Fog, Blues and a Slow Creep Toward Halloween

Your daily guide to what's popping in Chicago

By Raj Singh · Published October 27, 2026.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27

Theater of the Mind @ Reid Murdoch Building

Co-created by David Byrne — the Academy-, Grammy- and Tony-winning artist — and writer Mala Gaonkar, this immersive production is now in an extended run. Inside the Reid Murdoch Building on North LaSalle in River North, small groups move through a 15,000-square-foot series of rooms built around real neuroscience research: a show you don't so much watch as walk into, seeing, feeling, tasting and hearing your way through it over roughly 75 minutes.

Directed by Andrew Scoville, it runs most nights, Tuesday through Sunday, with several sessions a day, and each session is capped at just 16 people — so this is a book-ahead, not a walk-up. Check the production's site for session times and tickets.

Topdog/Underdog @ Steppenwolf

Suzan-Lori Parks's Pulitzer Prize-winning play gets a Steppenwolf staging that's down to its final week — the run closes November 1. Ensemble members Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood play Lincoln and Booth, two brothers named in jest by their father, whose sibling rivalry and lifetime of resentment boil over across one fast, ferocious evening; Lincoln earns a living reenacting his namesake's assassination while Booth drills a three-card hustle at home.

Tonight's performance starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Steppenwolf theater on North Halsted in Lincoln Park and runs about two hours. If you've been meaning to catch it, this is the week.

Tedeschi Trucks Band @ The Chicago Theatre

The award-winning blues-rock group closes out a four-night Chicago stand at The Chicago Theatre tonight — the finale of their Future Soul 2026 Tour. It's a 7:30 p.m. start on State Street in the Loop, and tonight is the last of the run. If you want a big, warm, horn-forward night out of the fog, this is the ticket.

4x4x4 Happy Hours @ Charlie's Chicago

Here's the cheap, no-fuss option: every drink is $4 — U-Call-It cocktails, pint beers, bottles and cans — from 4 to 8 p.m. at Charlie's Chicago on North Broadway in Lakeview, with no cover. The Lakeview East Chamber bills it as "4 Days x 4pm x $4," a recurring weekday deal, so if tonight doesn't work it tends to come back around. Simple math, easy afternoon.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28

Haunted House Festival at Pulaski @ Pulaski Park

Pulaski Park hosts a Halloween fest on Wednesday evening: a walk-through haunted house plus inflatables, face painting and a Halloween craft project, part of the Park District's Night Out in the Parks series. It's $10 a person and open to all ages, running 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the park on West Blackhawk Street. Organizers note the attractions are subject to change, so treat the haunted house as the anchor and the rest as bonus.

OTMRA Gala @ Catherine Cook School

Old Town throws its re-imagined neighborhood gala on Wednesday night at Catherine Cook School, 6 to 9 p.m. — a "taste of Old Town" buffet of light bites from local restaurants, complimentary craft drinks and live entertainment, all put on by OTMRA. With Halloween a few days off, organizers are leaning into the double meaning of the word "spirit." Check the OTMRA event listing for tickets and details.

ON THE HORIZON

A Nightmare on Fulton Street @ After, The B-Side & The Canvas by Ever

For Halloween night itself, the team behind Fulton Market restaurant Ever takes over three connected spaces — After, The B-Side and The Canvas by Ever — for an 1980s-themed soiree. Each room becomes its own retro-inspired haunt with horror-film references, music and what the organizers bill as Michelin-level fare, and the $125 ticket covers food, drinks and access to all three spaces for the night.

It starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, on West Fulton Street in the West Loop — one of the more grown-up ways to spend Halloween in the city.