As summer winds down, many of our non-DePaulian friends will be returning to their respective schools this upcoming week. Meaning for many of us, it’s the last opportunity to see friends from home until winter break. Before your friends stuff the trunk of their mom’s minivan with boxes and duffle bags, go on one last weekend adventure in Chicago.

If a whirlwind vacation off the coast of Italy wasn’t in your plans or budget this summer, you still have a chance to savor Italian cuisine and culture this weekend at Festa Italiana in Little Italy.  Taylor Street will be taken over by booths serving delectable Italian food, merchants selling homemade crafts, as well as four stages with a performance line-ups that include a vast array of classic and contemporary Italian musicians. While in the area, make sure to take in all of the sites and shops of the unique neighborhood. Including a trip to Mario’s Italian Lemonade for some of the best Italian ice in the city, is a must do while you’re there.  The festival is from Thursday until Sunday night and a $5 donation is suggested.

Need a laugh this weekend? Check out “pHamily the Musical” at the pH Comedy Theater in Andersonville this Saturday night. This family dynamic themed musical is completely improvised, everything from the plot, characters to songs are created through audience suggestions. The show starts at 8 p.m. and students can grab tickets for $5 at the box office with their student ID.

For those who’d rather spend the rest of their summer night outdoors, visit Wilson Frank J. Park in Jefferson Park this Saturday night for a Chicago Shakespeare in the park performance. Make sure to grab a comfy blanket and a picnic dinner to watch this free performance of “The Comedy of Errors.” If you forgot from your high school English class, the story revolves around a man and his servant searching for his long lost twin brother in a foreign land. Hi-jinks ensue when he runs into a series of strangers claiming that they’re old friends. It’s a Shakespeare classic and not one to miss. The performance begins at 6:30 p.m. so head out early to get the best viewing spot.