The 10 Best Things to do in Uptown, Illinois (IL)

A new project of Food Tank: The Food Think Tank to educate and create awareness about urban agriculture in your backyard! Now open in Chicago and coming soon to a city near you!

Sail Charters & Sail Instruction: Let us take you out on Lake Michigan for a casual sailboat cruise where you and your guests get to take in the beauty of this lovely lake and invigorating fresh air while gazing upon the stunning Chicago skyline. Charter by the Hour, minimum 2 hour. All Captains are USCG Licensed Master Captains.

Black Ensemble Theater (BE) was Founded in 1976 by the phenomenal actress, producer, and playwright Jackie Taylor. A leader and innovator in the African-American and mainstream arts communities, Black Ensemble Theater is recognized as one of the most diverse theaters in the country, producing excellent musical theater. On November 18, 2011, BE celebrated the Grand Opening of the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, the theater’s first permanent home located at 4450 N. Clark Street, in the heart of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater is to eradicate racism and its damaging effects upon our society through the utilization of theater arts. BE is the only theater in the nation whose mission is to eradicate racism. We utilize theater and educational outreach programs to bring races together in a community which embraces similarities and fosters dialogue, understanding and acceptance.

Rebecca Wheeler offers Chicago visitors and locals an unforgettable experience that’s off the typical tourist path. We go deep into the ethnic neighborhoods that are the heart and soul of the immigrant diversity Chicago is famous for. Each food tour is private for your group of 1-10 guests. Rebecca Wheeler is a cooking instructor and world traveler who serves as a cultural ambassador for Chicago’s diverse ethnic neighborhoods. Each tour features plenty of carefully selected tastings along with authentic insights into the history and cultural significance of the cuisine, backed by her own culinary travels and studies in these countries. The result is a fun, personal and mouth-watering learning experience that will last beyond the tour into your own kitchen and future dining experiences.

Now celebrating its 25th Anniversary season, Profiles Theatre was founded as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Profiles performs edgy, hard-hitting theatre at The Alley Stage, 4147 North Broadway and at The Main Stage, 4139 North Broadway in Chicago. To date, Profiles has staged 65 productions including 34 Midwest premieres, six American premieres and five World premieres. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles presents work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

Chicago is so much deeper than deep dish pizza! Let us prove it to you on our food & culture walking tours through some of Chicago's past and present immigrant neighborhoods. Enjoy Vietnamese, Middle Eastern and Swedish foods on our popular Saigon to Stockholm Food Tour through the Northside ethnic enclaves of Argyle and Andersonville. Comfort food fans will love our new Little Italy Food Tour in the University Village/Little Italy neighborhood on the city's Near West Side. In addition to enjoying a 6-course Italian menu, you'll get to browse the first rate memorabilia at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Each tour is 3 and half hours and covers 1 and 1/4 miles of walking through charming Chicago neighborhoods.

The Chicago Magic Lounge is dedicated to re-introducing you to a style of magic created in the Windy City. Bar magic began in 1915 at a little place called Schulien's. After that, over 15 Magic Bars opened up all over the city over the next 80 years. However, with the last one closing in 1999, the city has lost the true art of "Chicago-Style Magic". Now, the magic is back. In the classic Chicago style, we perform table-side, at the bar, and on the stage. Come back nightly for a fully immersive, interactive, and unique theatrical experience. Cocktails and card tricks, the way magic was meant to be seen. Magic Bar: 5:30 P.M.: Mon-Sun, No Tickets Required. Ticketed Events: Mondays at 7:30 pm: Live Music and Close-Up Magic. Tuesdays at 7:30 pm: The Showcase: New & Experimental Works. Wednesdays at 7:30 pm: our Artist-in-Residence Series. Thurs-Sun at 7:00 pm: The Signature Show. Fri-Sat at 10:00 pm: The Signature Show, Sundays at 12:00 pm: The Family Show