This week, Chicago was assaulted with rain, gloom and even a few cyclist-toppling waves. If all the coffee Chicago's been tossing back still wasn't enough to thaw this wet cold, help shake it off with three jam-packed days of distraction. Whether you’re drinking for charity or dancing amid porn and chicken, this roundup of Chicago events promises the hot and wild weekend you've more than earned.
ALL WEEKEND
Chicago Beach Polo World Cup
Polo enthusiasts can skip the trip across this pond this weekend with a promenade to North Avenue Beach, where the Chicago Beach Polo World Cup will host eight international teams for the two-day championship, sponsored by Grey Goose. Those unfazed by ponies can take in a fashion show and cocktail hour before the awards ceremony Sunday night.
Where: North Avenue Beach, Chicago
When: 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. Friday (VIP tickets only), 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Price: $20 General Admission, $250 VIP
Design Harvest
Is your home feeling a little uninspired? Soak up the city’s best contributions to interior design at the annual Design Harvest street festival, where Chicago’s best local furniture and home accessory makers, vintage and antique collectors and local retailers of home goods will lay their wares on display. Food and live music programmed by the Hideout will be sure to inspire a host of ideas for revitalizing your space.
Where: Grand Ave. between Damen Ave. and Wood St., Chicago
When: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Price: Free
FRIDAY
Facets Fright School
If the first day of October begins your excitement for Halloween, then you may already be planning for Facets Fright School, which kicks off this Friday. For the next month, prepare to get schooled in classic and commercial horror, and on the filming tricks and techniques that make them so spine-tingling. The weekly series launches with a reception Friday and the theatrical debut of Lew Ojeda and Joseph Lewis's Sisters of No Mercy.
Where: 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago
When: 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. Friday
Price: $5
Big Shoulders Fund Ball
Join over 500 leading young professionals in Chicago for a night of food, drinks, dessert and dancing at the fifth annual Big Shoulders Fund Ball. All proceeds will benefit the Big Shoulders Fund Auxiliary Board Scholarship, which provides tuition assistance to nearly 100 students in Chicago’s inner-city to help pay for private school enrollment.
Where: River East Art Center, 435 E. Illinois St., Chicago
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Price: $125
SATURDAY
Cultivate Chicago
In an effort to get people thinking and talking about food and food issues, Chipotle is providing the chow and a venue for discussion at Cultivate Chicago. The one-day festival in Lincoln Park will combine live music, art and food made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Proceeds of the specially created menu (up to $50,000) will benefit FamilyFarmed.org, a Chicago-based organization that aims to expand the production, marketing, and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food.
Where: Lincoln Park, Chicago
When: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday
Price: Free
College Football Watch Party
Preparing to suit up for your alma mater’s big game this Saturday? For less than the cost of two cases of beer, get unlimited wine, beer and well drinks with the games streaming at the College Football Watch Party. Eighty percent of each ticket will benefit Community Support Services, a nonprofit that supports children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
Where: Jack & Gingers, 2048 W Armitage Ave., Chicago
When: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday
Price: $25
SUNDAY
Friends of the Grape Wine Festival and Auction
Do you worship at the altar of Dionysus? Rejoin your tribe at the 12th annual Friends of the Grape Wine Festival and Auction, which will include more than 40 different wines and food from 20 Lincoln Square restaurants on the sampling menu. Live auction items include trips to Paris-Le Cordon Bleu, Tucson, Ariz. and Napa Valley.
Where: St. Matthias School Hall, 4910 N. Claremont Ave., Chicago
When: 12:30 pm - 6:30 pm Sunday
Price: $45
Fashion Show: Hall of Mirrors
Chicago boutique Akira will showcase their newest looks at Hall of Mirrors, their Fall 2011 runway show. Pop-up shops, live entertainment and samples from Market, Epic, Barn & Company and more will provide the pre-show, and admission to the runway show includes entry to the after party at Japonais.
Where: Grossinger City Autoplex, 1500 N. Dayton St., Chicago
When: 4 pm Sunday
Price: $15 General Admission, $125 VIP
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD:
MONDAY
Porn and Chicken Party
Develop your own opinion about the rager the Chicago Reader named “Chicago’s Best Dance Party” at Evil Olive Monday Night. Chicken and sexy videos will be bountiful at the Porn and Chicken Dance Party. Come for the snacks and eye candy, stay to boogie. Prove you’re SRTB (So Ready To Bang) with this week’s theme, “Dr. Strangelove: Black and White Banger.”
Where: evilOlive, 1551 W. Division St., Chicago
When: 10:30 p.m. - 4 a.m. Monday
Price: Free
WEDNESDAY
Wet Hot American Summer
The A.V. Club’s ongoing series “The New Cult Canon" continues at the Music Box Wednesday, where they will be screening “Wet Hot American Summer,” in honor of the cult classic’s 10th anniversary. Director David Wain will join A.V. Club critic Scott Tobias for a screening of the absurdist summer camp comedy that starred a core of performers from Wain’s sketch troupe The State, including Paul Rudd, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Poehler and Elizabeth Banks.
Where: Music Box Theater, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Price: $10 in advance, $13 day of