Entertainment

Best Bets: Mini golf and music return for the summer to the Morton Arboretum

Posted May 21, 2025 11:10 am

Barbara Vitello

Wonder Woods Mini Golf returns to The Morton Arboretum for the summer. Courtesy of The Morton Arboretum

Morton Arboretum happenings

• Wonder Woods Mini Golf returns to the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. The nine-hole tree-themed course for ages 4 and older features giant mushrooms and larger-than-life bugs and acorns. Guests must reserve an admission time. $10 for adults; $8 for kids in addition to regular admission of $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and $12 for kids. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, May 23, through Sept. 1

Visitors attend Arbor Evenings, Morton Arboretum's summer concert series running Wednesdays, May 28 through Aug. 20. Courtesy of Michael Hudson Photography

• The arboretum also hosts Arbor Evenings — live music weekly on Frost Hill. Upcoming concerts include R-Gang (R&B and Motown) on Wednesday, May 28; Valius (rock, pop, grunge, rap and country) on June 4; The Jolly Ringwalds (’80s) on June 11; Totally Taylor (Taylor Swift) on June 18; and Classical Blast (classical rock) on June 25. Guests may bring in outside food and sealed, nonalcoholic beverages. $15 for ages 13 and older, $5 for kids 4-12. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org. 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, May 28 through Aug. 20

ESO in Schaumburg

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra String Quartet — consisting of violinists Eric Pidluski and Helen Kim Lee, violist Rebecca Swan and cellist Sara Sitzer — performs works by Haydn, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn during a concert at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church’s Christian Life Center, 930 W. Higgins Road, Schaumburg. $20 for adults, $10 for students. (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 7 p.m. Friday, May 23

Chicago museum reopens

Following a $10 million renovation and expansion, Chicago’s Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art reopened as the Intuit Art Museum last month at 756 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Its inaugural special exhibition is “Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago.” The first major exhibition to focus on immigration and migration among self-taught artists, it includes more than 75 works by 22 artists in a range of media, including drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, woodcarving and installation. $15. (312) 624-9487 or art.org. Friday, May 23, through Jan. 11, 2026

Fireworks will follow Schaumburg Boomers games this weekend against the Gateway Grizzlies and the Evansville Otters at Wintrust Field. Courtesy of The Schaumburg Boomers

Fireworks and baseball at Wintrust Field

Stick around for fireworks after the Schaumburg Boomers games against the Gateway Grizzlies and the Evansville Otters this weekend at Wintrust Field, 1999 S. Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg. Memorial Day weekend promotions include Hawaiian shirt giveaways and pregame on-field autographs from players. Tickets start at $12. boomersbaseball.com. 6:30 p.m. Friday and Sunday, May 23 and 25; 3 p.m. Saturday, May 24; and 1 p.m. Monday, May 26

More weekend happenings

• Navy Pier hosts an A-May-Zing Day of Play for families that includes a bounce house, dunk tank, carnival games, bungee trampoline, live music and stage shows in the Aon Grand Ballroom, 840 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. Free. navypier.org. Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24

• Parkway Bank Park’s Rockin’ in the Park summer concert series returns this weekend with a concert by alternative rock group Pino Farina Band at 5501 Park Place, Rosemont. Concerts continue Thursdays and select Friday evenings through Aug. 29. Free. parkwaybank.com. 7-10 p.m. Sunday, May 25

Butterflies at the Botanic Garden

“Butterflies and Blooms,” an exhibition tracing the life cycle of butterflies and moths native to South America, Asia, Africa and North America (including Illinois), flutters into the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Cook County residents: adults $19.95, kids $13.95; nonresidents: adults $21.95, kids $15.95. (847) 835-6801 or chicagobotanic.org. Saturday, May 24, through Sept. 1

Puppeteer madison burke is among eight Chicago artists performing during a showcase of in-progress works presented in conjunction with the Chicago Puppet International Puppet Theater's puppet lab. Courtesy of Richard Termine

Puppet theater showcase

Eight Chicago artists who’ve spent the last eight months in residence at the Chicago Puppet Lab perform their new, in-progress works as part of a showcase in cooperation with the Chicago Puppet International Puppet Theater Festival. Two rotating group shows take place at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, 4046 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago. $20, $15 for students and seniors. chicagopuppetfest.org. Thursday, May 29, through June 1

Grammy-winning ensemble in concert

Grammy Award-winning ensemble Apollo’s Fire, whose album “Songs of Orpheus: Monteverdi, Caccini, D’India & Landi” received the award for best classical solo vocal album, concludes its fourth season in Chicago with a performance of “¡Hispania! A Voyage From Spain to the Americas” in advance of the group’s trip to the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican vocalists Sophia Burgos and David Guzman and Mexican American flamenco guitarist Jeremias Garcia join the ensemble at the Nichols Concert Hall at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Tickets start at $25. (216) 320-0012 or apollosfire.org. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 29

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