Events
Join us for our upcoming events! Urban Rivers events are always free and open to everyone.
If you’d like to host an event with us, check out our event guidelines, then get in touch via our “contact” page! We’re happy to host community events year-round.
Featured
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Wild Mile Projections: Special Edition!
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Join us on the Wild Mile for a a recap of four projection pieces from Wild Mile Projections! The event will feature a collection of past projections displayed at the Wild Mile, including Beneath Breathing, Seasons of Care, Barada, Skunk Run, and Spectral Currents.
Wild Mile Yoga!
Join us for yoga on Chicago’s beautiful floating docks along the North Branch of the Chicago River, surrounded by native gardens and urban wildlife. This class is open to all levels and offers a grounding start to your week in a truly unique outdoor space. Classes end with a short crystal bowl sound bath.
The Wild Mile is a public eco-park created by Urban Rivers, whose mission is to restore wild habitat along the river. 20% of all proceeds go directly to support their ongoing efforts.
We’ll practice on the beautiful floating docks of The Wild Mile, an urban nature sanctuary in the heart of Chicago. Surrounded by native plants, pollinators, and the calming flow of the river, this class is an energizing and grounding way to start your week.
When: Sundays, 5-6pm
Where: The Wild Mile
Bring: A yoga mat, water, and any props you love
Pricing:
$22 to pre-register online
$25 at the door (cash or Venmo)
🌿 All levels welcome.
💚 20% of proceeds support Urban Rivers, the nonprofit stewarding this unique ecological space.
Wild Mile S'Mores Night
Join us on the Wild Mile to enjoy a sweet snack! We’ll have all the supplies you need, but feel free to bring your own fixing!
This event is free and open to everyone. Walk-ups are welcome, but if possible, please RSVP using the link below.
Please note that during the winter months, it’s not uncommon for us to cancel due to very cold weather. If you RSVP, we’ll email you in the event of a cancellation - this is usually anytime it’s under 30ºF and windy, and/or raining.
Wild Mile Projections: Spectral Currents
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
Snails on a Bike: Meet Me at Dawn
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.
Instagram: @snailsonabike
Fishing on the Wild Mile!
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!
Be a River Ranger: Kayak Cleanup!
Normally, there’s is a formal training process before our volunteers (River Rangers) can participate in the kayak clean-ups. During this event, Urban Rivers staff and experienced River Rangers will be on hand to conduct safety talks and escort you out - and maybe point out some neat turtles and herons along the way!
We'll also have stations for making clay "seed bombs" to help get native plant seeds from the Wild Mile distributed to a wider area. This is a great activity for kids who are too young for kayaking.
The whole day is sponsored by Love, Tito's, which has been an important supporter of Urban Rivers' efforts on the Chicago River.
Snails on a Bike: Meet Me at Dawn
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.
Instagram: @snailsonabike
Insectropolis: Soundscapes in the Urban Gardens
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.
Snails on a Bike: Meet Me at Dawn
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.
Instagram: @snailsonabike
Workshop: Beginner Salsa with Las Nenas
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
Wild Mile Projections: Spectral Currents
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
Urban Bird Fest Sunset Watch at the Wild Mile
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/
Snails on a Bike: Meet Me at Dawn
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.
Instagram: @snailsonabike
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Urban Bird Fest Big Sit at the Wild Mile
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.
Chicago Improvised Orchestra
The symphony where no one knows what to expect, not even the orchestra.
Instagram: @ChicagoImprovisedOrchestra
No registration required!
Sustainable Fashion Week Chicago: Clothing Swap on the Wild Mile!
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.
Snails on a Bike: Meet Me at Dawn
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.
Instagram: @snailsonabike
Snails on a Bike: Meet Me at Dawn
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.
Instagram: @snailsonabike
Workshop: Screenprinting and Fabrication with DJ Santos
Not your regular screenprinting workshop! Learn various screenprint techniques from screenprinting expert DJ Santos!
Wild Mile Projections: Spectral Currents
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
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Art City: Plein Air Paint-and-Sip on the Wild Mile
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.
Fishing on the Wild Mile!
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!
Fishing on the Wild Mile!
