The L decked out for Christmas with lights and lots of decorations.

Adapted from all the listings I have collected this is the 25 best things to do in Chicago this Christmas. Take note, many of these Christmas activities are free and fun for the whole family. Whether it is a showing of the Nutcracker, Christmas Caroling, shopping at ChristkindleMarket, seeing A Christmas Carol or Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer show, seeing Winter Wonderfest or Zoolights, there is plenty to plan your weekend with this holiday season. As always call the phone numbers listed for more information, addresses an times. If you plan on attending these holiday events in Chicago please take public transportation on your way there to minimize traffic and avoid the cost of parking downtown ($25+). Chicagoweekendfun.com wishes everyone the warmest and most fun holiday season yet!

 A BREAKFAST WITH SANTA- Fun for kids! This breakfast with santa features a special appearance by Chicago Bear Jerry Azumah and if you bring a handmade ornament you can enter to win prized. Bring an unwrapped gift to donate to the Walter and Connie Payton foundation. United Club at Soldier Field, 1410 South Museum Campus, (312)235-7162. December 5th @ 10 AM. $50, $25 best for kids 3-12, An RSVP is required.

THE 11TH ANNUAL BUCKTOWN HOLIDAY ARTSHOW - All kinds of local art at many price levels including photography, jewelry, watercolors and more. The creativity in the art is beyond what you can find in a big box store for christmas. Holstein Park Fieldhouse, 2200 North Oakley St, (312)742-7554. December 12th and 13th, 11am to5pm, $2 entry fee.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING AT THE CLOUD GATE (the bean) – Join groups of carolers for a weekly sing-along @ Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph St, (312)742-1168. Fridays through December 18th @ 6pm. Free!

The Music Box Theater

The 14TH ANNUAL CHRISTKINDLMARKET @ DALEY PLAZA – This outdoor German market on Daley Plaza offers vendors selling authentic German food, drinks and handmade goods like ornaments and clothing. Some favorites are Beer, Potato pancakes and Christmas Ornaments. Daley Plaza, 50 West Washington St, (312)494-2175. November 25th through December 24th. Free!

68TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD/14TH ANNUAL HOLIDAYS OF LIGHT Museum of Science and Industry – A tradition at the Museum of Science and Industry, see where Christmas is celebrated around the world with Christmas trees, music, dancing and some exhibits of other winter holidays, including Diwali, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. At the Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 South Lake Shore Drive, (773)684-1414. November 20th through January 3rd. Free with general Museum of Science and Industry admission of $9-$13.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Theater – The classic tale of mean ol’ Ebenezer Scrooge turned around by the Goodman Theater. See what Christmas is really supposed to be about and bring the whole family. At the Goodman Theatre, 170 North Dearborn St, (312)443-3800. Now Showing from November 20th through December 31st. Tickets are $25-$74, or $10 for students.

The 26TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SING-ALONG AND DOUBLE FEATURE MOVIES – Come see two favorite classic Christmas Movies and sing some carols too —“It’s a Wonderful Life” and “White Christmas”— at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport Ave, (773)871-6604. December 18th through December 24th. Tickets are $16 for the double feature, or $11 for the single.

Christmas HOLIDAY FLOWER SHOW – Garfield Park Conservatory has more holiday flowers than you can dream of. Fields of poinsettias and other holiday plants are in their vast and amazing greenhouses for viewing. Come see this horticultual treasure in Chicago. The Garfield Conservatory, 300 North Central Park, (312)746-5100. Open November 28th through January 10th. Free, but donations appreciated.

MILLENNIUM PARK ICE SKATING – We have already written about the fun of skating downtown among the skyline, but I will say it again, grab your skates and head over to the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink on Michigan Avenue in Millennium Park. The 2009-2010 season runs from November 20th through March 14th. (also fun around Valentine’s day)

The Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River

THE JOFFREY BALLET PRESENTS THE NUTCRACKER – The exclusive Joffrey Ballet “The Nutcracker” is only here for two weeks. Don’t miss the amazing ballet dance troupe performing this Christmas classic at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 East Congress, call for more info (800)982-2787. December 11th through December 27th. Tickets are $25-$100.

RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR HOLIDAY SALE – 150 local, national and international artists show their unique creations Come browse the handmade jewelry, clothing and comics, among a plethora of other goodies. Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, 1419 W. Blackhawk, (773)227-2707. Dec 5 and Dec 6, 11am-7pm. Free.

RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER – The classic tale of Rudolph in a funny, family-friendly retelling of said story. The Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, (773)561-4665. Nov 27-Dec 18. $15, $10 for kids under 12.

SANTA’S HOUSE & Photos With SANTA – Sit on Jolly Ol’ St. Nick’s lap, tell him what you want for Christmas and get a picture. Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington, (312)744-3315. Nov 26-Dec 24. Free.

SONGS OF GOOD CHEER – Chicago Tribune’s Eric Zorn and Mary Schmich and musicians head a caroling party at the Old Town School of Folkmusic. Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 North Lincoln, (773)728-6000. December 18-December 19 @ 7:30 pm, and December 20 @ 5 pm. Tickets are $36-$40.

Macy's (Marshall Field's) on State Street all decked out

32ND ANNUAL TOYS FOR TOTS MOTORCYCLE PARADE – This annual event is beneficial to the greater community with thousands of motorcycle riders delivering toys of all kinds so they can be donated to families in need. You can donate toys at any of the many stops along the routes. Dan Ryan Woods, 8300 South Western Avenue, (708)771-1062. December 6th @ 9:30 am. Free, toy donation required (no stuffed animals please).

VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS HOME TOURS – Tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park home, decked out for the holidays, and learn about the Wright family’s Christmas celebrations. Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Avenue in Oak Park, (708)848-1976. December 12th and December 19th at 9am-11am. Free!

WELCOME YULE! – A holiday concert featuring members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, as well as the Welcome Yule! Children’s and Dance Ensemble. Symphony Center, 220 South Michigan Avenue, (312)294-3000. December 18th through December 23rd. Tickets: $20-$98.

WINTER WONDERFEST NAVY PIER – Keeping the tradition of elaborate holiday tourist traps alive, Navy Pier transforms itself into a winter wonderland complete with a skating rink, inflatable games and a bungee run. Santa and his elves will be on hand every day ‘til Christmas to listen to kid’s holiday wishes. Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand, (312)595-PIER. Dec 4-Jan 3. $16-$19.

WONDERLAND EXPRESS MODEL TRAINS – Eighty model trains travel through Chicago landmarks, waterfalls and holiday trees in this 10,000-square-foot exhibit, tiny trains wind through more than 80 miniature Chicago landmarks, waterfalls, holiday trees and more. New on the map this year is Barack Obama’s Hyde Park home and Michelle Obama’s childhood home. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook, Glencoe, (847)835-5440. Nov 27-Jan 3. $6-$10.

ZOOLIGHTS @ LINCOLN PARK ZOO – More than two million lights add beautiful holiday cheer to the Lincoln Park Zoo. The activities include visits with Santa, kid’s activities and ice carving demonstrations. Lincoln Park Zoo, 2200 North Cannon, (312)742-2000. November 27th through January 3rd. Free!

Eddie Izzard just announced that he will be back in Chicago performing his Stripped 2 The Big Intimacy Standup Comedy Tour to a larger crowd than ever at the United Center on January 8th 2010. The tickets go on pre-sale this morning Sept 14th at 10 am through Ticketmaster with the code Bees. Otherwise there are general tickets available to the public starting on Sept 21st at 10 am. The Eddie Izzard show tickets are be between $45-$75 each .

Eddie Izzard was last seen in Chicago in the spring of 2008 with the Stripped tour, selling out 3 nights at the Chicago Theater on State Street. I saw 2 of the 3 shows and he was creative and funny in different ways each night. I wonder in a huge stadium like United Center (that seats 23,000 people) if the intimacy is really just irony? I know they bring huge LED screens for shows like this, and really big speakers, but the reason people go to concerts in person (in the middle of January in Chicago) is to see that person up close and personal and I am not sure that this will be possible in this venue.

I have enjoyed many shows in the United Center, but it is an elliptical warehouse (not ornate and beautiful like the Chicago Theater) and is better suited for shows like ice capades, the circus or hockey. It is hard to see anything about any one person on a stage from the nosebleed seats. Unless Eddie Izzard pops up playing the giant pipe organ built into the stadium for Chicago Bulls Games and comes down to the stage on a wire, there won’t really be too many staging surprises.

