Get some fresh air today by joining a free garden tour at the Lincoln Park Zoo (2001 N. Clark). Every second Saturday, a staff horticulturist leads groups through the zoo’s gardens, identifying what’s in bloom, noting fauna attractive to pollinators and animals, and answering questions about our natural environment. Summer tours are focused on prairie flowers but will cover other things, too. Tours go from 10-11 AM and start at the Café Brauer gate (2021 N. Stockton). Be sure to get there sooner rather than later because the tours cap at 15 people! Unable to make it? Lincoln Park Zoo offers this free map for self-guided tours. (MC)
The Chicago Tool Library partners with Plant Chicago to host a free stuff swap at their farmer’s market in Davis Square Park (4459 S. Marshfield). Whether you’re doing some downsizing or looking for something it’s been hard to spend money on, they want to see you. This is an opportunity to redistribute resources within the community! Bring or take clothes, sports equipment, games, kitchen appliances, and more. It’ll be happening from 11 AM-3 PM. (MC)
Dance For Life hosts its 31st annual fundraiser tonight at 6 PM at the Auditorium Theatre (50 E. Ida B. Wells), bringing together artists and companies from across the city in support of Chicago Dancers United, a nonprofit providing funds for preventative health care and critical medical needs for dance professionals. Some highlights of this year’s performances include hip-hop contemporary company Chicago Dance Crash, who will be previewing Us vs. Them, a segment from their upcoming 20th anniversary piece Booms Day, choreographed by Annie Franklin to music by Man From Sol, Jonah k, and Overlook; Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s Parallel Lives, choreographed by cofounder and associate artistic director Gary Abbott to original music by Evangelos Spanos, based on La Folía (one of the oldest remembered European folk themes) and portraying the lives of poor women who share stories of life-changing events; NAJWA Dance Corps with a trio of pieces inspired by the music and rituals of West African tribes presented as The Guinea Suite, choreographed by Mouminato Camara to live percussion; and work by jazz company Giordano Dance Chicago, Trinity Irish Dance Company, the Joffrey Ballet, and Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater. Additionally, Randy Duncan choreographs a world-premiere finale, Never Enough, with music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen) and additional music by Andy Mitran, featuring dancers from throughout the Chicago area. Tickets for the performance are $25-$125; if you’re feeling extra generous/fancy, you can shell out $500 for the performance and the afterparty at Venue SIX10 (610 S. Michigan); 312-341-2300 or auditoriumtheatre.org. (KR)
If you prefer your dance al fresco, then Links Hall’s Dance the Walk might be your ticket (except that it’s actually free!) Meet at noon at the Confluence on the Riverwalk at Franklin and Lake for this doubleheader of community workshops and performances. First up is Arab dance with musician and folk dancer Karim Nagi. At 1 PM, Nagi joins Dawn Xiana Moon and Raks Geek, specialists in bellydance, flow arts, and firespinning (who also performed Friday at Newport Theater), along with multidisciplinary artist Ále Campos (performing as Celeste). All the performances include ASL interpretation, and reservations aren’t required, but you can find more information at linkshall.org. (KR)
South-side comedy theater The Revival (1160 E. 55th) presents The Excited State tonight at 7:30 PM. Featuring “Chicago’s most outgoing scientists from UChicago, UIC, IIT, Fermi Lab, Argonne and elsewhere,” this improvised show focuses (naturally!) on the history of science, from breakthroughs to common misconceptions, with a special guest at each performance. (The next show will be Sat, 9/10). Tickets are $15 ($10 students with valid ID), and can be reserved at the-revival.com. (KR)