Mark Smith runs a tight ship at the poetry slam held on Sunday nights at the Green Mill.

This is one of those beloved “not just for tourists” downtown institutions. In this room, with this service, with this food, it would be near impossible not to feel like a pampered star nestled in the lap of luxury.

Situated directly behind the Pritzker Pavilion, the Harris theater is one of the gems in the Millennium Park crown and, as of 2003, one of the great venues in Chicago for viewing dance and music events.

The Volo car museum is one of the most family friendly museums around but it’s also perfect for anyone seeking a quirky, off-the-beaten-path experience. Car buffs, engine aficionados and civilian motorists alike will be wowed by the exhibits.

Showcasing traditional Catalan tapas dishes updated with contemporary flourishes, Mercat offers an outstanding dining experience in a beautiful setting.

It’s not Cirque du Soleil. Less theater, more thrills; less art, more action. Cirque Shanghai is the other big circus which rolls through town every year.

This annual Windy City Wine Festival brings in wineries from around the world offering samples of their stock without the pretentious atmosphere.

On select Sunday evenings through October, you can drop in and catch live music at the Centennial Monument in Logan Square as part of the Sundays in the Park music series.

As you know if you’ve seen any of the Cirque du Soleil productions, you’ll be captivated and delighted by all of the show’s hallmarks: amazing acrobats and contortionists, dazzling themed costumes, and oddball intergalactic clowns.

Happening Thursdays through Saturdays, Summer Dance Chicago features a different style of music from around the world, and attendees are invited to learn the dance style associated with the music before a live band takes the stage to kick the proceedings into high gear.

Fortunately, the good folks over at the Neo-Futurists never let bad movie scripts disappear. With their weekly series, “It Came from the Neo-Futurarium X,” running every Thursday, the talented troupe of actors resurrect the dead for the purpose of hilarity.