That said, if you are a true fan of Eddie Izzard’s comedy, irreverence and improvisational style you will probably go anyway. I plan to. It was 6 years between Izzard Standup Comedy tours last time and only 2 years between visits is a gift. I have found more and more comedians and TV personalities mimicking Eddie Izzard’s tangential rambling improvisational style (I’m looking at you Craig Ferguson) lately but nobody compares to the original. Improvisation and comedy is big in Chicago with Second City training school(as well as MainStage polished shows) and IO Theater (the longform peeps) bringing hundreds of young aspiring comedians and actors to the city from all over the country to try to make it big. We have a huge following for shows like that because we remember our roots when the Compass Players started up at the University of Chicago and then many years later Chicago was the training center for SNL. It is one of the few defining and unique characteristics about Chicago. I know there are enough comedy fans here to support this show if they get the word out and we know Chicago loves improv.

If you are still reading this article and don’t know who Eddie Izzard is, you may want to look up some information on Wikipedia about him or head over to YouTube for a few clips of his work. Some notable pieces of information about Eddie Izzard is that he is from the UK and is a transvestite. Most of the time these days you see him in traditional menswear but his fans aren’t particular about his clothing because the comedy is the same either way. Eddie Izzard has branched off into acting in dramatic roles in the last decade or so after conquering the UK with his comedy in the late 1990′s. You may have seen him on The Riches on FX last year or the year before. He also pops up in movies in supporting roles (mostly bad guys or quirky side kicks since he is British) and is slowly morphing his look into a combination of Richard Branson and Tim Curry as he gets older. (its not a bad thing)

Eddie Izzard most recently completed running 40 marathons across and around the UK through August and September to benefit Sport Relief charity organization and yes, I donated. This was a truly inhuman feat that nobody thought anyone would/could do, and hopefully it helped the charity organization more than it hurt Eddie’s knees.  If nothing else, we never quite know what Eddie will do next. Eddie Izzard’s comedy style is a conversational one with the ability to jump to new tangents and bring back characters in callbacks later in the show. He also uses History, Religion, Society, Animals and Everyday things as the subject matter for his work, which stays fresh longer than political comedy and relates to a wider audience. He does swear but isn’t necessarily a blue comic and the content is mostly PG-13 rated with a dash of R from time to time for variety.

Eddie Izzard’s fans feel close to him because in many ways his comedy is quite personal. Many of us have had a revelation or two after seeing his comedy and his positive attitude has inspired many people to take on their daily lives with a new appreciation for the humor and irony rather than the monotony and unfairness of it. Eddie Izzard has also produced a couple documentaries about himself as he was gaining popularity and touring the US and UK in the 1990′s. These behind the scenes short films give you a feeling that he is just a regular guy you might know down the block and you route for him to succeed. He also has been nice enough to do meet and greets and autograph signings after many small shows over the years and many people know him to be a pretty nice guy. So, those are some of the reasons that his fans are so loyal and you should go see his show. If you have never seen the comedy genius of Mr Izzard, go buy the DVDs on Amazon or rent them from Netflix and I will see ya at the show when we’re freezing our arses off in January.

Steve Martinis a man of many talents. We all love his comedy and stand-up, we have all seen his dramatic talents and now he has branched out in another creative direction. Bluegrass Banjo Music. Steve Martin is going to be playing with his band for one show at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago on October 22, 2009. Its a nice way to spend a fall evening with some relaxing yet peppy music.

You know Steve Martin is a funny guy, and if you’re a fan of his work, you may enjoy seeing another side of him and find some humor in the banter between songs. But the night is really about the music, the banjo and the Bluegrass music.Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster online or the Cadillac Palace Theater for $74. (that seems high but its what came up when I did a search, (floor seats) so there may be $50-$60 tickets available also in the balcony)

Steve Martin played his banjo and sang on Saturday Night Live not too long ago and it was quite different than you would expect for that type of music. Steve Martin played a few songs that were playful and light and a little bit funny. The sound was not too country but it was quaint in a way that seems surpising considering he is a big Hollywood star and has lived in that world for a long time. (per reading his book Born Standing Up)  The articles about him cite that he has won three Grammy Awards for his Bluegrass Albums, so this isn’t just another celebrity doing music because his name sells well.

I think people who work in the creative arts live and love to be active creating in all different ways and its interesting how knowledge in several areas all influence and inspire the others. Its true, everything in life is related (linked) somehow.

