Entertainment

Things to do Jan. 9-15: Free days at Shedd, Women’s Jazz Fest, Chicago RV Show and more

Posted January 06, 2026 6:37 am

By Luke Zurawski

Starts before Friday

The Shedd Aquarium is hosting Resident Free Days in January and February. Courtesy of Brenna Hernandez, Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium Resident Free Days: Hours vary by day, Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 6-8, and Jan. 13-20 and 27-29, and Feb. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26, at the John G. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. Free admission for Illinois residents. Advance reservations are recommended. There is a $5 convenience fee for reservations made online; tickets can be reserved at (312) 939-2438 at no extra cost. Adults must provide proof of residency in person when redeeming tickets at a discounted rate. sheddaquarium.org.

2026 Women’s Jazz Festival: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 6-8; 4 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9; and noon, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights. The lineup includes: Somaluna and Tomeka Reid at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; Hana Fujisaki and Cassandra O’Neal at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; Carmani Edwards and Paige Brown at 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Christy Bennett at 4 p.m. and Stacy McMichael and JoVia Armstrong at 7:30 p.m. Friday; and Hey Nonny Rising Stars at noon, Lucy Smith with JoAnn Daugherty at 4 p.m. and Joanie Pallatto and Emma Blau at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $14 for most performances, $9 for Hey Nonny Rising Stars. heynonny.com.

Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”: 1:30 and 7 p.m. (sensory-friendly) Wednesday, Jan. 7; 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Jan. 8-9; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10; and 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets start at $31. paramountaurora.com.

Comedian Erica Rhodes will perform at Zanies in Rosemont Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 8-10. Courtesy of Nadia Davoli

Erica Rhodes: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, and 7 and 9:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, at Zanies Comedy Night Club, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont. Stand-up comedy. $37.95. rosemont.zanies.com.

Friday, Jan. 9

See hundreds of RVs on display Friday through Sunday, Jan. 9-11, at the Chicago RV Show at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. Daily Herald file photo, 2017

Chicago RV Show: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Drive North, Schaumburg. See a variety of RVs, vendors, manufacturers, industry professionals and more. $15 online tickets, $20 at the gate, free for kids 16 and younger. rvsupershows.com/shows/chicago.

Cantigny in Wheaton will offer an ice rink and Cocoa Cabanas Fridays through Sundays until Jan. 31. Courtesy of Cantigny

Ice Rink & Cocoa Cabanas: 4-9 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; and 4-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, through Jan. 31, in the Cantigny Visitors Center Parking Lot, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Ice skating, hot chocolate, fire pits, s’mores, specialty drinks and more. Admission to the rink is $7, spectator access is free. Skates are available to rent for $3. Two-hour Cocoa Cabana rentals start at $125, plus a food and beverage minimum. Each cabana can host up to 10 people. cantigny.org.

39th Annual Young Playwrights Festival: 7 p.m. Fridays, Jan. 9, 16 and 23, and 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 10, 17 and 24, at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen, Chicago. Showcasing four new plays by young playwrights that explore bonds and boundaries: “A Question” by Lola Zimmerman, “Blizzard Bound” by Sophia Ponce, “Offices Etc.” by Clark Tavas, and “Toil & Trouble” by Ashley Snyder. $30, $25 for seniors, $15 for students. pegasustheatrechicago.org.

Marshall Charloff & the Purple xPeRIeNCE and David Brighton’s Space Oddity: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. Tributes to Prince and David Bowie. $34.30. geneseetheatre.com.

BrightSide Theatre’s “Phantom in Concert”: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 9-18, plus 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Madden Theater, North Central College, 171 Chicago Ave., Naperville. Musical based on “The Phantom of the Opera” performed by a cast of 16 and a nine-piece orchestra. $32-$37. BrightSideTheatre.com.

Dudok Quartet Amsterdam: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Bienen School of Music, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston. Part of the Winter Chamber Music Festival. $40, $15 for students with valid ID. artscircle.northwestern.edu.

Bill Murray & his Blood Brothers: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., Chicago. Tickets start at $79.50. thaliahallchicago.com.

Saturday, Jan. 10

Scott Smith’s All Animal Expo: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road, St. Charles. Bimonthly show that hosts vendors from the Midwest. $3-$8. allanimalexpo.com.

