Literary-art Events in Chicago

Check out happening literary-art events all around Chicago, IL

C2E2 2026

 Fri, 27 Mar at 10:00 am 2301 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60616

Dance Gavin Dance with The Fall of Troy, Wolf & Bear and The Novelists

 Fri, 15 May at 11:00 pm Riviera Theatre - Chicago

22nd Annual Cavalcade of Authors - Printers Row Lit Fest Chicago

 Fri, 11 Sep at 07:00 pm SpringHill Suites Chicago Chinatown USD 0 to 266

Abby Govindan: Pushing 30 Comedy Hour

 Sun, 31 May at 08:00 pm The Lincoln Lodge USD 30

Offsite Book Event: Lindy West

 Sat, 21 Mar at 07:00 pm Wilson Abbey USD 17 to 53

An Evening with Patrick Radden Keefe and Gillian Flynn

 Thu, 16 Apr at 07:30 pm First United Methodist Church of Chicago USD 30 to 67

Dark Divinity Rising presented by the Illumi-Naughtie Occult Burlesque

 Sat, 21 Mar at 09:30 pm The Newport Theater USD 29 to 45

Free Blues Friday featuring Freddie Dixon Band

 Fri, 03 Apr at 08:00 pm 201 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60607

Grown Folks Stories at The DuSable Museum

 Thu, 19 Mar at 06:00 pm DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center USD 7 to 13

Mohanad Elshieky LIVE in Chicagio

 Fri, 10 Apr at 07:15 pm 1331 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60622

Chicago Lit Society: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 Sat, 21 Mar at 07:30 pm Beermiscuous USD 28 to 33

Sor Juana 2026: The Past, Present, and Future of Latine Education

 Tue, 31 Mar at 07:00 pm National Museum of Mexican Art Free

Joe Bartnick Live in Chicago - 5/1/2026

 Fri, 01 May at 10:00 pm The Lincoln Lodge USD 24

The Merry Wives of Windsor

 Fri, 03 Apr Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Asian Pop-Up Cinema Festival Opening Night: PASS AND GOAL (逆轉上半場) Hong Kong

 Fri, 20 Mar at 07:30 pm AMC NEWCITY 14 USD 0 to 108

A Conversation with Shannon Chakraborty!

 Fri, 15 May at 07:00 pm Seminary Co-op Bookstore USD 43

Francis Fukuyama: The Civil Service and the Future of American Diplomacy

 Thu, 14 May at 11:30 am Union League Club of Chicago USD 57

The Moth Storyslam

 Sun, 12 Apr at 06:00 pm Heath Mainstage At The Den Theatre

Tech Pulse 2030-Reimagining Healthcare with AI

 Tue, 31 Mar at 05:00 pm Discovery Partners Institute Free

CHICAGO SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE: HOSTED BY JAMES HAMILTON

 Sun, 19 Apr at 06:00 pm Offshore Rooftop

Wine Collective Tasting: Women's History Month Featuring Regine Rousseau

 Mon, 30 Mar at 06:00 pm Bronzeville Winery USD 29 to 55

Content Jam 2026 | April 22-23, 202 in Chicago, IL

 Wed, 22 Apr at 02:00 pm The Gleacher Center USD 395 to 695

In Conversation with Garrison Keillor at Park West

 Mon, 04 May at 07:30 pm Park West

KOVAL Comedy: Third Fridays benefitting American Writers Museum

 Fri, 20 Mar at 07:30 pm KOVAL Distillery, 4241 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60613

2026 Writing Workshop of Chicago

 Sat, 20 Jun at 09:00 am Congress Plaza Hotel

Performance: The Seventh Gate with Elly Kace

 Wed, 18 Mar at 07:00 pm International Museum of Surgical Science USD 0 to 18

Buddy Wakefield in CHICAGO

 Fri, 20 Mar at 07:30 pm 935 W Wilson Ave USD 18

Tax & The City | A Big Tent Urbanist Event

 Thu, 30 Apr at 05:30 pm The iO Theater Free

Patricia Smith, Ashley M. Jones, Donika Kelly, Aimee Nezhukumatathil

 Thu, 23 Apr at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

LIT: A Literary Variety Show (Vol 3: Banned Books)

 Fri, 10 Apr at 09:30 pm The Newport Theater USD 29 to 39

Amy Speace

 Fri, 27 Mar at 07:00 pm UncommonGround - Lakeview USD 15 to 20

Cecilia Vicuña Lecture

 Tue, 07 Apr at 06:00 pm Art Institute of Chicago

Sor Juana 2026: A Presentation of My Name is Chabela with Marisol Arnot

 Wed, 29 Apr at 07:00 pm National Museum of Mexican Art Free

CAConrad, Rickey Laurentiis, Jake Skeets, S Yarberry

 Thu, 02 Apr at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Elevated Open Mic Night @ Blazed Bakery

