Wednesday’s walk comes with tropical greenery and possibly a bat. Garfield Park Conservatory’s Creatures of the Night runs October 28, 4–7 p.m., with animal encounters among the plants. Free for Chicago residents; reserve an entry time.

Twenty-five minutes, crispy guanciale, and a spoonful of white miso make Heavy T’s carbonara a convincing reason to stay in. It serves two, needs a little attention at the stove, and rewards you with dinner that feels expensive.

The Shedd Aquarium goes free for Illinois residents Tuesday, October 27, from 5–9 p.m. Swap scrolling for jellyfish, sea otters, and something with gills. Reserve ahead; online orders carry a $5 fee, but phone reservations are fee-free.

Skip the sad packet. Katherine Anne Confections makes drinking chocolate rich enough to count as a plan, with housemade marshmallows on top. The Irving Park shop stays open until 7 p.m. weekdays. Consider this permission to take a break.

This is not your elementary-school puppet show. Rough House’s House of the Exquisite Corpse: Lullabies turns six tiny theatrical rooms into an unsettling haunted house at Steppenwolf through November 1. Book a Thursday or Friday timed entry; tickets are pay-what-you-can.

Skylark screens David Cronenberg’s Videodrome Monday, October 26, from 7–10 p.m., with an improvised live score from Curls Ultra and live projections. Admission is free, donations encouraged. Suddenly, Monday doesn’t need to be the boring night.