Maifest at Lincoln Square (Thursday-Sunday)

Hoist a stein, grab a pretzel, watch some lederhosen- and dirndl-costumed dancers and embrace the neighborhood’s German heritage over the course of one fun-filled weekend. More information can be found here.

White Sox host the Tigers (Friday-Sunday)

Struggling AL Central teams collide, yippee. And no, Vanilla Ice will not be there.

Taylor Swift at Soldier Field (Friday-Sunday)

I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but Taylor Swift is in town and The Eras Tour is finally in Chicago. This could go down as the most successful tour of all-time and unless you’re willing to pay thousands to get into the building, you’re best bet if you don’t have a ticket right now is to hang out in the parking lot of Soldier Field and listen to her perform in front of 50,000 adoring fans. Q101 Twisted XMas alumni girl in red joins her to open up the show on Friday and Saturday. We encourage you to check out the Screaming Females cover of “Shake It Off” if you are looking for some alternative takes on Taylor Swift classics.

The 76th Annual 57th Street Art Fair (Friday): Whether you are looking for original works of art in glass, jewelry, leather, photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, wood, ceramics and fiber art – you are sure to find something handmade, special and one of a kind at the 57th St Art Fair. Get more details on their website.

Violent J at Chop Shop (Friday) 

Violent J (yes, that Violent J) heads to the Chop Shop on Friday for the Three-Headed Monster Tour. You can get tickets here.

Steve Martin & Martin Short at The Chicago Theater (Friday & Sunday)

Comedy legends Steve Martin & Martin Short bring their two-man show, You Wont Believe What They Look Like Today, to the Chicago Theater for a pair of shows on Friday and Sunday. These shows are sold out.

DRAIN at Metro (Friday)

DRAIN is a band that is catching everyone’s attention, from Post Malone to Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. They are a band to watch at this year’s Riot Fest, but before they tear up Douglass Park, they’ll be ripping up the Metro on Friday night. Alongside punk standouts Drug Church and Incendiary, Friday night should be an unforgettable night in Wrigleyville. This show is sold out, but there’s still time to get on the DRAIN bandwagon before Riot Fest in September.

Do Division Street Fest (Friday-Sunday) 

Do Divison Street Fest is back! Iconic venues Empty Bottle and Subterranean have once again curated an incredible lineup of bands, food, and fun for free this weekend. We highly recommend checking out both MSPAINT and Vundabar if you are looking for new tunes.

Lincoln Park Greek Fest (Friday-Sunday): The street in front of St. George Greek Orthodox Church hosts three days of gyros, spicy feta spread, dancing, traditional music and more during Lincoln Park’s annual celebration of Hellenic culture. Show up to feast on Greek delicacies, shop for gifts at the craft fair or catch some live music. You can learn more here.

Bank of America 13.1 Race in Garfield Park (Saturday)

For those that want to run for fun, you have your chance this Saturday as Bank of America brings their mini-marathon through Garfield Park. You can register to run here.

2nd Annual Windy City Hot Dog Fest (Saturday-Sunday): We’ll let you decide if you want ketchup or not at the 2nd annual Windy City Hot Dog Fest happening Saturday & Sunday, June 3-4 in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. Some of Chicagoland’s favorite hot dog stands will compete for who has the best frankfurter! And you get to be the judge!

Run for the Zoo (Sunday): Race through parts of the Lincoln Park Zoo’s beautiful grounds when you sign up for this 5K, 10K or kids’ obstacle course. Participants will receive a themed tech T-shirt with registration, and the zoo hosts a post-run party that includes free snacks, a free beer for each runner and live entertainment. The annual dash helps keep the zoo free and open 365 days a year. You can sign up here.

NASCAR Watch Party at Church Street Brewing Company (Sunday): Rev your engines, racing fans, and don’t forget to buckle up your 4 legged friend for this one! Join Q101 to watch the Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter and cheer on your favorite drivers at our official watch party! Join us at Church Street Brewery located at 1480 Industrial Dr Unit C, in Itasca on Sunday, June 3rd from 2pm – 5pm for a watch party!

Check out our table to win cool prizes and make sure to enter to win a pair of GA tickets to NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend on July 1 & 2nd 2023.

Our friends Brutus Bone Broth will also be joining us for this dog friendly event!! They will be pouring puptails, passing out samples, and even sharing their brothcicles for your furry friend!

