Introducing our newest edition of the Classic Chicago DateBook for 2025.

For event submissions, email aedelfosse1@gmail.com or judycbross@aol.com with the following details:

-Calendar date, day of week & time of event

-Sponsoring organization

-Name of event

-Event details / schedule of event components

-Location of event

-Contact telephone, email and/or website

January

January 24th – February 16th, 2025

Saint Sebastian Players

The Man Who Came to Dinner

The Saint Sebastian Players keeps the joy and craziness of the holidays going as its 43rd season continues with The Man Who Came to Dinner by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman.

Lower level of St. Bonaventure, 1625 West Diversey Pkwy, Chicago (enter on Marshfield)

For information, call 773-281-6588 or visit saintsebastianplayers.org

January 28th, 2025, Tuesday, 05:30 – 07:30 p.m

Smart Museum of Art – University of Chicago

Smart Salon: Art and Infinity, with Dr. W.J.T. Mitchell

This lecture will explore several varieties of infinity as they are realized in the visual arts now on display at the Smart Museum, from William Blake’s Minute Particulars to J. M. W. Turner’s sublime landscapes to Antony Gormley’s Infinite Cube.

Smart Museum of Art at University of Chicago, 5550 South Greenwood Avenue, Chicago

January 29th – February 02nd, 2025, Wednesday – Sunday

Chicago Architecture Center

Architecture & Design Film Festival

The Architecture & Design Film Festival returns to Chicago, presented by the Chicago Architecture Center with film screenings at the Gene Siskel Film Center and the Cultural Center. This international festival highlights the best films dedicated to the creative spirit of architecture and design, showcasing films with both a design focus and a human story. Opening night (January 29) and the January 30 feature films will be hosted at the Cassidy Theater at the Chicago Cultural Center. The remainder of the weekend (January 31-February 2) will be hosted at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

Cassidy Theater at the Chicago Cultural Center: 78 East Washington St, Chicago

Gene Siskel Film Center: 164 North State Street, Chicago

Tickets here

January 30th, 2025, Thursday, 05:30 – 07:30 p.m

Museum of Contemporary Photography

Opening Reception, Regina Agu: Shore|Lines

The Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago (MoCP) presents Regina Agu: Shore|Lines from January 23, 2025 – May 17, 2025. Drawing on methods of field work and landscape photography, Agu examines waterways and natural environments as defining sites of Black life and belonging. Join us for an opening reception to celebrate Regina Agu: Shore|Lines.

Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

More information here

February

February 02nd, 2025, Sunday, 12:30 – 02:30 p.m.

Music Institute Of Chicago

Free Music Open House

Open houses offer opportunities to meet faculty, learn about curriculum and try out various instruments at the musical instrument petting zoo.

Lake Bluff Campus: Grace United Methodist Church, 244 East Center Avenue, Lake Bluff

More information and RSVP here

February 02nd, 2025, Sunday, 01:00 – 03:00 p.m.

Music Institute of Chicago

Free Music Open House

Open houses offer opportunities to meet faculty, learn about curriculum and try out various instruments at the musical instrument petting zoo.

Winnetka Campus: 300 Green Bay Road, Winnetka

More information and RSVP here

February 04th, 2025, 07:00 p.m

Exile in Bookville and Chicago’s Fine Arts Building

Neko Case: Memoir Talk

Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building and Exile in Bookville are thrilled to co-present an evening in conversation with critically acclaimed Grammy-nominated musician and author Neko Case about her new memoir The Harder I Fight the More I Love You.

Studebaker Theater, 410 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

More information and tickets here

February 05th, 2025, Wednesday, 07:00 p.m

Performers Music | Fine Arts Building

Free Concert in Honor of Founder Lee Newcomer

Performers Music, the iconic sheet music store founded by Lee Newcomer in 1981 at the Fine Arts Building, announces a special memorial concert in honor of its late founder. The concert is free and open to the public. This event will celebrate Lee Newcomer’s remarkable life and his lasting influence on Chicago’s music community. The concert will feature a performance from renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine.

Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building, 410 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

Free tickets here

February 08th, 2025, Saturday, 10:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m

Smart Museum of Art – University of Chicago

Family Day: Filling the Paige

Discover how artists featured in The 50th create their work in unexpected ways. Families will experiment with pattern, printing, and repetition using unique art-making techniques such as printmaking, paint, and ink. Drop in; all families and kids of all ages are welcome.

Smart Museum of Art at University of Chicago, 5550 South Greenwood Avenue, Chicago

More information here

February 08th, 2025, Saturday, 03:00 p.m.

Music Institute of Chicago

Recital + Free Open House

The 3 p.m recital is free and open to the public. At 4 p.m, following the recital, will be the open house, which offers opportunities to meet faculty, learn about curriculum and try out various instruments at the musical instrument petting zoo.

Chicago campus: St. James Cathedral, 65 East Huron Street, Chicago

More information and RSVP here

February 08th, 13th & 16th, 2025

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Sondra Radvanovsky in Concert: The Puccini Heroines

These world-premiere concerts, conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola, feature the superstar Chicago native taking on an Olympic feat: singing the most dramatic and iconic soprano arias from Puccini’s vast repertoire of hit operas. Only three performances of Sondra Radvanovsky in Concert: The Puccini Heroines: Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, February 16 at 2:00 p.m. Performed in Italian, with easy-to-follow English translations projected above the stage.

Tickets: lyricopera.org/puccini or call 312-827-5600.

February 09th, 2025, 02:00 – 04:00 p.m.

Music Institute of Chicago

Free Music Open House

Open houses offer opportunities to meet faculty, learn about curriculum and try out various instruments at the musical instrument petting zoo.

Lake Forest Campus: 40 East Old Mill Road, Lake Forest

More information and RSVP here

February 16th, 2025, Sunday, 02:00 – 04:00 p.m

Music Institute of Chicago

Free Music Open House

Open houses offer opportunities to meet faculty, learn about curriculum and try out various instruments at the musical instrument petting zoo.

Evanston Campus: 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston

More information and RSVP here

February 22nd, 2025, Saturday, 07:30 p.m

The Auditorium

The Terminator in Concert

The Auditorium and the Chicago Philharmonic kick off the second season of the Auditorium Philms Concert Series, a multimedia experience presenting iconic films brought to life with scores performed in concert, with the U.S. premiere of The Terminator in concert. The beloved sci-fi film which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024 will play while an all-electric chamber orchestra performs the high-octane score composed by Brad Fiedel with in-sync dialogue and sound effects from the original film

The Auditorium, 50 East Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago

Tickets here or 312-341-2300

February 27th, 2025, Thursday, 05:30 – 08:30 p.m

Costume Council of the Chicago History Museum

An Intimate Evening with Chicago Fashion Icon Maria Pinto

Join Maria Pinto, Chicago’s Premier Designer, in conversation with Maggie Gillette of The Curio as we discuss the secret to longevity and creativity in today’s fashion world. With Special Presentation by Jessica Pushor. Chairs: Maggie Gillette and John Rogers.

The Woman’s Athletic Club Ballroom, 626 Michigan Avenue, Chicago

Tickets here

February 28th, 2025, Friday, 06:30 – 10:00 p.m

Old Town Triangle Association

An Old Town Art Affair

We are thrilled to announce a special event celebrating 75 incredible years of our neighborhood’s OLD TOWN ART FAIR, and the community, past and present, that continues this accomplishment. Join us for a joyous cocktail party fundraiser to honor this milestone and the vibrant spirit that makes our neighborhood so special. Here are some fun details:

The Flat Cats band will entertain us with music through the decades while you enjoy appetizers, wine, beer, and a signature cocktail or two. Photo Booth for you and your friends to make a memory. Raffles, silent auctions and special guests. Cocktail attire – you are encouraged to dress in a decade of your choosing! More details to come.

Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago

Tickets here

February 28th & March 01st, 2025, Friday & Saturday

Nejla Yatkin

Nejla Yatkin’s Ouroboros

Guggenheim Fellow and award-winning choreographer Nejla Yatkin will embark on a five-city national tour of her acclaimed solo work, Ouroboros, starting February 28, 2025.

Studio5, 1938 Dempster Street, Evanston

More information here

March

March 01st, 2025, Saturday

Junior League of Chicago

Junior League of Chicago Annual Gala

Join us on March 1, 2025 for a formal night of dinner, dancing, and generosity as we celebrate the mission of the Junior League and our lasting impact on the Chicagoland community.

The St. Regis Chicago, 401 East Wacker Drive, Chicago

Tickets and sponsorships here

March 01st & 02nd, 2025, Saturday & Sunday

The Auditorium

Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández

The Auditorium proudly announces the return of Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández, last seen on The Auditorium stage in 2022, in a one-weekend-only engagement celebrating the dynamic history and diverse culture of Mexico through dance. Tickets start at $30. Saturday’s performance begins at 07:30 p.m, with Sunday’s beginning at 3:00 p.m.

The Auditorium, 50 East Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago

Tickets here

March 06th, 2025, Thursday, 05:30 – 11:00 p.m

Landmarks Illinois

Preservation Forward 2025 Gala

Long billed as the biggest night in preservation, Preservation Forward annually attracts nearly 800 professionals in the design, real estate and building industries, as well as tradespeople, community artists and activists and community development professionals. Tickets and sponsorships are now on sale for the inspiring evening event, which takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and features a cocktail reception and a main program honoring the2025 Landmarks Illinois Influencers, followed by dinner and an after-party. Landmarks Illinois is proud to honor the following 2025 Influencers at this year’s event: Chicago Women in Trades, a nonprofit trades training organization; Chris Enck, Architect & preservationist; Elizabeth & Ethan Finkelstein, Founders of Cheap Old Houses.

The Old Post Office, 433 West Van Buren Street, Chicago

Tickets here

March 09th, 2025, Sunday, 07:30 p.m

The Orion Ensemble

The Orion Ensemble performs “To Life!”

The Orion Ensemble continues its 32nd season with “To Life!,” which showcases Orion’s core musicians on a program of trios, including a Chicago premiere by Alexander Goldstein and works by Johannes Brahms and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performances take place at 3 venues.

Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston

Tickets: 630-628-9591 OR info@orionensemble.org

March 10th, 2025, Monday, 07:30 p.m

The Orion Ensemble

The Orion Ensemble performs “To Life!”

PianoForte Studios, 1335 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

Tickets: 630-628-9591 OR info@orionensemble.org

March 15th, 2025, Saturday, 07:30 p.m

The EcoVoice Project

World Premiere: Missa Laudato Si’ by Dongryul Lee

Missa Laudato Si’ is a new work written by Dongryul Lee in the spirit of Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, which calls on humanity to urgently address the climate crisis. In the form of a Mass, Missa Laudato Si’ contemplates climate change and caring for the earth by intertwining the Latin Mass text with prayers, poems, and texts about contaminated soil, water, and all the threatened creatures living under the climate and plastic crises, including “the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest.”

Rooney Hall, Loyola University Chicago, 1020 West Sheridan Road, Chicago

Tickets here

March 16th, 2025, Sunday, 03:00 p.m

The Orion Ensemble

The Orion Ensemble performs “To Life!”

New England Congregational Church, 406 West Galena Boulevard, Aurora

Tickets: 630-628-9591 OR info@orionensemble.org

April

April 04th, 2025, Friday

PAWS Chicago

Animal Magnetism: A Spring Celebration for People & Their Pets

Hosted by the PAWS Chicago Professional Board at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, Animal Magnetism welcomes more than 650 of Chicago’s urban professionals, animal lovers, and their canine companions for a night of food and drinks, dancing, entertainment, a fabulous silent auction, and more! This dog-friendly celebration is critical in raising funds to ensure PAWS Chicago can continue to save and care for thousands of homeless pets each year.

