Dry January in Chicago, and still out of the house.

Beer & Board Games Chicago at Navigator Taproom

Bonus Round Game Cafe

Chicago Chess Center

Chicago Game Lovers - Monday learn-and-play at Monochrome Brewing

Snakes & Lattes Chicago game night (Meetup)

Bath House Chicago

Contrast Hot + Cold (Community Room)

Eastend Sauna

Ethos Sauna + Cold Plunge

Harbor & Voyage

Oak St. Sauna

Sunday chess meetup for all levels, Sulzer Regional library, Chicago

A friendly chess meetup in Lincoln Square's big regional library: play a few games and meet new people, whatever your level. Bring your own set if you have one. The room is small, so the organisers ask you to RSVP through their Meetup group (meetup.com/ChicagoChess), where any updates are posted. Free. «Sulzer Chess Meetup» Starts 13:30, ends about 15:30. Source: Chicago Public Library events.

Knit Together: Beginner-Friendly Knitting at Harold Washington

Experienced needleworker Adriana Reyneri leads a beginner-friendly knitting and crochet group at the central library. Bring your own project or start something new with materials the library provides. Busy hands make conversation easy, even with complete strangers.

Crafting Corner, Brighton Park Library, Chicago

On Wednesday 6 January 2027 the Brighton Park Branch of the Chicago Public Library, at 4314 South Archer Avenue, holds its Crafting Corner in the meeting room. The listing asks whether you want to make more crafts this year and invites you to join in every Wednesday, or Sunday, when the group makes a new craft or continues a previous one. The text is given in English and Spanish. The programme is open to adults and teenagers, and entry is free. The library asks anyone who needs sign language interpretation or other accessibility help to contact the branch at least 14 business days before the event. A weekly crafting hour in a neighbourhood library is a simple, low-pressure way to start the new year with something creative, to practise English or Spanish with friendly people and to meet others on the Southwest Side. Come with an idea, or just come to see what the group is making that week. The session starts at 16:00 and ends at about 17:00. «Crafting Corner» Starts 16:00, ends about 17:00. Source: Chicago Public Library events.

Library Explorers Club walk and tour, Walker Branch, Chicago

On Saturday 9 January 2027 the Walker Branch of the Chicago Public Library, at 11071 South Hoyne Avenue, hosts the Library Explorers Club, a monthly programme run with Books with Betsy and Read & Run Chicago. Each month the club visits one of the system's 82 branches. The listing sets out the afternoon: an optional run or walk at 1:30 PM, an introduction to the branch with fun facts and history from a staff member at 2:00 PM, then optional library card sign-up and quiet reading from 2:30 PM, with light snacks and drinks provided. It is open to anyone, and you do not need to be a runner, walker or reader. Come alone, come with friends and join for any part of the afternoon. It is free and in English. The afternoon starts at 13:30 and ends at about 16:00. «Library Explorers Club: Walker Branch» Starts 13:30, ends about 16:00. Source: Chicago Public Library events.

Comic Book Roundtable: Latino Superheroes at Sulzer Library

This monthly meetup for adult comic fans focuses on Latino superheroes, from Miles Morales to Blue Beetle and America Chavez. The library suggests titles to read beforehand, and the group is for ages 18 and up. A shared fandom gives you plenty to talk about from the first minute.

Sunday chess meetup, Sulzer Library, Chicago

On Sunday 10 January the Sulzer Regional branch of the Chicago Public Library, on North Lincoln Avenue, hosts a chess meetup for adults in its small meeting room. The invitation is simple: come to play some chess and meet new friends, with players of every level welcome. If you own a chess set you are asked to bring it. The room has limited capacity, so registration is required, and the library points to the Chicago Chess group on Meetup for signing up; updates about the event go to people on that RSVP list. Entry is free and the language is English. The meetup runs from 13:30 to 15:30, a relaxed Sunday afternoon slot. Chess is a good game for arriving alone, because a board gives you an instant reason to sit down with a stranger, and you can leave with a new opponent for next time. «Sulzer Chess Meetup» Starts 13:30, ends about 15:30. Source: Chicago Public Library events.

Knit Together: beginner knitting and crochet, central library, Chicago

A new-year hobby with company: experienced needleworker Adriana Reyneri leads a beginner-friendly knitting and crochet group on the 8th floor of the central library downtown. Bring a project you are working on or start something new; the library provides the materials. Free; register on the library page (20 places, with a waitlist). «Knit Together» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: Chicago Public Library events.

Harsh Readers Circle: Marable's Malcolm X Biography at Woodson

The Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection opens its 2027 reading year with Manning Marable's biography of Malcolm X. The book circle is free for adults and meets in person at Woodson Regional, with a Zoom option on request. A shared, substantial book gives plenty to talk about with new people.