Sunshine, Live Music, and Chicago's Spooky Turn

A sun-soaked Wednesday for free music, a macabre new exhibit, and a city easing into festival season.

By Raj Singh · Published October 7, 2026.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7

Golden Hour featuring Jade Maze & Brother John Kattke @ Epiphany Center for the Arts

Tonight's Golden Hour show at Epiphany Center for the Arts is the rare after-work concert that costs nothing — Jade Maze and Brother John Kattke share the bill for a 5 p.m. start. If you've been meaning to check out the Ashland Avenue arts center, a free early show is a low-stakes way in.

The particulars are easy: it's free, it starts at 5 p.m., and it's at 201 S. Ashland.

Serial Killer: The Exhibition @ Cinespace Film Studios

If you want your October genuinely unsettling, Serial Killer: The Exhibition has set up inside Cinespace Film Studios — more than 26,000 square feet and 40-plus galleries billed as the world's largest private collection of authentic serial killer artifacts, pairing criminology, forensic science and criminal psychology with historical interpretation. The Chicago edition leans local: three never-before-displayed original paintings by John Wayne Gacy and a historically grounded look at H.H. Holmes and his 1893 World's Fair–era crimes, with a stated victim-centered perspective running through it.

A heads-up on fit: it's recommended for ages 14 and up and explicitly not meant for sensitive audiences. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the run continues through January 24, 2027, so there's no rush if tonight isn't the night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns (Pre-Season) @ United Center

Preseason basketball returns to the United Center tonight, with the Bulls hosting the Phoenix Suns at a 7 p.m. tip. It's exhibition ball — a chance to see the roster run before the games start counting, and a lower-key way back inside the UC as the season spins up.

Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem @ Chicago Architecture Center

Over on the river at the Chicago Architecture Center, Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem makes the case that the glass towers we love are quietly lethal to birds — Chicago sits on the migratory Mississippi Flyway — and asks what a bird-safe built environment could actually look like. Studio Gang co-curated it with the CAC, and it's paired with a companion show, Chicago's Living Habitat.

It's open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at 111 E. Wacker Dr. and runs through early January, so it's an easy daytime add before an evening plan.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8

At Your Pace @ Obama Presidential Center

Thursday mornings on the Obama Presidential Center campus, a free weekly walk/run called At Your Pace gets going at 9:15 a.m. Aimed at older adults, it opens with a group warm-up in Jackson Park Field beside Home Court and loops through the campus grounds, with breaks encouraged whenever you need one. It's free, but you do need to RSVP online before you head over, and the series runs every Thursday through November 19.

Nahui Ollin — Aztec Dance @ West Lawn Park

Thursday evening, West Lawn Park hosts Nahui Ollin — Aztec Dance, a Chicago ensemble performing Indigenous Aztec and Conchero dance with live percussion, ceremonial songs and storytelling in both English and Spanish, dancers in full regalia. It's free, all ages, and part of the Park District's Night Out in the Parks series, running 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. It's outdoors, so dress for a cool, overcast evening in the high 60s.

ON THE HORIZON

Chicago Fashion Week

Looking ahead: Chicago Fashion Week returns for its third edition starting Thursday and running through October 18, with runway shows, pop-up markets, panels and mixers staged across the city — and, notably, many of the events are free to attend. If you've written off fashion week as a velvet-rope affair, this one's built differently. The full schedule, and which events need tickets, lives on the CFW site; worth scanning now so you can grab the free slots before they fill.