All Weekend
In The Time of the Butterflies
Time: 7:30 PM Thursday and Friday, 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM Saturday
Cost: $8.00 - $25.00
Location: Josephine Louis Theater
In the Time of the Butterflies tells the story of the Mirabal sisters, whose resistance to authoritarian rule in the Dominican Republic became a symbol of courage and political activism.
Puccini's La rondine (The Swallow)
Time: 7:30 PM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 3:00 PM Sunday
Cost: $18.00 General / $8.00 Student
Location: Cahn Auditorium
Northwestern Opera Theater presents Puccini’s story of Magda, a courtesan pulled between romance and her past.
First Nations Film and Video Festival
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Friday and Saturday
Cost: Free
Location: Evanston Public Library Main Branch
This two-day festival features screenings of short films by Indigenous filmmakers, including animation, documentary, dance, and fashion-focused work.
Enough Is Enough
Time: 7:00 PM Friday, 7:00 PM Saturday, 5:00 PM Sunday
Cost: Free with registration
Location: Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center
Presented by the Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts with Jump Rhythm, this play follows a rehearsal that reflects on the joys and difficulties of life. The production includes music, dance, comedy sketches, and reflections inspired by literature and everyday life.
The Beyond: The Vision of Georgia O’Keeffe
Time: 7:30 PM Friday, 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM Saturday, 2:00 PM Sunday
Cost: $8.00 - $20.00
Location: Wallis Theater
Created by Northwestern faculty and collaborators, this new play follows Georgia O’Keeffe at two stages of her life as she develops and rethinks her artistic vision. Original music, choreography, and historical material trace her work as a young teacher in Texas and later as she adapted to vision loss.
Gee's Bend
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday and 3:00 PM Sunday
Cost: $33.00
Location: Noyes Cultural Arts Center
The play follows the Pettway women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, through segregation, family conflict, and the Civil Rights movement. Their quilts offer comfort through hardship and later gain recognition as folk art.
Thursday, May 28
ONLIEST Women's Custom & Made-To-Order
Time: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Cost: Free
Location: W + Co Salon
Stylist Yun Park and ONLIEST founder Molly host a made-to-order women’s fashion event featuring custom apparel fittings, fabric selections, and personalized styling.
Adult Kickball Club
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Cost: Free
Location: Kamen Park East
This recreation program for adults 18 and older offers organized kickball games with a focus on basic skills and group play.
Elizabeth Margulis: Transported
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Cost: Free, $30.00 with book
Location: Bookends & Beginnings
Music cognition researcher Elizabeth Margulis discusses her new book Transported, which explores how music can trigger vivid memories, emotions, and imagined experiences. Margulis will be joined in conversation by Northwestern music professor Daniel Shanahan for a discussion on music, psychology, creativity, and the ways listening shapes how people think and feel.
Friday, May 29
Letterboxing Club
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Cost: Free
Location: Kamen Park Fieldhouse
This monthly club introduces participants to the hobby of letterboxing through stamp-making, clue solving, and outdoor exploration. Meetings cover the history and guidelines of letterboxing, along with how to use the AtlasQuest clue-sharing website.
CIERA Astronomer Evenings
Time: 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Cost: Free
Location: Dearborn Observatory
CIERA hosts a monthly astronomy program featuring a short talk by a Northwestern astronomer followed by Q&A and telescope viewing. Attendees can look through the historic telescope and ask questions about astronomy and astrophysics.
Saturday, May 30
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market
Time: 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM, early shopping at 7:00 AM for seniors and those with disabilities
Cost: Free
Location: Evanston Farmers Market
The Downtown Evanston Farmers Market features over 70 local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, and more. Weekly events include live music and collaborations with local groups.
Backyard Botanical Plant Sale
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Cost: Free
Location: Ackerman Park
Evanston’s Highland Garden Club hosts its annual plant sale featuring backyard botanicals and garden selections from local growers. Proceeds support the club’s gardening and civic projects in the community.
Cocktail Class: Summer Cocktails
Time: 12:00 PM
Cost: $80.35
Location: Evanston SPACE
Longtime SPACE bartender Lisa Zielke leads this cocktail-building class focused on drink preparation techniques and cocktail making.
Umbrella Arts Festival
Time: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Cost: Free
Location: Fountain Square
This festival highlights Asian American arts and culture through performances, food, and visual art. Organized by Evanston ASPA, the event features music, dance, crafts, and community groups throughout the afternoon. Local artists and vendors will present work across multiple disciplines.
Paddle & Connect, Evanston Community Pickleball
Time: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cost: Free
Location: James Park Outdoor Pickleball Courts
The Evanston Police Department hosts a free open-play pickleball event for residents, local organizations, and first responders. The afternoon includes friendly games, music from a live DJ, local vendors, light refreshments, and community partner tables.
Collage 101
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cost: $65.00
Location: Hive Center for the Book Arts
Artist Morgan Steorra leads this collage workshop where participants will make a collaged book using a range of cutting, layering, and composition techniques. All materials are provided, including a book to work in.
Laugh and Flow
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Cost: $28.52
Location: Free Flow Kitchen
PCWB (A Professor and Comedian Walk Into A Bar) hosts this monthly comedy night featuring stand-up performances. The evening also includes music, drinks, and food available for purchase before the show.
Canal Shores Garage Party
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Cost: $175.00 per person / $300.00 per couple in advance
Location: Evanston SPACE
This fundraiser for Canal Shores and the Evans takes place at SPACE in Evanston. The event includes live music, food, and an open bar, with proceeds supporting the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association and Canal Shores.
Saturday Social: True Colors Drag Show
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Cost: No cover, tips welcome
Location: Sketchbook Brewing Co.
This drag showcase features performances centered on variety, camp, humor, dance, and music by the collective True Colors: Drag for All.
Sunday, May 31
Yoga by the Lake
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Cost: $25.00
Location: Clark Square Park
Grateful Yoga hosts outdoor hatha yoga classes near the lakefront with rotating instructors throughout the summer. 30% of proceeds supports the Evanston Environmental Association’s canoe launch initiative at the Ecology Center.
Chicago Stars vs. San Diego Wave FC
Time: 12:00 PM
Cost: $18.43 - $172.60
Location: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Chicago Stars FC hosts San Diego Wave FC in a National Women’s Soccer League matchup. The match day theme is International Day, with themed activities and programming at the stadium.
Evanston Art Center Exhibition Openings
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cost: Free
Location: Evanston Art Center
The Evanston Art Center hosts opening receptions for Unrestrained Ambiguity by Denise Presnell, featuring abstract paintings with layered color and biomorphic forms; Excerpts of Imagination by Louis De Guzman, showcasing geometric mixed-media work shaped by family history and identity; and Thinking Through Tapestry by American Tapestry Alliance, a juried exhibition focused on contemporary tapestry techniques.
