City Cast Chicago
🗓️ New Year’s Eve parties, concerts, and hangover brunches
December 30, 2024
Hiya! With the holidays winding down, here’s one more gift from us: a curated roundup of all the great events around Chicago this week. When you become a member, this exclusive lookahead is yours every Monday. Your membership ensures we’ll be around in 2025 and beyond. Will you join us?
Today, we’ve got you covered for last-minute New Year’s plans and some ways to unwind and relax as we stumble our way into 2025. Let’s dive in!
What To Do
Monday, Dec. 30
- Children’s Film Festival 🎬 Beverly | 10 a.m. | $1
- Kwanzaa Celebration 🕯️ Oak Park | 6–8 p.m. | Free
- Anne and Mark Burnell’s Eve on the Eve 🪩 Rogers Park | 7 p.m. | $30+
- Eve of the Eve Party 🎉 River North | 9 p.m. | Free
Tuesday, Dec. 31
- Noon Year’s Eve ⌛ Oak Park | 10 a.m., Noon | $30+
- Noon Year’s Eve Countdown Party 🛼 Auburn Gresham | 10:30 a.m. | $15+
- FORTS! Noon Year’s Eve ⛺ Portage Park | 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. | $45+
- Mr. Dave’s NYE Baby Rave 👶 Lincoln Park | 11 a.m. | $18
- Family New Year’s Eve 👪 Irving Park | 4–7 p.m. | $40+
- The Chosen Few DJs Concert 🥳 Lincoln Park | 6 p.m. | $75
- Dorothy’s New Year’s Eve (21+) 🌈 Ukrainian Village | 8 p.m. | $20+ door cover
- No Wasted Time NYE (21+) 🥤 West Town | 8 p.m. | $40+
- Kathy Griffin 🎤 The Loop | 8 p.m. | $43+
- Ritual of the Black Moon 🌚 Rogers Park | 8 p.m. | $10
- DeRay Davis' Funny And Famous 🎤 Near South Side | 8 p.m. | $59+
- New Year’s Eve Comedy Bash (18+) Lakeview | 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. | $50+
- New Year’s Eve at 115 Bourbon Street (21+) 🥂 Merrionette Park | 8:30 p.m. | $85+
- The Premier: NYE Celebration (21+) 🍾 Hyde Park | 8:30 p.m. | $45+
- Noche de Cumbia (17+) 💃 Pilsen | 9 p.m. | $20
- A Pilsen New Year’s Eve (21+) 🎊 Pilsen | 9 p.m. | $5+
- Celeste Disco NYE (21+) 🪩 River North | 9 p.m. | $40+
- Blue Year’s Eve 🎸 Berwyn | 9 p.m. | $15
- Gatsby's Prohibition New Year's Eve Gala (21+) ✨ Fulton Market | 9 p.m. | $100+
- New Year’s Eve at Meadowlark (21+) Logan Square | 5–9:30 p.m. | $85
- New Year’s Eve at Easy Does It (21+) Logan Square | 9 p.m. | $40
- New Year’s Eve Fireworks 🎆 Navy Pier | 11:59 p.m. | Free
Wednesday, Jan. 1
- College Football Bowl Games 🏈 South Loop | 11 a.m. | Free
- New Year’s Day Pajama Brunch 💤 Humboldt Park | Noon to 6 p.m. | Varies
- Everyone’s Hungover (21+) 🫂 West Town | Noon | Free
- The Hangover Brunch 🤕 Riverside | Noon to 4 p.m. | Varies
- 108 Sun Salutations for New Year’s ☀️ Portage Park | 2–5 p.m. | $60+
- Wonka Wednesday Skate or Bowl 🍫 Auburn Gresham | 3:30–6 p.m. | $12+
Thursday, Jan. 2
- New Year’s Resolution Walk (18+)🚶 River Forest | 10 a.m. | Free
- New Year Kid’s Trivia Night ❓ Evergreen Park | 5–7 p.m. | Varies
- A Quincy Jones Celebration 🎺 Fulton Market | 7:30 p.m. | $20+
- “Only Killers in the Building” opens 🎭 iO Theater | 8:30 p.m. | $25
- Pink Pony Club Dance Party 🕺 Northalsted | 9 p.m. | No cover
Friday, Jan. 3
- Winter Exploration Days ❄️ Dan Ryan Woods | 11 a.m. | Free
- Little Miss Ann Family Concert 🎶 Nature Museum | 11 a.m. | $5+
- Teen Volunteer Club 👋 Gage Park | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Free
- “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Viewing Party 📺 Northalsted | 7 p.m. | No cover
- Kevin Hart shows start 🎤 The Loop | 7:30 p.m. | $156
- Bowie Ball 👨🎤 Wrigleyville | 9 p.m. | $15+
Saturday, Jan. 4
- Birding Outing 🐦 Jackson Park | 8–10 a.m. | Free
- Chi-Town Baggers 🌽 Chinatown | 10 a.m. | Varies
- Wrapping Paper Recycling Workshop 🎁 North Park | 11 a.m. | Free
- Family Day ⛄ Evanston | 3–5 p.m. | Free
- Comedy Night Open Mic 🎙️ South Chicago | 6:30–9 p.m. | Free admission
- Kashmir: The Led Zeppelin Show (17+) 🎸 South Loop | 7:30 p.m. | $15
- Riot! At the Disco (21+) 🤘 Roscoe Village | 9 p.m. | $15+
Friday, Jan. 5
- Sit & Stitch Crochet 🧶 Gage Park | 10–11 a.m. | Free
- A Non-Alcoholic Wine Tasting 🍷 Ukrainian Village | 6:30 p.m. | $60
- Vision Board Party 💕 Portage Park | 6:30–9 p.m. | $25
- Mya Byrne 🎤 Irving Park | 8 p.m. | $15
Plus: If listening to today’s City Cast Chicago about the city’s parking meter deal makes you angry, CTA and Metra are offering free rides on New Year’s Eve 🎉 We’ll be back with our regular Hey Chicago newsletter on Thursday 👋
—Sidney Madden
P.S. Tomorrow is your last chance to vote Hey Chicago and City Cast Chicago as the best local newsletter and podcast in the Reader’s annual contest.
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