Literary-art Events in Chicago

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

An Evening of Songs and Stories with Patti Smith

 Mon, 09 Mar at 07:00 pm Rubloff Auditorium USD 27 to 65

C2E2 2026

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

Nimesh Patel: With All Due Respect Tour

 Sun, 08 Mar at 06:00 pm The Vic Theatre

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

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

Offsite Book Event: Tayari Jones at Wilson Abbey

 Sun, 08 Mar at 06:00 pm Wilson Abbey USD 11 to 53

Offsite Book Event: Lindy West

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

Les Miserables (Chicago)

 Wed, 13 May at 07:00 pm Cadillac Palace

Dark Divinity Rising presented by the Illumi-Naughtie Occult Burlesque

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

Book Event: The Mixed Marriage Project by Dorothy Roberts

 Wed, 25 Feb at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

LOTUSCHICAGO.ORG: The Wiz Interactive Viewing Groove!

 Sat, 28 Feb at 06:00 pm NEIU Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (CCICS), East Oakwood Boulevard, Chicago, IL, USA USD 50

Erik Larson in Conversation with Mark Bazer "Demon of Unrest"

 Thu, 12 Mar at 07:00 pm Everybody's Coffee (Wilson Abbey) USD 36

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

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

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

Free Blues Friday featuring Freddie Dixon Band

 Fri, 03 Apr at 07:30 pm Epiphany Center for the Arts Free

Short Shakespeare - Hamlet at Jentes Family Courtyard Theater - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

 Sat, 28 Feb at 11:00 am Jentes Family Courtyard Theater - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

A Conversation with Bob Weis, Author of Dream Chasing

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:30 pm 1400 S. Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive , Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60605

Pink Floyd Concert in the Dark with Award Winning Violinist WAITLIST SHOW

 Mon, 16 Mar at 07:00 pm Secret Location in Chicago USD 0 to 322

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

Call And Response Book Signing with L. Michelle Smith

 Fri, 27 Feb at 06:00 pm Da Book Joint USD 0 to 31

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

The 2026 Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade

 Sat, 14 Mar at 10:00 am Columbus Drive Bridge, Chicago, IL, USA

2026 Writing Workshop of Chicago

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

THE THAW PATROL

 Thu, 26 Feb at 10:00 pm The iO Theater Free

Jennifer Pastiloff & Gertrude Lyons

 Wed, 04 Mar at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

In Conversation with Garrison Keillor at Park West

 Mon, 04 May at 07:30 pm Park West

Queer Movie Monday: HONEY DON'T

 Mon, 16 Mar at 07:00 pm Dorothy Free

Radiance | Jeeyoon Kim, Piano

 Fri, 20 Mar at 07:00 pm Pianoforte Studios, 1335 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60605

THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET - 35mm Screening at the Music Box

 Sat, 28 Feb at 11:30 am Music Box Theatre

Running Tour of The Chicago River with Mejay Gula

 Wed, 25 Feb at 06:30 pm Chicago Athletic Association - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

Soul Sessions Chi (Live Music, R&B & Spoken Word)

 Sun, 01 Mar at 07:00 pm Bassline Music Lounge USD 26

The Funktion - Talk Show w/ Comedy & Music

 Sat, 28 Feb at 08:00 pm Surge Billiards, West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA USD 13 to 18

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

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

Startups, Investors and Professionals Pitch and Networking Event Chicago

 Tue, 10 Mar at 07:00 pm Ghost Donkey USD 10 to 39

Mayda del Valle + Mark Turcotte

 Thu, 12 Mar at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

March Free Day at the American Writers Museum

 Mon, 16 Mar at 10:00 am American Writers Museum Free

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

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

She Spoke Up!

 Sat, 07 Mar at 11:30 am Lincoln Park Cultural Center USD 39

Golden Hour Featuring Jade Maze and Brother John Kattke

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

Parking The Merry Wives of Windsor - Chicago

 Fri, 03 Apr Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Amy Speace

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

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

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

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

CAConrad, Rickey Laurentiis, Jake Skeets, S Yarberry

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

The Merry Wives of Windsor

 Wed, 15 Apr at 07:00 pm Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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)

Book Event: Every Exit Brings You Home by Naeem Murr

 Thu, 26 Feb at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

In 10 Years Chicago Will...

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

From Expert Contributor to Authentic Leader: Design Your Leadership Style

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

TJ Klune "We Burned So Bright" Book Signing

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

Rooted and Radical Youth Poetry Finals Showcase

 Sat, 14 Mar at 06:00 pm Ramova Theatre

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

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

Great Chicago Books Club: Grady Chambers's Great Disasters

 Fri, 27 Mar at 07:00 pm Private Residence, Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL (Streeterville)

BYOT Productions Presents: Zero Dollars and Zero Sense

 Sat, 07 Mar at 12:00 pm Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro

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

Poetry Reading: Hardly Creatures by Rob Macaisa Colgate

 Fri, 27 Feb at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

Black Queer Histories “A Conversation with Author Darius Bost”

 Thu, 26 Feb at 07:00 pm Center on Halsted Free

Get Lit: Art of the Cocktail

 Tue, 12 May at 05:30 pm American Writers Museum USD 8 to 29

Connect After Five™: Filmmakers Industry Networking Mixer

 Fri, 06 Mar at 06:00 pm Kitchen + Kocktails By Kevin Kelley - Chicago USD 0 to 107

S.R. Batterson and Ngozzi

 Sat, 28 Feb at 07:00 pm UncommonGround - Lakeview USD 13

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

Tuesday Funk #168 - March 3, 2026

 Tue, 03 Mar at 07:00 pm 5148 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60640

Meet The Author

 Sat, 07 Mar at 01:00 pm Barnes & Noble Free

Album Listening Session & Writing Therapy with Just Mic "Da Poet"

Sat, 28 Feb at 06:00 pm South Side, Chicago

Onion City Memories Closing Open Mic Night

 Fri, 27 Feb at 06:00 pm Connect Gallery Free

Lectures on Tap - "Folk Heroes: Mythic Archetypes and Cultural Imagination"

 Wed, 25 Feb at 06:30 pm West Loop USD 39

Edgar Allan Poeprov

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

Book Signing

 Sun, 08 Mar at 01:00 pm 700 W 119th St Free

SEPARATE ROOMS - by Pier Vittorio Tondelli

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

MUJERES CREANDO | Women Creating

 Mon, 09 Mar at 07:00 pm Instituto Cervantes of Chicago USD 13

Frequency Festival: David Grubbs & RAGE Thormbones

 Wed, 25 Feb at 08:30 pm 3111 N Western Ave Chicago IL 60618

Running Tour of West Loop Women

 Sat, 07 Mar at 09:00 am Madison Street Books

Careers in Film & Sustainability

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:00 pm 56 E 47th St Free

February: Three Avenues Open Mic Night

 Sat, 28 Feb at 07:30 pm 3009 N Southport Ave Free

The Meaning of AI

 Fri, 27 Feb at 11:00 am Swift Hall Free

Amanda Giles & Friends with Bird x Butterfly

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

Lectures on Tap - "Melusine: The Mermaid Myth that Built Europe"

 Tue, 03 Mar at 06:30 pm Lincoln Park USD 39

April Blue Hour featuring Diego Báez and Samyak Shertok

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

Get Lit: Speakeasy Rhymes

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

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

Big Cheese Poetry Slam

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

Community Grief Ritual

 Sat, 07 Mar at 10:00 am 4251 N Lincoln Ave Free

Nowhere To Call Home Stage Play

 Fri, 08 May at 07:00 pm 2153 W 111th St USD 39

Lit Fest

 Sat, 28 Feb at 10:00 am Gary Comer Youth Center Free

After Hours with Lover’s Eye Press

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:30 pm Quimby's Bookstore Free

Concentration

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

Three Avenues Bookshop Story Times to Celebrate Black Children's Book Week

 Sun, 22 Feb at 10:30 am Three Avenues Bookshop Free

Hybrid Event: Code Noir Book Club with Canisia Lubrin & Cynthia Okechukwu

 Sun, 01 Mar at 05:00 pm Women & Children First Free

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

Get Lit: Grown-Up Book Fair

 Tue, 10 Mar at 05:30 pm American Writers Museum USD 8 to 29

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

Second Sunday Salon: MUSIC Allen • ART Whitehead • WORDS Miles

 Sun, 08 Mar at 05:00 pm The Print Shop Live Free

Keeper of Lost Children Book Signing with Sadeqa Johnson

 Thu, 26 Feb at 07:00 pm Da Book Joint USD 32

Oscar Brown Jr.'s Poetry as Theatre: An American Prophets Program

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:00 pm American Writers Museum USD 0 to 8

Book Event: Missy by Raghav Rao

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

Speaking With Confidence Workshop for Latina Professionals

 Fri, 13 Mar at 05:00 pm &Rise USD 0 to 87

Ikebana Ohara Ryu [3-Week Session]

 Sat, 07 Mar at 10:00 am Japanese Culture Center USD 200

Authors on Tap: Nora Lange and Lindsay Hunter

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