May 3, 2013, 6:30-10:30pm at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted St. Hotels, trains, resorts, airlines, travel magazines, exotic destinations -- the biggest GLBT travel expo in the world with over 100 exhibitors.. Free admission, raffle prizes.
Ongoing through May 8, 2013. A collaboration by Hayden Myrick and Eliot Taguiam. The show aims to define how each artist perceives truth in the world around them, and explores notions of sentimentality, facade, ideas of absolute truth, and ultimate falsehoods. Curated by Edward Rossa, a graduate of the Art History and Theory Departments of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Apr 12 - May 8, 6:00 pm - 11:00 pmMay 18, 2013, monthly screening of cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show -- with audience participation of course! All at The Music Box, 3733 N Southport Avenue. Also other cult classic weekend midnight movies throughtout the month.
May 23-27, 2013. Memorial Day Weekend. Thousands converge to party, network, & choose new International Mr. Leather. 4 day Leather Market has finest leather/fetish artisans & retailers, erotic attractions, body enhancement specialists & more. See website for 2012 IML media.
May 24-27, 2013. Bring Your Bear (Teddy, Ted E, or Theodore) for an American right of passage - the sleepover! Meet & Greet Social, explore the city Trolley Tour or Boat Tour, over-the-top parties like Pajama Party and Nuts to Butts, and bath time with Wet 'n' Wild at Steamworks. Plus games in the Bear Lounge and late night After Hours Parties. Details/venues online:
May 25-26, 2013, Memorial Day weekend at the Park West Theatre, 322 West Armitage Ave. The hottest male porn stars in the business, emcees Honey West & Chi Chi LaRue, big awards bash, parties with the guys appearing in clubs around town. Host hotel: The Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. See the website for venues and more info.
May 26, 2013 at Touché. A night of dudes, dancing, debauchery. Spend the last night of IML weekend at the Dirty Party. Beats provided by Ntelect, men provided by Chicago. Lose your inhibitions at the door.
May 26 - May 27, 10:00 pm - 2:00 amJune 7-9, 2013, 48th annual Andersonville summer street festival; 50,000 people fill Clark Street from Foster to Catalpa for music from cutting-edge bands, ethnic dance troupes, lots of food, and vendor wares.
June 23, 2013, parade from N Halsted at Belmont to Lincoln Park by way of Broadway & Diversey. Pride Street Festival, on N Halsted, music, food, vendors. Dozens of social, cultural, athletic & political events. See website for 2012 media & 2013 updates.
June 29-30, 2013, noon - 10pm daily on Racine between Fullerton & Webster. The works of over 80 juried artists in the heart of the Lincoln Park/DePaul neighborhood; also an eclectic music stage lineup and food vendors. $5 donation benefits Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce.
July 21, 2013, 10am-8pm festival with Lion Dance procession at 12:30pm on Wentworth Ave 23-24th Streets; entertainment, music, arts, crafts, and the taste of Chinatown's many restaurants. See the Chicago Dragons for this and other Chinatown events year-round.
August 10-11, 2013, annual street fair on six blocks of N Halsted, many musical acts on multiple stages, plus hundreds of food, arts and crafts vendors. Dozens of gay bars, dance clubs, restaurants, stores and a bathhouse surround the festival site.
August 23-25, 2013 at Six Guns Ranch & Arena, 26926 State Line Rd, Crete IL (tentative venue). The rodeo runs, rain or shine. Get info online for this and other Illinois Gay Rodeo events including ongoing year-round events at Charlie's and Touché.
Early November, 2013. Vendors from around the globe at the Center on Halsted (3656 N Halsted), contest events Friday & Saturday, & more events at Cell Block, Jackhammer, Touche, and Steamworks.
Normally each November, on hiatus in 2012, has plans to return in 2013. Award-winning international feature films, social documentaries & experimental shorts. 65 screening at six venues around town, including: Landmark's Century Centre, 2828 N Clark St; Instituto Cervantes, 31 W Ohio; Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N Clark St; ShowPlace ICON, 150 W Roosevelt Rd.
February, 2014. Annual multi-arts non-narrative, multidisciplinary fringe festival - seasoned veterans along with obstreperous young newcomers - poetry, music, video, new media, theater, dance, performance art... and more from Curious Theatre Branch.
Choral, Cabaret and Musical Theater. More than 150 singing members, a small army of volunteers, a diverse cross-section of the Chicago metropolitan area, Artistic Director, Patrick Sinozich. Entertainment that keeps the audience coming back again and again for the ambitious schedule of performances, fund-raisers and charitable appearances.
Chicago Water Taxi (400 North Michigan Avenue)Michigan Avenue (Wrigley Building base) to Chinatown, or reverse, boat trips for just $2 to $4 per ride (on-board). All day pass for $4 ($6 on weekends).
Explore Chicago (163 E Pearson Street)The City of Chicago Office of Tourism has a thousand ideas for places go and things to do. Consult them online, at their visitor centers, or download free tours in five languages at Downloadchicagotours.com
Gay media includes: Boi Magazine, and the group of publications from Windy City Times. Grab Magazine is Chicago's gay bi-weekly magazine, with business listings, bar events and maps, plus local color.
The weekly Chicago Reader is an alternative paper with massive listings on what's happening, all over the metro area.
Online info resources include Chicago Events, the Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, NewCityChicago, and the Northalsted Business Alliance.
Toto Tours (1326 West Albion Ave; 800-565-1241) is the pioneer in gay adventure travel with twenty years of experience. They provide small group adventure travel for gay men exclusively, bringing together fellow travelers, and fostering mutual understanding with those of other cultures.
A bi-monthly, all-ages, queer music and spoken word series, the first and third Tuesday of every month at Big Chicks / Tweet (5024 N SHERIDAN 773-728-5511). Enter at Big Chicks for performance in Tweet. Free parking in back (through alley), and free admission -- but pass the hat for the artists.
Leather Archives and Museum (6418 N Greenview Avenue)Kinky History: The Leather Archives and Museum open Thursday to Sunday, is a must-see shrine to leather and fetish.
Millennium Park (78 E. Washington Street)Go parking: Millennium Park is an eye-catching urban park where you'll find plenty of men for the public art.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company (1650 N. Halsted Street)A night at the theater: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, a crucible of talent, is where John Malkovich made it big.
Art Institute of Chicago (111 South Michigan Avenue)Art for art's sake: The Art Institute of Chicago, a world-class museum and school of art and design, has free admission Thursday and Friday nights.
Willis Tower (233 S Wacker Drive)Bird's eye perspectives: The Willis Tower, (formerly the Sears) Chicago's tallest building, has great vistas. Save the price of observation deck admission with a drink at the bar on the 95th floor, for a similar view.
