Best Bets: ‘Lord of the Rings’ reunion in Rosemont for Fan Expo Chicago
Fan Expo returns
“Lord of the Rings” stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and John Rhys-Davies will reunite to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary during Fan Expo Chicago this weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Scheduled to appear are: Kurt Russell; “Lethal Weapon” stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover; “Supernatural” cast members Jared Padalecki, Jim Beaver, Mark Pellegrino and Mark Sheppard; filmmaker John Carpenter (“Halloween,” “The Fog,” “Escape from New York”); director Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man” trilogy, “A Simple Plan”); “The Boys” veterans Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, Laz Alonso and others. Convention goers can also participate in celebrity Q&A and autograph sessions, cosplay, comic creator panels, anime panels and meetups, gaming and family-friendly events. Tickets start at $41. fanexpohq.com. 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14; 10 a.m. To 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15; 10 a.m. To 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16
Formula 1 in River North
F1Arcade Chicago, a new venue that combines Formula 1 racing simulators with food and cocktails, opens this weekend at 1 W. Grand Ave., Chicago. The River North nightspot includes 61 state-of-the-art, full-motion racing simulators. Patrons must be at least 7 years old to race. After 9 p.m., admission is 21 and older. Timed, dated reservations start at $19. F1Arcade.com. Noon to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; noon to 1 a.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday
Violent Femmes at 45
Seminal underground, post-punk rockers The Violent Femmes, who earned critical acclaim and had a profound influence on grunge, emo and indie rock, headline the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan, as part of their “45 Years of Violent Femmes” tour. $80.25-$92.35. (847) 264-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16
Mozart double bill
The Chicago City Opera presents two, one-act operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — “The Impresario” and “Bastien and Bastienne” — combined into a farce about baritone-turned-director Oscar Buff who decides to produce “Bastien and Bastienne.” Problems occur when 900 sopranos and no tenors sign up to audition. Those problems persist right up until the show’s disastrous opening night. $30-$100. chicagocityopera.com. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14 and 15, in front of the mausoleum at Rosehill Cemetery, 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago; 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Fulton Street Collective, 1821 W. Hubbard St., Chicago
Viva Sonido Fest
The National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., Chicago, hosts Sonido Fest, a free music event featuring headliners: California indie rock band Surely Tempo; Mexican-Salvadorian-American singer-songwriter Niko Rubio; Chicago-born singer/songwriter Destiny Ron; singer-songwriter Selines; Fort Wayne, Indiana trio Los Aptos, among others. Free, but registration is recommended. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org. 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15
St. Charles art fair
The St. Charles Arts Council hosts its annual Plein Air Event this week. More than 70 local and national artists' works will be displayed during the juried event, which also includes plein air painting competitions and artist demonstrations. Winning artists will receive more than $5,000 in prize money. stcharlesartscouncil.org. Monday, Aug. 17 through Aug. 23