The Chicago Traveler

• The Halloween Ghost Bash at Ghost Bar (hosted by the Lincoln Park Young Professionals) includes appetizers, candy, Skyy martinis, and a Bloody Mary bar.
• Plan B invites all Saints and Sinners to come up with the scariest, sexiest, and most creative Halloween costumes.
• Ohm holds its 6th annual Halloween Fundraiser with an open bar and prizes for best costumes. Proceeds benefit Urban Initiatives, a nonprofit organization working to boost children’s academic performance by establishing soccer programs.
• The Haunted Happening at Take Five offers a cash prize for best costume and benefits the Concordia Avondale Campus, a community center serving …read more

Comments Off

• After enjoying cocktails at Plan B, hop on a bus for a tour of four allegedly haunted bars as part of Boo & Brew. (Oct 30)
• Traverse the Trails of Terror, a half-mile of wooded trails in Peterson Park filled with creepy characters. Not suitable for small children. (ends Oct 31)
• ‘The Fear’ at Navy Pier is a tented, outdoor haunted house aimed at teens and adults, featuring zombies, werewolves, vampires, and more. (ends Nov 2)
• The Halloween Bash at Murphy’s Bleachers includes food, drinks, live music, a costume contest, and raffle prizes. Proceeds benefit the North Side Housing …read more

Comments Off

• 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

Comments Off

• 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

Comments Off

• The 11th Annual Chicago Art Open presents drawings, paintings, photographs, and more by nearly 300 artists at Merchandise Mart. (ends Oct 19)
• Several local spas are taking part in the Pretty in Pink Fundraiser and offering fixed-price ($31) massages, facials, and other beauty treatments. Every participating spa and salon has made a donation to Breast Cancer Network of Strength. Be sure to mention “Pretty in Pink” when booking your appointment. (ends Oct 31)
• Want to see something spooky? Take the Chicago Hauntings Ghost Tour, featuring Hull House, the sites of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre and Eastland Disaster, and …read more

Comments Off

Procrastination is one of my biggest faults. I sometimes can put things off until I forget about them, causing myself to complete tasks at the last minute.
If you’ve been putting off registering to vote, now is the time to act. The deadline for Illinois residents to register for the November presidential election is Tuesday, October 7. And while there are several special events which host voter registration drives, you don’t need to wait for a special time and date to register. The process is rather simple and accessible.
If you have lived in Illinois for 30 days and will turn 18 …read more

Comments Off

I’ve always been an avid reader, and it always shocks me when any book—especially those that I read as a child—are proposed to be banned. How can people speak of defending our democratic freedoms when they want to take away our freedom to read?
Tomorrow begins Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, an annual celebration of all books that have ever been banned or challenged. The American Library Association, along with the Chicago Tribune and the McCormick Freedom Museum, reminds us all not to take our books for granted.
Now celebrating its 27th year, Banned Books Week commemorates our intellectual …read more

1 Comment

• 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

2 Comments

Fall has arrived, and that means the kids are back in school learning about all their favorite subjects. If your children, your teens, or even you yourself have a curiosity for all things science, a great opportunity awaits you right here in Chicago.
Science Chicago: Life’s a Lab is a year-long celebration of science and learning that will appeal to people of all ages. More than 100 public and private institutions are hosting events where Chicagoans can explore and discover how the world around them works. After all, science isn’t just in a textbook; it’s in action every day.
The festival covers …read more

Comments Off

Who doesn’t like pie? Better yet, who doesn’t like free pie?
The mobile Pie Hole restaurant is traveling the country this month, giving away free pie to celebrate the season premiere of ABC’s Pushing Daisies. Today, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, you can stop by for free pie, pie-cutters, spatulas, balloons, and more. Be sure to get there early, as supplies are limited.
For more information, visit PushingDaisiesTour.com or follow them on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/abcpiehole.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) www.YoVenice.com

2 Comments