 Thu, 19 Mar at 07:00 pm Blazed Bakery Free

Frank X Walker, Kelly Norman Ellis, Nikky Finney, Parneshia Jones

 Thu, 19 Mar at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Victory Gardens Benefit Reading - An Ocean Away

 Sat, 21 Mar at 07:00 pm Victory Gardens Theater USD 13

Sor Juana 2026: A Conversation with Ana Teresa Fernández & Guadalupe García

 Sat, 21 Mar at 02:00 pm National Museum of Mexican Art Free

Book Event: The Shipikisha Club by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

 Wed, 15 Apr at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

Parking The Merry Wives of Windsor - Chicago

 Fri, 03 Apr Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Amit Chaudhuri - "Incompleteness: New and Selected Essays" - Srikanth Reddy

 Tue, 28 Apr at 04:00 pm 5751 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60637

Golden Hour Featuring Jade Maze and Brother John Kattke

 Fri, 27 Mar at 05:00 pm Epiphany Center for the Arts Free

TRASH BASH: A BUG DRAG SHOW /POP - UP MARKET 4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISER

 Sat, 25 Apr at 06:00 pm The Insect Asylum USD 0 to 49

4/2 - I'll Bring the Apps On Tour - Chicago, IL

 Thu, 02 Apr at 06:00 pm The Hoxton, Chicago USD 28 to 49

The Cost of Healing in Silence Book Signing & Talk with Ashley McGirt-Adair

 Sat, 04 Apr at 03:00 pm Da Book Joint USD 24

Book Event: Fat Swim by Emma Copley Eisenberg

 Tue, 05 May at 07:00 pm Haymarket House USD 6 to 39

Asian Pop-Up Cinema Film Screening: Sisterhood (시스터후드) South Korea

 Sun, 05 Apr at 02:30 pm AMC NEWCITY 14 USD 0 to 17

Get Lit: Speakeasy Rhymes

 Tue, 14 Apr at 05:30 pm American Writers Museum USD 8 to 29

April Free Day at the American Writers Museum

 Sun, 19 Apr at 10:00 am American Writers Museum Free

Water to Water: Gaza Renga – Marilyn Hacker & Deema Shehabi (IN PERSON)

 Mon, 20 Apr at 06:00 pm Water to Water: Gaza Renga – Marilyn Hacker & Deema Shehabi (IN PERSON)

In 10 Years Chicago Will...

 Thu, 02 Apr at 07:00 pm Haymarket House USD 25 to 50

TJ Klune "We Burned So Bright" Book Signing

 Thu, 30 Apr at 07:00 pm Everybody's Coffee (Wilson Abbey) USD 43

An Evening with Scott Simon

 Wed, 06 May at 07:30 pm First United Methodist Church of Chicago USD 28 to 54

damsel. with Matthew Hawkins, Lizzie Kaniecki, Pretty Lee + more

 Sat, 16 May at 08:00 pm UncommonGround - Lakeview USD 20

From Expert Contributor to Authentic Leader: Design Your Leadership Style

 Tue, 17 Mar 318 West Adams Street, Chicago, IL, USA USD 190

TICKETS IN THE DESCRIPTION: Chicago Book Signing with Carlene O'Connor

 Sat, 21 Mar at 03:30 pm 2523 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647-2655, United States

Jo Walton & Ada Palmer - "Trace Elements"

 Mon, 30 Mar at 04:00 pm 5751 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60637

5th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival

 Sat, 25 Jul at 11:00 am Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center Free

July Free Day at the American Writers Museum

 Sun, 19 Jul at 10:00 am American Writers Museum Free

Erin O’Brien "Dig In!" Cookbook signing with Monique Volz

 Thu, 28 May at 06:30 pm The Book Cellar USD 42

Lectures on Tap - The Great Irish Epic: Approaching Ulysses by James Joyce

 Tue, 17 Mar at 06:30 pm River North USD 39

The Mill | variety show & open mic

 Thu, 19 Mar at 06:30 pm Burlington Bar Free

Family Day: Zooming in and Zine-ing Out: What Does Science Mean to You?

