Chicago Humanities Fall Festival: Northwestern University Day

Northwestern University Day is one of three festival days in the Chicago Humanities fall season, which runs September through November across the city. According to the organizer, the Evanston day is Sunday, October 4, 2026, with a schedule of ticketed talks from noon into the evening: Francis Fukuyama at noon; Ayad Akhtar and a talk and singalong with Monty Python’s Eric Idle at 1 p.m.; Peter Sagal’s Constitution Sessions at 2:30 p.m.; Sarah M. S. Pearsall and comedian Jeff Garlin at 4 p.m.; Leila Slimani at 5:30 p.m.; and Anand Giridharadas at 7 p.m. John Green’s 7 p.m. event and the campus walking tours had sold out by late September.

The full season is bigger than one day. WTTW reported on August 11, 2026 that the fall lineup runs nearly 50 events, with festival days in Pilsen on September 26 and at the University of Chicago on November 7 as well. Axios Chicago listed Eric Idle at Cahn Auditorium and Leila Slimani at Lutkin Hall. The night after, Ira Glass and Etgar Keret appear at the Athenaeum Center in Lakeview on October 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Each talk is ticketed separately through the organizer; prices vary and members buy first. Most run about an hour, so you can string three or four together across the afternoon.

Plan your visit

Take the Purple Line to Davis; Cahn Auditorium at Emerson and Sheridan is a 10-minute walk northeast. Metra’s Union Pacific North line stops at Davis Street. Campus parking is free on Sundays in most Northwestern lots and garages, and downtown Evanston garages on Church and Maple are a walk of about 15 minutes. Venues are spread across the campus, so leave 15 minutes between talks and wear walking shoes. The Eric Idle and Jeff Garlin talks will be the crowded ones; arrive early, since seating is general admission in most halls. Bring ID for will-call and a jacket for the lakefront walk between buildings.