Weekend 101: 10 Things to Do Around Chicago Feb. 21-23

Above average temps are expected this weekend, so there is no reason to stay indoors. From a Fire and Ice Festival in the parks to a Cider Summit at Navy Pier, get out and explore all the events Chicago has to offer this weekend.

Top Girls

Feb. 19-22
Theater Wit

Top Girl Show Better Chicago
By Michael Courier

Caryl Churchill’s 1982 masterwork Top Girls is never more daring than in the first of its three acts. Urbane career woman Marlene (Linda Gillum) is hosting a fantastical dinner with a guest list of women from ages past: Pope Joan (Rebecca Spence), Victorian explorer Isabella Bird (Annabel Armour), Dutch folklore figure Dull Gret (Aurora Real De Asua), the dutiful Griselda from Canterbury Tales (Amber Sallis) and the 13th-century Japanese diarist and courtesan Lady Nijo (Karissa Murrell Myers).

Fire and Ice Festival

Feb. 21 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Women’s Park & Garden

Camp Songs & Marshmallows Campfire

Support Chicago’s parks and bring the family to enjoy roasted marshmallows, indoor sock skating, arts and crafts, face painting, karaoke and more. Cost is $5 per child, with free admission for adults and children age 1 and under.

Winter Wine and Whiskey Festival

Feb. 22
Brookfield Zoo

Brookfield Zoo Winter Wine and Whiskey Fest Better Chicago
Brookfield Zoo

Warm up at Brookfield Zoo’s Winter Wine and Whiskey Fest, where you can sample from 30 different vendors. Besides wine and whiskey samples, the evening includes live music, small bites, and meet and greets with Animal Ambassadors.

Mix at Six: FLIP Fabrique

Feb. 22
Harris Theatre

Flip Fabrique Harris Theatre Better Chicago
Flip Fabrique

Exploring a intimate relationship with winter, FLIP Fabrique takes the Harris stage with their newest production, BLIZZARD. Surrounded by a totally white room, eight performers contemplate the possibilities of a blank space before launching into a flurry of acrobatic maneuvers. Their vision for what a 21st-century circus can be is a true delight.

8th Annual Cider Summit Chicago

Feb. 22
Navy Pier

Chicago Cider Summit Navy Pier
Chicago Cider Summit

Cider lovers rejoice, because this is a beer festival made for you. Featuring over 200 different ciders, cider cocktails and apple spirits, tickets include a souvenir tasting glass and 16 tasting tickets, so you can sample to your heart’s delight. The Summit will also have a exclusive cider from Virtue Cider, a mead lounge and food trucks.

Chicago Volunteer Expo

Feb. 23
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Chicago Volunteer Expo Better Chicago
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Want to give back to your community but don’t know how to get started? This expo features more than 75 nonprofits that are looking for help, from social-justice groups to environmental organizations. Attendees can also participate in “speed volunteering” at the expo by helping construct sleeping mats for the homeless, creating cards for kids in hospitals and bringing donations for a canned food drive.

Global Connections Presented by ComEd: International Carnivale

Feb. 23
Navy Pier

Global Connections at Navy Pier
Navy Pier

Navy Pier’s free three-part series highlighting cultural and ethnic celebrations from around the world returns for the third annual Global Connections Presented by ComEd. The tradition of Carnivale will be celebrated with art, music and dance from across the globe, hosted by Logan Lu, Chicago artist and poet.

More Can’t-Miss Events:

  • Join us for an inspirational evening to benefit students with learning disabilities at The Cove School’s Annual Benefit, “Courage” on Feb. 22. The evening will include cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, dancing and more. All proceeds directly benefit Cove’s individualized education program.
  • Head to Andersonville for Restaurant Week, where you can enjoy prix fixe menus starting at $10 at some of their best restaurants, including Little Madrid, Bar RomaHopleaf Bar and more.
  • Celebrate Spring early at Garfield Park Conservatory’s “Golden Hour” Spring Flower Show. This year the exhibit will celebrate the golden light of dawn and dusk with colorful displays of azalea, hydrangea, and calibrachoa. Special features include immense hanging baskets overflowing with spring flowers, and two rope-art displays depicting the vibrant rays of the sun.

For even more fun things to do around Chicago…

…check out our 29 of the Best Things to Do in Chicago This February article or visit our Events Calendar. We also have the latest on the best new spots to explore in New in Town: Rick Bayless’ Latest Restaurant, Another New Food Hall, a Museum Hotel and More.


Macaire Douglas lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two sons, and covers the Weekend 101 and monthly Recommended Events features. She proudly supports Save Abandoned Babies Foundation, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to prevent the illegal abandonment of newborns nationwide. Since its inception in 2000, more than 3,600 newborns have been safely surrendered and adopted into loving homes.

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