WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16–SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Joffrey Ballet, Millennials
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
Times vary.

Treat yourself to a triple bill. A ballet that resonates with feeling and atmosphere. A ballet created in collaboration with dancers. And a ballet that displays beauty, strength and a mysterious score.

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26–SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
Chicago Opera Theater, Wolfgang A. Mozart: Lucio Silla
Harris Theater, Chicago
Times vary.

Experience the genius of 16-year-old Mozart in the tale of Lucio Silla. Performed by Chicago Opera Theater, this saga of deceit, love and intrigue is conveyed by awe-inspiring arias and ravishing melodies.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
Tchaikovsky and Brahms
Coronado Performing Arts Center, Rockford
7:30 PM

Join the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and pianist David Syme as they begin the season with music of the masters, including a salute to Shakespeare in commemoration of 450 years since his passing.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
Kristin Chenoweth
The Chicago Theatre, Chicago
8:00 PM

Get ready for a special night of stories and song from Emmy and Tony Award–winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth. Her distinctive soprano voice and wide range of talent have been featured in film and on television and stage.

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OPENS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
The Tempest
Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago
Times vary.

Save the date for this classic tale of revenge, reimagined as a traveling tent show of trickery and amazement, underscored by haunting ballads. In a production of which dreams are made, sorcery gives way to inclinations of the heart.

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OPENS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
John Steinbeck’s East of Eden
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Times vary.

Get caught up in an unflinching story that asks if it is possible to escape the mistakes of previous generations and choose your own course. From the award-winning adaptor of the classic Steppenwolf production The Grapes of Wrath.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29–SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Bank of America Theater, Chicago
Times vary.

See why this musical won four 2014 Tony Awards out of 10 nominations. This Edwardian caper, based on the classic hit Kind Hearts and Coronets, has it all: deceit, innocence, love, murder and passion.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11–SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Windy City Wine Festival
Buckingham Fountain, Chicago
Fri, 4:30–10:00 PM; Sat, 2:30–8:00 PM

Sample more than 300 wines from around the world and learn about new wine varieties from experts. Some of Chicago’s best restaurants and caterers will sell their signature dishes in a relaxed festival setting.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25–SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Chicago Gourmet
Millennium Park, Chicago
Times vary.

Get ready for culinary heaven. Bon Appétit presents this jam-packed, culinary all-star weekend full of celebrity chef demos, can’t-miss wine and cocktail seminars, and tastings galore of incredible food, wine, spirits and beer.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
Autumn Brews: Seasonal Beer Tasting in the Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
6:00–8:00 PM

Celebrate the fall season with tastings of seasonally selected beers. Light fare and featured beer will be available for purchase. Tasting glass and tasting sheet included. Raise a glass to autumn.

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THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
Printers Row Farmers Market
Dearborn Street & Polk Street, Chicago
7:00 AM

Pick up some of the Midwest’s best produce, including straight-from-the-farm fruits, vegetables and flowers. This Downtown farmers market takes place weekly and is a breath of fresh air.

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SEPTEMBER 6, 13 & 20
Masterpiece™: Arthur & George
3-Part Series on PBS
8:00 PM ET (check local listings)

Martin Clunes (“Doc Martin”) stars as world-famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in this three-part adaptation of Julian Barnes’ acclaimed novel, which follows the separate but intersecting lives of two men: a half-Indian son of a vicar who is framed for a crime he may not have committed and Doyle, who investigates the case. Proudly sponsored by Viking River Cruises^®.

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THROUGH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
Vikings
The Field Museum, Chicago
9:00 AM–5:00 PM

Viking Cruises^® is proud to sponsor “Vikings,” an exhibition of over 500 Viking artifacts and illustrations, many of which have never been seen outside Scandinavia. Organized by the Swedish History Museum in Sweden, with MuseumsPartner in Austria.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Fifth Star Awards
Millennium Park, Chicago
7:00 PM

Celebrate creativity and exemplary Chicago artists and art institutions at the 2nd Annual Fifth Star Awards. This event honors individuals and businesses and features tribute videos and live performances.

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THROUGH OCTOBER
Acorn Express Tram Tours
The Morton Arboretum, Lisle
Times vary.

Take an educational, guided tram tour through The Morton Arboretum’s 1,700 acres. Winding through woodlands, wetlands and prairie, this tour is a kaleidoscope of nature. Hop aboard the Acorn Express.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17–SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art
Navy Pier, Chicago
Times vary.

Kick off the fall art season at historic Navy Pier. EXPO CHICAGO presents artwork from 140 leading galleries, representing 16 countries and 46 cities from around the world. Curators, collectors and art patrons survey the best in innovative, emerging programs.

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OPENS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
10:30 AM–5:00 PM; Thu until 8:00 PM

Learn the important role that Adjaye plays in contemporary architecture today. This exhibition features drawings, sketches, models, mock-ups, furniture, master plans and more, providing an in-depth overview of Adjaye’s distinct design approach.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1–SUNDAY, JANUARY 10
Expressionist Impulses: German and Central European Art, 1890-1990
Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago
Times vary.

Experience approximately 80 works of art that cover the major Expressionist moments in Germany: Die Brucke, Der Blaue Reiter, New Objectivity and Neo-Expressionism. Simplified forms, distorted details and unnatural colors elicit emotional responses.

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ONGOING
Abraham Lincoln, 1809–1865
Chicago History Museum, Chicago
Times vary.

Peruse a collection of Abraham Lincoln artifacts, from his top hat and pocket watch to his campaign banner and Emancipation Proclamation side chair.

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ONGOING
Gidwitz Hall of Birds
The Field Museum, Chicago
Daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

Explore the newly upgraded Hall of Birds featuring one of the most outstanding bird displays in the world along with updated content on the relationships between bird species, an “Artists’ Corner” and engaging media elements.

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