This Week in Lincoln Park & Old Town: Zoo Fest to Steppenwolf

Your week-ahead guide to Lincoln Park and Old Town — four picks worth planning around, from the zoo's free Fall Fest to Topdog/Underdog at Steppenwolf.

By Raj Singh · Published November 1, 2026.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo's free Fall Fest wraps its season Sunday, with s'mores roasting, professional pumpkin carvers, pick-your-own pumpkins and live music among gardens decorated in autumn color.

Fashion Film Festival Chicago @ Chicago History Museum

At the Chicago History Museum, Fashion Film Festival Chicago's Stories We Wear is an afternoon of contemporary fashion films exploring clothing, image and movement as visual storytelling. Tickets are $15.

Topdog/Underdog @ Steppenwolf Downstairs Theater

Steppenwolf stages Topdog/Underdog — brothers Lincoln and Booth, two Black men getting by, one reenacting the assassination for money and laughs, the other working a three-card hustle, as sibling rivalry and old resentment come to a head. The matinee is at 3 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Pandemonium, Please Hold @ The Second City

The Second City's 114th mainstage revue, Pandemonium, Please Hold, is a fast, unhinged night of sketch comedy, improv and live music from its six-person cast. It starts at 8 p.m.

Find more Lincoln Park & Old Town events on our neighborhood page.