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!
Art City: Plein Air Paint-and-Sip on the Wild Mile
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.
Fishing on the Wild Mile!
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!
Wild Mile Projections: Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Artists Casey Brown (Ho-Chunk) and Selena Kearney (Chehalis), recognizing the ancestral presence of water in what is now known as Chicago, build this work around the intentional observation of water. Spending time gathering light on water, reflections, and movement within these waterways, they aim to deepen attention and create quiet meditations on this life force. Both artists bring deep cultural relationships to canoeing, approaching the river not as documented subject but as a place experienced through slow, human-powered travel. The canoe creates the conditions for careful looking, listening, and collaboration.
Thursdays, 9:00–9:30 PM
August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27, September 3rd
Artists: Selena Kearney & Casey Brown
Workshop: Insect Pinning with lally Fabela
Join Lally as they teach us the basics behind taxidermy and lead us through an insect pinning. Learn the diffrent ways to dispaly diffrent parts of the animal.
We will be pinning Honeybees and participants will get to take thier bee home with them. The honeybees have been ethically sourced and were not hurt in this process.
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Wild Mile Yoga!
Join us for yoga on Chicago’s beautiful floating docks along the North Branch of the Chicago River, surrounded by native gardens and urban wildlife. This class is open to all levels and offers a grounding start to your week in a truly unique outdoor space. Classes end with a short crystal bowl sound bath.
The Wild Mile is a public eco-park created by Urban Rivers, whose mission is to restore wild habitat along the river. 20% of all proceeds go directly to support their ongoing efforts.
We’ll practice on the beautiful floating docks of The Wild Mile, an urban nature sanctuary in the heart of Chicago. Surrounded by native plants, pollinators, and the calming flow of the river, this class is an energizing and grounding way to start your week.
When: Sundays, 5-6pm
Where: The Wild Mile
Bring: A yoga mat, water, and any props you love
Pricing:
$22 to pre-register online
$25 at the door (cash or Venmo)
🌿 All levels welcome.
💚 20% of proceeds support Urban Rivers, the nonprofit stewarding this unique ecological space.
Wild Mile Projections: Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Artists Casey Brown (Ho-Chunk) and Selena Kearney (Chehalis), recognizing the ancestral presence of water in what is now known as Chicago, build this work around the intentional observation of water. Spending time gathering light on water, reflections, and movement within these waterways, they aim to deepen attention and create quiet meditations on this life force. Both artists bring deep cultural relationships to canoeing, approaching the river not as documented subject but as a place experienced through slow, human-powered travel. The canoe creates the conditions for careful looking, listening, and collaboration.
Thursdays, 9:00–9:30 PM
August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27, September 3rd
Artists: Selena Kearney & Casey Brown
Workshop: Foraging at the Wild Mile with Dave Odd
Dave Odd is a full time professional forager in Chicagoland. Through his Eat the Neighborhood Foraging Tours and Events he has taught thousands of people about the edible and medicinal wild plants and mushrooms that grow right in their own backyards. On any given tour he guarantees he will show you at least 50 edible or medicinal plants and mushrooms. He has been featured on The Discovery Channel, TED Talks, PBS, WTTW, WBEZ, WGN, Fox 32, The Chicago Sun Times, The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, The Washington Post and more.
Find him at:
Eattheneighborhood on IG and TikTok.
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Wild Mile Yoga!
Join us for yoga on Chicago’s beautiful floating docks along the North Branch of the Chicago River, surrounded by native gardens and urban wildlife. This class is open to all levels and offers a grounding start to your week in a truly unique outdoor space. Classes end with a short crystal bowl sound bath.
The Wild Mile is a public eco-park created by Urban Rivers, whose mission is to restore wild habitat along the river. 20% of all proceeds go directly to support their ongoing efforts.
We’ll practice on the beautiful floating docks of The Wild Mile, an urban nature sanctuary in the heart of Chicago. Surrounded by native plants, pollinators, and the calming flow of the river, this class is an energizing and grounding way to start your week.