 Sat, 13 Jun at 10:00 am Smart Museum of Art Free

Amanda Giles & Friends with Bird x Butterfly

 Sat, 21 Mar at 07:00 pm UncommonGround - Lakeview USD 18 to 29

Covering the New Right

 Fri, 17 Apr at 02:30 pm Franke Institute for the Humanities Free

SEPARATE ROOMS - by Pier Vittorio Tondelli

 Tue, 17 Mar at 07:00 pm Center on Halsted

Chicago Propeller Club evening with John U. Bacon author Gales of November

 Tue, 14 Apr at 05:00 pm Guinness Open Gate Brewery – West Loop USD 75 to 95

Book Event: The Edge of Space-Time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

 Wed, 22 Apr at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

Bloody Reads #109: A Game In Yellow

 Wed, 18 Mar at 08:00 pm Bucket O' Blood Books and Records

Of Course I'm Here Right Now Book Launch Party - Chicago

 Mon, 30 Mar at 06:00 pm Bramble Arts Loft USD 39 to 61

FLORENZER - by Phil Melanson

 Tue, 21 Apr at 07:00 pm Center on Halsted

Author Talk: “Parks and Rec” by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (IN PERSON)

 Wed, 22 Apr at 06:00 pm American Writers Museum

Music Master Class with Monika Herzig & Sheroes

 Sat, 21 Mar at 12:30 pm Jazz Institute of Chicago Free

April Blue Hour featuring Diego Báez and Samyak Shertok

 Wed, 15 Apr at 07:30 pm Haymarket House Free

JJJJJerome Ellis Lecture

 Tue, 24 Mar at 06:00 pm Art Institute of Chicago

Historic Chicago Bakeries Fun Run: Roeser's Bakery

 Sat, 11 Apr at 12:00 pm Logan Square Branch, Chicago Public Library Free

43 Annual Midwest Symposium: Bowen Family Systems Theory and Therapy

 Fri, 01 May at 09:00 am 25 E Pearson St USD 100 to 260

Edgar Allan Poeprov

 Sat, 28 Mar at 07:00 pm The Playground Theater Free

Big Cheese Poetry Slam

 Tue, 31 Mar at 07:00 pm Zhou B Art Center

Give Us Our Flowers: Celebrating Women in Bloom

 Sat, 21 Mar at 06:00 pm 1449 S Michigan Ave USD 29 to 50

Palabra Pura

 Wed, 18 Mar at 07:00 pm 18th Street Casa de Cultura Free

Chicago-North Romance Writers Spring Fling 2026

 Thu, 16 Apr at 02:00 pm Royal Sonesta Chicago Riverfront

Concentration

 Sat, 11 Apr at 07:00 pm Ruth Page Center for the Arts USD 18 to 36

Water to Water: Gaza Renga - Marilyn Hacker & Deema Shehabi (IN PERSON)

 Mon, 20 Apr at 06:00 pm American Writers Museum USD 6 to 8

Music 4 Your Soul w/ Ken Fobs

 Sun, 19 Apr at 06:30 pm 201 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60607

The Art of Wagashi – Hydrangea Nerikiri Workshop

 Sat, 06 Jun at 03:30 pm Japanese Culture Center USD 74

DnD Crochet Social Hour

 Tue, 31 Mar at 06:00 pm Goblin Market Manga & Curiosities, North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA USD 36

Book Event: Missy by Raghav Rao

 Thu, 19 Mar at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

2026 CHINA Town Hall at DePaul University

 Tue, 07 Apr at 05:30 pm Levan Center 100 Free

Літературно-творчий вечір «Слово не мовчить»

 Sat, 21 Mar at 06:00 pm 2249 W Superior St, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60612

Femme Gaze

 Sat, 25 Apr at 07:00 pm Logan Center for the Arts USD 29 to 55

Authors on Tap: Nora Lange and Lindsay Hunter

 Fri, 24 Apr at 07:00 pm Exile in Bookville Free

Radiohead Concert in the Dark w Live Strings WAITLIST SHOW – DATE PENDING

 Thu, 02 Apr at 07:00 pm Secret Location in Chicago USD 0 to 322

Staff & Friends Reading

 Thu, 14 May at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Somewhere on the Way to Freedom Exhibition Opening

 Fri, 27 Mar at 06:30 pm 4015 W Carroll Ave unit 204 Free

the first hngout

 Fri, 08 May at 06:30 pm 3001 W Peterson Ave USD 67

New Growth

 Sat, 30 May at 07:00 pm Public Works Gallery USD 14 to 31

Patchbent: Handmade Electronics for Noise and Feedback

 Thu, 02 Apr at 06:00 pm Experimental Sound Studio USD 13

Assembly Required

 Sat, 21 Mar at 07:30 pm Surge Billiards USD 19

Chicago Poetry Center’s March Blue Hour Featuring April Gibson and Mira Cameron

 Wed, 18 Mar at 06:00 pm Haymarket House