Join us to bike in a group, to the Wild Mile where we will learn about freshwater mussels and river restoration work. The event will feature a short talk from a scientsist, mussel meet and greet, art activities, and food! Maybe even a hand wresting competition whos to say! 

12- 12:30 Bike Routes Begin 

1:30 - Arrival at Wild Mile 

2:30 Speakers 

4:00 Bike Routes Begin Back

If you've ever had burning questions about the Wild Mile or Urban Rivers, look no further. One of our knowledgable Wild Mile Docents will take you on a tour of the Wild Mile, explaining the project's history, architecture, ecology, and more. The tour will take 30-45 minutes, with plenty of time for questions. We'll meet at the entrance to the Wild Mile, behind REI. This tour is entirely outdoors, so please dress warmly during winter months.

If you'd like a tour but can't make it to any available tour dates, email team@urbanriv.org, and we'd be happy to set up a time to show you around! 

This event is free and open to everyone. Walk-ups are welcome, but if possible, please RSVP using the link below.

Come fish the Wild Mile!

During the worst of our waterway's polluted history, only 5 species of fish could be found in the Chicago River. Now, there are a whopping 77 - and many of them nest, mate, shelter, and feed around the Wild Mile! Pumpkinseed, bluegill, bass, carp, and bullhead are among the most common, but who knows what you might find! Join us monthly to learn how to safely catch them!

These events will be run by our River Ranger volunteers during the peak fishing months of 2026 (spring and fall). We'll have bait and fishing gear for you - though please bring your own pole if you happen to have one! We also have blanket fishing permits from the IDNR for these events, so anyone can participate.

To ensure a good experience for all participants and volunteer facilitators, we've divided the day into time slots with capacity limits - please try to arrive close to the beginning of your reserved time, since we'll need your rod back at the end of your time! Youth participation is highly encouraged, though parent/guardian supervision is required with a ratio of at least 1:3! 

Join CatJam Chicago for an acoustic jam session on the Wild Mile! This dynamic group of local musicians welcomes any passerby to join the jam. Come relax on the Wild Mile while enjoying the music, or bring your instrument and play with some of Chicago’s coolest cats! This event is alcohol-free.

No RSVP required! You can learn more about CatJam on Instagram, @catjamchicago.

Update - This event is unfortunately CANCELLED! We hope to host another bat walk soon!

—-

Join us as we look for bats around our floating wetlands islands. No registration needed!

We will meet at Canal Origins Park, 15 minutes before sunset, at the river overlook portion of the park.

Join us on the beautiful WIld Mile for a Sunday morning plein air painting session.

Enjoy a relaxed, creative Sunday morning hosted outdoors by Art City. Meet up at the Wild Mile and paint from nature with guidance from an experienced instructor.

Good to know:

• This Paint & Sip workshop is BYOB. Coffee and mimosas are welcome!

• Setup and all materials are included.

• All skill levels welcome.

• In case of bad weather, the event will be rescheduled to the following week.

If you've ever had burning questions about the Wild Mile or Urban Rivers, look no further. One of our knowledgable Wild Mile Docents will take you on a tour of the Wild Mile, explaining the project's history, architecture, ecology, and more. The tour will take 30-45 minutes, with plenty of time for questions. We'll meet at the entrance to the Wild Mile, behind REI. This tour is entirely outdoors, so please dress warmly during winter months.

If you'd like a tour but can't make it to any available tour dates, email team@urbanriv.org, and we'd be happy to set up a time to show you around! 

This event is free and open to everyone. Walk-ups are welcome, but if possible, please RSVP using the link below.

Join us for a day of kayaking and nature exploration at Bubbly Creek! This program is intended for residents of the communities directly surrounding Bubbly Creek, especially BIPOC residents, who have historically had less access to our local waterways.

Urban Rivers will be hosting walk-up kayaking for the duration of the event. This means our boats are first-come first-served! We’ll be joined by Shedd Aquarium, who will be running all-ages fishing workshops!