Morgan Manufacturing, 401 North Morgan Street Suite #100, Chicago

Tickets here

April 26th, 2025, Saturday

TimeLine Theatre Company

Step Into Time Fundraiser

TimeLine’s biggest party and fundraiser of the year, Step Into Time, is on the horizon! This coming spring we celebrate TimeLine’s 28th anniversary. Mark your calendar to join us for a few hours of fun and music as we celebrate TimeLine’s unique mission of exploring the past by stepping into another era for an elegant evening that raises funds vital to our work. The evening includes spirits, silent auction & raffle, gourmet dinner, entertainment and more.

Ritz-Carlton Chicago, 160 East Pearson Street, Chicago

Tickets here

April 26th, 2025, Saturday, 06:00 – 11:30 p.m

Brookfield Zoo Chicago

44th Annual Whirl Gala

Whirl is the premier and highly-anticipated black-tie gala held by the Board of Trustees and Women’s Board of Brookfield Zoo Chicago. This year’s event will be wilder than ever! More than 500 of Chicago’s corporate and philanthropic community leaders will join the Zoo on April 26 at Hilton Chicago to raise critical funds for supporting and uplifting the Zoo’s mission to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people to wildlife and nature. The event is co-chaired by Board of Trustees Vice Chair Molly Keller and Women’s Board Executive Committee member Sherry Featherstone.

Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

More information here

Contact Kerri Doherty at kerri.doherty@brookfieldzoo.org or 708-688-8670

May

May 07th, 2025, Wednesday

Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation

19th Annual Medical Briefing Luncheon: “Making a Difference”

Co-Chairs: Melissa Haley and Florence Ann Romano; Panelists: John Walkup, MD and Janet Wozniak, MD

Private Club, Gold Coast

More information to come

May 10th, 2025, Saturday, 06:30 p.m

Alzheimer’s Association

Rita Hayworth Gala

The Rita Hayworth Gala honors the legendary Rita Hayworth and her courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. This special evening celebrates the progress made by the Alzheimer’s Association, while looking toward a future of hope and advancement. The event will be hosted by Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, Rita’s daughter and Honorary Vice Chair of the Alzheimer’s Association, alongside Gala Chairs Rozmin & Ebrahim Valliani, bringing together supporters to raise awareness and funds for continued research and care.

The Old Post Office, 433 West Van Buren Street, Chicago

Tickets here

May 15th, 2025, Thursday, 06:00 – 09:00 p.m

Designs for Dignity

Spirit of Design – 25th Anniversary Gala

Spirit of Design is Designs for Dignity’s signature annual fundraiser. We look forward to seeing you this May to celebrate another amazing year of empowering lives through design! Enjoy delectable food & drink, a silent auction and raffle – all to benefit Designs for Dignity.

The Geraghty, 2520 South Hoyne Avenue, Chicago

More information here

May 17th, 2025, Saturday

Ragdale

More Than a Novel Affair

Ragdale’s annual fundraising event will take place this May. Please join us for a very special event, celebrating Ragdale and raising funds to support our artists in residence program and educational outreach. Our signature event of the year will feature a curated group of celebrated writers, a fabulous cocktail party, pop-up performances, and seated dinners with featured authors, all on Ragdale’s beautiful and historic campus. Co-Chairs: Sally McDonald, Grove Mower, Sally Schwartz.

Ragdale, 1260 North Green Bay Road, Lake Forest

Contact Mary Beth Sova at marybeth@ragdale.org or 847-234-1063 x 24 for more information or to reserve a table early.

June

June 14th & 15th, 2025, Saturday & Sunday

Old Town Art Fair

The 75th Old Town Art Fair Celebration will take many forms in the coming months. We hope you enjoy all of the exciting new features to be announced. The first change you’ll notice: the Art Fair logo has been redesigned.

More details to come