The best things to do in Chicago today

With soundstage-sized pieces like horned sculptures emitting soap bubbles, inflated spheres bedecked in abstract squiggles and surreal faceless figures hovering in space, “EmotionAir” reimagines the humble balloon as any other artistic medium—a conduit for creativity and emotion. 

Every year, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry puts up its four-story Grand Tree and surrounds the towering pine with more than 50 trees that represent Chicago's various communities and their respective holiday celebrations. Visitors will be able to take in even more seasonal cheer at the accompanying Holidays of Light exhibit, which recognizes the traditions of Chinese New Year, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Visakha Puja Day and St. Lucia Day. Admission to Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light is included with a regular Museum of Science and Industry ticket.

The 2003 holiday movie Elf takes center stage at this Wrigleyville pop-up located inside of Stretch Bar & Grill, which gets dressed up with more than 1,000 decorative elves, Christmas trees and plenty of festive Christmas lights. Take a seat at tables stocked with the four main food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup) and treat yourself to a plate of Buddy's breakfast pasta (spaghetti loaded with maple syrup, chocolate fudge and syrup, mini marshmallows and strawberry frosted pop tarts) or a beer served in a 36-ounce elf boot. Want to catch a glimpse of Buddy the elf himself? Visit the pop-up between Thursday and Sunday, when he's known to make appearances from time to time. 

“Take Care with Peanuts: The Exhibit” is an immersive fan experience inspired by a global initiative of the same name. Based on the captivating world depicted in Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strip, the exhibit brings the beloved Peanuts gang to life through interactive displays and hands-on activities promoting self-care, empathy and environmental stewardship. The overarching hope governing “Take Care with Peanuts” is to inspire action and remind visitors to love themselves, their communities and the planet. 

Displaying a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of THE MART, ART on THE MART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with programming that changes seasonally. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations after dusk every evening. Running Thursdays through Saturdays beginning at 7:30pm, it’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

Every two years, Chicago becomes a global hub of architecture and design during the Chicago Architecture Biennial. This edition’s theme is SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, bringing together over 100 projects by architects, artists and designers from 30 countries—each piece engaging with the cultural, social and environmental fluxes transforming our world. Not sure where to start? Check out our first-timer's guide to the exhibition. Stay up-to-date by visiting the Chicago Architecture Biennial website.

Peter Shaffer's 1979 masterwork brings to life the rivalry between composers Antonio Salieri (Ian Barford) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (David Darrow). Salieri is the Court Composer and the established standard of the day—his compositions are palatable, albeit restrained. Enter Mozart, a wild child prodigy with climbing notoriety and the ability to make music like no one has ever heard. Mozart's music moves Salieri to tears, but also awakens a destructive jealousy that compells him to supress Mozart at every turn. 

Experimental Sound Studio's longtime partnership with the Chicago Park District and Lincoln Park Conservatory continues with “Semblance of Fern,” a new sound installation by composer Sarah Belle Reid. The immersive installation explores the formal connections between mathematical models and nature in the contemplative confines of the conservatory's Fern Room. After getting your fill of tropical palms and vibrant flowers, mosey over to the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, which is free to visit and recently reopened to the public.

For 39 years and counting, the National Museum of Mexican Art has celebrated one of Mexico’s most extraordinary traditions with a multimedia exhibition. This year, “Día de Muertos: A Celebration of Remembrance” is dedicated to the Texans and New Mexicans who tragically lost their lives in 2025's flash floods. After you've toured the exhibition, make your way to the museum's courtyard space, which will house an installation designed and curated by the youth artists of Yollocalli Arts Reach. End your visit with a moment at the community ofrenda—add a note, drawing or memory to honor someone you’ve lost and be part of this collective tribute. As usual, admission is free—anyone is welcome to stop by the museum and pay their respects to those who are no longer with us.

“Music of the Mind” is a retrospective that celebrates key moments of Ono’s career, showcasing art driven by ideas and expressed in poetic, humorous and profound ways. Tracing Ono’s career back to the 1950s, “Music of the Mind” presents over 200 works across a variety of media including performance footage, music and sound recordings, scores, film, photography, installation and archival materials. The exhibition also features participatory works—a key component of Ono’s creative practice—where visitors are encouraged to interact with instruction-based artworks.

You’ve probably seen a Shakespeare play before, but never like this. Five professional actors come together for each performance of Drunk Shakespeare. The twist? One of them has had five shots before the show and is trying to stay on track while the other four actors do their best to hold the performance together.

This annual festival assembles luminaries from the fields of politics, journalism and the arts for a multi-week series of programming across the city, with events ranging from lectures and discussions to screenings and musical performances. Not sure which events to hit? Some of this season's biggest speakers include Kate McKinnon, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Nick Offerman. You can see a full schedule of programming on the Chicago Humanities Festival website. 

Just when you thought the state's largest mall couldn't surprise you anymore, Woodfield Mall announces WONDRA, a sprawling new immersive experience. Inside, you’ll wander through enchanted meadows that respond to the sound of your voice, stumble across bioluminescent landscapes and drift into crystal caves and celestial gardens that blur the line between digital spectacle and raw wonder. Every corner is crafted to ignite curiosity and inspire a sense of awe we, whether you’re a kid seeing it all for the first time or an adult who forgot what it feels like to play.

Now in its 31st year, the Gene Siskel Film Center's annual showcase of stories celebrating the Black experience takes place from November 7-16. As usual, there's also a series of robust short film programs, accompanied by panels and workshops. Visit the Black Harvest Film Festival website for a schedule of screenings and ticketing options.

Great dates get a text back, and bad dates get to live in infamy as stories we tell and retell ad infinitum. About Last Night has shined the spotlight on romantic debacles since 2016, granting a handful of brave souls the chance to share their true tales about hilariously unhinged dates and hookups.