Everyone loves a good party and this year the recession has compelled more people to stay home and party for the Oscars with their neighbors and TV than in years past. The superbowl was a great example of people staying in, having a house party, bringing pot -luck dining items and enjoying the evening spectacle on DVR. The Oscars are always a very entertaining telecast and this year with Hugh Jackman hosting there will likely be lots of singing and dancing as well.

I think the Oscars will be entertaining whether you go out or stay in this year. Watching the Oscars at a posh party in Chicago is nice, although you will have a hard time justifying $150 ticket prices in the recession. Chicago Oscars house parties will be very popular this year and here are some tips for making yours fun. Remember that creativity is what really makes your Oscar party fun and not necessarily how much money you spend.

Chocolate Oscar Candy for guests.

Chicago Weekend Fun’s Oscar House Party Tips

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1. Dress up. Seriously. Don’t buy anything new, just raid the closet and dress up fancy as if you were attending a formal Oscar party. Some people also take more of a character theme to party costumes and tell guests to dress up as their favorite movie character.

2. Champagne, or in most cases, use the champagne glasses with ginger ale soda and voila, it’s a lot cheaper and nobody gets drunk before the end of the loooong Oscars broadcast and has to figure out how to drive home.

3. Liveblog the telecast on your blog, or twitter your reactions to what is happening on the Oscars telecast online. Some snark may make that pretty popular with guests and your online friends if it is a “virtual” party.

4. Invite the neighbors, friends, family. People enjoy getting together the more people the merrier. It proves that just sticking together helps in a recession like this. Pull all the chairs into the TV room for seating to watch the Oscars and put the food in another room so people don’t chat in the room where people are actually watching the show. Interesting mixes of people from different areas of your life make the most interesting parties.

If you really can afford a $100+ ticket to an Oscar Party in Chicago here is one of the local Chicago Oscars Events you may be interested in:

The Gene Siskel Film Center Oscar Party @ 6pm till Midnight downtown at the Gene Siskel Film Center. “Oscar Night in America”. $150 or VIP $250. This is a formal black tie event, but you get to watch the most well known awards for movies with some of the most influential movie personalities in Chicago, making this a truly unique experience if you can afford it this year. CALL 312-846-2072 for your tickets.

 

The Flight of the Conchords show has taken off by storm lately. What was a cult hit last season is mainstream popular this year.

I just heard that Flight of the Conchords will be playing at Arie Crown Theater on March 24th in Chicago. This is going to be a very popular show judging by how about 50 people I know have become “fans” of them on Facebook in the last 3 weeks.

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If you are wondering who these Australian New Zealanders are you may want to check out some episodes of their show or download their album from iTunes or Amazon. They use the most creative (improvised?) satirical lyrics in their songs possible. Flight of the Conchords is like combining Moxy Fruvous’ Music, Second City Mainstage’s Improv/Comedy and the show The Office’s awkwardness all at once. This seems to be a magical combination for fans because the popularity is still growing for this ever “failing” band.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out their episodes online and see if this mockumentary style show grows on you too. if you go to the concert post your comments below and let me know how it goes!

The Flight of the Conchords Show Details are:

Show Date: April 28, 2009

Time: 7:30 pm

Address: 2301 Lake Shore Dr At McCormick PL, Chicago, IL 60616

Ticket Prices: $38.50 before tax, tip, and licence and doc fee. About $50 each after.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.  After those sell out there might be a few on StubHub or Ebay, but with the restrictions that is doubtful.

There are a lot of restrictions on reselling these tickets so be careful if you buy them, you must have them at will call and no alternate person can pick them up. There is also a 4 ticket limit to purchase. Wow, they anticipate this will sell out like crazy. If you can’t get tix remember there will always be discount Flight of the Conchords Season 1&2 DVDS to enjoy at home.

Lady Gaga will be coming to Chicago to play a concert at the House of Blues on March 24, 2009. This will be huge since she has been getting so popular and her music keeps us dancing. Lady Gaga Tickets are selling for $22-$24.00 direct from the House of Blues but I expect these tickets to sell out quickly with how popular Lady Gaga’s music is in Chicago.

