FAMILY FUN: No cars, just bikes
Chicago is one of the country’s best cities for biking, and there’s no better event to celebrate this than the annual Fifth Third Bike the Drive. For nearly five hours on May 26, the 30 miles of Lake Shore Drive will be car free. Those who complete the entire ride will receive a 30-Mile Challenge medal as proof of their accomplishment. The Drive opens to bikers at 5:30 a.m. The event benefits Active Transportation Alliance. For more information and to register, visit bikethedrive.org.
FAMILY FUN: Market season
Randolph Street Market kicks off the outdoor season this weekend with a Garden Party featuring food, demonstrations, music and lots of shopping. The monthly European-style market has become a destination for collectors of one-of-a-kind antiques and vintage items. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 25-26 at 1341 W. Randolph. Admission is $5-$50. Visit randolphstreetmarket.com.
MUSIC: Dance to the beat
The Chicago House Music Festival showcases the sounds and styles of born-in-Chicago house music, which revolutionized dance music. This year’s featured performers include Reel People, Tony Humphries, Moodymann, Antonio Ocasio, Gant-man, Mr. A.L.I. and more. Family activities include art making, a DJ party, dance-downs and movement workshops. From May 24-26 on five stages throughout Millennium Park, Randolph and Michigan. Admission is free. Visit chicagohousemusicfestival.us.
COMEDY: Laugh till it hurts
Five years since his last comedy tour, Eddie Izzard is back on the road with his new show “Wunderbar.” He says it’s “about everything from humans over the last 100,000 years to talking dogs and animal superheroes.” The British comedian-actor has a mind that percolates at high speed, merging his storytelling with impeccable timing and wacky humor. It’s good fun. (Next April, in an interesting pairing, Izzard and Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Laurie Metcalf will go head-to-head as George and Martha in a new Broadway production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) At 8 p.m. May 30-31, Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State. Tickets: $48.50-$83.50. Visit ticketmaster.com.
THEATER: Whodunit improv
Crime, secrets and scandal are all part of High Stakes Productions’ “Clued-In: An Improvised Murder Mystery,” which returns to Second City’s Judy’s Beat Lounge. The one-act, long-form show features the tropes, character archetypes and influences of classic detectives such as Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes, Nick and Nora Charles and Encyclopedia Brown with an occasional nod to Scooby-Doo. From May 25-June 15 and July 6-Aug. 10, Judy’s Beat Lounge, 1608 N. Wells. Tickets: $13. Visit secondcity.com.
MUSIC: From reggae to rock
The Brooklyn-based reggae band New Kingston embarked on a unique project to follow its last studio album, 2017’s “A Kingston Story: Come From Far.” Throughout 2019 the band — brothers Tahir Panton, Courtney Panton Jr. and Stephen Suckarie — will release a series of singles for their rock2roots project, which melds their approach to reggae with many other influences including rock, R&B, dancehall and hip hop. At 10:30 p.m. May 24, The Wild Hare, 2610 N. Halsted. Tickets: $10. Visit wildharemusic.com.
VISUAL ARTS: Presidential days
For the exhibit “The Obama Paintings,” New York-based artist Rob Pruitt created 2,922 paintings of former President Barack Obama, one for each day of his presidency. Tinged with red and blue, the images are intended to be seen as a full picture of Obama’s years in office and range from meetings with world leaders and the State of the Union address to moments with his family or simply a walk with dog Bo. Through Aug. 25 at the Rebuild Foundation’s Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island. Admission is free. Visit rebuild-foundation.org.
MOVIES: Introducing a film pioneer
A little-known but important woman filmmaker is the subject of the documentary “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache.” Director Pamela B. Green spent eight years researching Guy-Blache’s life, along the way discovering lost films and rare interview material that brought new appreciation for her accomplishments. Martin Scorsese says of Guy-Blache: “She was a filmmaker of rare sensitivity with a remarkable poetic eye.” “Be Natural” screens May 24-28 at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State. Tickets: $8, $12. Visit siskelfilmcenter.org.
