Make this weekend yours

5 unique weekend
activities in Chicago

Looking for things to do in Chicago this weekend? Try something you’ll still be talking about on Monday. Explore five fresh ideas, starting with a pottery class, and find your kind of fun—solo, with friends, or with the whole family.

Find your weekend plan

A guest showing her handmade clay dish at Pottery Studio 1 — fun things to do in Chicago

Your weekend shortlist

Five ideas for
a weekend well spent.

Discover weekend activities in Chicago for a change of pace. Make pottery, blend a scent, try aerial arts, go climbing, or create glass art. Find your favorite and make a day of it.

Guests hand-building pottery at Pottery Studio 1 — fun things to do in Chicago — Good times, made by hand.

Your creative weekend starts here

A fresh spin
on your weekend.

Pottery Studio 1

Make time to unplug, get a little messy, and create something with your hands. Try the pottery wheel and hand-building with an instructor, and shape a mug, bowl, or keepsake that’s completely your own.

Come solo for a relaxing change of pace, catch up with friends, or enjoy a family outing where everyone gets to make something. No experience needed. Add painting if you like. Your pieces stay with us for firing. We’ll let you know when they’re ready for pickup.

Beginner friendly For solo visits & groups

1 E Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611 Also in Lakeview & West Loop View workshop options

Make room for something new

More weekend activities
in Chicago

Looking for more fun things to do in Chicago? Blend a scent, try aerial arts, take on a climbing wall, or create glass art. Find your kind of weekend, whether you’re heading out solo, with friends, or with family.

Participants blending perfume and making candles — fun things to do in Chicago

02* Perfume & candle making

Wicker Park

Find your signature scent.

Black Luxe Candle Co.

Slow down and make something that feels like you. Blend a custom perfume and pour a candle with an instructor, then take your favorite new scents home. Come solo or compare creations with friends and family.

$110 per person

Candle & Perfume Making Experience. Includes a custom perfume, a candle, materials, tools, and instruction.

1252 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

(773) 789-9285

hello@blackluxecandles.com

Workshop details

About 2–3 hours · Ages 10+ · By reservation

Weekend store hours: Saturday noon–8 p.m.; Sunday noon–6 p.m. Confirm your workshop time. Guests under 18 need a parent’s signature.

A relaxing break and two creations to keep blackluxecandles.com/products/candle-and-perfume-making-dual-experience

A family trying aerial hammocks together — weekend activities in Chicago

03* Aerial arts

Irving Park

Give your weekend a lift.

Chicago Aerial Arts

Try an aerial hammock, silks, or hoop with a coach guiding each move. Start at your own pace, learn a few new skills, and enjoy the thrill of trying something you never thought you could do.

$100 private lesson

A one-hour private lesson for one nonmember. A shared one-hour lesson for 2–3 participants costs $130 total.

4321 N Knox Ave, Level 2, Chicago, IL 60641

(773) 923-2342

admin@chicagoaerialarts.net

Private lesson details

1 hour · Beginner friendly · By reservation

Children’s programs start at age 6. For a parent-and-child session, request a shared private lesson. Email to arrange your weekend time, age group, and choice of apparatus.

A new skill and a fresh perspective chicagoaerialarts.net/private-lessons

A coach helping a climber practice hand placement — things to do in Chicago this weekend

04* Indoor climbing

Avondale

Find your next foothold.

First Ascent Avondale

Trade your usual weekend routine for a climbing challenge. Work on balance, footwork, and routes matched to your level with a coach, and enjoy that satisfying feeling of getting a little farther.

$139 private lesson

A 90-minute lesson for one nonmember. Two people can share the same session for $139 total. Confirm admission and rental gear charges.

3516 N Spaulding Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

(773) 564-9815

privates@faclimbing.com

Private coaching details

90 minutes · All experience levels · By reservation

Weekend gym hours: Saturday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Request a coach at least 7 days ahead. Include children’s ages so the team can confirm a suitable lesson.

A weekend challenge worth cheering for faclimbing.com/chicago/programs/climbing-classes/private-coaching/

Participants arranging colorful glass pieces into light panels — weekend activities in Chicago

05* Glass art workshop

Ravenswood

Bring your ideas to light.

Chicago Glass Collective

Turn colorful pieces of glass into a light panel of your own. Play with patterns, try a bold color combination, and create something that will brighten your home long after the weekend is over.

$130 per person

For a 6″ × 6″ or 6″ × 3″ light panel. Includes glass, tools, instruction, firing, and the light base. Card payments add 4%.

1770 W Berteau Ave, Suite 203B, Chicago, IL 60613

(216) 543-2329 · Text preferred

info@chicagoglasscollective.com

Workshop & family details

2.5 hours · By reservation

Regular classes are 14+; family events welcome ages 8+ with adult support. Private groups usually need 4 guests and two weeks’ notice. Ask about open-class dates for a solo visit. Finished pieces are generally ready for pickup in 2–3 weeks.

A bright idea to take home chicagoglasscollective.com/fused-glass-light-panels

Prices are base rates for the formats shown. Some are per person; others are per private lesson. Confirm weekend availability, age requirements, taxes, fees, and what’s included before booking.
* AI-generated images illustrate the activities and do not show the actual venues.

Private workshops at Pottery Studio 1

Make this weekend
a little more creative.

Looking for things to do in Chicago this weekend? Bring family or friends together for two hours of hands-on fun. Choose a private workshop, share a few laughs, and make something of your own.

2 hours

Hands shaping a clay bowl on the pottery wheel — weekend activities in Chicago — A fresh spin on your weekend.

Get your hands into clay

Private pottery
workshop

Slow down, get a little messy, and see what you can make. Try the pottery wheel and hand-building with an instructor’s help, then compare your creations and share a few laughs.

$100 / person

Minimum booking: $500.

Your workshop includes

A friendly welcome and introduction
Your choice of project: follow a sample or try your own idea
Step-by-step pottery wheel and hand-building instruction
Time to create, chat, and enjoy being together

Book a pottery workshop

2 hours

Painting handmade pottery at Pottery Studio 1 — fun things to do in Chicago — Made by you. Full of color.

Give your weekend a splash of color

Private pottery
& painting workshop

Shape your clay, then paint it with your own colors and designs. Enjoy a playful break with friends or family, try out new ideas, and make a piece that feels like you.

$130 / person

Minimum booking: $500.

Your workshop includes