Chicago Mayfest: The festival season opens in Lincoln Park with the 27th installment of Chicago Mayfest. With two stages, an art show, plenty of food, a pet parade at noon on Saturday and even a glass-blowing workshop, Mayfest offers entertainment to soak up the sunny spring weekend. 5-10 p.m. May 17, noon-10 p.m. May 18 and noon-9 p.m. May 19 on Armitage Avenue between Sheffield and Racine; more information at starevents.com
CHIRP Music Film Festival: Binge on concert films and music documentaries as the CHIRP Music Film Festival takes up residence in Lincoln Square’s Davis Theater. It kicks off Friday with a screening of “Melomaniac,” a film about Aadam Jacobs, who recorded tens of thousands of Chicago concert sets. Jacobs will play snippets of his collection following the film. Other screenings will feature Joan Baez, Grace Jones and Little Richard as well as films about backup singers, early ’80s punk and new wave, and the history of Chicago house and hip hop music. May 17-19 at the Davis Theater, 4614 N. Lincoln Ave.; tickets $14-$55 at eventbrite.com
Chicago Jazz String Summit: Founded 10 years ago by cellist and composer Tomeka Reid, the summit will pay honor to violinist Regina Carter and celebrate the contributions of other string artists to jazz. Performers will include cellists Dorothy Carlos and Janel Leppin, DoYeon Kim on the gayageum, and Yacouba Sissoko on the kora. May 17-19 at various venues; tickets $15-$20 each night; more information at chicagojazzstringsummit.com
Holly Humberstone: The British singer-songwriter tours with her debut album, “Paint My Bedroom Black.” Humberstone opened for Olivia Rodrigo during several stops of the Sour tour, and it’s not hard to see why. Swifties and Livies take note. 7:30 p.m. May 17 at The Vic, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.; tickets $100 at hollyhumberstone.com
“Ridiculous!”: Magician and sleight-of-hand artist David Williamson considers the meaning of the word “ridiculous” in a new one-man stand in Rogers Park’s intimate Rhapsody Theater. Through June 30 at the Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave.; tickets $30-$75 at rhapsodytheater.com
Millennium Park Summer Workouts: Summer comes early to Millennium Park, as weekly Saturday workouts kick off this week. Take your choice of pilates, yoga, cardio kickboxing or Zumba. Bring your own mat and soak up the skyline. 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. May 18 to Aug. 31 on the Millennium Park Great Lawn, 201 E. Randolph St.; free; more information at www.chicago.gov
Renegade Craft Fair: Head to Andersonville to browse the booths of more than 250 artisans and artists. Can’t make it to the craft show’s spring installment? It’s due to pop up in other areas of the city in July, September and November. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 18-19 on Clark Street between West Bryn Mawr and West Edgewater Avenue; more information at renegadecraft.com
“Mortified Live — Summer Vacation”: Ready to cringe? For more than 20 years, “Mortified” has been offering comedy and catharsis as average folks share embarrassing snippets from their childhoods — diary entries, notes, poems, videos and more — to illuminate life stories. 8 p.m. May 18 at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave.; tickets $39.50 at getmortified.com
American Writers Festival: With about 75 authors, the second installment of the American Writers Festival promises to pack a whole gamut of literature into the afternoon of May 19. The lineup includes novelists Lydia Millet and Michael Zapata; historians Kevin Boyle and Harold Holzer, literary critic Marie Arana; journalist Mark Bowden; comedian Jamie Loftus; and young-adult novelists Samira Ahmed and Claire Legrand. Free panel discussions will be conducted alongside writing workshops, literary crafts and book signings. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 19 at Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St.; free; information at americanwritersmuseum.org
Henry Crown Space Center reopens: A SpaceX Dragon and a biofeedback belt worn by astronaut Mae Jemison will go on display as part of the newly renovated Henry Crown Space Center at the (recently rechristened) Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Jemison, who was raised in Chicago, was the first Black woman astronaut in space. The Dragon spacecraft, which was briefly on display after MSI acquired it in 2022, ferried cargo to the International Space Station in 2017 and 2019. The Henry Crown Space Center first opened in 1986 and showcases the Apollo 8 Command Module and the Mercury Aurora 7 Capsule. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily beginning May 19 at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive; tickets $14.95-$25.95 at msichicago.org
Heart: The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers arrive in Rosemont with Cheap Trick on their 2024 Royal Flush World Tour. 8 p.m. May 17 at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont; tickets from $35 at www.ticketmaster.com
Megan Thee Stallion: She’s playing two nights in Chicago on her Hot Girl Summer Tour with guest GloRilla. 8 p.m. May 17 and 19 at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; tickets from $75.50 at www.unitedcenter.com
Have something to do around Chicago? Email events to day.chitribevents@gmail.com.