When: Sundays, 5-6pm
Where: The Wild Mile
Bring: A yoga mat, water, and any props you love
Pricing:
$22 to pre-register online
$25 at the door (cash or Venmo)
🌿 All levels welcome.
💚 20% of proceeds support Urban Rivers, the nonprofit stewarding this unique ecological space.
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Wild Mile Projections: Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Artists Casey Brown (Ho-Chunk) and Selena Kearney (Chehalis), recognizing the ancestral presence of water in what is now known as Chicago, build this work around the intentional observation of water. Spending time gathering light on water, reflections, and movement within these waterways, they aim to deepen attention and create quiet meditations on this life force. Both artists bring deep cultural relationships to canoeing, approaching the river not as documented subject but as a place experienced through slow, human-powered travel. The canoe creates the conditions for careful looking, listening, and collaboration.
Thursdays, 9:00–9:30 PM
August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27, September 3rd
Artists: Selena Kearney & Casey Brown
Workshop: Bird Collision Workshop with Holly Greenberg And the Chicago Ornithological Society
Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene is a large-scale civic engagement art project comprising over 10,000 bird replicas made by the citizens of Chicago and beyond. Join us at this free public workshop where you will create a replica of a specific bird that died in 2023 from a window collision in Chicago. The finished artwork will be a “red carpet” of birds measuring the length of a football field and exhibited throughout the city to raise awareness about bird safe windows and celebrate the over 300 species of birds that fly through our city.
Wild Mile S'Mores Night
Join us on the Wild Mile to enjoy a sweet snack! We’ll have all the supplies you need, but feel free to bring your own fixing!
This event is free and open to everyone. Walk-ups are welcome, but if possible, please RSVP using the link below.
Please note that during the winter months, it’s not uncommon for us to cancel due to very cold weather. If you RSVP, we’ll email you in the event of a cancellation - this is usually anytime it’s under 30ºF and windy, and/or raining.
Wild Mile Yoga!
Join us for yoga on Chicago’s beautiful floating docks along the North Branch of the Chicago River, surrounded by native gardens and urban wildlife. This class is open to all levels and offers a grounding start to your week in a truly unique outdoor space. Classes end with a short crystal bowl sound bath.
The Wild Mile is a public eco-park created by Urban Rivers, whose mission is to restore wild habitat along the river. 20% of all proceeds go directly to support their ongoing efforts.
We’ll practice on the beautiful floating docks of The Wild Mile, an urban nature sanctuary in the heart of Chicago. Surrounded by native plants, pollinators, and the calming flow of the river, this class is an energizing and grounding way to start your week.
When: Sundays, 5-6pm
Where: The Wild Mile
Bring: A yoga mat, water, and any props you love
Pricing:
$22 to pre-register online
$25 at the door (cash or Venmo)
🌿 All levels welcome.
💚 20% of proceeds support Urban Rivers, the nonprofit stewarding this unique ecological space.
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
[POSTPONED FOR RAIN] Wild Mile Projections: Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
THE EVENT ON 8/13 HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN! Come back next week!
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Artists Casey Brown (Ho-Chunk) and Selena Kearney (Chehalis), recognizing the ancestral presence of water in what is now known as Chicago, build this work around the intentional observation of water. Spending time gathering light on water, reflections, and movement within these waterways, they aim to deepen attention and create quiet meditations on this life force. Both artists bring deep cultural relationships to canoeing, approaching the river not as documented subject but as a place experienced through slow, human-powered travel. The canoe creates the conditions for careful looking, listening, and collaboration.
Thursdays, 9:00–9:30 PM
August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27
Artists: Selena Kearney & Casey Brown
Workshop: Zines and FOIAs with the FOIA Bakery Project
Zines and Foias with the FOIA Bakery Project - More information forthcoming!
Wild Mile Yoga!
Join us for yoga on Chicago’s beautiful floating docks along the North Branch of the Chicago River, surrounded by native gardens and urban wildlife. This class is open to all levels and offers a grounding start to your week in a truly unique outdoor space. Classes end with a short crystal bowl sound bath.
The Wild Mile is a public eco-park created by Urban Rivers, whose mission is to restore wild habitat along the river. 20% of all proceeds go directly to support their ongoing efforts.
