BLK in the City Events Guide 10.21 - 10.27 (2025)

Things to do in Black Chicago

Last update: 10.23.25 at 12:03 am - Events will be updated regularly.
Company (if different from venue) | Event + Ticket hyperlink | Venue

Multiple Dates

🎨 First Annual Hyde Park Art Walk | Sophy Hotel
🎥 Until Oct 26: Chicago International Film Festival: Black Perspectives | Various Film; Various Locations
👻 Until Oct 31: Boo! at the Zoo | Brookfield Zoo
🎭 Until Nov 2: Rooted by Ben F. Locke (World Premiere Production) | Bramble Theatre
🏛️🎃 Until Nov 2: Pumpkin Lights + Frights | WNDR Museum
🎫🎃 Until Nov 2: Pumpkin Painting + Dining Experience | JoJo's Shakebar River North - Chicago
🎫🎃 Until Nov 2: Jack's Pumpkin | Chicago's Largest Fall Festival (corn maze + carnival games + axe throwing) | Goose Island to Downtown Chicago
😂 Until Mar 2026: This Too Shall Slap (improv) | Second City Chicago

Tue, Oct 21

🎉 Brown Sugar Hip-Hop Timbuck 2uesday (Life Celebration for DJ Timbuck2) | Room 43
🎶 Tee Grizzly: Forever My Moment Tour | Avondale Music Hall

Wed, Oct 22

🎉 DJ Ca$h Era (voted best Hip-Hop DJ 2025) | Cerise Rooftop at Virgin Hotels
🎉 Benny the Butcher After Party | The Promontory Chicago
🌍 Domestic Violence Awareness Month Fundraiser | Southside Sanctuary

Thu, Oct 23

😂 Entercourse 1 On 1 Live Comedy Show f/ Host Rodney Lumpkins + Kellye Howard + Kristen Toomey | Zanie's Chicago
😂 My Best Friend is Black Comedy Show (improv) | The Lincoln Lodge
🍸 Neighbors After Dark w/Kid Clay | Bodega Chicago
🎉 Friday Jr. (every Thursday) | Signature Chicago
🌍🕯️ Hyde & Park Co. | Candle Pouring Class | Chicago Athletic Co - Cherry Circle Room, 2nd floor
🎤 Open Mic f/ Nialand (comedy + singers + rappers + poets) | Turner Haus Brewery
🎤 The Vocal Shed (an event for singers to gather) | The Epiphany Center for the Arts

Fri, Oct 24

🎶 Damon Locks's Black Monument Ensemble | Harris Theater
🎉 Jammy Jam: A Pajama Party f/ DJ Jukie tha Kidd | Hubbard Inn
🎫🎶 Freddie Gibbs: Alfredo: The Tour | Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
🎉 Cuffing Season: A Black Love Party | Broken Shaker
🎉 Fly Girls | The Promontory Chicago
🎉 Mean Ghouls: A Pink Halloween Party | Hue Chicago
🎭 Mop & Bucket Blues (a play) | Eta Creative Arts Foundation
🎶 Michael Collier: A Tribute to Ahmad Jamal (Alec Trio) | Epiphany Center for the Arts

Sat, Oct 25

😂 The Variants: Killer Comedy (Halloween Edition) | The Pocket at Surge (Surge Billiards)
🎉 RGB Dance Experience (wear red, green, blue) | Live Bash
🎤 Lyrics & Lemonade Open Mic | Southside Sanctuary
🎫🎶 Princess Nokia: The Girls Tour | Cobra Lounge
🎉🌈 Lovers and Friends Chicago | Bite Me, Softly (30+ lesbi queers sapphics and friends dressed as vampires) | In Session
🍽️ Weekend Brunch (Halloween Edition) | Chalet Chicago
🎉 AFRO vs ISLANDS: Afrobeats & Amapiano vs Dancehall & Soca Party | The Promontory
🎉 Saturday Love | Easy Does It Chicago
🎉 South Loop Bar Crawl After Party | Bassline
🎉 Halloween Sexy Party Spooky Night | Bar22
🎉🍺🍹 Lurking in the Loop: Halloween Bar Crawl (free tickets) | The Loop
🌿 DComposed Chicago x Pauli the PSM | For The Plants: A meditative listening experience and real-time musical collaboration | The Land School

Sun, Oct 26

🎫🎶 BMN Entertainment | Swerv & Friends 1st Annual Birthday Bash f/ G Herbo | Wintrust Arena Chicago
🌍 An Evening w/ Shonda Rhimes | Athenaeum Center
🎉 NDULGNCE x Freemind Global | Sundaze Pop-up Party | 404 S. Wells
🎉 90s RNB Day Party | In Session
🎉 BBW Halloween Party | Bar22
🍽️ Solo Sundays: South Loop’s Signature Brunch | Signature Steakhouse Chicago
🍽️ Weekend Brunch (Halloween Edition) | Chalet Chicago
🎶 CusCampbell | The Promontory Chicago
🎫🎶 OsamaSon: Psykotic Tour | Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
💚 Another Vegan Market: Halloween | Emporium Arcade Bar

Mon, Oct 27

🎶🌍 The Corner Series: Intimate Concerts + Open Mics (tickets) | The Promontory