Neighborhood News – Lincoln Square, Chicago Loop, Gold Coast, Wicker Park

Colder temperatures can’t stop a great city from having a good time! This weekend, indoor and outdoor activities are abundant, family-friendly, and great for the kiddos! 

“Available Light,” an exhibition of photographs by Chicago artist Andrew Steiner, begins with a reception Friday, November 12 from 6pm-9pm at Eat Paint Studio, 5036 N Lincoln Ave., and runs through December 11. Steiner’s photos document Chicago’s Covid-19 shutdown starting in March 2020. Eat Paint Studio describes Steiner’s photos as “a personal documentation of the past two years and an outward search for meaning and beauty.” Free.

Sequence Chicago at Navy Pier features Chicago’s lively arts and cultural scene this Saturday, November 13, from 3pm- 6pm, featuring great musical performances at the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion Food Experience Corridor. The program also showcases works by local artisans. On Saturday, November 13, Joe Rickter performs from 3pm-4pm, followed by Eli & Company from 4pm-5pm, and Dennis Caravello rounds out the trio from 5pm-6pm. Free.  Masks are required for everyone over 2 years old while indoors, regardless of vaccination status, per City of Chicago mandate. 

The Lyric Opera of Chicago breaks new ground as they present Florencia en el Amazonas, their first Spanish-language opera on the mainstage, 20 N. Wacker Drive, on Saturday, November 13, at 7:30 pm. The opera is inspired by the literary work of Gabriel García Márquez The story, by Daniel Catán, revolves around a glamorous diva on a life-changing adventure on the Amazon. The show stars soprano Ana María Martínez as Florencia. The show runs through November 28, and tickets start at $39. Masks are required for these indoor performances.

In a new immersive exhibit at the Field Museum, Wild Color explores the meaning of color in our world. Color, as the description says, evokes emotions, signals alarm, and creates disguise and illusion. Visitors will learn how to decode the hidden messages that different colors can send. In one of the exhibition’s many highlights, you can transform into a fluttering yellow butterfly through the art of projection. Fun for the whole family! Ticket prices vary, check website for details.

This weekend, Facets’ presents its 38th Annual Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, one of only two Oscar-qualifying children’s film festivals in the world. Limited in-person screenings at Facets and virtual screenings feature more than 250 films from 40 countries for children, teens, and adults, featuring over 250 films, as the website says, “break new ground in their approach to storytelling, offer unique or seldom-heard points of view, and demonstrate artistic and technical mastery.” Check their website for details on ticket prices, times and locations.

Sunday, November 14 is the last Wicker Park Farmer’s Market of the season…”unless it snows!” says their website. The Farmer’s Market takes place at 1425 N. Damen Ave. from 8am-2pm, and features fresh-to-table vendors such as Avrom Farm, Baked Cheese Haus, Beacon Doughnuts, and Ben & Ben Co. Crepes. From 9am to 9:45am, kids can enjoy Storytime with Cruelty-Free You & Me at the Mr. Wicker Sculpture. Lots more fun to be had! Free.

Alison Moran and Dean’s Team Chicago