, call 773-995-2300.

Fear Experiment Two @Park West

Thirty-eight adults, who A) are self-professed "bad" dancers or "bad" improvisers, B) sign up alone, and C) are scared on some level, rehearsed with a teacher for three months. And now they will be rockstars for one night! See Fear Experiment Two tonight at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave. Tickets are $24, available online or at the door. Doors open at 8pm. 18+