Get out there. I know January can be cold and dreary (and literally dry) but I implore you to double up your socks and see what the city has to offer. This month is packed with options 👇
MLK Day in the City
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 19 — make the most of your day off. For all ages, Hyde Park Art Center is throwing a free celebration with music, art-making, film, and live performances.
Also family-friendly, the Chicago History Museum is hosting hands-on activities that explore King’s ongoing influence on the fight for civil rights. Museum entrance is free for all Illinoisans that day.
Then, at 4 p.m., Open Heart: an MLK Tribute Concert starts at The Auditorium. Music selections include “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat,” a new suite adapted from the 2024 film, and “breathe/burn: an elegy” which honors Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old who was killed by police in her Kentucky home in 2020.
The Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition also kicks off MLK Day at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. This annual exhibit is the longest-running exhibition of African American art, having shown at the museum since 1970. Entrance is included with general admission; admission is free Jan. 25-28.
Film and Theater Fests
January is the perfect time to get into some type of Chicago theater. “January Giallo,” a series of old Italian horror, kicks off Jan. 5 with “Paranoia” at the Music Box Theatre. The final show, “The House with the Laughing Windows,” is Jan. 24.
NOSE Film Fest, which highlights DIY cinema, is happening for one day at FACETS on Jan. 24.
The 39th Annual Young Playwrights Festival is ongoing at Pegasus Theatre Chicago. On Fridays and Saturdays until Jan. 24, you can catch plays by Chicago’s youngest and brightest playwrights.
The unique theater options continue with the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, running Jan. 21 to Feb. 1. Over 100 puppet events will take place during those 10 days.
Restaurant Week Kicks Off
Here’s the thing: Restaurant Week is only a deal if you play your cards right. I suggest doing some menu research on the spots you’re most interested in. Dinners cost $45 or $60 per person.
This year, Restaurant Week begins Jan. 23 and ends Feb. 8. A whopping 507 restaurants are participating.
Some City Cast Chicago favorites include Rose Mary; Daisies; Lula Cafe; Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar; Petterino’s; Teatro ZinZanni; Tala House; Big Jones; Demera Ethiopian Restaurant; Dove's Luncheonette; Mariscos San Pedro; Lior's Cafe, Virtue Restaurant & Bar, and Signature.
