Chicago Best Weekday Bets

July is almost over. August is here this week. How’s your Summer going? Feeling good about it so far?  Keep it up! Go do stuff!

Every Thursday at 9 a.m we mail you our Best Weekend Bets. Best Weekday Bets are similar to our Best Weekend Bets but there’s more options since it’s more socially acceptable to have more fun on the weekend.

ACTIVE: The Tour de Parks slow ride returns for another low intensity bike trip, tonight they’re riding from Hermosa Park to the North Park Village Nature Center!

CULTURE: Experimental music/variety show Option is back at the Experimental Sound Studio, with a solo performance from Susan Alcorn and a conversation with Chicago jazz legend Ken Vandermark.

FILM: Catch some entries into the 2018 48 Hour Film Project at the Music Box, where teams of filmmakers are given 2 days to complete the production of an 8 minute short film. 

FOOD + DRINK: Eat some vegan pizza, drink a bunch of beer, and pet some dogs at the One Tail at a Time adoption center, all while rocking out to a throwback playlist of classic emo jams. Solid evening, right here!!

FREE: Really really solid double bill at Millennium Park’s music in the parks series tonight, featuring Aimee Mann and This is the Kit. Gonna be a lot of feelings happening!

MUSIC: Foo Fighters are playing Wrigley Field tonight! The damn Breeders are opening! What a perfect night of rock music.

OUTSIDE: Ya got three movies in the parks options tonight: Finding Dory at Portage Park, James & The Giant Peach in Burnham Park, and Trolls at Chippewa Park.

STAGE: Check out Bechdel Fest 6 at Steppenwolf, featuring a collection of women centric short plays that easily pass Bechdel Test.

STAY IN: The new six episode documentary series Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story premieres tonight on the Paramount Network.

ACTIVE: Do some early morning yoga at Gallagher Way. It’s free, too! BYO mat tho.

CULTURE: Storytelling/zine making show Meanwhile has their latest installment, entitled Thirst Trap, at Delilah’s tonight. Featured performers include Brittany Julious, Diddle Knabb, Jackie Guataquira, and Joseph WIlcox!

FILM: They’re showing Jumanji at the Music Box, the final in a series of Robin Williams movies they’ve been showing all month.

FOOD + DRINK: $1 Beer Night at Sleeping Village has just that: $1 Hamms, plus a trio of local rock bands, Charlie Reed, Pool Holograph, and Ruins.

FREE: Literally insane double feature at Millennium Park tonight: Wall-E (great!!) followed by Crash (what????). Weird weird weird.

MUSIC: Noisy shoegaze solo project Kraus plays Schubas with special guests Nolife and Daysee.

OUTSIDE: They’re showing Italo Barocco in Lincoln Park and Moana in Fuller Park, as far as movies in the park go.

STAGE: Longrunning local comedy showcase Chicago Underground Comedy has their second annual comedy short film festival tonight at Beat Kitchen, featuring sketch comedy films from former and current Chicagoans, plus live sets from Sarah Squirm, Megan Stalter, and Richie Owens.

STAY IN: Ex Machina is on Netflix. Have you seen it? It’s really good.

ACTIVE: They’re doing a free High Intensity Interval Training at Gallagher Way class this morning. Start your day out with a big old workout.

CULTURE: Jacobin Magazine is throwing a party to celebrate the release of their new issue, featuring a conversation with activist Joanna Misnik, followed by a reception with drinks and mingling!

FILM: Check out a screening of western classic High Noon at the Logan Theatre.

FOOD + DRINK: The Hideout’s got another round of Veggie Bingo! Win prizes of all sorts, including a big basket of produce!

FREE: Three free movies showing around Chicago tonight: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in Ridge Park, Looking for a Boyfriend…for my Wife at Harrison Park, and Coco in Merrimac Park.

MUSIC: Stoner metal gods Sleep play The Riviera tonight. This will be great and loud.

OUTSIDE: Comfort Station’s Comfort Film Series brings u a screening of Cosmos: A Personal Journey projected on 16mm. Incredible!

STAGE: Standup comic Dwayne Kennedy headlines Zanies tonight, he’s great!

STAY IN: Two new episodes of Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party premieres on VH1 tonight. What a wacky pairing!!!

Come back Thursday for our Best Weekend Bets, published every week at noon. Subscribe to our Best Weekend Bets and get them at 9 a.m.

Listen to our radio show! BYT Radio hosted by Brandon Wetherbee (the guy writing this) streams Thursdays at noon. Listen live. Subscribe in iTunes. Say nice things about it in iTunes.