Fall, it would appear, is falling short. CPS students began the semester this week in a school district lacking the funds necessary to make it through the year. That deficit is due, in large part, to the
Rauner v. Madigan political battle in Springfield that has not wanted for hostility. Meanwhile, over in sports, the Bears are struggling with a shortfall of their own: a distinct absence of talent (or perhaps heart) that’s putting the team near the bottom fourth of NFL power rankings as the season begins Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Try as new head coach John Fox might to improve on last year’s 5-11 record, Jay Cutler remains our not-so-spunky QB.
And yet, amid all the desolation there is bounty: the city’s fall cultural calendar is a Thanksgiving cornucopia spilling over with entertainments. New restaurants from Stephanie Izard and Grant Achatz. The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial. Residencies by Eighth Blackbird and Agnès Varda. New books by Joe Meno and Sandra Cisneros. The Hairy Who reminiscing, Jeff Koons lecturing, and Gloria Steinem getting real with Roxane Gay. Neil Hamburger’s anticomedy and Mike Sheerin’s cheeseburger dumplings. Ventriloquist dummies and the guy behind Dumb Starbucks. Highbrow, lowbrow, anybrow—and more than sufficient to keep your mind off the woe elsewhere, of which there is certainly no lack. —Jake Malooley

FOOD & DRINK
Rick Bayless’s Cruz Blanca and more new brewpubs a Various dates
Mexican sauce is boss at Feria del Mole a September 26
Embeya chef Mike Sheerin reimagines dumplings at Packed in Hyde Park a September
Baker Miller General becomes Lincoln Square’s neighborhood grocer a Mid-October
Intro hosts Jean-Georges Vongerichten protege Stephen Gillanders a October 22-January 16
Chris Pandel looks to elevate the steak house with Swift & Sons a October
Richard Sandoval’s Latin Eataly, Latinicity, is opening in Block 37 a October
Get FOBABed at the Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers a November 20-21
The guys behind Next give casual dining a go with Roister a Late November
Stephanie Izard tries Chinese at Duck Duck Goat a December
The Sixth brings quality cocktails to Lincoln Square—finally a Late fall
Saigon Sisters get into fast-casual with Bang Chop Thai Kitchen a Late fall
Imperial Lamian promises dishes not found in Chinatown a Late fall

THEATER
The silent half of Penn & Teller adds some magic to Shakespeare’s Tempest a September 8-November 8
Mary Zimmerman hits the decks with the pirate classic Treasure Island a October 7-January 31, 2016
A transgender house mother schools her Boystown proteges in Northlight’s Charm at Steppenwolf Garage a October 14-November 8
At Confidential Musical Theatre Project, mum’s the word a October 20
In a time of antigovernment Oath Keepers, Idris Goodwin’s The Raid seems appropriate a November 4-December 12
See some dummies at The Ventriloquists Convention at MCA a November 12-14
Post-PJ Paparelli, ATC goes bold with Fulfillment, provocateur playwright Thomas Bradshaw’s latest a November 13-December 13

VISUAL ART
Chances Dances turns ten, grows up a September 11-October 24
Art Shay’s “Troublemakers” highlights his photos of the freedom movements of the 1950s and ’60s a September 17-December 19
Hairy Who members Art Green, Gladys Nilsson, and Karl Wirsum look back 50 years after the collective’s first exhibition a September 18
New exhibit “The Annual” gives up-and-coming Chicago artists exposure during Expo Art Week a September 18-20
SAIC’s sesquicentennial alumni show features work by Jeff Koons, Tony Tasset, Chris Ware, and more a September 18-October 24
See photos of Chicago painters’ palettes at the Ed Paschke Art Center a September 19-November 29
Jeff Koons—in the flesh!—at the Art Institute a September 21
Barbara Kasten gets a long-overdue career survey with “Stages” at the Graham Foundation a October 1-January 9
The first Chicago Architecture Biennial brings the world to the lakefront and environs a October 3-January 3

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
Eighth Blackbird roosts at the MCA a September 2015-January 2016
Shoegaze legends Ride jump on the reunion bandwagon a September 25
The happy return of Mad Decent Block Party a September 26
AACM reedist and composer Roscoe Mitchell presents four trios at the MCA a September 27
Korn keeps the nu-metal dream of the 90s alive a October 1
Land and Sea Dept. gets a Prime Time spot at the MCA a October 2
The charming (and drummerless) Philly duo Girlpool dives into Subterranean a October 3
Prince protege Lianne La Havas is out for Blood a October 4
George Lewis presents his experimental AACM opera Afterword a October 16-17
Peaches’s new teaches land the raunchy star at the Metro a October 17
Soul Side reunion revisits Revolution Summer a November 1
Black-metal pioneer King Diamond performs Abigail in full a November 27
Pitchfork Festival class of 2015 returns to Chicago a Various times

MOVIES
Legendary artist Agnès Varda schools Chicago on filmmaking and photography a September 11-November 8
Suspense, romance, comedy, and at least one bona fide masterpiece at Asian Pop-Up Cinema a September 16-December 4
Michael Powell’s last film, Age of Consent, features Helen Mirren in an early role a September 19-20
Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario takes on the Mexican-American drug trade a September 25
Michael Shannon is a ruthless real estate broker in Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes a October 2
Steven Spielberg sticks to American historical drama with Bridge of Spies a October 16
The Boston Globe‘s pedophile priests investigation gets dramatized in Spotlight a November 6
The artist and filmmaker Stuart Sherman gets a retrospective at Chicago Filmmakers a November 7-24
Chilean director Patricio Guzman ponders the mysteries of the deep in The Pearl Button a November 13-19
Creed molds Rocky into an African-American story a November 25

COMEDY
Beth Stelling returns to Chicago to tape her new comedy album at the Beat Kitchen a September 15
Have a summah in fall with Howard Kremer of the Who Charted? podcast a September 25
Neil Hamburger brings his notorious anticomedy to Schubas a September 26
Dave Attell’s stand-up gets better—and dirtier—with age a October 8-10
Wyatt Cenac talks gentrification in Lincoln Park a November 14

BOOKS AND LIVE LIT
Pulitzer winner Margo Jefferson explores the peculiarities of black privilege in Chicago in the memoir Negroland a Out now
Joe Meno’s new novel is a Marvel and a Wonder a September 10
The five more stars at this year’s Fifth Star Awards include Sandra Cisneros, Steppenwolf, and old lion Stanley Tigerman a September 16
Leslie Zemeckis’s Goddess of Love Incarnate tells of how Lili St. Cyr made stripping classy a September 23
Sandra Cisneros lets her guard down in the memoir A House of My Own a October 6
Pulitzer-winning columnist Leonard Pitts plays with time in Grant Park a October 14
Chicago Humanities Festival asks what it means to be a citizen a October 24-November 8
Gloria Steinem talks to Roxane Gay about her new memoir, My Life on the Road a October 29
History buff Sarah Vowell looks at the Revolutionary War through the eyes of an awkward young French marquis who fought in it a October 29

TELEVISION
The Daily Show enters the Trevor Noah era a September 28
Nathan for You‘s third season means more hilariously terrible business ideas a October 15
Dick Wolf’s Chicago Med offers a dose of ER-esque hospital drama a November 10
Fall TV’s super(hero) lineup a Various times