I think everyone has been dancing to Lady Gaga’s hit “Just Dance” on the radio, downloading it and watching it on YouTube. I knew that Lady Gaga had gone from cult hit on Perez Hilton to mainstream music when I heard the song on 101.9 FM in Chicago last week as “new music”. That is the middle age station in Chicago. It has to be mainstream to be considered for that station. Her album “The Fame” is doing well with Poker Face and Starstruck also being pretty popular songs.

The House of Blues is located at 329 North Dearborn street Chicago, IL 60610 312.923.2000 You can see more details about the concert at HOB.com or Lady Gaga’s site at ladygaga.com. The show at the House of Blues opens the doors at 10:30 PM and the show begins at 11 pm. The House of Blues has parking on site but they do not allow any cameras and there are no chairs or seating in the venue. So wear comfortable shoes and stand near the front if you want to see well. The show is age 17 and up with ID.  If you like electronic music, her shows are supposed to be awesome with laser lights and all kinds of effects. Lady Gaga also has been said to consider herself sexy weird rather than what the pussycat dolls do. I would concur. Maybe she is the next Madonna? Be ready for lots of leotards, sunglasses, PVC vinyl clothing and a great show!

Chicago got more snow today and has a forecast of snow every day this week along with below zero temperatures. All this is after getting a foot of snow on this past Saturday and snow on Thursday before that. (January 2009) The snowfall was above average last year in 2007-2008 also (with 60.3 inches of snow at O’Hare Airport!). 

Chicago got snow once or twice most weeks between November 2007 and April 2008. I can’t tell you how many times I had to shovel/dig a path out of the alley in order to drive to the store last winter. This above average snowfall has made travel difficult although being Chicagoans, we still try and drive through just about any weather conditions.

Since this has been such a constant trend for the last 2 winters I decided to  look up some statistics and find out how rare it is that we get this kind of snowfall in Chicago, because so many people have been talking about 1979 lately and tuning in to Tom Skilling on WGN Channel 9 for their nightly snow/blizzard/weather update.

I am also curious as to why the snowfall amount has increased so dramatically in Chicago the last two years. Is it climate change modifying how the weather patterns travel? Is it just a weird weather anomaly? I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive answer to that question yet, if I find one, I will update this page and let you know.

Some fun weather statistics:

The National Weather Service says that the most snow that has ever fallen on Chicago in a winter season is 89.7 inches in 1978-1979. They also mention that the average amount of snow that Chicago recieved between 1971 and the year 2000 was 38 inches. (the least was 9.8 inches in 1920-1921) This is interesting because as of tonight Chicago has received 38 inches of snowfall for the 2008-2009 season already and it is only January 13.

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This might be a bit geeky but, the graph above (from the site Graphical Climatology of Chicago) shows the average snowfall in a season with the line and the amount we have received to date in 2008-2009 in the filled in bar graph area.

This is interesting because it shows that we have passed the usual yearly average as of today. I wonder if we will beat the all time high for snowfall in Chicago by the end of the season in June?

At this rate I think the winter of 2008-2009 could have about 60 inches of snow like last year, but since there is no reliable way for anyone to estimate this, we will just have to wait and see and update this page as the year and winter continue. I wish you the best of luck with the snow! (plan ahead with cars, travel and groceries this winter to hopefully make this snow less of an issue)

The current Chicago temperature is  from Wunderground.com.

Current Chicago Radar GIF Image from Intellicast.com. Chicago can be difficult to see with all the counties outlined in black, but if you look for the tip of Lake Michigan you can see Chicago weather just to the left. The storm patterns are updated hourly so add a bookmark or link to us to check back here for updates.

Nickelback is coming to Chicago for a concert at AllState Arena on March 12, 2009.

Nickelback is a popular Canadian Rock band that crosses over the genre boundaries into several different music categories. I enjoy Nickelback musicand so does my fiance. The interesting thing is that Steve really likes heavy metal music and I am more of a pop/rock listener. Nickelback is a cross breed of both. (and I thank them for that, because we actually have something we can both listen to in the car now) Some people have actually officially classified Nickelback as an Alternative Rock band or Alternative Metal band. Call them anything you want, they are very good.

I like their music because it has a lot of movement and feeling. Usually hard rock and alternative groups loose the clarity of the singing and vocals to the power of the guitars and drums. Nickelback provides a more lyrical emotional ballad with a rock background and setting. Some of the songs they are well known for are “Hero” from the first Spiderman movie, a top 10 hit “Photograph” and “Rockstar”. There is a lot of depth to their albums beyond the top 10 hits on the CDs though, and it’s worth a trip to AllState Arena to fully appreciate.