We’ll practice on the beautiful floating docks of The Wild Mile, an urban nature sanctuary in the heart of Chicago. Surrounded by native plants, pollinators, and the calming flow of the river, this class is an energizing and grounding way to start your week.
When: Sundays, 5-6pm
Where: The Wild Mile
Bring: A yoga mat, water, and any props you love
Pricing:
$22 to pre-register online
$25 at the door (cash or Venmo)
🌿 All levels welcome.
💚 20% of proceeds support Urban Rivers, the nonprofit stewarding this unique ecological space.
Wild Mile Projections: Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Skunk Run - Gųųšgoonąk
Artists Casey Brown (Ho-Chunk) and Selena Kearney (Chehalis), recognizing the ancestral presence of water in what is now known as Chicago, build this work around the intentional observation of water. Spending time gathering light on water, reflections, and movement within these waterways, they aim to deepen attention and create quiet meditations on this life force. Both artists bring deep cultural relationships to canoeing, approaching the river not as documented subject but as a place experienced through slow, human-powered travel. The canoe creates the conditions for careful looking, listening, and collaboration.
Thursdays, 9:00–9:30 PM
August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27
Artists: Selena Kearney & Casey Brown
Workshop: Wild Mile Tree Walk with the Morton Arboretum
The Chicago Region Tree Initiative (CRTI) at the Morton Arboretum is hosting a summer tree walk series. Please join us August 6th 5 -7 pm at the Wild Mile to learn more about how trees and rivers intersect, tree identification, and how we all can be good stewards of the Chicago Area! For this walk please rsvp using the button below, and register on here as well: https://mortonarb.tfaforms.net/48?id=a5gVy0000018TqfIAE
Find them at: @MortonArb
Wild Mile Yoga!
Join us for yoga on Chicago’s beautiful floating docks along the North Branch of the Chicago River, surrounded by native gardens and urban wildlife. This class is open to all levels and offers a grounding start to your week in a truly unique outdoor space. Classes end with a short crystal bowl sound bath.
The Wild Mile is a public eco-park created by Urban Rivers, whose mission is to restore wild habitat along the river. 20% of all proceeds go directly to support their ongoing efforts.
We’ll practice on the beautiful floating docks of The Wild Mile, an urban nature sanctuary in the heart of Chicago. Surrounded by native plants, pollinators, and the calming flow of the river, this class is an energizing and grounding way to start your week.
When: Sundays, 5-6pm
Where: The Wild Mile
Bring: A yoga mat, water, and any props you love
Pricing:
$22 to pre-register online
$25 at the door (cash or Venmo)
🌿 All levels welcome.
💚 20% of proceeds support Urban Rivers, the nonprofit stewarding this unique ecological space.
Workshop: Nature Journaling with Chicago Nature Journaling Club
Bring your curiosity and build connections with nature to this workshop hosted by members of Chicago Nature Journaling Club! We'll be reflecting on the Chicago River as well as its planted neighbors on Wild Mile. You can expect an informal nature journaling session where facilitators will provide a few different prompts to get started. Participants will be welcome to write, draw, etc. throughout and to share their pages at the end of the evening. All levels of experience with art and naturalist practice are welcome. Basic journaling materials will be available, but feel free to bring paper or a notebook of your choice and materials like pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers or watercolors as well.
Wild Mile S'Mores Night
Join us on the Wild Mile to enjoy a sweet snack! We’ll have all the supplies you need, but feel free to bring your own fixing!
This event is free and open to everyone. Walk-ups are welcome, but if possible, please RSVP using the link below.
Please note that during the winter months, it’s not uncommon for us to cancel due to very cold weather. If you RSVP, we’ll email you in the event of a cancellation - this is usually anytime it’s under 30ºF and windy, and/or raining.
