Oktoberfest, Improv Musicals & 80s Radio Nights

A historical Saturday roundup, plus verified Sunday plans and a September 11–13 Oktoberfest.

By Raj Singh · Published September 5, 2026.

This September 5 Dispatch is now a record of Saturday’s picks rather than a fresh evening recommendation list: by 7:50 PM Chicago time, the 10 AM–7 PM exhibit had ended and the three 7–7:30 PM events had started or were starting. Sunday’s market and Laughter Yoga, plus next weekend’s German-American Oktoberfest, were still ahead.

SATURDAY — HISTORICAL PICKS

STILL IL: 80s College Radio Night @ FitzGerald's

If your radio dial lived somewhere around 1985, this one's for you. Still IL runs through the canon of 80s college radio — The Smiths, The Cure, R.E.M., The Clash, Echo & the Bunnymen — and frames the night as invoking the spirit of the Smiths' Hatful of Hollow: "stripped down, passionate and vital." It's a tribute set played like it means it, not a nostalgia karaoke night.

The free show was listed for 7 PM on FitzGerald’s outdoor patio in Berwyn. The saved forecast for Saturday called for light showers, a 38% precipitation chance, and a high near 76. The event listing offered table reservations through “Book Now,” allowed walk-ins, and noted limited street parking.

Movies in the Parks: Bohemian Rhapsody @ Belmont Harbor

The Park District's free outdoor movie series lands at Belmont Harbor tonight with Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), the Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic that won Rami Malek an Oscar. It's PG-13 and runs 134 minutes, all ages, closed captioned, and it's free.

The screening was listed for 7:30 PM and a roughly 9:44 PM finish. It was outdoors on the lakefront. The saved Saturday forecast called for light showers, a 38% precipitation chance, and a high near 76.

Baby Wants Candy @ The Second City

Here's the premise: the audience shouts out a title, and the cast improvises an entire musical around it on the spot — songs, plot, the works — with a live band chasing them the whole way. The touring troupe shows up with the reviews to back it ("Critics' Pick. Truly amazing!" from the New York Times; "Best Visiting Improv Comedy!" from TimeOut NY), and no two nights are the same by definition.

It was listed at $25 and scheduled for 7:30 to 8:30 PM at The Second City in Old Town.

Serial Killer: The Exhibit @ Cinespace Chicago Film Studios

For the wildcard slot: an exhibition billed as the first anywhere devoted entirely to serial killers, gathering more than 2,000 authentic artifacts across 40 galleries in a 26,000-square-foot space. It is exactly as heavy and strange as it sounds, and it is unlike anything else on the calendar this weekend.

It was open 10 AM to 7 PM Saturday at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios (2428 W. 15th St.). Ticket pricing was not listed in the saved data.

SUNDAY

Glenwood Sunday Market @ Rogers Park

Glenwood Sunday Market is scheduled for Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM on Glenwood Avenue between Lunt and Morse in Rogers Park. The 2026 season runs June 7–October 25, excluding June 28 and August 16. It is an independently run market and a program of Rogers Park Business Alliance. The saved Sunday forecast called for overcast skies, a high near 75, and a 1% precipitation chance.

Chicago Laughter Yoga @ Logan Square Library

Chicago Laughter Yoga is scheduled for Sunday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in the Logan Square library reading garden, weather permitting. It pairs laughter exercises with yogic deep breathing, requires no experience, and is open to adults, teens, and children age 3 and up. Registration is required by the start of the session. The saved Sunday forecast called for overcast skies and a 1% precipitation chance.

ON THE HORIZON

Chicago German-American Oktoberfest @ Lincoln Square

Fall officially announces itself next weekend in Lincoln Square. The German-American Oktoberfest sets up two giant tents from September 11 to 13 — liters of beer, stacks of pretzels and German fare, a parade up Lincoln Avenue, live sets from four German bands, and carnival games for the kids. Admission is free.

Hours run Friday 5–10 PM and Saturday and Sunday noon–10 PM, centered at 4700 N. Lincoln Ave. at Leland. The listing points you to the Brown Line at Western, or buses 11, 49 and 81. It's a week out — worth putting on the calendar now.