By Philip Vidal
When thinking of festivals, those scheduled in the summer immediately come to mind, like the Taste of Chicago, Ravinia, and Lollapalooza. But there are dozens of festivals in the winter, almost all of them indoors, of course.
Manual Cinema’s “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster” will have performances on January 26-28 at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center as part of the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. Photo courtesy of Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and Rebecca J Michelson.
The 6th edition of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival runs January 18-28 at venues around Chicago. Presented by the Chicago International Puppet Festival and Chicago Opera Theater, the Midwest premiere of Huang Ruo’s “Book of Mountains and Seas” is January 26-28 at the Studebaker Theater.
Kicking off 2024 and the Winter Chamber Music Festival is a Boston based group, Balourdet Quartet, at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on January 5. Photo courtesy of Northwestern University Bienen School of Music.
The Balourdet Quartet performs the first concert of the Winter Chamber Music Festival (January 5-21) at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on January 5. In its 20th year, the citywide Tomorrow Never Knows (TNK) indie music and comedy festival runs January 17-21 and features upcoming local talent as well as established national artists. Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s 37th annual Young Playwrights Festival is a playwriting competition for Chicagoland teens. Support these budding dramatists by attending a performance of the four winning one-act plays from this year’s competition at Chicago Dramatists, January 4-27. Celebrating its 21st anniversary and featuring six ten-minute plays, The Artistic Home Studio’s Cut to the Chase Play Festival runs January 26-29 at The Den Theatre.
A festival of art in its own right, the Arts Club of Chicago’s 91st Exhibition of Visual Artist Members features the works of its talented artist members and is open to the public. The public opening reception is on January 23. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of famed Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt and runs through February 21.
Nestor Gomez festival performance for Fillet of Solo Festival features stories of Immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, January 13 & 19. Photo courtesy of Lifeline Theatre.
The kick-off party for the 27th annual Fillet of Solo Festival is at the Rhapsody Theater on January 10. The festival, which celebrates Chicago’s vibrant live lit and storytelling scene, runs January 12-21 at Lifeline Theatre and South of the Border.
Try new restaurants around the city during Chicago Restaurant Week! Enjoy gourmet bites without having to leave the Field Museum at First Bites Bash, January 18. Photo by Chicago Restaurant Week.
While Chicago does not have an outdoor, winter version of the Taste of Chicago, we do have Chicago Restaurant Week (January 19-February 4) with the First Bites Bash kick-off party at the Field Museum on January 18. Naperville Restaurant Week runs concurrently with Chicago Restaurant Week. Both are great ways to enjoy Chicagoland’s restaurants and take advantage of prix-fixe brunch, lunch and dinner menus.
January 19 is National Popcorn Day. Chicago’s contribution includes Garrett’s Popcorn, celebrating its 75th anniversary, and Cracker Jack®, which was introduced 128 years ago.
Honoring a legacy. The Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence honors nominees and winners at Venue SIX10, January 28. Photo by The Banchet Awards.
I remember making the pilgrimage to Jean Banchet’s Le Français restaurant in Wheeling years ago. Le Français was one of the top French restaurants in the U.S. Banchet passed away in 2013, but his legacy lives on with Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence, in partnership with Chicago Chefs Cook. This year’s awards ceremony is January 28 at Venue SIX10. Phil Vettel, former Chicago Tribune food critic will receive the Culinary Excellence Award.
Russell Kelley returns with an exciting new online series, “The Making of the Great Museums of Paris,” every Thursday from January 11-February 22. Photo by Alliance Française de Chicago.
Russell Kelley’s annual online series, presented by the Alliance Française de Chicago, have all been fascinating. Past series include “The Making of the French Garden” and “The Great Churches of Paris.” I’ve already signed-up for this year’s series, “The Making of the Great Museums of Paris,” every Thursday from January 11-February 22. No worries if your French is a bit rusty; the series is in English.
