Free Pop-Ups and Ghost Cruises Before the Drizzle

Your daily guide to what's popping in Chicago

By Raj Singh · Published October 12, 2026.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12

93XRT Pop-Up Concert ft Wolf Alice @ Empty Bottle

93XRT is throwing a free pop-up concert at the Empty Bottle, and the band is Wolf Alice — the London group The Fader called "one of the year's best new bands," with a frontwoman, Ellie Rowsell, that NME described as "completely transfixing." A free Wolf Alice show is a rare get.

The catch: tickets are free but gated behind a code announced each day on 93XRT, limited to two per person while supplies last. It's 21+, with doors at noon and music at 12:30 p.m. in Ukrainian Village.

Documentary: Our Soldiers, Our Lady of Guadalupe @ Vodak–East Side Library

The Vodak–East Side branch screens WTTW's Chicago Stories documentary Our Soldiers, Our Lady of Guadalupe. For decades, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in South Chicago anchored the neighborhood's Mexican-American families — baptisms, confirmations, weddings. After the U.S. entered the Vietnam War, the film tells it, 12 parishioners' funerals were held in that church, a loss it calls greater than at any other parish in the country. What emerges is a story of love, resilience and memory, built around the memorial in the church's parking lot. It's part of the library's Latine Heritage programming.

Monday, 1 to 2 p.m., for adults 18 and up. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing will be available.

The Moth Chicago StorySLAM: MAGIC @ The Den Theatre

The Moth brings its Chicago StorySLAM to the Den Theatre with a single prompt: Magic. Expect a night of live storytelling built around that one word. It's at 7 p.m. at the Den Theatre — check the do312 listing for tickets.

Creepy Cruise @ Chicago's First Lady

Spooky season on the water: Chicago's First Lady runs its Creepy Cruise, a nighttime trip up the Chicago River through the city's shadowy past — strange sightings, eerie haunts, a little mobster lore. The operator sails it March through November, so it's a seasonal staple rather than a one-night thing, but October is when it fits the mood. It boards at 112 E. Wacker Dr. in the Loop; tickets are $46.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13

Fiesta Mexicana @ Bogan Park

Sones de México Ensemble brings Fiesta Mexicana to Bogan Park — a free, all-ages concert that travels Mexico's musical regions, from a Huasteca tale called "La Acamaya" to a Veracruz folk version of "La Bamba," with characters like a crawfish, a cowboy mouse and a 100-year-old woman threaded through. It's part of the Park District's Night Out in the Parks and Hispanic Heritage Month.

Tuesday, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., free, all ages, at Bogan Park, 3939 W. 79th St.

Flashback 60s, 70s, 80s Dance Party @ Edgewater Village

On the second Tuesday of the month, Edgewater Village throws its Flashback 60s, 70s & 80s Dance Party — an early-evening spin through Motown, psychedelic rock, disco, new wave and synth-pop. A good, low-key way to shake off a drizzly Tuesday. It runs 6:30 to 9 p.m. at 1210 W. Rosedale in Edgewater; check the listing for cover.

ON THE HORIZON

Red Bull Setlist ft Lil Yachty @ Radius

Red Bull brings its Setlist concept to the U.S. for the first time — a one-night show at Radius headlined by Lil Yachty, built on a twist: fans vote in advance on pieces of the set, from the songs to the performance style to the surprise moments. In the weeks leading up, Red Bull is auditioning local artists in a mobile recording studio for a shot at opening.

It lands Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m., at Radius. A first-ever, one-night format is the urgency here — if you want in, sort tickets before the date. Getting there: Red Line to Cermak-Chinatown or Green Line to Cermak-McCormick Place.