Upcoming PUBLIC events


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Join our WEEKLY SCAVENGER HUNT!


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This week (May 15 - May 22), we're encouraging Chicagoans to create their very own "Soapbox Speech" about a spot in their neighborhood.
  • Learn about the history of "Bughouse Square" by watching our video, or by reading more about it here.
  • While walking around your city this week, take a photo of a place you have a passionate opinion about.
    • Do you think your local park is sorely underrated? Find yourself cursing a mean pothole or bit of sidewalk that's always flooded? Often tell your friends about a particularly beautiful garden? Have strong feelings about a piece of commercial architecture? Tell us all about it! 
  • Post your picture and your virtual Soapbox Speech to our Facebook or tag us in your Instagram post. You can write out your speech or record yourself giving it. Just be sure to be polite, respect others, and keep it all in good fun! 
  • Submit your photos by Friday, May 22nd at 6PM!
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We’ll send a little pack of Chicago for Chicagoans ephemera to two participants that send us particularly humorous or creative speeches. And be sure to tune in for our Bughouse Square Debate on June 3rd! 

CHICAGO HISTORY 201: THE (ONLINE) SERIES


​In light of the spread of COVID-19, we are extending our regular winter lecture programming! Catch us online via Facebook Live to learn from our speakers in the comfort of your own home. Tune in at 6:30PM to interact with other viewers and ask questions in real time -- or watch the lecture recording at your leisure!

All donations from the online series will directly benefit speakers in need & out-of-work tour guides. 

​Please check back on this page or follow us on Facebook for regular updates, the announcement of new lectures, and any changes to our programming due to evolving nationwide response to the virus. 

2020 SPRING LINEUP

Speaker profiles are available on our website here. Topics, dates, and speakers subject to change. Scroll down to watch recordings of our previously presented lectures. Follow us on Facebook or check out our Google Calendar for new content updates.

Monday, June 1st | “Advertise Judiciously”: A Brief History of Advertising in Chicago
Backburner what you learned on Mad Men, because we are digging into the Chicago’s history of  “commercial magicians and priests of consumption.” Join Ava Francesca Battocchio as she explores the Chicago’s history of advertising, outdoor billboards, and the folks who make (and occasionally break the boundaries) of the industry as we know it.
WATCH LIVE at 6:30PM 

More events coming soon!

A BUGHOUSE SQUARE DEBATE


JUNE 10, 2020 | 7:30PM
Join the historians of Effing Chicago for a virtual taste of the heyday of "Bughouse Square" -- the infamous nickname for Washington Square Park and its frequent population of wackos, politicians, religious fanatics, freethinkers, tee-totallers, flappers, freaks, dignitaries, lords, and ladies who gathered to give speeches, debate, and bicker over issues of the day. Like a prehistoric Youtube comments section, Bughouse Square allowed anybody to state their opinion and do their best to sway the favor of the unruly crowds.
In honor of Chicago for Chicagoans' 4th anniversary, we invite you to watch five passionate, era-appropriate speeches from some characters of Chicago's past. Live heckling and jeering will (of course) be encouraged. This event is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis, with all tax-deductible donations benefitting Chicago for Chicagoans and their speakers.

PRESENTED VIA FACEBOOK LIVE:  June 10th at 7:30PM
The presentation will be recorded and available online after it concludes. RSVP on Facebook! 

WATCH OUR RECORDED LECTURES:

Click the thumbnail to watch the recording. Woo-hoo!

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Stay tuned...

PLEASE NOTE:
Help us plan a tour in your neighborhood!
We're prioritizing tours in the following areas-- contact us to get in touch:
  • Bronzeville
  • Bridgeport
  • Hyde Park
  • Avondale
  • ​Logan Square
  • Buena Park
  • Englewood 
  • ​South Shore
  • Tours involve approximately 3 miles of walking, and may prove difficult for those with limited mobility or mobility issues. While we stay primarily on paved paths and sidewalks, these routes may still include potholes and uneven surfaces. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange a special tour adjusted for your mobility, or would like to simply grab a coffee and chat about the neighborhood. We will do our best to help everyone, regardless of ability, learn about their city.
  • By RSVPing for, and participating in, any Chicago for Chicagoans event, you waive your right to hold Chicago for Chicagoans liable for any injuries sustained on the tour, and agree to be photographed. Read our liability & photography statements here.