Best Things to Do in Fall in Chicago

Reruns of The Office are on a continuous loop on Comedy Central for a reason - it was a great show. This fall, you can skip the reruns and be transported to Dunder Mifflin Paper Company when The Office Experience makes its debut in Chicago, Oct.15, 2021 - Jan. 17, 2022. The largest official interactive fan experience based on The Office is two-stories and 17 rooms filled with original props, costumes and set re-creations. Snap photos throughout the Dunder Mifflin office like Pam's desk, Michael's office, Ryan's closet and Schrute Farms. And who doesn't want to relive Kevin's Chili Spill, Beach Day and Jim and Pam's love story? Located in the Shops at Northbridge, couple your visit with lunch or dinner (Lao Sze Chuan and Weber Grill are good bets within the mall and Eataly is just across the street) or overnight at The Gwen which is an elevator rade away.

If the daily news doesn't scare the bejesus out of you, 13th Floor Chicago is just what the monsters ordered. One of the Chicago area's largest haunted houses (close to 40,000 square feet of indoor space), 13th Floor returns for an eighth season (select dates Sept. 10 - Nov. 13, 2021) in a new location with two new haunted attractions: Bad Blood and Spirit of Halloween. There's bad blood between skate punk vampires and werewolves on wheels - don't get caught between them! In the Spirit of Halloween, the witch of the woods summons the spirits of the underworld to cross over so watch out for those Halloween decorations as you traverse the attraction. Admission to both new shows is included in one ticket purchase. Monsters, vampires, maniac clowns and aliens with saliva issues insure plenty of screams. Leave Junior back home with a babysitter unless they can handle the graphic nature of the attraction. The new location also features a carnival-like midway of games, food and beverage.

You'll have the answer to, "How do you like them apples," at Lincoln Square Neighborhood's 34th Annual Apple Fest, Oct. 2-3. Hours are 9am-6pm both days that offer fresh apples, cider, dumplings, pies and other creations, plus live music and activities for the little Honey Crisps in your life. Apple Fest is a comfortable way to soak up the waning rays and taste and purchase apple confections: apple brats and apple fries; apple bacon cider soup served hot or cold; candied apple bacon; apple donuts and fritters; and grilled cheese with apple slices. Count on plenty of other goodies, too, from deep fried pickles to Kobe Beef Burgers and potato pancakes. There will be live music on stage both days. Admission is a suggested $5 donation.

When fall's flush begins to fade from the scarlet Sugar Maples and golden Aspens, get to the city's latest pop-up museum for a shot of vibrant color - the Neon and Light Museum. Get in front of, behind and under more than 60 works by light benders like British artist Sarah Blood, feminist neon artist Zoelle Nagib, pop sign artist Jason Pickleman, San Francisco's Helen Lee, abstract sculptor Michael Young and master bender Jacob Fishman, See an iconic neon self-portrait by John Lennon and a number of pieces by visual artist, John Bannon. Some pieces are interactive and all are dazzling when you realize that neon gas is inserted into a glass tube and shot with electricity to produce these sculptures and interactive light shows. Reservations top out at 60 persons per hour for safe social distancing. The Neon & Light Museum pop-up is open Thursday-Sunday from Sept. 9-Oct. 31.

Mash up art and laugh-out-loud mini golf fun at Par Excellence Redux, a fully playable course designed by artists and architects from the Midwest and elsewhere. Paying homage to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's popular 1988 exhibition, Par Excellence, the exhibit's artists who designed the mini golf greens touch on various themes, with holes that feature optical illusions, an exploration of the cosmos and commentary on social and environmental issues. Wander The Back 9, on display throughout the Museum's main galleries, which includes: "Pinball Golf: An American Life" by Wes Baker that merges the format of pinball including flippers, pins, and targets with elements of mini golf; "Timing is Everything" by James Merz uses moving elements to illustrate that timing is everything, in life and in sports; and "Mission: Mars" by Vincent Lotesto (to achieve a hole-in-one, you must aim the golf ball up a ramp located on the highest volcano in our solar system and the ball falls into a collapsed crater on the summit and exits on the eastern side of the mountain. Exhibition-related fall and winter programming is free with museum admission and includes: a conversation about the inspiration and history behind the exhibition with the curator; an ugly sweater night; and a family holiday party (check for dates and times).

