September is packed with ways to enjoy the best of Downtown Evanston! Kick off the month with our final Downtown Summer Sounds concert and Thursday Night Market this Thursday, September 3. Celebrate community at Evanston en Blanc on September 12, and the Evanston Folk Festival on September 12–13, and check out vintage and rare cars at Evanston Cars & Coffee on September 20.
September also marks an exciting new chapter for downtown Evanston with the inaugural production at Northlight Theatre, opening September 9! Make a night of it with dinner and drinks before or after the show.
Scroll down for business news and upcoming events and follow Downtown Evanston on Instagram and Facebook for daily updates.
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Join us this Thursday, September 3 for the final Thursday Night Market and Downtown Summer Sounds of the season! The market kicks off at 5PM featuring 30 local artists and makers, followed by a concert with Suite Mollie Band from 6-8PM! Friendly reminder to bring a chair! Learn more here.
A special thanks to our sponsors for supporting the events this summer! Visit their tents to learn more about their businesses and organizations.
- Downtown Summer Sounds sponsors: Continuum Development, City of Evanston, Northwestern | Neighborhood and Community Relations, Golub & Company, John J. Cahill Inc., The Legacy Apartments, Rotary International, Core & Rind Hospitality, Sketchbook Brewing and The Urban Canopy.
- Thursday Night Market sponsors: Byline Bank, Chicago Stars FC, American Vintage Home, Local Pastures and The Wayfair Store.
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Celebrate with the Evanston Chamber of Commerce at their annual MashUp on Thursday, September 10, 5:30PM at Northwestern's Norris Center. Enjoy an unforgettable evening of all-you-can-eat food and drinks from dozens of local restaurants while connecting with 500+ leaders and members of Evanston’s business, civic, nonprofit and university communities. Learn more & purchase tickets.
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Join Black Women Of Evanston on Saturday, September 12 to celebrate a decade of grace, growth, and community at their 4th annual Evanston en Blanc, an enchanting evening dedicated to uniting our community and celebrating the end of summer. This year’s theme, “A Decade of Grace and Growth,” honors ten transformative years and looks forward to a future filled with empowerment, connection, and shared success. Learn more & purchase tickets here.
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Join us for the final Evanston Cars & Coffee on Sunday, September 20, from 9:30AM–Noon, on Sherman Avenue between Church and Clark streets. This free, family-friendly community event celebrates vintage classics, muscle cars, exotic vehicles, and unique rides.
Enjoy coffee and donuts from Outside Coffee while exploring the cars, and vote for your favorite to help crown the People's Choice Award winner. All vote purchases benefit the Partners of the Evanston Public Library, making it a fun way to support a great local cause. Learn more here.
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Explore Evanston and beyond by bike with our free monthly community rides! Join us on September 1 at 5:30PM for the Adult Ride and September 26 at 10AM for the Family Ride. Learn more & register here.
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Celebrate French culture on the North Shore at the first-ever French Fest on Saturday, September 6, 11AM-3:30PM at Fountain Square. Enjoy French food and products and learn about French organizations. View the map and vendors here.
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- SEPTEMBER 4, 11AM-4PM
Madison Grace Hosts Labor Day Shopping Event
Enjoy coffee and champagne while you shop the newest fall styles, perfect for stepping into the new season in style. Come sip, shop, and discover your new fall favorites.
- SEPTEMBER 4, 5:30PM
Bookends & Beginnings Hosts Trivia Night
Test your knowledge at Trivia Night with bookseller Phaedra, featuring prizes, drink specials, and a cozy atmosphere—free registration recommended, with trivia starting at 5:30 PM and teams of up to six.
- SEPTEMBER 11-13
Wheel & Sprocket Hosts Used Bike Tent Sale
Shop a great selection of pre-owned bikes along with Back-to-School specials including 20% Off All Used Bikes, 15% Off Accessories, 10% Off Car Racks, Trade-In Specials and more!
- SEPTEMBER 11, 5PM
Animal Records Hosts Funkadelic Listening Party
Join Animal Records for a free, funky listening party celebrating the all-analog remastered reissue of Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain, with giveaways, prizes and copies available to purchase.
- SEPTEMBER 11, 6PM
Bookends & Beginnings Hosts Carla Hall at Nichols Concert Hall
Enjoy an unforgettable evening with award-winning chef and television personality Carla Hall, as she talks about her new cookbook, CARLA BAKES with Chicago author and media personality Natalie Moore.
- SEPTEMBER 12, 12-4PM
Artem Pop Up Gallery Hosts Meet the Artist
Stop by Artem to meet artist Alka Sharma and learn about her artistic creations and processes.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 4-8PM
Trophy Pet Hosts Ribbon Cutting
Help us celebrate the opening of this new pet boutique offering stylish dog and cat accessories, food, treats and more! Enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres—and BYOD (Bring Your Own Dog!)
- SEPTEMBER 19, 6:30PM
Bella Otér Hosts Time & Presence: A Runway Experience
Inspired by the elegance and spirit of the 1920s, Time & Presence is an immersive runway experience featuring luxury lingerie paired with outerwear, where fashion, film, music, and storytelling explore how femininity and self-expression evolve throughout a woman's life.
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- SEPTEMBER 1-8
Title Boxing Club of Evanston Labor Day Special
Enjoy 25% off their 10- and 20-class packs with promo code LABORDAY: 10-Class Pack: $187.50 and 20-Class Pack: $360
- THURSDAYS AT 6PM
Wheel & Sprocket Hosts Free Guided Bike Rides
Join Wheel & Sprocket Evanston on Thursdays through October for free group rides. The rides are for beginners and depart from the shop at 6PM (meet at 5:45PM), helmets required.
