The Chicago Traveler

December 28-30  Get ready for the largest indoor playground ever.  If you are into sports or your children are, this is a great place to go.  There will tournaments in Soccer, Volleyball and Table Tennis.  In addition there will also be tournaments for wheelchair and adaptive sports.  Other activities will include wall climbing, boxing, open basketball courts, tots area, fitness, skateboarding and more all for free.  If you enjoy sports, no matter what age you are, get to the Sports Fest.  You are guaranteed to have a great time.  It’s also great for the kids, since they are out of …read more

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• If you’ve ever been to a garage sale, you’ve probably seen the chance video cassette for sale that no one wants. Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have been collecting these tapes from garage sales, thrift stores, and trash bins. They will present them in the Found Footage Festival at Lakeshore Theater. Expect a hilarious look at workout videos, training films, and random recordings. (Oct 24)
• Costumed representatives from the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Sky, and other businesses will compete in the relay race Freaky Fast 500 (hosted by Jimmy John’s) outside the Thompson Center. A cash prize goes …read more

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You’ve had your eye on that super-cute fellow gym bunny on the treadmill next to you for a few days now, but you’re not going to impress anyone in that sweat-stained t-shirt and those funky (in a bad way) shorts. It’s time to update your workout wardrobe.
Just because you want to be comfortable doesn’t mean you can’t be stylish. Check out the athletic wear at lululemon. This Bucktown store (just north of Skewerz) specializes in a wide variety of sportswear—for both men and women—that has received national and international acclaim from both athletes and yogis.
Fortunately, the garments do a lot …read more

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Football season has begun, and all eyes here in the Windy City are on the Chicago Bears. But there’s another football team in town you should be on the lookout for.
If you catch a football game at North Park University’s Holmgren Athletic Complex, you’d never guess that there was anything abnormal about it. But underneath all those helmets and shoulder pads are tough, athletic women. The Chicago Force is Illinois’ Independent Women’s Football team, and in their six-year history, they have put together a 45-14 record.
The team consists of over 50 women, ranging in ages from 18 to mid-40s and …read more

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• The 44th Annual Chicago International Film Festival begins this weekend, featuring over 100 films from 46 countries. (ends Oct 29)
• More than five dozen vendors from Chicago will sell art, antiques, jewelry, and more at the Fall French Market. The fair also includes French cooking demonstrations and kids’ activities. (Oct 17-19)
• Sixty local and national chefs are featured at the 20th annual Celebrity Chef Ball, including Top Chef: Chicago winner Stephanie Izard, contestant Valerie Bonan, and Top Chef: New York contender Radhika Desai. (Oct 17)
• Oracle Productions holds their third installment of terrifying entertainment, Disturbed III. The audience stands …read more

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I know nothing about racing wagers. The last time I visited a dog track, my companion was trying to explain to me terms like trifecta, exacta, and place, but all I could think was, “I like the black dog!” But whether you’re a gambling novice or an old pro, you’re bound to have a good time at Stretch Run.
Stretch Run is a bi-level sports bar (around the corner from Cyrano’s) with over 200 television monitors, so you can be sure that every broadcast game, race, and event you can think of is on display here. The club has an OTB …read more

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If you were a child in Chicago anytime between 1961 and 1994, you will recognize the following names: Cooky, Wizzo, Cuddly Dudley, Garfield Goose… These characters and more were all regulars on Bozo’s Circus and then on the even more popular The Bozo Show, both of which were produced locally and aired on WGN.1
You might drive by the WGN television studios and not even know it. While most of the other TV stations in Chicago broadcast from beautiful skyscrapers downtown (including the NBC Tower), the WGN structure looks like a boring office building. That’s because it was constructed in 1963, …read more

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Situated within the Lakeview neighborhood, Boystown is the home to hundreds of thousands of Chicago’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender residents. Even more pass through the area every day to visit the gay-friendly bars, coffeehouses, and restaurants. In 2001, a group of community leaders shared a vision to create a focal point for the neighborhood. That dream became a reality in 2007 at the Center on Halsted.
This new space provides a safe and modern place for people and organizations to gather and share resources. Along with offices and meeting spaces, the community center also provides free wi-fi, a library, galleries, …read more

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• We’re all familiar with the Taste of Chicago, an all-out food fest featuring dozens of Chicago restaurants. Foodies will want to check out the upscale version, Chicago Gourmet. Over two dozen famous Chicago chefs (including Rick Bayless, David Burke, and Art Smith) will be offering some of their signature dishes for the event, along with wine tastings and cooking demonstrations. (Sept 26-28)
• Dia de los Muertos is still over a month away, but you can begin celebrating this weekend at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Dia de los Muertos: La Vida Sin Fin is the nation’s largest Day …read more

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• Fall is coming, and with it arrives the Berghoff Oktoberfest, an outdoor celebration of food, drinks, and live music. (Sept 17-19)
• Filthy Pervert Seeks Same is a risqué comedy (directed by Michael Hampton) that explores how gay men find love—or lust—using today’s technology. (Fridays and Saturdays, Sept 19 – Oct 18)
• No, you’re not seeing things. The RedBall Project is a traveling art exhibit of a 15-foot (4.6 m) inflatable, shape-shifting sphere, stopping on bridges, in alleys, and at other specified locations. (ends Sept 25)
• The fourth annual Lincoln Park Fall Festival features live rock music and beer and …read more

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