WICKER PARK— The weekend is packed with holiday events, activities, shopping bazaars, the first days of Hannukah and more.
Here are a few events on our radar.
Friday Dec. 7
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Free Flu Shots, 2058 N. Western Ave. (1st Ward Office). Walgreens will provide free flu shots on a first-come, first-serve basis at Ald. Joe Moreno's (1st) office.
(approx.) 4:49 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.: CTA Holiday Blue Line "L" Train Rolls Through Town, 1585 N. Damen Ave. (Damen "L" Stop). Keep your eyes peeled for the festively decorated "L" train. For the complete schedule including all Blue Line stops, click here. Same times on Saturday.
6 to 10 p.m.: 'First Fridays,' 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. (Flat Iron Building) On the first Friday of every month, artists open the doors to their studios and allow the public to peruse and purchase unique works. Flat Iron artist Marketa Sivek, studio #230, is hosting an inventory sale.
7 to 10 p.m.: La Isla Fundraiser, 2159 W. Chicago Ave. (Tuman's Tap). Drink sangria and help to fight kidney disease. Read More.
7:30 p.m.: Traditional Polish Christmas Eve Supper, 984 N. Milwaukee Ave. (The Polish Museum of America). Get a headstart on celebrating Christmas, Polish style.
Saturday Dec. 8
10 a.m. to Noon: Gingerbread Bop, 1911 N. Milwaukee Ave. (Easel Art Studio). Children age 2+ are invited to decorate a gingerbread house from the ground up. Materials and lunch provided. $40.
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: New Brunch Hours, 1700 W. Division St. (The Carriage House). Eater.com broke the news a few weeks back about a new brunch menu at this Division Street restaurant specializing in Southern low country cooking.
10 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Handmade Market, 1035 N. Western Ave. (Empty Bottle).
11 a.m.: Community Meeting, 1858 W. Wabansia Ave. (Lincoln Tavern). Sedgwick Properties will present a proposal for redevelopment of property located at 1720 West North Avenue (currently a Citgo station at the corner of North and Hermitage), according to the Bucktown Community Organization.
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Holiday Shopping Bazaar, 1509 N. Milwaukee Ave. (Eskell). Find the perfect holiday party dress at this Wicker Park boutique, which will be featuring fashions from local and national labels all weekend long.
3 p.m.: "It Takes a Village" Concert, 1504 N. Hoyne Ave. (Wicker Park Lutheran Church). At its fifth season's opening concert, the Wicker Park Choral singers will perform songs from communities around the world.
12- 5 p.m.: Bucktown Holiday Art Show, 2200 N. Oakley (Holstein Park). The Holstein Park field house will again play host to this popular show, now in its 14th year. Admission is $2, though you can download a free (PDF) pass by visiting Bucktownpromotions.com and clicking on the pink ticket. Same hours on Sunday as well.
Sundown; Hannukah (Dec. 8-16), the Jewish Festival, begins. Check out these citywide Hannukah events.
8 p.m.: The Age of Insects Screening/Fundraiser, 1084 N. Milwaukee Ave. (The Nightingale). Nate Cunningham, a local cinephile and employee of the Gene Siskel Film Center, has suffered from Lyme Disease for 11 years. He's decided to go to India to undergo a new stem-cell transplantation procedure. Read more.
10 a.m. to 3 a.m.: Shimmer- A New Monthly Music Night, 2011 W. North Ave. (SubT Lounge). DJs 'Scary Sarah' and 'Philly Peroxide' bring "shoegaze, dreampop, psych, drone, space rock, jangly indie pop, twee pop, nugaze, electrogaze & chillwave music" to a local music club. Read more.
Sunday Dec. 9
1 to 3 p.m.: Build Your Own Menorah Workshop, 1232 W. North Ave. (Home Depot). Home Depot and the local chabad Jewish center are teaming up to offer a free, family-friendly menorah building workshop at the North Ave. home improvement store.
2 to 7 p.m.: Pop-Up Book Fair, 1035 N. Western Ave. (Empty Bottle). Chicago Writers House, The Chicagoan and Curbside Splendor Publishing curate a 'pop-up' book fair celebrating titles from 30 independent Chicago publishers offering reading pleasure you won't find anywhere else. Visit the event's Facebook page for the full scoop.
