Your perfect weekend | Dalai Lama + Sketchbook Project + Race to Mackinac

Friday, Jul 15

For a new perspective on Chicago’s urban landscape, let an Australian performance group be your tour guide. En Route (TBA venue; 312-595-5600; 11am, 2, 5pm; $35)—part of Chicago Shakespeare’s acclaimed World’s Stage series—is a roaming play-cum-tour led by MP3 player. Hear music or poetry over a set of headphones, look around for odd happenings (which may or may not be part of the performance), and discover a few surprises along the way. If you get lost, don’t worry—the performers are available via text message.

The old-fashioned art of putting pencil to paper is on display at Sketchbook Project (Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S Cornell Ave; 773-324-5520; noon–5pm; free). Traveling from Brooklyn, the four-day sketchbook show—which bills itself as a full-service reference library—sets up shop at HPAC. Full sketchbooks are available for browsing (the org displays about 10,000 of them), and for $25, you can buy a blank version. Fill it out, mail it in and it will be exhibited on the 2012 Sketchbook Project tour.