A Foggy Night for Hardcore, Horror and Magic

Your daily guide to what's popping in Chicago

By Raj Singh · Published October 21, 2026.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21

Pain Of Truth, 100 Demons, Killing Pace, Si Dios Quiere @ Reggies

Four bands, one hardcore bill, and no easing into it. Pain Of Truth headline — Long Island hardcore with a new self-titled record out now — backed by 100 Demons, the Waterbury, Connecticut metalcore band that takes its name from Japanese tattoo artwork by Horiyoshi III. Richmond's Killing Pace and Chicago's own Si Dios Quiere round out the lineup.

Doors and music both land at 6 p.m., and it's a 17-and-up room. Reggies sits at 2105 S. State on the Near South Side. The ticket price wasn't listed on the event page, so check the link before you head over.

Free Museum Evening @ Adler Planetarium

On a foggy, 62-degree Wednesday, a planetarium is a fine place to land — and tonight it's free. Illinois residents get in free at the Adler on Wednesday evenings, 4 to 10 p.m., with proof of residency; online, your ZIP code doubles as the promo code.

General admission and the add-on experiences carry their own prices if you're not an Illinois resident, so bring your ID. The Adler sits out on Museum Campus at 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors @ Sulzer Regional Library

Spooky season, free, and gloriously of its era: Sulzer Regional's Community Cinema screens A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the 1987 entry in which the last of the Elm Street kids band together in a psychiatric hospital to take on Freddy Krueger in their dreams. It's rated R and runs 96 minutes.

The screening is 2 to 3:45 p.m. and it's for adults 18 and up; English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing will be available. Sulzer Regional Library is at 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue over in Ravenswood.

David Parr: Time Traveler @ Chicago Magic Lounge

Master magician David Parr builds a show out of history's loose ends — forgotten legends and true stories told through sleight of hand. "History has secrets," the billing promises; "David Parr helps uncover them."

It runs 7 to 9 p.m. at the Chicago Magic Lounge, 5050 N. Clark in Uptown, where the format leans close-up and cabaret, with magic worked at the tables between acts. Tickets are $44 on the main floor and $50 in the front row, plus a $4.99 per-ticket processing fee.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22

Pints and Pumpkin Carving @ Pilot Project Brewing

The pitch writes itself: carve a pumpkin while drinking a beer. Pilot Project Brewing's Logan Square taproom hands you a pumpkin, carving tools and an apple cider for $10, and donates $5 of every ticket to Meals on Wheels.

It's a Thursday-night move for October 22. Pilot Project is at 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave; if you're taking the CTA, the event page points to the Blue Line's California stop and the 52, 56 and 74 buses.

Future Folk Festival @ Humboldt Park

The Chicago Park District and the Old Town School of Folk Music open a three-night Future Folk Festival at Humboldt Park, and night one is free. The series leans on a broad definition of folk — "the music of the people," as the billing puts it — connecting global and homegrown artists with Chicago's African American, Caribbean, Latinx, African, Asian and Indigenous communities.

It runs 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 22, all ages, no cover, as part of the Night Out in the Parks series. Two more nights follow on November 13 and December 16.

ON THE HORIZON

Lincoln Park Spooktacular @ Lincoln Common

If you're plotting the weekend, Lincoln Park throws its annual Spooktacular on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25 — free, costume-encouraged, and spread across the neighborhood. Businesses along Lincoln Avenue (Diversey to Webster) hand out candy on Saturday; the route shifts to Clark Street (Armitage to Diversey) and Diversey Parkway (Lakeview to Orchard) on Sunday.

The anchor is a Saturday party at Lincoln Common plaza, 2335 N. Lincoln Ave complete with a DJ, face painting, a photo booth and a balloon artist. It's pitched at families and trick-or-treaters, but the costume-and-candy energy is open to anyone, and it's free.