Cocoa & Coffee Crawl: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, starting at the Downtown Wheaton Association office, 206 N. Main St., Wheaton. Sample a variety of hot cocoas and artisan coffees at downtown Wheaton shops and restaurants. $18, $25 with VIP souvenir mug, $64 family four-pack. visitdowntownwheaton.org.

Sound Bath: Noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Techny Prairie Activity Center, 180 Anets Drive, Northbrook. An immersive, full-body listening experience that uses therapeutic sounds and vibrations. The practitioner plays a variety of instruments such as crystal bowls, chimes or tuning forks to create a meditative and calming atmosphere to promote deep relaxation. $19-$25. Register at nbparks.org.

Sunday, Jan. 11

Cora Vasseur: 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the St. Charles Public Library, Carnegie Community Room, 1 S. Sixth Ave., St. Charles. Sunday Concert Series features singer, songwriter and guitarist Cora Vasseur playing songs from the 1950s and ’60s, including The Beatles, The Monkees, Bobby Darin, The Everly Brothers and more. Free. scpld.org/sunday-afternoon-concert-series.

Great Moments in Vinyl play The Heroes and Heroines of Prog Rock: 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. The music of Jethro Tull, ELP, The Moody Blues, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes and more. $40. metropolisarts.com.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame”: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Concert-style performance of Victor Hugo’s epic story “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” $15-$65. ElginSymphony.org.

Chicago Wolves Ice Rink at Parkway Bank Park: 4-9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11; Monday, Jan. 19; and Sunday, Jan. 25. Free. rosemont.com/thepark.

Red Rose Jazz will perform Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest. Courtesy of the Gorton Community Center

Red Rose Jazz: 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Gorton Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. Ragtime, Dixieland and early jazz. $25. gortoncenter.org.

Tuesday, Jan. 13

Bringing History to Life with Jonathan Eig: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, virtually on Zoom. An Illinois Libraries Present virtual program. Jonathan Eig is the bestselling author of six books, including his most recent, Pulitzer Prize-winning “King: A Life,” a biography of Martin Luther King Jr. Free. Register through your local library’s website. ila.org.

Illinois Libraries Present will host Jonathan Eig, author of “King: A Life” and “Ali: A Life,” in a virtual program Tuesday, Jan. 13. Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Alyssa Allgood “Leap” Album Release: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. On her new release, “Leap,” Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll Rising Star Female Vocalist Alyssa Allgood presents originals and jazz standards that explore the ways we take risks in life and love. $20.63-$29.43. evanstonspace.com.

Wednesday, Jan. 14

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Discussion Series: 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 14 through Feb. 4, at the Gail Borden Public Library District, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. A panel of local pastors, educators and activists debate King’s beliefs on theology, Civil Rights, nonviolence and poverty. The topics will be: Jan. 14, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as American Theologian; Jan. 21, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights; Jan. 28, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Non-Violence; Feb. 4, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Poverty. Suggested donation: Nonperishable food items, toiletries or paper products. gailborden.info.

Thursday, Jan. 15

Taskmaster Live on Stage: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at the Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave., Chicago. Greg Davies and Alex Horne in a live show where special guests and audience members will compete in fiendish live tasks, never before seen footage will be revealed, and insider knowledge will be spilled. For ticket availability, visit jamusa.com.

Ongoing

Holiday Flower Show: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Saturday, Jan. 17, at Wilder Park Conservatory, 225 S. Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. Free. epd.org.

Alex Ross — Heroes & Villains: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays and Wednesdays and 2-8 p.m. Thursdays through Feb. 16 at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County, 1899 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville. A larger-than-life presentation of the work of legendary comic book artist Alex Ross featuring heroes and villains from the Marvel and DC universes. Museum admission $3-$10, exhibit tickets $5-$10, and free for kids 3 and younger. LCFPD.org/planyourvisit.

Brookfield Zoo Free Days: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Feb. 28 (except Jan. 19 and Feb. 16) at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Free general admission. Parking and attraction fees still apply. brookfieldzoo.org.

“Irving Berlin's White Christmas” runs through Jan. 11 at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre. Courtesy of Boris Marting