House party
House music comes home with MOVE! The 2006 Chicago International House Music Festival. Local talent like Steve “Silk” Hurley and the legendary Frankie Knuckles mix it up with South African DJ Glen Lewis (making his American debut) and other international beat blenders. 1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $35; $65 for a two-day pass. Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, 1300 S. Linn White Drive. 312-223-0165. Read more about the fest on metromix.com.
Gaymes over
We’ve spotted more than a few sweaty, athletic types in the city over the past week. Now it’s time to say goodbye with a bang as the Gay Games come to a close. Friday night at Excalibur, it’s 100 percent pure love with a performance by Crystal Waters and DJ Rosabel at Olympus. Saturday night, Wrigley Field plays host to the Gay Games Closing Ceremony with Cyndi Lauper and dance troupe DC Cowboys. 8 p.m. Friday. $35-$55. Excalibur, 632 N. Dearborn St. 312-266-1944. Ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday. $25-$90. 1060 W. Addison St. 773-907-2006.
Silent screens
Tired of cheesy dialogue and ear-shattering explosions at the multiplex? Turn down the volume with the Silent Summer Film Festival at the newly remodeled Portage Theater. The festival begins Friday with “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp,” starring Harry Langdon as a fella who tries to impress his lady by winning a cross-country walking contest. 7:30 p.m. Friday. $8-$11; festival passes $44-$50. Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-205-7372.
Boats, blues and brews
It’s hard to feel blue when you’re cruising Lake Michigan with a beer in hand. Get your mojo workin’ at Rosa’s Blues Cruise tonight, a midnight voyage featuring down-home R&B from The Ultimate Concept Band. Go for Round 2 on Saturday’s Blues and Brews Cruise with the Chicago Beer Society, featuring more than a dozen craft beers and live music from Stokes and The Old Blues Boys. Rosa’s, 11:30 p.m. Friday. $37-$40. Spirit of Chicago at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. 773-342-0452. Blues and Brews: Boards at 7:15 p.m. Saturday. $80-$99. Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. 773-905-2537.
A play with pop!
Sure, we love live theater, but where are all the mythical creatures, helium and rock music our 21st Century eyes are used to? Redmoon Theater answers our silent prayers with “The Balloon Man,” a play about a team of scientists in search of the wild Picnob. 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Through July 30. See complete schedule at metromix.com. Free. Millennium Park, 55 N. Michigan Ave. 312-850-8440.
In a Garden state?
Walk off those summertime brews as you stop and smell the roses at the Sheffield Garden Walk and Festival. Take a self-guided tour of more than 100 manicured hideouts or get a mini-tour from a master gardener. Then, rock out with live music from Better Than Ezra and Cowboy Mouth. Noon. Saturday-Sunday. $6-$10. Proceeds benefit the Sheffield Neighborhood Association. Webster and Sheffield Avenues, 2200 N. Sheffield Ave. 773-929-9255.
Fests of note
Most neighborhood fests have one thing they do better than any other. For Wicker Park’s Summerfest, it’s the music. This year, hear bands DeVotchka, The Gris Gris and Starlight Mints among others. Nearby, Summer on Southport hosts three stages of music, including staples Elevation and Mike & Joe. Hit ’em both, and find more fests on metromix.com. Wicker Park: 11:30 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. $5 donation. Damen and North Avenues, 1600 N. Damen Ave. 773-929-9255. Southport: 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. $5 donation. Southport Avenue, from Byron Street to Waveland Avenue, 3800 N. Southport Ave. 773-665-4682.