A Recipe for Disaster" is a a fully scripted immersive event during which the audience sips cocktails and wine and and nibbles bites created by Chicago culinary legend, Rick Bayless. The story is based on Bayless's real-life experiences and set during influencer night at one of the city's hottest restaurants. Anyone who has been a server, bartender of restaurant worker will recognize the night when everything that could possibly go wrong occurs. In this case, however, the events are hilariously chaotic between an ill chef, a visit from the health inspector and a barrage of negative Tweets. The Windy City Playhouse show opens on Oct. 6 for an open run through at least Dec. 26. Tickets include six bite-size tastings and three cocktail and wine samplings with regular and VIP options. Limited to 30 guests per performance, the VIP experience includes a pre-show charcuterie board and cocktail, premium seating and a gift bag.

The museum in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood is filled with compelling exhibits about the city's history and the addition of Vivian Maier: In Color is another reason to visit this fall. The exhibit features a new collection of many never-before seen images by the world-renowned photographer who worked as a nanny for Chicago families and took photos of the city's people and places as a hobby. Following her death in 2009, her prints, 100,000 negatives, and a thousand or so rolls of undeveloped film were discovered in an abandoned storage locker and the world came to know this talented woman. This exhibit features more than 65 color images from the 1950s-1970s; film clips made by Maier; and sound bites featuring Maier's voice. Also this fall, the Museum's long awaited exhibition, City on Fire: Chicago 1871, opens October 8, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire through themes of resilience and equity.

The pandemic put the kibosh on the raucous, percussive, cheeky, theatrical experience that is Blue Man Group but the tinted threesome return to perform throughout fall and winter, 2021. In what was once Marshall Field's horse stables, the intimate Briar Street Theatre hosts the wildly popular show that has wowed Windy City audiences since October, 1997. Even if you've seen it before, expect a refreshed show with new music, story lines, custom instruments and state-of-the-art technology. It's the theatrical performance for people who think they don't like live theater as well as serving as a perfect introduction to the art form for kids and teens because it's engaging, curious, unpredictable, nutty, cutting edge and has live music that vibrates through the body. Safety protocols have been put in place so audience interaction remains an important part of the show. The bald triplets explore current cultural norms in unexpected ways with colossal doses of quirky humor and drumming. Who could argue with that?

Annually, and specifically Oct. 16-17 in 2021, Chicago locals and visitors have the opportunity to witness hidden architectural treasures tucked among the city's diverse neighborhoods during the Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago. The free public festival is a cornucopia of behind-the-scenes access to hundreds of sites in myriad neighborhoods including skyscrapers, mansions, hidden rooms, magnificent theaters, hotels, private clubs, industrial sites, offices and sacred spaces - places that are rarely, if ever, open to the public. New sites for 2021 include Sable Hotel at Navy Pier; The Penthouse Hyde Park; Bank of America Tower; Quinn Chapel; and the Illinois Holocaust Museum. There's an OHC app, open October 1-31, as well as virtual programs throughout the month. One of the largest architecture festivals in the world, the event is free and one not to be missed.

Take the fleeting opportunity to see and feel The Art of Banksy, the largest touring exhibit of genuine Banksy art works on the planet. Exhibited through Oct. 31, 2021, the show features more than 80 pieces by the enigmatic street artist including many of well-known images such as "Flower Thrower," "RudeCopper" and "Girl with Balloon." Although one could argue that the graffiti master's cachet is elevated by his concealed identity, one trip through this exhibit will cement the fact that he is the art provocateur and disruptor of the 21st century. Banksy's witty and irreverent stenciled graffiti is on full display telling tales of class warfare, hypocrisy, elitism, political idiocy, and even hope. The Art of Banksy is not authorized by the artist, but sourced from private collections allowing us to see many of his works all in one place. If you have a teenager who thinks s/he doesn't "get" art, this exhibit may light up their neurons.