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Chicago is in high spirits every Halloween, and when the holiday falls on a Saturday night as it does this year, you can count on a weekend of nonstop fun!
The city’s most outrageous Hallow’s Eve blowout is the Northalsted Street Halloween Parade. With the theme “Mad Hatter’s Ball,” this night to remember will draw thousands of spectators along Halsted from Belmont to Addison. This year's event features favorite emcee Miss Foozie and the Chicago Spirit Brigade among countless other marchers and performers. The parade steps off at 7 PM and is followed by a costume contest with prizes for children, pets, and adults with live music on the stage at Roscoe and Halsted, and special events at bars and clubs until long after the witching hour.
The Loop is the center of downtown Halloween action. Daley Plaza transforms mysteriously into Pumpkin Plaza October 1 with free entertainment, treats for tricksters, and more throughout the whole month.
On September 26, the gates to Liderc Tenebrae’s strange Carnival of Curiosities at Navy Pier will open to such sights as the Half Groom/Half Bride, Fortune Teller, Traveling Medicine Man, Human Monkey and other sideshow characters. Also, the sounds of creepy Chicago ghost stories can be heard by those aboard the McDonald’s Ferris Wheel. On Friday nights and before fireworks on Saturday nights, the Grand Staircase and Dock Street will come to life with dazzling street performances by fire spinners, acrobats, stilt walkers, drummers, and more.
Want to see something really scary? For intrepid teens and adults only, The Fear Haunted House at Navy Pier promises a “hardcore” terrifying experience September 26-November 2.
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The Nighttime is the Right Time
Andersonville is heating up as the place for the GLBT crowd to see and be seen. Bars and clubs appealing to a variety of interests offer all kinds of fun to help folks mix it up in this neighborhood.
Enjoy MaryOke on Wednesdays, a different episode of GLBT soap opera The Ville (see Out and About below) every Monday, and more at Mary’s Attic (upstairs from Hamburger Mary’s at 5400 N. Clark). Or head to Joie de Vine, a wine bar and lounge, where the ladies can enjoy an encyclopedia of wines and tasty bites.
Cattle Call at 1547 W. Bryn Mawr is the place to go for the Wednesday Cattle Call Revue, and Thursday’s Get the Weekend Started video mix. Also check out Moo Bingo hosted by Miss Foozie and Angelique Munro the first Thursday of the month.
Chicago Beef Entertainment presents dance show Lockdown on the third Saturday of every month at Jackhammer at 6406 N. Clark.
Wild Pug at Lawrence and Broadway promises “drinking, dancing and just enough debauchery” along with a full calendar of special events including a weekly game show night (Wednesdays), Guilty Pleasures with VJ Ven on Sundays, and frequent open mic nights for prose and poetry readings.
For more great Andersonville gay and lesbian spots, check Time Out Chicago. |
Ready for Your Closeup?
Chicago Filmmakers will zoom in on the best GLBT films and videos from around the world during Reeling 2009: The Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival. Now in its 28th year of pushing boundaries, this extraordinary event – which runs November 5-14 – is the second oldest of its kind in the country.
Several theaters around the city will screen genres ranging from lighthearted comedy to introspective experimental to demonstrate the rich diversity and innovation of GLBT films being produced internationally. Confirmed titles include American Primitive, The Big Gay Musical, Chef’s Special, City of Borders, Eating Out: All You Can Eat, Fig Trees, Make the Yuletide Gay, Night Fliers, Pornography: A Thriller, Rivers Wash Over Me, Stuck! and Shank. Building on the success of last year’s queer music videos, more will be included in this year’s shorts category.
And the fun doesn’t stop after the credits. From the grand opening night gala to lively theme parties, the extravaganzas will celebrate the important artistic and socially relevant contributions made by GLBT filmmakers.
Visit Reeling for the complete schedule of films, theaters and showtimes and to learn about all the parties that promise to make this event the highlight of your cinematic year.
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- Annee Pocalypse by Hubris Productions presented Fridays and Saturdays from September 18-October 24 at Hydrate.
- Kathy Griffin returns to the Chicago Theatre for three shows October 8-10 where she invites you to catch up on the latest dish and laugh until you puke a little.
- Chicago Humanities Festival is the stunning annual fall event which brings many of the world’s most exciting thinkers, artists and performers to the city. Among participants in this year’s festival - themed Laughter - are the following:
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Playwright Tony Kushner will be presented the Chicago Tribune Literary Prize link to - Sunday, November 8 at Symphony Center
Maria Gomez - one of America’s first openly gay comedians and the woman dubbed “a lesbian Lenny Bruce” by Robin Williams – will present her latest solo theater piece Long Island Iced Latina - Wednesday, November 11 at Museum of Contemporary Art
Author E. Patrick Johnson - will provides a glimpse into the lives of several characters from his book Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South - Sunday, November 15 at Chicago History Museum |
- The Ville - Bare Boned Theatre’s hit live LGBT soap opera runs Mondays through December 14 at Mary’s Attic.
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