Last Call

It’s going to be hard to walk out the front door this weekend without running into a festival, whether it’s West Town’s Food Truck Social, the South Loop’s Bash on Wabash, the West Loop’s Fashion in the Streets and Randolph Street Market, or the Bucktown Arts Festival. And that’s just to name a few. This cramming of Chicago’s streets with food, music, and shopping made us realize: Summertime is almost up. In the spirit of making the most of it, consider adding Wicker Park and Bucktown’s Last Call Sidewalk Sale and Fashion Fest (wickerparkbucktown.com) to the al fresco agenda. On Saturday, August 25 and Sunday, August 26, more than 65 shops—including Stitch, Penelope’s, and Belly Dance Maternity—participate across six streets (Division, Damen, Milwaukee, North, Western, and Ashland), making it the neighborhoods’ biggest sidewalk sale of the year.

 

Top Sales This Week

Our favorite new women’s boutique, Edith Hart (1917 N. Damen Ave., 773-252-3350), launched edithhart.com last week. So if you can’t make it into the Bucktown store, you can still peruse its selection of clothes, bags, and jewelry from labels such as Sass & Bide, Bec & Bridge, and Wildfox Couture—all from the comfort of your computer. Take advantage of free shipping on purchases over $100 or complimentary in-store pick up.

The Chicago-based women’s clothing and accessories label Elmidae (elmidae.com), sold locally at p.45, hosts a two-day sample sale in its Wicker Park studio (1457 N. Wood St.) from 12 to 9 p.m. this Friday, August 24 and Saturday, August 25. Find deep discounts—including a rack of clothes priced $20 a piece—on spring and summer apparel and jewelry.

 

The Best of the Rest

  • Building Blocks Toy Store (3306 N. Lincoln Ave., 2130 W. Division St., 773-525-6200, buildingblockstoys.com) holds a 15 percent off sale at its Lake View and Wicker Park locations through Friday, August 24.
  • Check out the work of some of Chicago’s emerging female fashion designers, artists, photographers, and musicians at the Sugar Art and Fashion Show (sugarartandfashionshow.com) this Friday, August 24 at 8 p.m. in the Zhou B Art Center (1029 W. 35th St.). Buy tickets online ($15) or at the door ($20).
  • Gem Bar (1013 W. Webster Ave., 312-492-7548, gembar.com) rolls out a whopper of a summer sale this weekend: On Saturday, August 25 and Sunday, August 26, every item in the store is marked down by 50 to 80 percent.
  • Shop the first-ever Sew Crafty Craft Fair—with handmade goods by kids, for kids—this Saturday, August 25 and Sunday, August 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Sew Crafty Studio (2320 N. Damen Ave., 773-698-8071, sewcraftystudio.com). Proceeds from the free fair benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
  • Meet the Cubs’ second baseman Darwin Barney and outfielder David DeJesus at The Denim Lounge (2039 W. Roscoe St., 773-935-2820, thedenimlounge.com) on Saturday, August 25 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The boutique also celebrates its 16th anniversary with 16 percent off everything in stock. Can’t make it? Use the code “web16” for the same deal online.
  • Adrienne Bailon, of the Style Network’s Empire Girls fame, teaches fitness classes at the recently made-over Lady Foot Locker in North Riverside Park Mall (7501 W. Cermak Rd., northriversideparkmall.com) on Saturday, August 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Relocation

Thread Lounge (918 W. Armitage Ave., 773-281-0011, threadlounge.com) gears up to move out of its Lincoln Park home for a yet-to-be-determined location in Wicker Park. Until then, stop by for 50 to 75 percent off most items in stock.