When is the Nickelback Concert? Mar 12, 2009 7:00 pm (Thursday)

Where is the Nickelback Concert?  Allstate Arena (map) 6920 North Mannheim Road in Des Plaines, IL 60018

Where can I get Tickets?  Through Ticketmaster.com they are $46.50, $55.00 or $75.00 each.The Nickelback tickets are about 1/2 sold at the time I am writing this post, I would expect that they will get close to selling out closer to the concert date. If there aren’t any left on Ticketmaster you can always check ebay and stubhub.com.

There are fan group packages and discounts available at Ticketmaster.com if you are a citi card holder. The AllState Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon if you are from the 80′s) is built so that even the seats in the balcony have a clear view of the stage (unless you are behind the stage. Plus many bands usually travel with huge digital/projection screens for showing a closeup of the band for the people sitting far up in the stands, so you would be able to see that way too. Otherwise you can always bring binoculars with the earplugs. (earplugs are always recommended for large concerts since the volume is so high, regardless of what type of music it is)

Harry Connick Jr is playing 2 nights in December at the historic Chicago Theater with a concert featuring Christmas music from his new holiday album “What A Night! – A Christmas Album“. (CD available in stores now) Harry Connick Jr is one of the people who brought back swing music in the early 1990′s (before the gap commercial) and for that I will always love him. The rest of the world knows Harry Connick Jr for his acting as well as his New Orleans style jazz and big band swing music that has been consistently popular for 2 decades now. He has a smoothness that reminds us of Frank Sinatra and more presence and range than youngster Michael Buble’.

If you like Christmas holiday music or the swing and big band sound, this is a concert not to miss. I can’t go because of prior commitments but I would love to. Harry Connick Jr’s music is always something that gets me in a positive and creative mood. I think the Chicago Theater is also a great place for a concert of this style of music. It is historical and back from the dead kind of like swing music. (although some people would like swing music to die out again). Harry also likes to innovate on classic songs and compose his own work. He is so much more than just someone doing covers from the great American songbook. I highly recommend his shows also because he is one of those few people who is just as good live in performance as you hear on the CDs. In an age of digital enhancement and robot voices, this is rare.

Tickets are still available for the shows on December 10 & 11 (Wednesday and Thursday) at the ChicagoTheater.org site. Both shows start at 8pm and tickets range from $37-$52.00 (plus at least $10 in service charges). There are still tickets available on the main floor and all over the balcony. I advise you to bring binoculars if you sit in the back of the main floor or in the balcony. The view is good in that it is clear and well lit but you just can’t see any detail from that far away or really get a feel for the performance going on. I think this will be a great concert not to miss. (and what is going on with that CD cover? and the spray tan? weird.)

The International Exposition of Sculpture Objects and Fine Art (SOFA) is planned for Festival Hall in Navy Pier in Chicago on November 6-9. This is an amazing contemporary art show and well worth the admission to attend. The work on display at SOFA ranges from glass to ceramics to textiles and sculpture. Even if you are not an art expert this show is eye opening and entertaining at the same time.

Art innovates constantly and SOFA Chicago is one of the few places to see what is new and evolving before it hits mainstream. If you are smart you can integrate these style details into your life before everyone else (haha) and become more of a style innovator yourself. That said the purchase prices of these art objects and sculptures are steep. These artwork pieces on display are not quite intended for the general public to buy and are usually purchased for private collections or in museums for the rest of us to enjoy. SOFA Chicago isn’t somewhere to go if you need to furnish your living room unless you are a millionaire. There is also a SOFA VIP Program and a free Lecture series for anyone who would like to attend. There is more info with the dates and times on their website listed below.

Over 35,000 people attended SOFA Chicago in 2007 and there are more than 100 galleries and dealers all in the same location together at Navy Pier. If you buy serious art this is the event to see everything all at once. Tickets to SOFA Chicago are available online for $15 for one day or $25 for a 3 day weekend pass. There is also an opening night Gala event that is $50.00 and you get to see all the art and sculpture objects before anyone else. Personally I was thinking of going since I have never been to SOFA and I hear people raving about it every year. It isn’t that expensive to attend although you will pay another $25.00 on top of your ticket prices for parking at Navy Pier. I think $35.00 is a small price for all that great inspiration.  Check out sofaexpo.com to buy tickets online or you can buy them at the door also.

