Saturday, October 27

Three Ace's 1st Annual Halloween Bash and Pumpkin Smash
9 p.m.
Three Aces is throwing a Halloween party featuring Sailor Jerry cocktails, pumpkin beers, pies, and, best of all, pumpkin smashing. In fact, you'll be supplied with a hammer to bust the gourds. Does it help that it's even for charity? Free to enter. 1321 West Taylor Street; event website

Halloween Harvest Ball Auction
Tickets are still available for the Green City Market Junior Board's Halloween Harvest Ball, which you can read more about here. But the online auction launched this past Monday. You can bid on items until Saturday at noon, including a guaranteed dinner for four to Schwa, which is almost priceless. event website

Monday, October 29

Meet Ming Tsai at Slurping Turtle
3 to 5 p.m.
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai will be at Slurping Turtle on Monday to sign copies of his latest book, Simply Ming in your Kitchen. The $25 ticket includes a choice of sake, beer, or a cocktail, plus some of Ming's appetizers. Slurping Turtle; event website

Beyond the Weekend

Lula's first annual Logan Square Chef's Dinner
November 5, starts at 6 p.m.
Lula Cafe is bringing in some top talent from the Logan Square neighborhood for an epic six-course meal to benefit The Comfort Station, "a multidiciplinary arts space...that provides free, art, music, film, and literary programming to the Logan Square community. Chefs include Jared Wentworth (Longman and Eagle), Matthias Merges (Yusho), Johnny Anderes (Telegraph), Beverly Kim (appeared on Top Chef), Abraham Conlon (soon to open Fat Rice), and, obviously, Jason Hammel (Lula Cafe). Tickets cost $175, and include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, six-courses, wine, tax, and gratuity. Lula Cafe; event website