21 Things To Do In Chicago This Weekend
From C2E2 at McCormick Place to Andersonville Restaurant Week, here are 21 things to do in Chicago this weekend across the city's neighborhoods.
The last weekend of March arrives with a full calendar, as Chicagoans shake off winter and lean into spring with conventions, food deals, markets and more scattered across the city’s neighborhoods.
The biggest draw this weekend is C2E2, the annual pop culture convention taking over McCormick Place’s South Building at 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive. Running Friday through Sunday, the event transforms the Near South Side venue into a sprawling hub for comic book fans, anime enthusiasts, cosplayers and gamers. More than 300 vendors fill the artist alley, and celebrity guests appear on the main show floor. Hours run 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with Sunday wrapping up at 5 p.m. Single-day and three-day passes are available online.
Up in Andersonville, Restaurant Week runs through Sunday, giving diners a reason to explore one of the North Side’s most distinctive dining corridors. Participating spots are offering deals and specials across the board. Big Jones is showcasing its Southern cuisine, and the Swedish American Museum is serving up Swedish classics. It’s a good weekend to try somewhere new or revisit an old favorite before the deals expire.
For those thinking about getting their hands in the dirt, a seed swap offers a practical way to plan a spring garden and connect with fellow growers. Wicker Park’s last indoor market of the season is also on the calendar, closing out the winter run before outdoor options take over in the warmer months ahead.
In Ravenswood, the fifth annual International Women’s Day Market runs Saturday and Sunday at Artifact Events, 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave. The free event spotlights women-owned businesses with pop-up shops selling jewelry, beauty products and more, running 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
Also in Ravenswood, the art and gift shop Hey, I Thought Of You at 2839 W. Montrose Ave. is hosting a Protest Signs and Buttons Workshop Thursday evening and again Friday afternoon. The shop is making poster board, markers, cardboard and a button maker available for anyone who wants to prepare for Saturday’s No Kings protest. The event is free.
Hyde Park gets into the mix Friday afternoon with a book event at Seminary Co-op Bookstores, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave., where author Lindsay Fullerton discusses her new book at 4 p.m. Hyde Park also hosts a cat adoption event this weekend for anyone looking to add a new companion.
For music, jazz comes to South Shore on Saturday evening, offering a neighborhood night out on the Southeast Side. And fans of a different kind of spectacle can catch a screening of “Raiders” with live accompaniment by the Chicago Philharmonic, a pairing that gives the classic film a theatrical jolt.
The weekend rounds out with a range of crafty events for those who prefer making something with their hands. Details on the full lineup are available through the event organizers.
Spring in this city doesn’t ease in gently. It shows up all at once, with every neighborhood throwing something at the calendar simultaneously. After a long winter, nobody’s complaining about having too many options. Whether you’re hunting for a good meal in Andersonville, getting lost in a crowd of cosplayers at McCormick Place or browsing handmade goods from women-owned businesses in Ravenswood, the city is back in motion.