Best Bets: Gary Sinise, Lt. Dan Band headline veterans benefit at Wheaton’s Cantigny
Gary Sinise headlines charity concert at Cantigny
Actor/activist Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band headline a fundraiser concert at Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Proceeds from the Rockin’ for Our Vets Charity Concert benefit the West suburban Foundation for Disabled Veterans, which was established in 2005 to assist veterans with disabilities and their families. $54. No parking at Cantigny; parking is available at 479 N. County Farm Road and 509 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, or at the DuPage Event Center and Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton. wsfdv.org. 6 p.m. Saturday, July 12
Laugh it up with Pat McGann
Comedian Pat McGann, a veteran of “The Late Show With David Letterman” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and opener for Arlington Heights native Sebastian Maniscalco, headlines the Raue Center, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Tickets start at $63, with a 30% discount for RaueNOW members. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org. 7 p.m. Saturday, July 12
Cultural celebrations
• Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts hosts its third annual Summer Mela (a gathering or fair celebrating Indian culture) at the Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens, 1801 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago. The family-friendly event includes live music and dance, South Asian cuisine, artists, vendors, and arts and crafts. $15 suggested donation. kalapriya.org. Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 12
• The 25th Barrio Arts Fest takes place this weekend at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, 3015 W. Division St., Chicago. Highlights include Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Calma Carmona; Hermes Croatto with his soulful jibaro and pena rhythms; and Los Pleneros del Callejón, the high-energy plena group. Local performers include Flaco Navaja, Lester Rey, Piraguas y Piropops, steel drum band La Zafra and Caribe Project, with DJ Gloria spinning anthems of resistance and celebration throughout the weekend. The mini-fest also features artisans and vendors, crafts, food, art workshops, museum tours and trolley tours of Chicago's Puerto Rican community. Free. nmprac.org. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 12, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 13
• Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, celebrates Latin culture at its Noche de Familia. Participants will explore the connection between monarch butterflies and Hispanic heritage through crafts, cuisine, stories and bilingual sing-alongs. The family-friendly event includes a Spanish-language tram tour and performances by children’s entertainer Super Stolie. Discounted admission after 5 p.m. of $5 per person (ages 4 and older) for this event only. mortonarb.org. 5-8 p.m. Sunday, July 13
In concert
• The Jazz Institute of Chicago, in cooperation with the Chicago Park District, hosts the free Chicago Latin Jazz Festival featuring headliner and Grammy Award-nominated pianist and composer Edsel Gomez, the Darwin Noguera Group, Adrian Ruiz and pianist Jackie Warren. The free performances take place at the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1440 N. Humboldt Blvd., Chicago. jazzinchicago.org. 6 p.m. Friday, July 11, and 5 p.m. Saturday, July 12
• Cellist Inbal Segev, a driving force in the creation of new 21st-century cello repertoire and 2025 artist-in-residence for the Grant Park Music Festival, opened her weeklong residency this week at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago. She performs Anna Clyne’s “Dance” as part of a program that includes Johann Strauss Jr.’s “Overture to Die Fledermaus” and Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.” Reserved seating starts at $103. Other seats available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Segev also performs recitals on Sunday and Monday, July 13-14. grantparkmusicfestival.com. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 16
• Songwriter/musician Burton Cummings, former leader of the 1960s-1970s rock group The Guess Who (“American Woman,” “These Eyes,” “No Time”) headlines the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets start at $79. (847) 673-6300 or northshorecenter.org. 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 14
• Award-winning blues guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Ronnie Baker Brooks headlines the Ravinia Festival's Carousel Stage, 201 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park. Brooks, son of Blues Hall of Famer Lonnie Brooks, will play selections from his 2024 Alligator Records release “Blues in My DNA.” $35. (847) 266-5100 or ravinia.org. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17
Bellissima Opera makes magic
Bellissima Opera, in cooperation with Working in Concert and Chamber Opera Chicago, presents the Chicago premiere of “The Last Sorcerer (Le Dernier Sorcier)” by French composer Pauline Viardot Garcia. The opera is about a once-powerful sorcerer who refuses to give his daughter his blessing when she falls for a visiting suitor until the suitor reveals his true identity. Performances take place at the 19th Century Club, 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park. $10-$60. workinginconcert.org/summeropera25. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 17-18
LookOut’s (not that) Late Show
As part of its LookOut series, Steppenwolf Theatre hosts “The Not That Late Show,” a late-night chat show with comedic bits inspired by local and national news at the 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. $23. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org/lookout. 8 p.m. Thursday, July 17
LookOut also presents the Karaoke Storytellers, composed of four Chicago entertainers who share with the audience stories about songs that have special meaning to them, at 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. $23. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org/lookout. 8 p.m. Saturday, July 19