Five children were taken to a nearby medical facility after reportedly smoking a vape pen in gym class at a Chicago elementary school on Wednesday. According to the Chicago Police Department, several students vaped during gym class. It’s unclear what substance the vape pen contained.

The children involved are reportedly 9 to 10-years-old and are all in good condition.

The Indiana donut chain, Rise ‘n Roll, which has 16 Indiana locations, including three in northwest Indiana in Cedar Lake, Schererville and Valparaiso, has cleaned up in “America’s Greatest Donut” competition. They took home “Overall Fan Favorite” and its cinnamon caramel donut was “voted far and away the most popular donut in America” and won the “Greatest Cinnamon Sugar Donut” category. The bakery also earned top honors in numerous categories:

• Greatest Cake Donut (Red Velvet)
• Greatest Cream Filled Donut (Boston Cream)
• Greatest Jelly Filled Donut (Lemon Jelly filled)
• Greatest Old Fashioned Donut (Old Fashioned)
• Greatest Unique Flavors Donut (Mocha Donut)
• Greatest Unique Toppings Donut (Crunch Delight)
• Greatest Yeast Donut (Cinnamon Caramel Donut)

Where’s the best spot to get a donut in Chicagoland? The conversation lives on Facebook!

Trader Joe’s has had enough of the memes, jokes, and conspiracies that claim that their parking lots are intentionally small. In a recent interview on the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast, VP of Marketing Tara Miller shot down the idea. “People out there in the world really seem to think, not all people, but a number of people, that we are purposefully making horrible parking lots.” Matt Sloan, another marketing guy at Trader Joe’s, continued, “We don’t open stores with the world’s most ridiculous parking lot on purpose.”

So, if you want to believe Big Trader’s, their parking lots aren’t intentionally small just so you’ll ride bikes or walk to their store.

You heard it first with Brian & Kenzie, now check out the 10-minute short film that accompanies the new Foo Fighters track, “The Teacher”.

“But Here We Are”, the 11th studio album from the Foo Fighters, will be released this Friday.

The Cubs are in hot water for disrespecting Hall of Famer Billy Williams over the weekend. On Saturday, the team handed out Williams bobbleheads, but they had one major issue:

.290 career AVG, nearly 3000 career hits, and 426 career homeruns…while wearing #26 for the Cubs. Not even when Williams was shipped off to the A’s did he wear the #1.

The Cubs issued a statement after people noticed the mistake.

In other words, better luck next year!

 An Illinois man in Williamson County has been charged with allegedly stealing a backhoe and driving it about 10 miles to catch a flight at an airport.

Officers were alerted to the scene after a call about a “suspicious” backhoe parked in the lot at the Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois.

After reviewing the security footage from the airport, which showed the suspect arriving in the backhoe, parking, and walking across the lot to the airport lobby while carrying a guitar case, the suspect was later identified as Timothy Baggott of Carbondale. He has been charged with a felony count of theft in excess of $10,000.

No Pressure at Bottom Lounge (Friday): Parker Cannon of pop-punk royalty The Story So Far brings his hardcore side project, No Pressure, to the Bottom Lounge on Friday night with a slew of other bands including Koyo and Riot Fest 2023 band Fleshwater. This show sold out very quickly, but we still highly recommend giving these bands a listen.

Laura Stevenson at Lincoln Hall (Friday) 

Laura Stevenson has been a prominent voice in the underground punk scene for the better-half of two decades. A frequent collaborate with Jeff Rosenstock (who just announced a show at The Salt Shed), Stevenson brings her sultry singer-songwriter songs to Lincoln Hall on Friday. Tickets can be purchased here.

Tigercub at Gman Tavern (Friday)

Q101 welcomes Tigercub to the Gman Tavern, which is located next door to the Metro, on Friday night. After nearly a decade across the pond, Tigercub are embarking on what should be a tone-setting US tour. The same record industry titans that discovered Queens of the Stone Age have backed Tigercub, making them a band that needs to be paid attention to. Tickets can be purchased here.

Cubs host the Reds (Friday-Sunday)

The struggling Chicago Cubs bring the Reds to town for a three-game divisional series this weekend.

Mole de Mayo (Friday-Sunday)

Pilsen’s annual Mole de Mayo street festival, which honors the traditional Mexican sauce with a mole cook-off, plus a market full of vendors, returns to the neighborhood over Memorial Day weekend. More information can be found here.

