Best bets: 'Idol' tour in Rosemont, Goldthwait live
'Idols' aplenty
Wednesday is your chance to Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and other top-10 contestants from Season 8 of Fox's "American Idol" in the flesh. The American Idols Live! tour rocks the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $43.50-$69.50. (800) 745-3000 or allstatearena.com. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2
Significant date
Friday is not only the 46th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, but it's also the first anniversary of Barack Obama's acceptance of the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States. Commemorate the day by visiting the Civil Rights photo exhibit "Road to Freedom" at The Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. $13-$15 regular museum admission. (312) 922-9410 or fmnh.org. Now through Monday, Sept. 7
See-through city
Don't be surprised if thoughts of Edward Hopper's paintings and science fiction come to mind at Michael Wolf's photographic exhibit "The Transparent City." See another side of urban Chicago at North Central College's Schoenherr Art Gallery in the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Free. (630) 637-7469 or northcentralcollege.edu/show. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; through Friday, Oct. 2
Oldies & goodies
The Chicago Summer Antiques Show & Sale used to be held in Rosemont, but this year you can find it at 1422 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago. $10 three-day admission. (708) 366-2710 or chicagoohareantiques.com. 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30
Jazzy twilight
Listen to some virtuoso jazz players Saturday courtesy of the Sabertooth Jazz Quartet, the Bobby Lewis Sextet and more in the outdoor concert Jazz at Sunset. Bring blankets, picnics and lawn chairs to the courtyard of the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $20; $18 seniors; $10 students and kids. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29
Symphonic pops
Hear a mix of Broadway, Hollywood and other light classics Saturday in Schaumburg's final "Summer Breeze" outdoor concert featuring Frank Winkler and the Symphonic Pops Orchestra of Chicago. Bring picnics, blankets and more to the grounds of the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, Schaumburg Road and Summit Drive, Schaumburg. Free. (847) 923-3607 or prairiecenter.org. 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29
Beneficial style
Art, fashion, dance and music get combined to do some good when the AKIRA-sponsored 6th annual Garden of Eden fashion show, "The Tudor Rose," raises funds Sunday for the cancer charity Imerman Angels. Go Elizabethan at Galleria Marchetti 825 W. Erie St., Chicago. $15, $20 and $100. (773) 489-0818 or imermanangels.org. 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30
Operatic dining
A Venuti's Opera Dinner returns for its 17th season Monday at Venuti's Ristorante, 2251 W. Lake St., Addison. Hear sopranos Theresa Ludden and Rebecca Davis with mezzo-soprano Buffy Baggott, basso Bill McMurray and tenor Warren Moulton sing opera favorites and more. $50 per person (plus tax). (630) 530-2140. 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31
Aargh! It's Goldthwait
Most people know comedian Bobcat Goldthwait for his incoherently loud goofball in three "Police Academy" films. But lately Goldthwait has made inroads as a director of quirky independent films like "Sleeping Dogs Lie" and the upcoming "World's Greatest Dad." See Goldthwait do standup Thursday at the Improv Comedy Showcase, 5 Woodfield Road, Schaumburg. $22. (847) 240-2001 or improv.com. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3