Chicago is constantly buzzing with events, and April is no exception. Each year, special events and conferences draw professionals from various industries to the Windy City. Chicago also hosts festivals and events every April for the general public. Chicago residents and visitors alike can participate in one of these recurring events to add variety to their Chicago experience.
This week-long comedy event features improvised comedy from about 70 acts. Local troupes perform, as do acts from around the United States and other countries. Performances are scattered across 12 venues in various neighborhoods of Chicago and surrounding areas. None of the acts are scripted: you will see a new performance every time.
This yearly Chicago event celebrates the art of tango. For four days, the University of Chicago's Hyde Park hosts classes for all skill levels. There are two curricula to separate beginning and experienced tango dancers. Even if you have never tangoed before, you can take the classes in the secondary curriculum at the festival. There is a milonga, or tango dancing event, each day in Hyde Park where you can practice what you have learned and watch others show off their skills. For attendees who receive permission, the event's tango instructors offer master classes.
You can learn about the struggles, triumphs and values of a culture by visiting a cultural film festival. Filmmakers with a shared heritage come together to showcase the multitude of ways in which they express their cultural identity.
At the Chicago Latino Film Festival, you can enjoy films from a variety of genres including fiction, documentary and animation. It is the oldest Latino film festival in the United States and also the largest, with 35,000 attendees in 2010. Each year it shows 100 films from filmmakers of Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese descent. The festival takes place during the first two weeks of April.
The Asian American Film Festival consists of four showings in late April and early May. Each showing has a different theme, and each lineup features short films that examine various aspects of Asian American identity. Contributors are from a variety of Asian cultures including those of Southeast Asia and South Asia.
In this twist on a zombie walk, participants dress as zombies and walk from bar to bar in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. The improv and comedy theater company pH Productions organizes the crawl each year. They encourage participants to create their own costumes, but if you register online for the crawl, you can receive discounted makeup at Fantasy Costumes. The event lasts from early afternoon into the evening.
