EAT
First Anniversary Party
Bar Pastoral2947 N. Broadway 773-472-4781
Sample vacherin-style cheese with Upland Cheese's Andy Hatch, plus Benchmark wines and a birthday "cake" made from cheese wheels. Or, dine in (5 p.m.-midnight Friday; 1 p.m.-midnight Saturday; 1-10 p.m. Sunday) with "greatest hits" dishes from Bar Pastoral's original menu including roasted housemade ham with boiled heirloom potatoes ($14) or grilled cheese with pear, ricotta and almonds ($9). 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday. $5 (can be applied to merchandise purchase). RSVP: pastoralartisan.com
Bollywood Blowout
Stan Mansion2408 N. Kedzie Ave. 773-968-1010
Get your Diwali celebration on with Indian food from more than a dozen restaurants, three cocktails, a fashion show featuring local media personalities, music by New York DJ Rekha, raffles and more at this benefit for Down Syndrome awareness organization Gigi's Playhouse. 6:30 p.m.-midnight. Friday. $55. Tickets: eventbrite.com
DRINK
666 Minutes Ov Beer
Local Option1102 W. Webster Ave. 773-348-2008
Step over to the dark side with metal-themed music and 3:54 p.m. tappings of rare beers including BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien 2011 and 2012 (Switzerland), Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin (California) and 25 more ($6-$9) plus Local Option Bierwerker's new Sweet Leif release and 6 p.m. tappings of Perennial's Abraxas, Hereafter and Vanilla and Coffee Abraxas varieties. 3:54 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday. No cover.
Bears Game Viewing Party
Taco Joint158 W. Ontario St. 312-337-8226
Tailgate indoors with $3 cans of Tecate and Modelo Especial and half-price pitchers of Zocalo margaritas (regularly $30) and tropical margaritas (choice of guava, strawberry-lemon, mango-passion or hibiscus blossom; regularly $34) as you watch the Monsters of the Midway take on the Baltimore Ravens (noon) on large TV screens. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. No cover.
Pride Films and Plays Community Night
Marty's Martini Bar1511 W. Balmoral Ave. 773-454-0161
Pride Films and Plays closes out its Gay Film Weekend-which features enhanced readings of five LGBT-centric screenplays selected in a nationwide contest (6 p.m. Friday-2 p.m. Sunday; $10 each)-with a reception honoring the contest winner where you can mingle with the writers, casts and creative teams over $14 cosmopolitan and manhattan cocktails. 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday. No cover. Schedule: pridefilmsandplays.com
DO
Deck the Halls
Vertical Gallery1016 N. Western Ave. 773-697-3846
Browse 80 works-all on skateboard decks-by more than 50 local, national and international artists at the opening of this group show co-curated with Uprise Skate Shop where partial proceeds benefit Chicago non-profit The Simple Good. 6-10 p.m. Saturday. No cover.
Chicago Dancemakers Forum: Break Out!
Museum of Contemporary Art220 E. Chicago Ave. 312-280-2660
Art comes alive as installation-based live performances and dance-themed films by nearly 30 Chicago dance artists appear throughout the museum. 1-5 p.m. Saturday (day program). Free with museum admission ($12; $7 for students). 7 p.m. Saturday (evening program). $50. Schedule and tickets: mcachicago.org
(Free!) Chillfest
Various storefronts, Wicker Park Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues and Division Street 773-384-2672
See 120 musical acts-selected from 250 applicants-play living room-style acoustic sets in 30 neighborhood storefronts including Futurgarb (1369 N. Milwaukee Ave.), Doggy Style Pet Shop (2023 W. Division St.) and Bar Bar Black Sheep (1415 N. Milwaukee Ave.). An after-party with the bands follows from 7 p.m.-midnight after-party at Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave.; $10-$15). Noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Schedule: chillfestchicago.com.
REDEYE TIP OF THE DAY
Listen in to WGN's RedEye Remix radio show midnight-2 a.m. Saturday night: wgnradio.com
Julia Borcherts is a RedEye special contributor.