Tanaka Yu 田中悠. Bag Work (フクロモノ), 2018. Carol & Jeffrey Horvitz Collection of Contemporary Japanese Ceramics.
Chicago’s world-class museums and institutions offer free admission on select days. For example, the Shedd Aquarium offers free admission to Illinois residents January 9-16, 23-25, 30 and 31. The Art Institute of Chicago offers free admission on weekdays to Illinois residents from January 8-March 22. Tickets at both of these institutions must be reserved online in advance. The Chicago History Museum has free admission to Illinois residents on January 15-19, 23-26 and 30-31. When at the Art Institute, be sure to see “Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan,” through June 3. Janice Katz, the curator of Japanese Art, is to be commended for mounting such a beautiful ceramics exhibition.
The Music Institute of Chicago hosts a free Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert at Nichols Concert Hall, registration is required. Photo by Music Institute of Chicago.
Illinois was the first state to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day, which is the third Monday in January. Some of this year’s commemorations include: a free (ticket registration required) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston on January 14; Chicago Sinfonietta’s “PULSE: annual MLK Tribute Concert” at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville on January 14 and at the Auditorium Theatre on January 15; and the Hyde Park Art Center’s “MLK DAY 2024: Yesterdays, Todays, and Tomorrows” celebration on January 15.
Part love story part ghost story, Goodman Theatre’s world premiere of “Highway Patrol” hits the stage starting January 20 through February 28. Photo by Goodman Theatre.
Nominated for a 2024 GRAMMY Award! Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer’s “Champion” plays at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, January 27-February 11. Photo courtesy of Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The Candlelight Concerts in Chicago series features candlelight concerts in historic venues around the city. “Candlelight: Romantic Jazz featuring Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, & Ella Fitzgerald” at Salvage One is January 19. Other concerts this month showcase works by Vivaldi and tributes to Taylor Swift, Queen, Rihanna and Amy Winehouse. Based on a true story and described by the composer as “an opera in jazz,” the Lyric Opera of Chicago performs Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer’s “Champion” January 27-February 11. Starring Emmy Award-winner Dana Delany and based on her digital archives, the Goodman Theatre presents the world premiere of “Highway Patrol” January 20-February 28. The new musical “Illinoise” with music and lyrics by Sufjan Stevens based on his 2005 album “Illinois,” runs January 28-February 18 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier.
Auditorium Theatre hosts Evanston native John Cusack in “An Evening with John Cusack & screening of “High Fidelity,” January 18. Photo courtesy of Auditorium Theatre.
I’m in a film group and some of the movies we’ve recently watched have been around 3 hours long. Long movies aren’t a new phenomenon: the Gene Siskel Film Center’s “Settle In” series of marathon movies begins on January 6 with Abel Gance’s “The Wheel” from 1923, which clocks in at 426 minutes. I remember seeing the restored version of Abel Gance’s epic “Napoleon” from 1927 (330 minutes long) at the Chicago Theatre in the early 1980s. Evanston native John Cusack talks about his career and the movie he starred in (that was set and filmed in Chicago) during “An Evening with John Cusack & screening of “High Fidelity” at the Auditorium Theatre January 18.
I’m really looking forward to watching Season 4 of PBS Masterpiece’s “All Creatures Great and Small,” which premieres locally on WTTW on January 7. This show, and watching the dogs frolic in Washington Square Park in front of the Newberry Library, always make me smile.
Get ready to buy your tickets! Chicago Theatre Week tickets go on sale January 9 at 10 AM for performances across the city, February 8-18. Photo by Choose Chicago,
Note that tickets for two very popular events go on sale this month: tickets for the Wright PlusTM Architectural Housewalk on May 18 in Oak Park go on sale January 1, and tickets for Chicago Theatre Week, February 8-18, go on sale at 10:00 am on January 9.
All the best in the New Year!
Dates, times, locations and availability are subject to change.