Summer Camp Music Festival (Friday-Sunday)

Chillicothe’s premier music festival, Summer Camp, kicks off on Friday with camping, art, and over 100 acts, notably PIQNIQ artist Badflower. Tickets can be purchased here.

Memorial Day Parade (Saturday) 

After a wreath is laid at the eternal flame in Daley Plaza at 11am in remembrance of those who died serving in the U.S. armed services, Chicago’s annual Memorial Day Parade marches down State Street (from Lake to Van Buren streets) beginning at noon. Crowds line the street waving flags and paying their respects as part of this Chicago tradition, which dates all the way back to 1870.

Navy Pier Fireworks Begin (Saturday) 

The best place to see fireworks in America begins firework season this weekend.

Seal at Chicago Theater (Saturday) 

Legendary soul singer Seal will be at the Chicago Theater on Saturday. If you are in the mood to make a baby, we highly recommend grabbing a ticket before they’re gone.

The Bollweevils at Chop Shop (Saturday) 

Chicago punk legends The Bollweevils, recently removed from opening for Rise Against on the first night of their Metro residency, are back at The Chop Shop on Saturday night. You can grab a ticket for the show here.

Pet Symmetry at Sleeping Village (Saturday) 

Chicago power-pop-punk legends are playing at Sleeping Village on Saturday night in celebration of their 2013 EP, “Two Songs About Cars. Two Songs With Long Titles.” turning 10. A veteran of Riot Fest and a prolific touring act for a decade, Sleeping Village will surely be a party on Saturday night when these boys take the stage. Grab a ticket here. Say AHOY to me (Case the Producer) if you spot me there.

Pedro the Lion at Thalia Hall (Saturday) 

Indie legend Pedro the Lion heads to Thalia Hall on Saturday night for a night full of emotional tunes and heart-wrenching hooks. He’ll be playing both 1998’s “It’s Hard to Find a Friend” and 2002’s “Control” in full. Bring Kleenex. Tickets can be found here.

Vet Fest ft. Spin Doctors for the American Appreciation Concert Series at 115 Bourbon Street (Saturday)

Get ready to rock at Vet Fest’s American Appreciation Concert Series on May 27th, located at Bourbon Street! Enjoy a night filled with the unforgettable sounds of the ’90s with Spin Doctors headlining, and the dynamic duo Mike and Joe warming up the stage. This event will be a Buy One, Give One initiative meaning, that for every ticket you purchase, Vest Fest will donate one to a veteran, first responder, or local hero. Celebrate their service while immersing yourself a live music experience! Support our heroes with this amazing BOGO concert event! Buy tickets here.

Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival (Saturday-Sunday)

Head to Lakeview (right by the Belmont Red Line station) for two days of music, featuring local tribute acts like Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute and Rod Tuffcurls & the Bench Press. You’ll find beer, wine and plenty of area vendors to browse while you hang out on the street. Get more information here.

Sueños Music Festival (Saturday-Sunday)

The two-day, Memorial Day weekend extravaganza returns to Grant Park in 2023. Taking place on a single stage in Grant Park’s Hutchinson Field, Sueños will feature headlining sets from Mexican band Grupo Firme and Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel. Other notable names on the lineup include Feid, Nicky Jam, Becky G, Arcangel and more. Get tickets here.

Mayfestiversary (Saturday-Sunday)

Ravenswood Corridor neighbors Dovetail and Begyle return this year for their annual Memorial Day weekend street fest on Malt Row, where attendees can sip beer from both breweries and grab bites from Beard and Belly, Donerman, Happy Lobster and more. Learn more here.

Randolph Street Market (Saturday-Sunday)

The beloved Randolph Street Market Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with two days of curated, European-style vintage and antique shopping. Browse wares from more than 200 vendors, including This Old Book (for rare novels and coffee table books), Tarkington Antiques (for MCM furniture) and Lottie Dottie Vintage (for fun and funky items), or grab a cocktail and bite to eat from restaurant vendors while tapping your toes to live music.

Maxwell Street Market (Sunday-Monday)

This market sets up on nearby Desplaines Street (between Roosevelt and Howard) every Sunday, where visitors will find vendors hawking their wares, an abundance of delicious Mexican food and occasional performances by local bands and dance troupes. Get more information here.