The alphabetical list of Galleries exhibiting at SOFA Chicago 2008 is:

Aaron Faber Gallery
Adamar Fine Arts
Andora Gallery
Ann Nathan Gallery
Barry Friedman
Beaver Galleries
Berengo Studio
Blue Rain Gallery
browngrotta arts
Bullseye Gallery
Cervini Haas Gallery
Chappell Gallery
Charon Kransen Arts
Collection – Ateliers d’Art de France
COVET – collectable objects & fine art
CREA Gallery
D&M Fine Arts
Dai Ichi Arts
The Dancing Hands Gallery
David Collection
del Mano Gallery
Donna Schneier Fine Arts
Duane Reed Gallery
Eden Gallery
Elliott Brown Gallery
Ferrin Gallery
FLATFILE Galleries
Function + Art
Galerie Besson
Galerie Elca London
Galerie Elena Lee
Galerie Pokorná
Galleri Grønlund
Galleri Udengaard
Galleria Norsu
Gallery Sklo
Garson Baker Fine Art
Glass Artists Gallery
Habatat Galleries, Chicago
Habatat Galleries, Florida-Virgina
HABATAT Galleries, Michigan
Hawk Galleries
Heller Gallery
Holsten Galleries
Jane Sauer Gallery
Jean Albano Gallery
John Natsoulas Gallery
Judy Youens Gallery
Katie Gingrass Gallery
KEIKO Gallery
Kirra Galleries
Lacoste Gallery
Lafrenière & Pai Gallery
Lee Weitzman Furniture
Leo Kaplan Modern
Litvak Gallery
Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery
Marx-Saunders Gallery
Mattson’s Fine Art
Maurine Littleton Gallery
Micaëla Gallery
Modus Gallery
Mostly Glass Gallery
Mowen Solinsky Gallery
National Craft Gallery of Ireland
Next Step Studio and Gallery
Niemi Sculpture Gallery & Garden
Oliver & Espig
Option Art
Orley & Shabahang
Ornamentum
Palette Contemporary Art & Craft
Patina Gallery
Perimeter Gallery
Pistachios
Portals
PRISM Contemporary Glass
rakovaBRECKERgallery
Ruth Lawrence Fine Art
SABBIA
Santa Fe Clay
Sherrie Gallerie
Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art
Signature Gallery
Silica Galleries
Sim JaeCheon Gallery
Snyderman-Works Galleries
ten472 Contemporary Art
Thomas R. Riley Galleries
Turkish Cultural Foundation
Twiga
UrbanGlass
Wexler Gallery
William Zimmer
Yaw Gallery
Zygman Voss Gallery

Robin Williams is one of the funniest comedians and actors of the last 25 years. His creative work has an incredible range but I was first captivated by his stand-up comedy years ago and I still am today. I was surprised and excited to hear that Robin Williams would be doing a stand-up show tour called Weapons of Self Destruction across the United States and stopping in Chicago. I didn’t think stand-up comedy was something movie actors went back to very often, but I am glad to be wrong about that. Robin Williams has a gift for free form fast moving tangential thinking that is perfect for stand-up comedy. It is a great opportunity to see him perform at the Chicago Theater on September 27th.

We all love Robin Williams’ high energy fast paced stand-up comedy style. I am sure that this show at the Chicago Theater will not disappoint. The tickets went on sale in August and are sold out now for the Chicago shows. Tickets ranged from $46.00 and $100.00 at the Chicago Theater.There was a special package too where for $400.00 you could meet and chat with Robin Williams himself earlier on the day of the show. That seems like an awesome opportunity but yet somehow too expensive and yet not really that interesting. No one wants to bother a celebrity no matter how much you idolize their work and meeting them for a few minutes is nice but it’s not like they will “be your bff” so it seems kinda weird? Unless you are the autograph type. I suppose it could work if you were into that.

