Chicago’s 2022 Summer Send Off List

by matt on September 23, 2022

Dear friend,

With lengthy vacations behind us and kiddos returning to school, it’s time to take a breath and start planning your next adventure.

Summer is “technically” over – but that doesn’t mean it’s time for parkas and parking space dibs just yet.  In fact, many believe that Autumn is the best season to get out, explore, and try some new activities that you may have overlooked during the busy summer months.

One of the benefits of working with so many different clients is that we receive amazing recommendations of great things to do in and around the city.  This month we’ve compiled a quick list of “Random Awesomeness” to get you out, keep you moving, and enjoying new attractions you might not have known existed.

From apple picking and hidden hikes, to drive in movies and pumpkin patches – we at Chicago Home Partner have you covered.  Best of all, these experiences are all located in or close to the city.

Check out our list below complete with links and personalized recommendations. Remember that mother nature can turn quickly, so get out while the getting is good!

Be Safe and Be Well,

Your friends at Chicago Home Partner


Drive In and Outdoor Movies in Chicago

From hip hotels to classics in cars, Chicago has you covered for outdoor movies running as long as the weather permits. Check out places like Rooftop Cinema Club in the West Loop or ChiTown Movies in Pilsen – each offering their own take on the drive in from yesterday. There’s something for everyone and a list of places to enjoy this great opportunity to “send off summer” in this Choose Chicago article.

Human+Nature at The Morton Arboretum

See eight towering sculptures by South African artist Daniel Popper at the Morton Arboretum’s new outdoor exhibition, which spreads the 15- to 26-foot-tall works all along hiking trails. “Human+Nature” depict human figures that evoke the natural landscape they’re set amid, including a pair of 36-foot-long hands reaching out from a grove of oak trees and a maternal figure that springs up amid magnolia trees.

Apple Picking Around Chicago (September – October)

Where it’s always bittersweet to bid farewell to summer, apple picking season is here to usher you into the sunny start of fall in Chicago. The city’s suburbs and surrounding countryside are full of bountiful orchards where you can pick pounds upon pounds of the fruit to take home for snacking or baking (speaking of baking, many of these farms feature bakeries stocked with homemade, apple-filled treats). PRO-TIP: Many of these orchards do pumpkins as well!

Pumpkin Patches (September – October)

For those of you (us) that like to get a jump on Halloween, (and prepare for the CHP pumpkin carving contest), pumpkin patches are opening this month! That means apple cider, overpriced donuts and corn mazes for everyone! Take a look at this great compilation of places by Patch.com and find one that suits your Fall Fancy!

Prince: The Immersive Experience (until October 9th)

Step inside this amazing experience complete with everything from a lilac-scented imitation of the bathroom in the “When Doves Cry” music video to a painstakingly recreated version of Prince’s Paisley Park studio. Many of the rooms are equipped with some kind of interactive element, whether you prefer to experiment with sound mixing “Let’s Go Crazy” in the studio, take a personality quiz to get a custom playlist of Prince’s deep cuts or pose for photos atop a replica of the famous “Purple Rain” motorcycle.  

Art of the Brick at the MSI

If you haven’t seen it yet, the Museum of Science and Industry has one of the most amazing exhibits to be enjoyed by both kids AND adults. The “Art of the Brick” is the world’s largest display of LEGO art and has been extended. Discover more than one million LEGO bricks transformed into more than 100 sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya. This critically acclaimed collection includes Sawaya’s original sculptures as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces, such as Michelangelo’s David, Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

Wicked: The Musical (through December 4th)

It’s back… WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle, long before Dorothy arrives. Come sing along with Elphaba and Glinda as they tell the TRUE story of how the Wicked Witch of the West came to be.

Fall Foliage – Take A Drive

SmokyMountains.org has recently released their interactive Fall Foliage Map which allows visitors to chart tree foliage color by date across the U.S.! While no tool can be 100% accurate, this super neat chart is meant to assist leaf-aficionados plan their trips to witness optimum Fall color! Definitely worth a visit.

Oktoberfest at Time Out Market (Oct. 7th – 9th)

Time Out Market Chicago is hosting a three-day Oktoberfest party this fall! Head to Fulton Market to discover a pop-up beer bar, stein hoisting contests, beer sampling, kids face painting and live music from German bands. Hungry? Pair your lager with a heaping helping of brats and pretzels from the West Town German fusion restaurant Funkenhausen, which is popping up at the Market on Saturday and Sunday.

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