Welcome to Autumn, Chicagoans! It’s been a “dive right in” kind of week: chilly and blustery, definitely the kind of days that make you want to curl up in front of a cozy fire with a hot mug of apple cider. Fortunately this weekend will be a smidge warmer, so grab your sweaters and leave your Chicago condos behind for a weekend on the town!
Events
Indulge your sweet tooth this weekend with Eli’s Cheesecake Festival! Enjoy a variety of different events like cooking classes, free cheesecake samples, a cheesecake eating contest and on Sunday there will even be a classic car show. There will be live music all day long beginning at 9:30am Saturday. Bring in a canned food donation and get a free slice of cheesecake! Don’t miss this delicious affair. Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; free admission. 6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive.
Break out your cowboy boots and head to Grant Park this weekend for the 19th annual Chicago Country Music Festival! Celebrate your inner country music lover with two days full of nonstop music on four stages. Visit the dance stage for a lesson in traditional country line dancing or show off your square dancing skills. Bring your little country music lovers to the kids’ corral, but don’t miss performances from Joe Pug, Miranda Lambert, and The Flatlanders. Saturday and Sunday 11am-9:30pm. Admission is free!
For all you wine connoisseurs, this Sunday 1pm-6pm is the 10th annual Friends of the Grape Wine Festival held at St. Matthias Parish and Transfiguration School in Lincoln Square. Swirl and sip your way through 30 different wines paired with food samples from local restaurants. Enjoy live music and a Grand CRU raffle with a grand prize of $5,000! Advance tickets are $30 per person or $70 per couple. Door prices are $40 per person and $80 per couple. St. Matthias School is located at 4910 N. Claremont Ave.
Dining
Chicago real estate owners near Chens on Clark, rejoice! This Saturday they’re celebrating the Chinese Moon Festival by giving away free moon cakes, a traditional Chinese pastry eaten during the Moon Festival. The moon cakes are provided by Golden Horse Carriage Bakery in Chinatown and will be served as a complimentary treat at the end of your delicious dine-in meal. Come for the incredible food, stay for the moon cakes! Chens is located at 3506 N. Clark.
Fall is here and that means it’s time for the 7th Annual Harvest Festival at Bin 36! You’ll have the unique opportunity to blend your own personal wine under the guidance of Bin 36’s wine experts. Then you can purchase a case or a 6-pack of your wine with a custom designed label. Bin 36’s own delicious wines will be served during the class along with some “harvest munchies.” Sunday; 1pm-4pm. $36 a person. Call 312.755.9436 to reserve your spot today.
This Saturday morning leave your Chicago condominum early and head to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park for locally grown and organic produce and other goodies like freshly baked treats, honey, cheese and more! Pumpkins, apples and squash are in season and can be used in tons of tasty recipes and local chefs will be on hand to give you a few pointers. These are the last weeks of the year for the market (it closes October 31) so get there while you still can! 1750 N. Clark St. 7am-1pm.
Movies
Woody Harrelson stars in the crazy pseudo-horror flick Zombieland! It’s the story of two men who have found their own way to survive in a world overrun by zombies and the people they meet in their travels. Opens Friday.
Don’t miss British comic Ricky Gervais in his newest comedy The Invention Of Lying, opening Friday. In a world where everyone tells the truth, Gervais is the one man who has figured out how to lie. Hilarity ensues.
Drew Barrymore directs Whip It, a heart warming comedy about an outcast played by Ellen Page who finds her unlikely place on a Texas roller derby team. Based on the novel by Shauna Cross. Opens Friday!
Tags: 7th annual harvest festival, chens, chicago condominum, chicago condos, chicago country music festival, chicago events, chicago real estate, eli's cheesecake festival, friends of the grape wine festival, green city market, restaurants, the invention of lying, this weekend in chicago, weekend events, whip it, zombieland
