HEAR IT
Oodles of live music ‘Hood: Rogers Park
In addition to the more than 80 art exhibitors and local shops selling all manner of paintings, photography and craftygifts at Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest (Glenwood Avenue between Lunt and Farwell Avenues. 773-761-4477), 35-plus bands are set to perform on three stages. Going beyond your garden-variety cover rock, local headliners show off specialty chops in polka, ska, bluegrass and reggae. Grab a beer and settle in for the Polkaholics (4 p.m. Saturday on the North Stage), Deals Gone Bad (7:30 p.m. Saturday on the Morse Stage) and the Henhouse Prowlers (7 p.m. Sunday on the North Stage). Or head indoors post-fest to Morseland, Duke’s, Heartland Cafe and Red Line Tap for more sets from local songwriters and bands.
When: Noon-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Cash: No cover
MOVE IT
Final weekend of SummerDance
‘Hood: South Loop
Last call for free dance lessons and live tunes in Grant Park! If you promised yourself you’d make it to SummerDance (Spirit of Music Garden, 601 S. Michigan Ave.) this season, your last weekend to give it a whirl has arrived. The 11-week series wraps up with swing lessons (Saturday) led by Big Time Swing’s Margot McGraw-Toppen and Riley Wimes Jr., and foxtrot and jitterbug lessons (Sunday) led by May I Have This Dance’s Nino DiGiulio. An open-dance session follows with live accompaniment by New Millennium Swing Collective and Sam Burckhardt Nonet, respectively. Seeing as dance lessons can put a serious dent in your debit card, this is a steal.
When: Lessons begin at 6 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday
Cash: Free
TAKE IT
Windy City Rodeo shuttle
‘Hoods: Lincoln Park, Rogers Park, Andersonville, Uptown
There’s more than one way to get to Crete, Ill., for the bull-riding, barrel-racing and pole-bending antics of the 2009 Windy City Rodeo (Six Guns Ranch and Arena, 26926 S. State Line Rd.). And if you don’t want to drive, the best way is hitching a ride on one of the rodeo-bound shuttles leaving at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday from three Chicago bars: Touche (6412 N. Clark St.), Cattle Call (1547 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.) and Big Chicks (5024 N. Sheridan Rd.). Each bar has a limited number of $25 tickets, which buys you a two-way shuttle pass and entrance into the rodeo. Word on the street is tickets are flying faster than a red-blinded bull, so hurry!
When: 10 a.m. shuttle departure Saturday and Sunday
Cash: $25, includes rodeo ticket
SCOPE IT
Guy’s clothes on the catwalk ‘Hood: River North
Men’s fall fashions go beyond cardigans thanks to Bouggy clothing line’s new collection, co-created by Chicagoan Tee Lam. Put on your best Tim Gunn face and head to District Bar (170 W. Ontario St. 312-337-3477) to scope the collection’s catwalk premiere of deconstructed T-shirts. Designers from Kretia, His Stuff Chicago and Akira also will be on hand to show off their fall looks on the runway.
When: 7 p.m. red carpet, 8 p.m. fashion show Saturday
Cash: $20 per ticket
SHOP IT
Divine Sole Boutique ‘Hood: Bronzeville
Ladies, need an excuse to indulge in a shoe-centric shopping spree? Divine Sole Boutique (3708 S. Indiana Ave. 773-548-7653) has you covered. The shoes-and-accessories shop celebrates its first year in business Saturday with a “pink-carpet” bash featuring music, open bar, hair demos and, yes, hourly sales and gift certificates. Browse Divine’s outgoing summer stock to tunes spun by DJ Lil John and get truss advice from Zoies Hair Salon.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday Cash: No cover