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Wild Mile Projections: Barada
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Barada
Barada brings the memory of Damascus's Barada River into dialogue with the waters of the Wild Mile. Drawing from the earliest known depiction of the river in an 8th-century mosaic from the Umayyad Mosque, the projection explores themes of belonging, displacement, and the ways memory transforms landscapes into places of cultural and personal significance. Depicting the Barada as a vision of paradise—golden water, mountain villages, and towering riverside trees—the historic mosaic is brought into conversation with the Chicago River and the restored ecology of the Wild Mile. Rather than serving as a memorial, Barada creates a meeting place between two rivers, inviting viewers to reflect on what it means to carry a sense of home across distances and to find connection and belonging in an unfamiliar landscape.
July 28th 9:00–9:30 PM
Artist: Jude Kharchou
Wild Mile Yoga!
Join us for yoga on Chicago’s beautiful floating docks along the North Branch of the Chicago River, surrounded by native gardens and urban wildlife. This class is open to all levels and offers a grounding start to your week in a truly unique outdoor space. Classes end with a short crystal bowl sound bath.
The Wild Mile is a public eco-park created by Urban Rivers, whose mission is to restore wild habitat along the river. 20% of all proceeds go directly to support their ongoing efforts.
We’ll practice on the beautiful floating docks of The Wild Mile, an urban nature sanctuary in the heart of Chicago. Surrounded by native plants, pollinators, and the calming flow of the river, this class is an energizing and grounding way to start your week.
When: Sundays, 5-6pm
Where: The Wild Mile
Bring: A yoga mat, water, and any props you love
Pricing:
$22 to pre-register online
$25 at the door (cash or Venmo)
🌿 All levels welcome.
💚 20% of proceeds support Urban Rivers, the nonprofit stewarding this unique ecological space.
Wild Mile Walking Tour
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.
Wild Mile Projections: Barada
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Barada
Barada brings the memory of Damascus's Barada River into dialogue with the waters of the Wild Mile. Drawing from the earliest known depiction of the river in an 8th-century mosaic from the Umayyad Mosque, the projection explores themes of belonging, displacement, and the ways memory transforms landscapes into places of cultural and personal significance. Depicting the Barada as a vision of paradise—golden water, mountain villages, and towering riverside trees—the historic mosaic is brought into conversation with the Chicago River and the restored ecology of the Wild Mile. Rather than serving as a memorial, Barada creates a meeting place between two rivers, inviting viewers to reflect on what it means to carry a sense of home across distances and to find connection and belonging in an unfamiliar landscape.
Thursdays, 9:00–9:30 PM
July 16, July 23, July 30
Artist: Jude Kharchou
5th Annual Wild Mile Block Party!
Ready for a party? Join us on the Wild Mile for a celebration of our urban waterways and thriving park spaces. Enjoy local beer, cocktails, food trucks, music, and an outdoorsy prize drawing! Learn from Urban Rivers volunteers how YOU can make a difference for your local waterway, and connect with local nonprofits, artists, and small businesses. The Block Party is FREE, and fun for all ages!
We'll party rain-or-shine, and only cancel in the case of hazardous weather!
Wild Mile Projections: Barada
Wild Mile Projections - a collaboration between Urban Rivers and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Barada
Barada brings the memory of Damascus's Barada River into dialogue with the waters of the Wild Mile. Drawing from the earliest known depiction of the river in an 8th-century mosaic from the Umayyad Mosque, the projection explores themes of belonging, displacement, and the ways memory transforms landscapes into places of cultural and personal significance. Depicting the Barada as a vision of paradise—golden water, mountain villages, and towering riverside trees—the historic mosaic is brought into conversation with the Chicago River and the restored ecology of the Wild Mile. Rather than serving as a memorial, Barada creates a meeting place between two rivers, inviting viewers to reflect on what it means to carry a sense of home across distances and to find connection and belonging in an unfamiliar landscape.
Thursdays, 9:00–9:30 PM
July 16, July 23, July 30
Artist: Jude Kharchou
Workshop: Native Fauna Origami with Ty Yamamoto
Ty Yamamoto is a Chicago-based photographer and Japanese teacher with a passion for the art of folding paper. Ever since childhood, Ty has loved folding all sorts of intricate paper creations. Over the past five years, Ty has brought origami to libraries, offices, schools and more, bringing the traditional Japanese art form to households all over the world.
Find them at: Ty Yamamoto (@ty_yamamoto1) • Instagram photos and videos