Free and cheap things to do this weekend in Chicago

POSTED BY
Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Looking for something fun to do this weekend in Chicago? There are tons of free and cheap events in the city.

Here’s our list of the top free events, discounts, and deals to have fun around town on your Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

There are many diversified events, so choose your favorite. Some events may require advance registration, and some may be on a first come first-served basis.

Comments

Phil says
September 24, 2023 at 12:29 pm
Hyde Park Jazz Fest is this weekend. It’s huge. Surprised there’s no mention of it.
Rosalind Cummings-Yeates says
September 28, 2023 at 2:59 am
Hi Phil, The Hyde Park Jazz Fest is certainly posted on the site but for some reason, it didn’t come up for the weekend round up. Thanks for pointing this out, I will investigate.
A. Smith says
July 31, 2025 at 1:50 pm
The “Tours by Foot” links do not lead to a “pay what you can” tour, they’re all $29.99 per person. When you try to reserve a spot for the Chicago Riverwalk and History tour, this is the page you are taken to: https://freetoursbyfoot.com/chicago-riverwalk-and-history-tour/ This website does not offer a pay what you can reservation, only a 29.99 per person reservation fee.
Which is fine! But if it’s labeled as “free” and emphasized to be “pay what you can”, the link and reservation page for the tours is not providing that option. I’m just confused why the website is literally called “Free tours by foot” when even the self-guided audio tours are behind a $3.99 paywall.
Rosalind Cummings-Yeates says
July 31, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Hi,
Thanks for alerting us. This used to be a free tour service. I will check to see if there are still any free tours and make adjustments.