This standup tour is called Weapons of Self Destruction (a pun on what you think it is) and they say that the material he is working with this time is more personal in nature. We all know that Robin Williams (like many actors and performers) is not happy with the current government and administration and political jokes will most likely be part of the show. Many people also may have heard that Robin Williams recently went through a divorce and has been through rehab as well. Not easy things to process. I am sure that comedy and seeing the irony of life can help make sense of a lot of things. I am sure that all these topics are pretty relevant and relatable for most of us mainstream Americans. Plus Robin is fantastic at impressions, voices and all the gifts of comedy. I am sure this will be an awesome show.

I will be at Robin Williams’ Weapons of Self Destruction show on Saturday September 27 and will write my review of the show here afterwards. If you are going to the Weapons of Self Destruction tour in another city and want to hear about my reactions and review, bookmark this page and I will update it within a few days after the show. Feel free to leave me comments about what you thought of Robin Williams’ show in Chicago or any of the cities in the comments below.

Update: 9/27/08

 We saw the show tonight and it was amazing. Robin covers an amazing array of topics from politics to marriage to drinking to technology to just about everything. He does a fair amount of blue comedy but it isn’t so raunchy that you are grossed out. There is also a very funny bit about the devil really just being one of these corporate sales people on the phone wheeling and dealing with everyone they meet. Overall Robin Williams still has the fastest working mind on stage and the funniest stand-up comedy. I do have to admit that I did laugh more at this show than I did at the Eddie Izzard show we saw this spring. I love Eddie’s comedy and there are some parallels there but Robin was able to move faster and surprise me more which created more laughs. So, if Robin Williams is coming to your town go see this show because it is a great one.

Oprah Winfrey (and the Chicago Oprah Show Harpo Productions Team) are taping the 23rsd season premier episode Wednesday September 3rd in Millennium Park in the Pritzker Pavilion with all the gold medal winning Olympic athletes. (150 Olympians!!) This is a huge deal in Chicago because the admission to see the show is free because it is in Millennium Park.

So, anyone who wants to see all their favorite Olympians can get tickets there in advance on Monday or Tuesday at Millennium Park so that you can still get in line on Wednesday morning at 6am for first come first served seats in the Pritzker Pavillion. These tickets may be gone by this time but if you are downtown and can look and see at Millennium Park let me know. The show will air on TV one week later on Monday September 8th at 9 am CST. (channel 7 ABC Chicago) They also say this is the first Oprah Winfrey Show to be recorded and broadcast in HD.

Big Name Gold Medalists like Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, Dara Torres, Kobe Bryant, Lisa Leslie, Kerri Walsh, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Misty May-Treanor will all be in attendance at the event. Also, some Illinois athletes will be there too: Christine Magnuson from Swimming, Matt Grevers from Swimming, Candance Parker from Basketball, Tom Hoff from Men’s Volleyball, Sylvia Fowles from Basketball and Deron Williams from team USA Basketball.

That said if you don’t have to be at work on September 3rd or can get the day off it might be a fun time to see your favorite Olympic athletes in person. The Pritzker Pavilion is a huge stadium like amphitheater in Millennium Park that can seat thousands of people. So if you want to see the Olympic Athletes and Gold Medal Winners you will have to be up front in the seats and not in the back in the grass seating. The stage is also set really high off the ground so if you do get a seat you will still need a pretty good zoom camera lens to get any good pictures. Also if you come in from the suburbs, take the Metra since parking is way expensive under Millennium park.

As much as I enjoy watching the Olympics on TV I will not be in that early morning line for seats because I have to go to work that day and even though I am a Chicagoan I am not really the biggest fan of Oprah Winfrey. She is cool and all, I just dislike the constant selling of stuff all on her shows. It’s not really fair to the people who are home from work all day to get pitched to buy stuff so heavily when they don’t have the income from work in the first place.

I am also not wild about the idea that this rally will be to support the idea of the Olympics coming to Chicago in 2016. While that may have been my dream as a kid, as an adult I am much wiser about who really benefits from these Olympic Games and who pays for them. As a resident here in Chicago I am not behind the idea at all. Some people are also crying foul because Oprah has not invited the para-Olympians too.

That said I think the athletes are awesome and I hope they enjoy their time in Chicago and I hope that all the people who go out to see the Oprah Show live in Millennium Park enjoy the show. The pictures here are of the taping in Millennium Park yesterday and they are from Flickr courtesy of Dane Brian and T-Shirt Auza. Bookmark this page and check back to the Chicago Weekend Fun Blog for more pictures and video as it becomes available.