WEEKEND
1. REDEYE/MMX PICK
Soul Music Festival
UNION PARK
Common, MYA and Janelle Monae perform. 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 1501 W. Randolph St. 312-559-1212. $55-65; 3-day pass: $125-$145.
2. REDEYE/MMX PICK
German-American Festival
LINCOLN SQUARE
Features traditional foods, beer, music and more. Parade starts Saturday at 2 p.m. Noon Saturday and Sunday. 4700 N. Lincoln Ave. 630-653-3018. Free.
RedBall Project
CITYWIDE
A traveling 15-foot inflatable, shape-shifting sphere by artist Kurt Perschke makes stops around the city. 11 a.m. Saturday: Field Museum; 11 a.m. Sunday: Grant Park, Museum Campus pedestrian viaduct. 312-744-6630. Free.
Ukrainian Village Fest
UKRAINIAN VILLAGE
Features a beer garden, ethnic eats from Ukraine and live music. 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Saints Volodymyr and Olha Cathedral Hall, 2245 W. Superior St. 312-829-5209. $5.
Windy City Wine Festival
LOOP
Sample from more than 250 international vintages and watch cooking demos. 3 p.m. Tickets: windycitywinefestival.com. Daley Bicentennial Plaza, 337 E. Randolph St. 847-382-1480. $25; $10 for designated driver tickets.
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SAT.
Summer Comedy Jam
CHATHAM
Features performances by local comics including B. Cole, Sonya D., Marcus Comb and WGCI radio personality Leon Rogers. 10 p.m. ICE Theaters Chatham 14, 210 W. 87th St. 773-783-8711. Tickets: icetheaters.com. $25-$30.
Guinness Oyster Fest
ROSCOE VILLAGE
It’s a combo worth exploring: Fresh-shucked oysters, pints of Guinness and live music. Local restaurants sell additional food items. Noon. Damen Avenue and Roscoe Street. 773-868-3010. $7 donation.
Red Bull Flugtag USA
NORTH AVENUE BEACH
Watch as nearly 30 teams from Chicago and other cities pilot their homemade flying machines off a 25-foot ramp into Lake Michigan. Early arrival recommended. 1 p.m. North Avenue Beach. 877-673-9444. Free.
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SUN.
3. Italian Village Ferrari Fest
LOOP
Stock up on an Italian buffet, beer and wine at Vivere. Outside, ogle a display of more than 50 award-winning Ferraris along Monroe Street, from Clark to Dearborn Streets. 11 a.m. 71 W. Monroe St. 312-332-7005. $25.
Brazilian Independence Celebration
RIVER NORTH
Fete the occasion with special menu items and live performances of samba dancing and capoeira. 5:30 p.m. SushiSamba Rio, 504 N. Wells St. 312-595-2300. Prices vary.
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HIDDEN AGENDA
Free wine tastings at Provenance Food and Wine, 2528 N. California Ave., 773-384-0699; provenancefoodandwine.com.
Make a splash
Check it out if you … want to try new wines risk-free, are looking for a more casual way to indulge your love of the grape or just can’t turn down free drinks.
The details: From 3 p.m.-6 p.m. every Saturday you can sample from seasonal wines for free at Provenance’s Logan Square location. Tastings are set up at the front of the store and kept very casual, with anyone who comes in welcome to try some. The promise of free drinks brings in a lot of window-shoppers, especially among the younger crowd, though plenty of regulars are kept up to date by the store’s e-mail list.
The varietals come from all over, and while the store doesn’t offer a discount on the wines in the tasting, bottles typically range $15-$30, so you don’t have to be afraid to check the price tag on something you like.
The payoff: Feeling cultured while staying thrifty.