- SEPTEMBER 11, 18 & 25, 9:30-10:45AM
Grateful Yoga In-Depth Somatic Study
Join Lori Smith for three Fridays to learn the MELT Method: Fascia & NeuroStrength, an innovative approach which hydrates and restores your fascia through compression and length techniques, helping you move with greater ease and less stiffness innovative approach.
- SEPTEMBER 12, 5-6PM
Tired Mom Yoga Hosts Stretch & Sip Happy Hour at LeTour
Unwind with an hour of laid-back, FUN yoga, followed by a glass of wine included with your ticket and time to hang out with other awesome people.
- SEPTEMBER
TruFit Offers First Class for $25!
Try out a new small group class like Mobility Strength, Beginner Boxing, Menopause Strong and more for just $25!
- SEPTEMBER 13, 10-11AM
Grateful Yoga Hosts Late Summer Qigong & Sound Bath
Enjoy a nourishing Late Summer Qigong practice focused on joy, vitality, grounding and balance, followed by a 10-minute sound bath featuring crystal singing bowls, chimes, flute and vocal tones.
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- SEPTEMBER 1
Dayhouse Coworking Now Open at 922 Davis St.
Jen Luby, owner of Dayhouse Coworking, has officially opened her new coworking space in the former Creative Coworking location.
- SEPTEMBER 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30
Prairie Moon Hosts Live Jazz Every Wednesday
Grab a seat every Wednesday from 9-11PM for dinner, drinks and jazz music by some of the Chicago area’s finest jazz artists.
- SEPTEMBER 3, 4, 5 & More
Local Note Jazz Hosts Live Music
Enjoy live jazz over a drink on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays including the Connor Bernhard Organ Trio (9/3), Alejandro Urzagaste Trio (9/4) and Kirby Fellis Quartet (9/5). View details here.
- SEPTEMBER 5, 2-5PM
Grove Gallery Exhibit Opening: Got Rhythm
Attend the exhibition opening for Got Rhythm featuring music-inspired visual art brought to life through sight, sound and all five senses.
- SEPTEMBER 5, 5-8PM
The Saw Room Hosts Reception for Refractions Exhibit
Stop by the Saw Room at The Alley Gallery for an artist reception with Stephen Guenther & Lynne Miller Jones, whose works capture still moments of moving water – an element that is always in flux.
- SEPTEMBER 9
Northlight's "The Front Page" Opens at New Location!
Northlight's first production at the new theatre is a new adaptation of The Front Page, the classic comedy about Chicago journalism that inspired the film His Girl Friday! Evanston residents can enjoy a 10% discount on all Friday nights! Tickets at 847.563.8400 or northlight.org.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 7:30PM
The Formosa Quartet at Nichols Concert Hall
Join the Formosa Quartet to kick off their 2026-27 season for an assortment of shorts from FQ’s collection of folk, pop, jazz, and poetry arrangements, and original compositions.
- SEPTEMBER 28, 5PM
Northlight Theatre Hosts Community Open House
Join Northlight for an insider's look at the theatre including the set of The Front Page, take a complete backstage tour, and meet members of the Northlight staff to hear about their Artistic plans, Education and Community programs, Business Partnerships, Patron Services, and more. RSVP here.
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- SEPTEMBER 1, 4:30-7:30PM
'Kits, 'Cats & Kids Block Party at ETHS
Celebrate back-to-school at the annual block party with family-friendly games, arts & crafts, live music from the ETHS and NU marching bands, a spirited pep rally, and plenty of food and refreshments from local favorites.
- SEPTEMBER 4, 6-10PM
Rush Hour with Traffic Jam! Swing Quintet at Harley Clarke Mansion
Join the Traffic Jam! Swing Quintet, featuring Joel Paterson and Paul Asaro, for a live outdoor swing dance at the Harley Clarke Mansion Beer Garden.
- SEPTEMBER 6, 6PM
Chicago Stars FC vs Carolina Courage
Cheer on the Chicago Stars as they take on the Carolina Courage at the lakefront.
- SEPTEMBER 9, 12-1PM
Evanston History Center Curiosity Cafe: Evanston's Murals
Join the EHC for a FREE lunchtime discussion about Evanston’s mural history with Art Encounter's Lea Pinsky and guests, followed by a short walk to the Fun and Games mural, weather permitting.
- SEPTEMBER 12-13
Evanston Folk Festival at Dawes Park
Enjoy a weekend of live folk and roots music across three stages, plus artist conversations, food, drinks and family-friendly programming at the Evanston lakefront.
- SEPTEMBER 20, 4PM
Chicago Stars FC vs Washington Spirit
Cheer on the Chicago Stars as they take on Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit! Enjoy world-class soccer on the lakefront, support women’s sports and cheer on the Stars with 50% off tickets through this exclusive offer!
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Support Evanston’s Legacy Businesses & Get $50 Back!
Shop local throughout September and support the businesses that have been part of Evanston’s community for generations! Spend a combined $250 or more at participating Legacy Businesses during September and you’ll be eligible to receive a $50 Evanston Gift Card.
Here's how to participate: Complete our form and upload copies of your receipts totaling $250+ from any of the Legacy businesses listed at evanstonlegacybusiness.com.
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