No experience is required for any activities offered! Children under 10 years old must share a kayak with a parent or guardian, as we are unable to offer tandem kayaks. If your child is under 30 pounds, you will need to provide a lifejacket for them! All participants must sign a waiver before kayaking, and/or have a waiver signed on their behalf by a legal guardian. Since we wrap up at 7, our last boats will go out no later than 6:00! Boats will launch in groups, at 3, 4, 5, and 6pm - if you arrive between those times, you may need to wait a bit!

Most activities, including kayaking, will have Spanish-Speaking staff available // La mayoría de las actividades, incluido el kayak, contarán con personal que habla español disponible.

These events will be cancelled in the case of dangerous or highly unpleasant weather. Updates will be posted on our Instagram story (@urbanrivers), and this event posting will be also be updated to reflect the cancellation - if in doubt, email team@urbanriv.org!

Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Spectral Currents: Stories from the Chicago River

The Chicago River bears the marks of centuries of massive intervention. Its course has been reversed, its edges reinforced, its waters used to carry away the products and byproducts of urban growth and waste. Yet traces of earlier landscapes and histories persist within and alongside it. Spectral Currents addresses the river and its spirits through the many presences, treating haunting as a way of attending to what remains difficult to see: displaced communities, altered ecologies, buried infrastructures, and the enduring consequences of environmental change.

Rather than asking what has been left behind, Spectral Currents asks what continues to surface.

Featuring:

• Beate Geissler 

• Gwenny Geissler

• Oakley Harber 

• Rachel Havrelock 

• Eliza Marley

• Eric Pahre 

• Oliver Sann 

• Taylor Thornburg
  

September 10th - Spectral Currents, 8pm

September 17th - Spectral Currents, 8pm

September 24th - Spectral Currents, 8pm

BYOB - BRING YOUR OWN BLANKET

Not your regular screenprinting workshop! Learn various screenprint techniques from screenprinting expert DJ Santos!

Join CatJam Chicago for an acoustic jam session on the Wild Mile! This dynamic group of local musicians welcomes any passerby to join the jam. Come relax on the Wild Mile while enjoying the music, or bring your instrument and play with some of Chicago’s coolest cats! This event is alcohol-free.

No RSVP required! You can learn more about CatJam on Instagram, @catjamchicago.

River Ranger Socials are monthly appreciation events for our volunteers. If you're a new/prospective volunteer, feel free to join us - this is a great space to meet our staff and connect with fellow River Rangers! Depending on the month, we might play some trivia or some board games, hold a potluck, or enjoy some pizza. Stay tuned to our volunteer newsletter for more information! 

About the show: a day, a moth, a wish, a motor. The sun is setting and Robyn and Helen don't know where they are or what comes next. A flashlight beam angled at enduring love and disfiguring grief, Meet Me at Dawn is about one precious moment and what to do with it.

About Snails: Snails on a Bike is a Chicago-based theatre collective specializing in performing plays in site-specific, found spaces. We are most excited about work that explores the intricacy of human relationships; all the messiness and beauty of what it means to love in our current social context. We are dedicated to fostering a collaborative and consent-forward environment, where each artist is free to contribute and advocate for themselves and their ideas. We previously collaborated with Urban Rivers on Eurydice in 2024, and we are so delighted to be back at The Wild Mile. 

snailsonabike.com

Instagram: @snailsonabike

About the show: a day, a moth, a wish, a motor. The sun is setting and Robyn and Helen don't know where they are or what comes next. A flashlight beam angled at enduring love and disfiguring grief, Meet Me at Dawn is about one precious moment and what to do with it.

About Snails: Snails on a Bike is a Chicago-based theatre collective specializing in performing plays in site-specific, found spaces. We are most excited about work that explores the intricacy of human relationships; all the messiness and beauty of what it means to love in our current social context. We are dedicated to fostering a collaborative and consent-forward environment, where each artist is free to contribute and advocate for themselves and their ideas. We previously collaborated with Urban Rivers on Eurydice in 2024, and we are so delighted to be back at The Wild Mile. 

snailsonabike.com

Instagram: @snailsonabike

Whether you’re looking for an excuse to clean out your closet or sustainably add a new piece, this event is for you! Join Sustainable Fashion Week Chicago (SFWC), Funk-it, and Urban Rivers on the Wild Mile for a scenic clothing swap.
This is a size-inclusive event, meaning all size clothing are accepted as long as the garments are clean and in good condition. All gender clothing is accepted. $10 entry, unlimited swaps! Remaining clothes will be donated to a local free store for communities in need.

