Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Tuesday, March 19
The Illinois Science Council presents Chicago Science Fest May 28-30. Today's programming is held at 1871 and MATTER Chicago healthcare incubator, Merchandise Mart 12th floor from 10am to 6pm, and include panels on the science of GMO foods, dark matter and other astronomical phenomena, the human microbiome, innovation among chimpanzees and much more. Tickets are $10 per event, or get a festival day pass for $30.
No, not the guy from Thriller, but his grandfather--Vincent Edward Price was a Waukegan businessman and inventor who sold flavor extracts, cream of tartar, and most notably, baking powder. Today's lecture (10am-noon at Kendall College, 900 North Branch) with Waukegan historian Ed Link looks at Price's life and achievements. Free parking. Cost $3; free to Kendall students and faculty with ID.
Billed as one of the best in the country, the Millennium Art Festival is sure not to disappoint. Bringing over 110 artists together, the festival will include an array of artwork from paintings to pottery. Live performances and food will also be available at the festival. Festival-goers will also be able to contribute their own creative vibes on a freestanding graffiti wall. Admission to the festival is free, and will be located at the junction of Lake Street and Michigan Avenue. The festival is open from 10am to 6pm today.
Story Sessions does a brunch show at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., today at 10:30am. The theme is "threads," and the readers include Rebecca Kling, Tekki Lomnicki, Chuck Sudo, Denise Santomauro, Tim Stafford and Matt Ulrich. Hosted by Denise Santomauro and Tom Wolferman. Tickets are $12.
Atlas Obscura sponsors Obscura Day, an annual celebration of obscure locations and events. Many events are planned worldwide, including several in Chicago. To participate, visit the Obscura Day site and RSVP for one of the events.
Lincoln Square's Maifest runs May 28-31 at Western and Lincoln. Enjoy live music, fresh German beer and food, and the camaraderie of several hundred of your best friends. Admission is free. The festival runs from noon to 11pm today.
The 9th annual Do Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale resumes today at noon, with all the ingredients necessary for a rousing street fest. The event will include live music on two stages, local retailers and artisans, and even a "Family Fun Fest" (although this will only be on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6pm) area with pony rides and face painting, as well as kids' music. The Family Fun Fest area will be held along Hoyne Avenue from Crystal to Potomac, and Crystal from Hoyne Ave. to Damen Ave. A special section of the event, "Do Fashion," on Hoyne Street from Division to Crystal, will feature local and designer pop-up shops, as well as Do-Fashion Runway Shows. There will also be a Sidewalk Sale along Division Street from Damen to Ashland. Admission is free; however, a $5 donation is requested for admittance to benefit the event organizers, local schools, and the West Town Chamber of Commerce. The festival runs from noon to 10pm today.
The inaugural Lincoln Park Wine Festival will take place today Sunday from 1 to 7pm in Jonquil Park, located at 1023 W. Wrightwood. The festival will feature wine (of course), so-described "smooth tunes", artisans, and local culinary fare. The festival will include tented wine and food pavilions, as well as ticketed wine tastings with 80-plus featured varieties. General admission costs $60 a day, with a two-day tasting package at $100. Designated driver tickets are $30. 21+
Seventeen-year-old Madeleine Aguilar performs a concert today from 2 to 3pm at the Hyde Park Free Theater, 1448 E. 57th St., to celebrate the release of her new album, Made In. Her album will be given away free of charge during the concert. More details on Facebook.
The Ballet Chicago Studio Company performs a new program today at 2pm and 7:30pm. The program is composed of five works, including a world premiere by Resident Choreographer Ted Seymour. Illuminate will be performed at the Harris Theater, located at 205 E. Randolph. Tickets are $25-50.
The monthly Chicago Queer Contra Dance is at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 2335 N. Orchard St., tonight from 6 to 9pm. John Legge will be calling and Cosmic Otters performs. Admission is free to $10 on a sliding scale at the door.
The Old Town School of Folk Music celebrates National Tap Day this evening with a performance featuring Reggio McLaughlin. Show starts at 7:30pm at the Maurer Concert Hall, 4544 N. Lincoln. Full details at the school's site, or call (773) 728-6000.
The Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., hosts a free screening of The Burden, a documentary about America's dependence on oil and its threat to national security, tonight at 7:30pm. The film will be followed by a discussion hosted by Henry Henderson, midwest director of the National Resource Defense Council; filmmaker Roger Sorkin; Kevin Johnson, Iraq War veteran and director of federal business development for Canadian Solar (USA) Inc.; and Michael Breen, Iraq War veteran and executive director of the Center for National Policy. RSVP here.
Outlaw country legend Billy Joe Shaver performs tonight at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. in Evanston, with Ashleigh Flynn opening. Doors are at 8pm. Tickets are $22-36.
Spektral Quartet perform Comic Cadences, an original composition based on the comic delivery of comedians, tonight at 8pm at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave. Tickets are $12.