The Chicago Traveler

Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. However, I have to say that I much prefer the scary, evil-looking ghouls over the smiling, cartoon-like ghosts. But whatever your likes, you can likely find a stage performance that suits the season.
• Dream Theatre re-presents Anna, in the Darkness, a terrifying story about a young teacher trapped in her own home while the entire town gathers to kill her… and the audience is trapped inside with her… (ends Nov 2)
• Think the goriness has gotten out of hand? You haven’t seen anything yet. Annoyance Productions hosts Splatter Theatre, a parody …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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Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day, encouraging awareness and discussion about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues.
But promoting diversity and acceptance doesn’t have to be all serious business. The Center on Halsted in Boystown features a theatre that’s home to the comedy troupe, GayCo. This award-winning not-for-profit ensemble is made up of eight talented performers and specializes in sketch comedy revues with a gay slant.

GayCo was born from the famous Second City Training Center as a workshop production in 1996 for gay and lesbian performers. Their comedy runs the gamut from silly to witty and pokes fun at just …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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• 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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If you’re fortunate enough to take an architectural tour down the Chicago River, one of the most memorable buildings is the Civic Opera Building (a.k.a. Civic Opera House). Across the River from the Riverside Plaza and across the street from the UBS Tower, this limestone skyscraper is shaped like a gigantic armchair facing the River, with a 45-story office tower “back,” two 22-story “arms,” and a 12-story “seat” which is the opera house itself. It opened on November 4, 1929, just six days after the stock market crash.

Samuel Insull, “the Prince of Electricity,” was head of Commonwealth Edison and the …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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Today, the United States remembers those who were lost in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In honor of the victims and their families, the Joffrey Ballet will present an evening of classical, historical, and contemporary performances. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and the seating bowl will open one hour and a half before show time. Free and open to the public, the presentation will be an unforgettable dedication.
Photo credit: Benjamin Earwicker
http://www.millenniumpark.org/parkevents/default.aspx

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I’m a big fan of road trips, allowing you to see small towns and businesses you might miss when traveling by plane. Even though my last long drive wasn’t exactly planned, there were still many parts of it that were enjoyable.
Once or twice a month, I visit family members who live in southwestern Michigan. Along the way, I drive by a town called Three Oaks. This historic village is located just off Interstate 94 and was first settled in 1850. If you have children, you’ll recognize the town from Prancer, a popular Christmas movie that is broadcast every year on …read more

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• The African Festival of the Arts is Chicago’s largest neighborhood festival, featuring three music stages, ethnic cuisine, and more than 300 vendors selling everything from fine art to skin care products. Presentations include book discussions and dance workshops. (Aug 29 – Sept 1)
• The 30th annual Chicago Jazz Festival is the city’s longest-running lakefront music festival and features local, national, and international performers on several stages. (Aug 28-31)
• Get your fill of pierogi, Polish sausage, and sauerkraut at the Taste of Polonia, where you can listen to live bands play everything from rock to polka. (Aug 29 – Sept …read more

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