Welcome, globe-trotters and thrill chasers, to Things to Do in Chicago with your eternally excited host, Oly Bennet! It’s Saturday, November 8th, 2025, and the Windy City is in rare form—crisp autumn air smelling like roasted chestnuts, a sky as blue as Lake Michigan, and a city pulse that’s practically daring you to skip the couch and dive into adventure.

This morning, people are out bundled in cozy layers, grabbing pumpkin lattes while skaters spin through Millennium Park and bold runners rack up miles along the lakefront. And the big city buzz? Nonstop. According to Chicago Magazine, the Black Harvest Film Festival is lighting up the Gene Siskel Film Center, showing off some of the brightest new Black filmmaking talent from all around, and it’s running all week for your movie-loving hearts.

If you’re the laugh-out-loud type, this weekend is a goldmine: The United Center is packed for Druski’s Coulda Fest Tour, a blend of comedy and music with guest stars—get ready for some surprise appearances and probably laugh until you look like you ran a marathon. Craving even more laughs? Get to the Comedy Bar Main Stage tonight for Dean Stanfield, an Austin-based comic and race car driver (seriously!), whose stories will have you snorting into your legendary deep-dish slice.

For families and future inventors, Siegel Hall is hosting Family Fun Day: Materials and Motion—a hands-on STEM day for kids ages 7 to 12. Expect science to look a lot like magic when things start rolling, floating, and bouncing across the room. That’s good energy for both tiny tinkerers and their caffeine-clutching parents.

Comedy connoisseurs can keep riding high with Sketchfest Chicago at the Home Comedy Theater, where the RENS (DC), Jackie & Allison, and hometown crew Big Freak will parade out a night of funky, character-fueled sketch comedy. Who said sketch was just for TV? In this city, it's a full-body workout for your funny bone.

For a cool, low-key evening, drift into the Epiphany Center for the Arts for Golden Hour—free, live music, drink specials, and the perfect excuse to debate which came first: the art or the vibe. Mingle in the transformed church-turned-gallery where every echo feels a little epic.

Before trekking out, a heads-up on city goings-on: According to the United Center’s latest updates, the Uber Zone for event drop-offs and pick-ups is now at Madison and Wood, streamlining your arrival for big shows. And speaking of arrivals—word on the street is a new ramen spot just opened in Logan Square, already earning raves for broths thicker than the plot of an indie film. Chicago never stops slurping, am I right?

If you’re hunting for classic sights and sneaky gems, don’t pass up an afternoon stroll through Lincoln Park’s fall gardens, the DIY vinyl hunt at Empty Bottle’s 33 and a third anniversary bash, or a browse through the bustling Holiday Craft Show in Frankfort if you fancy hobnobbing with crafters and finding early presents you’ll be tempted to keep for yourself.

Your local tip from Oly: When asking a local where to get the “best” anything—pizza, jazz, or even directions—prepare for a passionate, unsolicited Top Ten list and possibly a 20-minute story about someone’s grandma. That’s how you know you’re doing Chicago right.

Catch that festival spirit, keep an eye out for more pop-up jazz and secret speakeasy happenings, and get ready for tomorrow’s indoor food markets and the Eyrie Festival’s grand finale.

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