Weekend Warrior: 5 Things To Do In Chicago

Manifest Urban Arts Festival

All day Friday at Columbia College; free

As the Columbia school year winds down, the college takes this opportunity to showcase student projects including art, music, film screenings, readings and more. Dozens of performances will take place throughout the South Loop campus, and local hip-hop duo The Cool Kids will perform (time and place TBA, learn more here).

Souls of Mischief

9 p.m. Friday at Abbey Pub; $20-$25

After releasing Montezuma’s Revenge last year with legendary producer Prince Paul, the Souls Of Mischief took to the road to promote what was arguably their most revealing album to date. Lyrically they’re as tight as ever on the project, and the whimsical beats provide a subtly fresh backdrop for them to really settle back and get personal. It’s been 20 years of solid hip-hop for the Oakland natives and by all accounts they don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. For this performance you can expect them to cover everything from their early days as wide-eyed youngsters (’93 ‘Til Infinity, of course) to some of their more recent stuff, which might include some brand-new Hieroglyphics material.

SKALD Storytelling Festival

Through Saturday at Chicago Cultural Center; $15-$20

This local tradition, entering its 11th year, features true tales from Chicagoans. Unlike some other storytelling events, SKALD auditions its performers, offering more quality control than is generally provided by a hat full of names. The week-long event includes storytelling workshops and KidSKALD (Saturday), which offers all the authenticity and humor of live storytelling in a shorter, cuter package.

Headsuckers Ball

10 a.m. Saturday at McGee’s; $20

The 21st annual event at the popular Lincoln Park bar brings in more than 2,000 pounds of crawfish (paired with jambalaya, red beans & rice and gumbo) for an all-you-can eat Cajun feast. Zydeco band Hurricane Gumbo plays at 2 p.m. to keep the party jumping all day and into the night.

Alt-Q Festival

7 p.m. Saturday at Old Town School of Folk Music; $16-$20

This 10th-annual event, hosted by Scott Free, features local and national performers from the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community. The anniversary show is a “Best Of,” including favorites like CoyoteGrace, ActorSlashModel, Stella and the Heatbirds and more.

Just Missed the Cut: MC Lyte/Naughty By Nature, Neverwhere, Sue Foley & Peter Karp, Devin the Dude, Plants and Animals