1. All Dressed Up 

There are still tickets available for C2E2 2025, a convention held at McCormick Place focused on comics, cosplay, anime, gaming, and more. You can purchase photo ops with your favorite celebs, attend a wide range of panels, and tour hundreds of exhibition booths. You’ll want to get decked out for a cosplay showcase on Sunday. April 11-13. c2e2.com

2. Swiftie Crawl

It’s your lucky day, Swifties: A Taylor Swift-themed bar crawl is coming to Wrigleyville this weekend. Sip on Taylor-themed drinks while you dance to music spanning all of her eras. Tickets include admission to all bars, drink specials, and a brunch buffet. April 12. eventbrite.com

3. B&B Fest

Think of all the best words starting with B — bourbon, bacon, bubbles, and beats — and you’ll find them at this event. Head to Frontier Chicago’s Bacon Fest to sample more than 50 bourbons, whiskeys, and sparkling wines while snacking on bacon-centric bites and bouncing to a DJ. April 12. eventbrite.com

4. Spring at the Zoo

Brookfield Zoo is celebrating its first-ever Spring Fest this weekend, featuring live music, an art fair, and ferris wheel rides. Attendees can learn fun facts about the animals at employee-led “zoo chats” throughout the weekend. There’s no extra cost for the event — just purchase general admission to the zoo. April 12-13. brookfieldzoo.org

5. Dock Brunch 

Lakeside brunch just got more fun. This Sunday, head to Navy Pier’s Offshore Rooftop for Big Dock Energy Drag Brunch. The event will feature performances from three drag queens, a DJ set, and a brunch buffet with bottomless signature cocktails. April 13. navypier.org