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

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• Miss Foozie hosts the 12th annual North Halsted Street Halloween Parade. (Register at Spin to participate in the parade.) After the parade, festivities include a costume contest and the Chicago Spirit Brigade.
• Comic book fans can party down at Heroes & Villians sponsored by Metromix at Harry Caray’s Tavern. Guests can enter the costume contest by having a professional photo taken in front of a comic book backdrop. Awards will be given for Best Hero, Best Villian, and Best Overall Costume.
• Psychic Sidney Friedman shows off his telepathic and mind reading skills at Davenport’s as part of Mind Shivers.
• …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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There was a bit of dispute over my last Best Pizzas list, as I expected there would be. It is a Chicagoan debate that has gone on for generations and will continue probably forever. So, just to add more fuel to the fire, here is another list of Chicago’s ten best ‘pies’ (courtesy of Citysearch and Yelp).
Honorable Mention: Gino’s East. If you enjoy reading, the walls here provide plenty of material.

10. Pizzeria Uno. The one, the only, the original. Loosen your belts now.
9. Piece. These very non-Chicago-style slices are simply delicious.
8. Home Run Inn. This old neighborhood tavern offers the …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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Mather Tower may be Chicago’s slimmest skyscraper, but unfortunately, it has not always been the most physically fit.
Completed in 1928, the Mather Tower was originally meant to have a twin, but after the stock market crash of 1929, plans for the second building were canceled.1 The tower (just steps away from the Seventeenth Church) stands 521 feet tall (159 m), and due to its slenderness, it has the smallest floors of any skyscraper in downtown Chicago.2
Unfortunately, as beautiful as the tower and its abundant ornamentation are, the four-story cupola was declared structurally unsound in 2000 and had to be demolished …read more

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• 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

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October is the month of Halloween, bringing with it all things scary and sometimes sinful. Time-Out Chicago features seven strolls through Chicago that are based on the famous seven deadly sins.
Feeling gluttonous? Indulge in delicious treats while ambling through Oak Park. Got to have it all? Take your greedy little self downtown through the shops, the banks, and the skyscrapers. And you sex-driven folks (call me!) can visit some of Chicago’s former and current adult-minded locations in River North.
For the complete list of TOC’s seven sinful strolls, click here.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) ♥♥peppersmom♥♥

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Can you name the seven key ingredients for a Chicago-style hot dog? Here are ten great places to conduct your research (courtesy of Citysearch and Yelp).

10. The Wiener’s Circle. Love it or hate it, this greasy spoon has got a “charm” all its own.
9. Gold Coast Dogs. All ten locations follow the Chicago-style recipe to the ‘T’.
8. Superdawg Drive-In. The winking hot dogs on the roof will be a sight you won’t soon forget.
7. Huey’s Hot Dogs. While serving up great dogs and burgers, this eatery is also well-known for its vegetarian-friendly dishes.

6. Portillo’s Hot Dogs. Both the nostalgia and …read more

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