Duck the Drizzle: Cumbia, Magic and Free Museums

Your daily guide to what's popping in Chicago

By Raj Singh · Published September 9, 2026.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

¿Qiensave? @ Old Town School of Folk Music

A cumbia urbana band out of Salinas, California, ¿Qiensave? headlines the Old Town School of Folk Music's World Music Wednesday — the school's weekly showcase of world music and dance that runs most Wednesday nights at 7:30 PM. Expect grooves built to make you move, which is exactly the right energy for a wet night spent indoors.

Most World Music Wednesday concerts run on a $10 suggested donation, and the listing suggests reserving your spot in advance — online or through the box office. Doors on a drizzly night; cumbia inside.

Illinois Resident Free Day @ the Field Museum

Starting today and running every Wednesday through December 30, the Field Museum opens its doors free to Illinois residents — the easiest mid-week win in town, and a smart one on a drizzly afternoon. Free general admission gets you SUE, the Field's famous T. rex, along with the Evolving Planet, The Ancient Americas and Inside Ancient Egypt halls.

Doors are 9 AM to 5 PM. Bring proof of Illinois residency — a driver's license, state ID or CityKey card, or documents like a lease or utility bill will do.

Ink & Outrage @ the Driehaus Museum

If the drizzle has you hunting for something indoors, the Driehaus Museum's Ink & Outrage: 18th-Century Satirical Prints in London & Dublin is a sharp way to spend an afternoon. The show gathers the devastating wit and graphic brilliance of Georgian caricaturists James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson — the artists who spent the late 1700s lampooning the government, society and culture of their day — and sets their original prints in dialogue with plagiarized knockoffs from caricaturists in Ireland. Galleries are open 11 AM to 5 PM; admission runs $13 to $23.

One Night Only: Trent James @ Chicago Magic Lounge

Every Wednesday in September, the Chicago Magic Lounge's One Night Only series gives the stage to a different magician for a single engagement that won't be repeated — and tonight the headliner is Trent James, who has performed around the world and headlined both the Chicago Magic Lounge and The Magic Castle. The listing says the night opens with close-up magic worked right at the cabaret tables by the house magicians, then builds to James's full-length solo show of sleight of hand, mind reading and storytelling.

It starts at 7 PM; tickets run $44 to $50. When they say one night only, they mean it — this particular set doesn't come back.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Christian Larumbe: Refugio in the Parks @ McKinley Park

Christian Larumbe brings Refugio in the Parks to McKinley Park on Thursday evening, a free Night Out in the Parks set built around his album Refugio — the word means "shelter," a nod to the comfort these classic Latin American songs gave him during years away from home. Backed by drummer Gustavo Cortiñas, bassist Kitt Lyles and guest soloist Emily Kuhn, he reworks beloved pieces like La Llorona, Como Fué and La Bikina, weaving traditional Latin American sound with jazz improvisation. It runs 6 to 7 PM, it's all ages, and it's free.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off @ Wicker Park

Few movies belong in a Chicago park more than this one: the Park District's Movies in the Parks series brings Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) to Wicker Park on Thursday, John Hughes's love letter to a day played hooky in Chicago. It's free, all ages, closed-captioned, and runs about 103 minutes. The listed start is approximate — the series notes that all movies begin at dusk, so aim for around 7:30 PM.

THIS WEEK

Ravenswood ArtWalk @ the Ravenswood Corridor

Now in its 24th year, the Ravenswood ArtWalk takes over the neighborhood's industrial corridor this weekend — Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13 — for a free stroll past more than 80 artists and local venues, including Begyle Brewery, Nudgers Studio and Music House Chicago. Beyond the art and pop-ups, there's an outdoor beer garden pouring local brews alongside food trucks, and live music across two stages.

It starts at 11 AM, and the walk runs along Ravenswood Avenue from Lawrence Avenue down to Irving Park Road. It's free to wander — save the spending for the makers.