Just as summer unofficially began with Memorial Day weekend, it ends with Labor Day this weekend. It seems like perfect timing as DePaul freshmen are beginning to move into their dorms and Chicago’s weeklong heat wave is predicted to end. There are also a ton of good times to be had this weekend, whether you want to spend your weekend relaxing or out in the sun.
The Chicago Fringe Festival starts up this weekend in Jefferson Park and will continue all the way until next weekend. The performance festival features around 50 different performance groups chosen via a lottery method, meaning there’s a nice mix of professional and amateur performers. Each performance costs only $10 for a ticket, but to attend any performance you must purchase a $5 admission button. Consider grabbing tickets for “Weirdos: An Ethnography of Deviance” at 7 p.m. Friday at the Picnic Stage or “Dream Date” at 10 p.m. at the Hold The Pickles Stage.
If you want to end your summer with one last huge music festival, North Coast Music Festival kicks off this Friday at Union Park. Some of the notable headliners include Mac Miller, Passion Pit and Big Gigantic. Three-day tickets for the festival are still available for $150, as well as single day tickets. Prices range on the single day tickets from $55-$65 not including service charges.
A trip to the Art Institute of Chicago is worth it this weekend if you’re in need of some culture and a lot of air conditioning. The “Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity” exhibit at the museum has been extended until Sept. 29 and is not one to miss. This Saturday, there’s a special “Dressed to the Nines” viewing of the collection, with a “Flowers in Your Hair” theme and a cash bar. Students can purchase tickets to the event for the student price of $15.
However, if all that’s on your mind now is changing leaves, hayrides and pumpkin-flavored everything, take a trip to Starbucks. Although their pumpkin spice lattes won’t officially hit stores till next week, the company revealed that if you give your barista the secret password “PSL 10″ you can unlock the fall favorite drink now at participating locations.