To stay in the loop about other Sustainable Fashion Week events, find SFWC on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter.

The symphony where no one knows what to expect, not even the orchestra.

Instagram: @ChicagoImprovisedOrchestra

No registration required!

The Wild Mile is the world’s first floating ecopark and a rapidly expanding haven for any wildlife that calls the Chicago river home. Join the team from Urban Rivers, the non-profit behind the Wild Mile, and Chicago Ornithological Society for a relaxing gathering on the river as we search for birds and other wildlife utilizing the floating gardens. Beginning birders welcome! There are some benches and seating on the boardwalk but participants are also encouraged to bring a lawn chair, picnic blanket, or other portable outdoor furniture. 

https://www.theurbanbirdingfestival.org/

If you've ever had burning questions about the Wild Mile or Urban Rivers, look no further. One of our knowledgable Wild Mile Docents will take you on a tour of the Wild Mile, explaining the project's history, architecture, ecology, and more. The tour will take 30-45 minutes, with plenty of time for questions. We'll meet at the entrance to the Wild Mile, behind REI. This tour is entirely outdoors, so please dress warmly during winter months.

If you'd like a tour but can't make it to any available tour dates, email team@urbanriv.org, and we'd be happy to set up a time to show you around! 

This event is free and open to everyone. Walk-ups are welcome, but if possible, please RSVP using the link below.

Canal Origins Park Natural Area contains two acres of native prairie along the banks of the Chicago River and Bubbly Creek. In 2022, Urban Rivers in partnership with the Shedd Aquarium and the Park District planted 3,000 square feet of floating gardens including 3,000 native plants which support aquatic life below the water and animals and insects above the water. Learn how one the most polluted sections of the Chicago River was transformed and enjoy birding this unique location. https://www.theurbanbirdingfestival.org/ 

About the show: a day, a moth, a wish, a motor. The sun is setting and Robyn and Helen don't know where they are or what comes next. A flashlight beam angled at enduring love and disfiguring grief, Meet Me at Dawn is about one precious moment and what to do with it.

About Snails: Snails on a Bike is a Chicago-based theatre collective specializing in performing plays in site-specific, found spaces. We are most excited about work that explores the intricacy of human relationships; all the messiness and beauty of what it means to love in our current social context. We are dedicated to fostering a collaborative and consent-forward environment, where each artist is free to contribute and advocate for themselves and their ideas. We previously collaborated with Urban Rivers on Eurydice in 2024, and we are so delighted to be back at The Wild Mile. 

snailsonabike.com

Instagram: @snailsonabike

Join Urban Rivers, the non-profit behind the Wild Mile, for a relaxing gathering on the river as we search for birds and other wildlife utilizing the floating gardens. Beginning birders welcome! There are some benches and seating on the boardwalk  but participants are also encouraged to bring a lawn chair, picnic blanket, or other portable outdoor furniture. https://www.theurbanbirdingfestival.org/

Join us for a day of kayaking and nature exploration at Bubbly Creek! This program is intended for residents of the communities directly surrounding Bubbly Creek, especially BIPOC residents, who have historically had less access to our local waterways.

Urban Rivers will be hosting walk-up kayaking for the duration of the event. This means our boats are first-come first-served! We’ll be joined by Shedd Aquarium, who will be running all-ages fishing workshops!

No experience is required for any activities offered! Children under 10 years old must share a kayak with a parent or guardian, as we are unable to offer tandem kayaks. If your child is under 30 pounds, you will need to provide a lifejacket for them! All participants must sign a waiver before kayaking, and/or have a waiver signed on their behalf by a legal guardian. Since we wrap up at 7, our last boats will go out no later than 6:00! Boats will launch in groups, at 3, 4, 5, and 6pm - if you arrive between those times, you may need to wait a bit!

Most activities, including kayaking, will have Spanish-Speaking staff available // La mayoría de las actividades, incluido el kayak, contarán con personal que habla español disponible.

These events will be cancelled in the case of dangerous or highly unpleasant weather. Updates will be posted on our Instagram story (@urbanrivers), and this event posting will be also be updated to reflect the cancellation - if in doubt, email team@urbanriv.org!

Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Spectral Currents: Stories from the Chicago River

The Chicago River bears the marks of centuries of massive intervention. Its course has been reversed, its edges reinforced, its waters used to carry away the products and byproducts of urban growth and waste. Yet traces of earlier landscapes and histories persist within and alongside it. Spectral Currents addresses the river and its spirits through the many presences, treating haunting as a way of attending to what remains difficult to see: displaced communities, altered ecologies, buried infrastructures, and the enduring consequences of environmental change.

Rather than asking what has been left behind, Spectral Currents asks what continues to surface.

Featuring:

• Beate Geissler 

• Gwenny Geissler

• Oakley Harber 

• Rachel Havrelock 

• Eliza Marley

• Eric Pahre 

• Oliver Sann 

• Taylor Thornburg
  

September 10th - Spectral Currents, 8pm

September 17th - Spectral Currents, 8pm

September 24th - Spectral Currents, 8pm

BYOB - BRING YOUR OWN BLANKET

Las Nenas

Las Nenas is a Latina led salsa experience created by Itzel Rivera-Fernandez and Sofia Santana, built on the belief that dance is one of the best ways to bring people together. Through beginner friendly workshops and social dance events, we create welcoming spaces where people can move, laugh, make new friends, and connect with their community.

Whether you come with a partner, a group of friends, or on your own, you'll find a supportive environment where everyone is invited to learn, dance, and have fun. Our mission is to build community, and remind people that joy belongs on the dance floor.

Good music. Good people. Good vibes.

Find us:
Instagram: @las_nenas_chi

Join CatJam Chicago for an acoustic jam session on the Wild Mile! This dynamic group of local musicians welcomes any passerby to join the jam. Come relax on the Wild Mile while enjoying the music, or bring your instrument and play with some of Chicago’s coolest cats! This event is alcohol-free.

No RSVP required! You can learn more about CatJam on Instagram, @catjamchicago.

Join us for our South Side River Ranger Social! These are monthly appreciation events for our volunteers.

If you're a new/prospective volunteer, feel free to join us - this is a great space to meet our staff and connect with fellow River Rangers! Depending on the month, we might play some trivia or some board games, hold a potluck, or enjoy some pizza.

Join us as we look for bats around our floating wetlands islands. No registration needed!

We will meet at the Park fieldhouse 15 minutes before sunset.

About the show: a day, a moth, a wish, a motor. The sun is setting and Robyn and Helen don't know where they are or what comes next. A flashlight beam angled at enduring love and disfiguring grief, Meet Me at Dawn is about one precious moment and what to do with it.

About Snails: Snails on a Bike is a Chicago-based theatre collective specializing in performing plays in site-specific, found spaces. We are most excited about work that explores the intricacy of human relationships; all the messiness and beauty of what it means to love in our current social context. We are dedicated to fostering a collaborative and consent-forward environment, where each artist is free to contribute and advocate for themselves and their ideas. We previously collaborated with Urban Rivers on Eurydice in 2024, and we are so delighted to be back at The Wild Mile. 

snailsonabike.com

Instagram: @snailsonabike

Join us for the live stage premiere of Pablo Santiago Chin’s Green Alter Egos: an insect opera—a sensuous and surreal journey into a hidden world. This event is a double-bill show, that premieres Tania Rubio chamber music opera that immerses the audience in a fully realized sonic and visual micro-universe.

About the show: a day, a moth, a wish, a motor. The sun is setting and Robyn and Helen don't know where they are or what comes next. A flashlight beam angled at enduring love and disfiguring grief, Meet Me at Dawn is about one precious moment and what to do with it.

About Snails: Snails on a Bike is a Chicago-based theatre collective specializing in performing plays in site-specific, found spaces. We are most excited about work that explores the intricacy of human relationships; all the messiness and beauty of what it means to love in our current social context. We are dedicated to fostering a collaborative and consent-forward environment, where each artist is free to contribute and advocate for themselves and their ideas. We previously collaborated with Urban Rivers on Eurydice in 2024, and we are so delighted to be back at The Wild Mile. 

snailsonabike.com

Instagram: @snailsonabike