Haymarket Pub and Brewery

It's not just the cold that keeps us holed up in the crib during winter. A night out costs serious coin but not if you make it to Haymarket Pub and Brewery's weekly Thursday night Americana Concert Series. You'll be treated to tunes by some of the best up- and-coming and established artists (two each week), with no cover charge. Revisit your college days when the weekend began on Thursday and indulge in a concert curated for music lovers for free while enjoying some of Chicago's best craft beer and made-from-scratch food. Many of the artists are on Rolling Stone's "new artist to watch" list and others have hundreds of thousands Spotify followers. The Dec. 21 line up includes Keller & Cole and Cass Cwik. On Dec. 28, it's Kevin Gordon, a well-known name in Americana whose songs have been recorded by Lucinda Williams and Keith Richards. The January roster is just as stellar. Did we mention that it's free?