There’s no shortage of outdoor theater in Chicago in the summer, and Midsommer Flight is right in the mix with (appropriately enough) A Midsummer Night’s Dream, opening tonight at 6 PM in Lincoln Park (behind and across the street from the Lincoln Park Cultural Center at 2045 N. Lincoln Park West) and running there through the weekend before moving on to more free performances through 8/21 at four other city parks. (They return to Lincoln Park 7/29-7/31.) Midsummer was the first show ever produced by the company back in 2012, and it’s the first time they’ve been back in the parks since the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown. Founding artistic director Beth Wolf’s production emphasizes natural sunlight and sound (i.e., no amplification), as of course was the case in Shakespeare’s day. Your “groundling” experience can be enhanced by packing a picnic and bringing in blankets or chairs as the comedy about scheming fairies, bumbling “rude mechanicals,” and impetuous young lovers unfolds. For more information and complete schedule, see midsommerflight.com. (KR)
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From 7-11 PM, Heaven Gallery (1550 N. Milwaukee, second floor) celebrates the opening of the Nubes Art Fair, which centers BIPOC curators and BIPOC-led galleries in Chicago. Having survived over 20 years in Wicker Park, Heaven Gallery is working to protect itself from displacement while advancing equity in the arts, so the Nubes (Spanish for “clouds”) Art Fair is attempting to be a “parting of clouds into a new realm of infinite possibility.” Participants include Heaven Gallery, LVL3, the Silver Room, Connect Gallery, the Honeycomb Network, Jude Gallery, Atl_, the Franklin, AMFM, Rupture, Chicago Art Department, the Chicago Artists Coalition, Chuquimarca, and Sin Cinta Previa. There will also be curated booths by Juan Arango Palacios and Makeba Kedem-DuBose. DJ James Vincent and DJ Blesstonio provide music for this reception, and the fair will be on view through Sun 8/28 (gallery hours are generally Fri-Sat, 1-6 PM and Sun, 1-5 PM, but contact the gallery to confirm or make an appointment). (MC)
Artist and designer Bun Stout hosts a fashion show tonight at Co-Prosperity (3219 S. Morgan) in conjunction with their exhibition “Living Legend.” Stout is known in nightlife for designing intricately outlandish looks for performers such as Irregular Girl and Celeste featuring lots of hand beading, shimmer fabrics, plastic textures, and frosting aesthetics. At 8 PM, five models will bring Stout’s creations to life in a “mixed reality” runway walk where all the looks include AR features, accompanied by live music by Fetter. If you can’t make it in person, the presentation will stream live at Lumpen TV (viewable through Twitch). The clothes will live in CoPro’s windows as part of the exhibition, and are viewable through Sun 8/14. (MC)
Outdoor music festivals continue this weekend come rain or shine, and that includes the first reggaeton festival to hit Chicago, Mas Flow, happening today through Sunday (gates open at 1 PM each day) at Calumet Beach (9801 S. Ave. G). Check out information about the festival and scheduled performers in Nancy Sánchez Tamayo’s article here. Tonight’s headliner is the duo Zion & Lennox, and tickets for both tonight and the entire weekend are still available. And Pitchfork, the sprawling festival dedicated to new and independent pop and rock, returns to Union Park (1501 W. Randolph) this weekend (performances start today, tomorrow, and Sunday at 1 PM). Reader senior writer wrote about what to look forward to at Pitchfork in this piece about this summer’s music festivals. Today’s schedule includes the National, Spiritualized, and Tierra Whack, and tickets are still available. (SCJ)
