CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Bucktown and Wicker Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, River North, Lincoln Square, Oak Park

Bucktown and Wicker Park: It’s time to get WEIRD! Remedy Chicago presents Weird Wednesdays: Halloween Edition: Heroes vs. Villians. On Halloween (Wednesday, October 31) from 7 pm to 4 am, join Remedy for a Halloween Mask DIY. Make your own mask and become a hero or a villain- it’s your choice! Supplies are provided by Remedy (while they last), you just have to show up and get creative! You can also play “guess how many candy corns are in the jar” for a $25 prize. There will be more games and prizes after 11 pm! Everything is half off during Happy Hour (4-7 pm), there will be $8 El Diablo cocktails all night, and $5 mystery shots. Find more information here.

Lakeview: Francesca’s is hosting “The Art of Pasta” presented by Chef Massimo Salatino! Their Lakeview location (3311 N Clark St.) hosts this fantastic cooking class on Tuesday, October 30 at 6 pm. A native Italian, Massimo Salatino’s career has spanned more than two decades, from kitchens in Italy to New York and now Chicago. Chef Massimo is the Corporate Chef for the Francesca’s Restaurant Group. In this class, you’ll learn to make fresh and delicious pasta- from scratch! The class is $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity) and includes non-alcoholic beverages. Find more information here.

Lincoln Park: It’s time again for Spooktacular- Lincoln Park’s annual Halloween extravaganza! On Sunday, October 28 from 1 to 4 pm, participating businesses from Armitage to Diversey on Clark Street and on the south side of Diversey from Orchard to Lakeview, will open their doors to trick-or-treaters! There will of course be trick-or-treating, but there will also be stilt walkers, magicians, jugglers, AND a costume contest (held at HopCat)! Participating businesses include Aloha Eats, Colectivo Coffee, Firecakes Donuts, Lincoln Park Fitness Center, and more. Find more information here.

River North: The Illinois Science Council invites you to the Science Cocktail Party! On Saturday, November 10 from 8 to 11 pm at DIRTT Environmental Solutions, this cool annual celebration will celebrate Chicago’s science community. In a unique venue, with an amazing view, you can eat tasty appetizers, enjoy an open bar with beer, wine, and a signature “pop-rock” cocktail! There will also be raffle prizes and cool science experiments to participate in! Group tickets start at $68 and general admission tickets are $85. Find more information and purchase your tickets here.

Lincoln Square: Have you carved your Halloween pumpkins yet? It’s not too late! It’s time for Gene’s 5th Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest at Gene’s Sausage Shop! This Sunday, October 28 from 12 to 3 pm, join other Halloween lovers at Gene’s Rooftop for food, drinks, and prizes. Costumes are encouraged, but not mandatory. Admission is free and there are both adult and child categories. Carved pumpkins can be dropped off and registered from now until 11 am on the 28th. Registered pumpkins will be displayed in Gene’s front window to WOW passerby! For location information, click here.

Oak Park: Do you love Chicago? Of course you do! How about art? Join The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association for “Chicago Artists Depict Urban Life”. On Monday, November 12 from 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm, David Sokol will examine how Chicago artists saw the city. He’ll explore its buildings and the life of its people, whether idealized or starkly revealing the contrasts in social classes, from the late 1800s through the recent past. Special attention will be paid to the social realist artists of the 1920s through World War II. Mr. Sokol is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as the founder and long-time director of the UIC Museum Studies Program. You can also make a reservation for lunch, in addition to the program. Click here to reserve your spot now.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO