Are you visiting from out of town during Northwestern’s graduation weekend? Are you looking for a fun group activity for family and friends?
In between official events, celebrations and ceremonies, you can explore campus as well as Evanston and Chicago to take in art exhibitions, local theater, tasty restaurants and some of the biggest attractions on Chicago’s summer calendar.
Northwestern Now has curated a brief list to give you some inspiration along the way.
Get lost on campus
Explore the Northwestern campus at your own speed through a series of tours.
Taste Evanston
Looking for a place to grab coffee and a quick bite or enjoy a long and relaxing meal? The list of extraordinary Evanston restaurants goes on for days. Try Five & Dime, Kansaku, Taco Diablo, Dave’s Italian Kitchen, Bat 17, LeTour and many more. Or, let downtownevanston.org lead the way.
Check out art at The Block
Noon – 8 p.m. Friday, June 9, and noon – 5 p.m. Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11, The Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston
Stop by The Block to see “The Heart’s Knowledge: Science and Empathy in the Art of Dario Robleto,” which delves into the histories of medicine, biomedical engineering, sound recording and space exploration, and “The Living Image of Sound: Notes on Jazz and Protest at Northwestern,” about the intersections of visual art, music, and student-led social justice movements during the 1960s and ’70s.
Go back to the second world’s fair
10 a.m., Sunday, June 11, Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago; admission fee required
This two-hour walking tour will highlight the legacy of Chicago’s second world’s fair — the scientific marvels, changing cultural values and brazen entertainments and the world conflicts foretold under the fair’s pavilions.
Cheer on the Sox
7:10 p.m., Friday, June 9; 1:10 p.m., Saturday, June 10; and 1:10 p.m., Sunday, June 11
The White Sox host the Miami Marlins for three games this weekend at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Get your blues on
Noon-9 p.m., June 9-11, Millennium Park, Chicago
The Chicago Blues Festival features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming.
Browse the Old Town Art Fair
10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, June 10; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, June 11, intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Wisconsin Street in Chicago’s Lincoln Park
The annual Chicago art festival takes place in the heart of the charming Old Town Triangle Historic District and features over 200 nationally acclaimed artists, a garden walk, live music, a food court and children’s entertainment.
Take in the fireworks
10 p.m., Saturday, June 10, Navy Pier, Chicago
Head on down to Navy Pier and pick any spot you can find before the night sky — and skyline — explodes in color and light.
