ART ON THE MART

Chicago’s long-standing commitment to public art, ART ON THE MART brings cutting-edge video mapping techniques to Chicago’s Riverwalk, displaying projections of contemporary art across the 2.5-acre façade of THE MART, the largest privately held commercial building in the United States, internationally recognized as a global innovator in culture, design, and technology. Art  on The Mart runs NOW thru December 30.  Enjoy the show 4 nights a week, 1/2 hour per night Thursdays through Sundays.  

Good grief! Join Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang at Chicago Children’s Museum! Step into Take Care with Peanuts: The Exhibit and be transported into the world of Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strip. See beloved characters spring to life with interactive displays and activities focused on self-care, empathy, and environmental stewardship. Explore character-themed sections, comic-inspired designs, and sustainable features that inspire learning, creativity, and kindness for visitors of all ages now thru Sunday, January 4th at Navy Pier.

Chicago TARDIS, the Midwest's largest Doctor Who event, celebrates its 26th year of bringing together fans every Thanksgiving weekend to celebrate the world's longest-running science fiction television show.

Organized by fans of Doctor Who, for fans of Doctor Who, Chicago TARDIS has dozens of volunteers that work hard to put the convention together each year.  Chicago Tardis 2025 will be held November 28th-30th at The Westin Hotel in Lombard (across the parking lot from Yorktown Mall).  Celebrity guests scheduled to appear include The Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccelston, The Fugitive Doctor, Jo Martin, and original cast member, Carole Ann Ford.  Enjoy on-screen and behind-the-scenes guests, costume contest and parade, panels, workshops, tabletop gaming, programming and meet and greets with guests, children's programming, and so much more! 

Experience the magic of the season at Navy Pier’s Light Up the Lake. This year’s celebration features an immersive holiday light show, a first-ever holiday drone display, fireworks, and an array of festive attractions against the backdrop of Chicago’s stunning skyline. Enjoy artisan vendors, Santa visits, ax-throwing, and cozy bonfire pits for a complete winter wonderland experience at Navy Pier, Saturday, November 29th thru Sunday, January 5th.

Chicago’s beloved holiday experience, Winter WonderFest returns to Navy Pier's Festival Hall, Friday, December 5th through Sunday, January 4th. Winter WonderFest will feature a glittering forest of trees decorated with hundreds of ornaments, the popular Ice-Skating Rink, Polar Extreme obstacle course, Arctic Express Train and Alpine Slide. For a more adventurous experience, guests can soar across the 40-foot Cliff Hanger or suspend from midair in the Zero Gravity Ride. Santa Claus will be on hand for festive family photos and magical moments. And of course, no Navy Pier celebration is complete without fireworks, with special holiday displays presented on Saturdays, in addition to a New Year’s Eve fireworks on December 31st at midnight.

The 61st Annual Chicago International Film Festival returns to venues across the city beginning October 15 - 26, 2025. North America’s longest-running competitive film festival will be set to be held at AMC NEWCITY 14, along with The Music Box Theatre, Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago History Museum, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. 

Community screenings will be held at the National Museum of Mexican Art and Kennedy-King College. This year’s program includes 111 feature films and 70 shorts, four World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres, and 18 U.S. Premieres, and showcases cinema from more than 60 countries around the world including Colombia, Thailand, France, Morocco, Iran, Romania, Germany, Chile, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, and more. For program information or purchase tickets for the Chicago International Film Festival, visit the website at https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/

The all-boys choir from Chicago’s Leo Catholic High School has been slaying the competition in NBC's America's Got Talent.  The talented teens inspiring and joyful performances have landed in the show finals.  

Tune into NBC on September 23rd to watch the high schoolers from Auburn Gresham perform one final song in their quest to win. The voting period begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday and ends at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, September 24th. “America’s Got Talent” winners will be announced during the live, two-hour season finale Good Luck Leo High!!

Enjoy Chicago's spectacular Fireworks Display at Navy Pier every Wednesday evening at 9PM and Saturday night at 10PM beginning May 24th running through August 30th. (Note: There will be no Fireworks on July 4, 2025) 

Get ready for unforgettable nights on the Pier with breathtaking views and a fireworks experience you won’t want to miss...and don't forget to mark your calendars for the mind-blowing New Years Eve performance December 31at!

Swing into action with the original Spider-Man movies in the “Fathom Fan Favorites: Spider-Man Trilogy.” Join Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as he becomes the iconic web-slinging Spider-Man and battles super-villains like Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace), wins the heart of Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and learns that with great power comes great responsibility.

The Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man trilogy is one of the most successful comic book adaptations of all-time. The “Fathom Fan Favorites: Spider-Man Trilogy” presentation will feature Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 3 (2007) and, for the first time ever in theatres, the Spider-Man 2.1 extended cut in 4K of Spider-Man 2, which will include new and extended scenes.

The “Fathom Fan Favorites: Spider-Man Trilogy” films will take place in theaters nationwide beginning Friday, September 26 and running through October 5, 2025.  Here's the schedule:

• Spider-Man  - October (2002): Friday, September 26, 2025 and Friday, October 3, 2025
• Spider-Man 2 (2004) (extended version cut): Saturday, September 27 and Saturday, October 4, 2025
• Spider-Man 3 (2007): Sunday, September 28, 2025 and Sunday, October 5, 2025

Tickets for “Fathom Fan Favorites: Spider-Man Trilogy” available now at Fathom Entertainment and participating theatre box offices (theatre locations are subject to change).

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the longest running theatrical release in film history, 7:30pm, Sunday, October 19, 2025 at The Chicago Theater.  Join the original ‘Brad Majors’ – BARRY BOSTWICK, the original ‘Columbia’ – NELL CAMPBELL and the original ‘Magenta’ – PATRICIA QUINN touring together for the first time in 50 years.  

Audiences will also have the opportunity to participate in a costume contest and interact with a live performance by the local Shadow Cast. They will perform scenes from the movie "live" on stage while the full unedited film is shown behind them.  Selected cities will view The Rocky Horror Picture Show Traveling Museum which includes artifacts and costume from the film.  For more information, visit https://www.scottstander.com.rocky.html 

It's official, Hello Kitty Cafe will now have a permanent home in Chicago.  The new cafe will be located at 85 E. Wacker on the Magnificent Mile in Downtown Chicago. While there hasn’t been any announcement regarding the opening date of the Hello Kitty Cafe, fans can expect a variety of sweet treats, specialty drinks, and Hello Kitty-themed merchandise.