This week’s featured shot from the TOC Flickr photo group comes to us from Jeremy Farmer Photography.

By the way, take a few minutes to read the Declaration of Independence. It still, as they say, holds up.

Also, not actually about the 4th of July, but still great is "Independence Day." Freedom’s just another word for getting the hell out out.

We’ll be back on Monday. In the meantime, here’s a list of 20 things to do this weekend.

FRIDAY

ART & DESIGN - oFFFice hours
The Anti-Advertising Agency’s Foundation for Freedom hosts this drop-in “clinic,” which helps Mad Men (and Women) learn how to use their design skills for good rather than cigarette billboards. 1–4pm. Mess Hall, 6932 N Glenwood Ave between Morse and Farwell Aves (antiadvertisingagency.com). El: Red to Morse. Bus: 22 (24hrs), 96, 151 (24hrs), 155. FREE!

DANCE -  SummerDance: Jitterbug 
What better way to celebrate Independence Day than with a uniquely American dance? Instructors from Big City Swing lead an hour-long lesson in Jitterbug at 6pm. At 7:30pm, the big band Spirit of the U.S.O. starts swingin’. 6pm. Grant Park, Spirit of Music Garden, 601 S Michigan Ave at Harrison St (312-744-6630). El: Red to Harrison. Bus: 1, 3, X3, 4 (24hrs), X4, 6, 7, 10, 14, 26, 28, 126, 127, 145, 146, 147.

FILM - Rocky IV at Music Box
We’re not really recommending this rancid slab of glasnost-era jingoism, which the Music Box is screening as a midnight movie. But that "Hearts on Fire" montage—Drago on the treadmill! Rocky on the mountain!—definitely qualifies as "accidental genius."  Midnight. Music Box, 3733 N Southport Ave between Grace St and Waveland Ave (773-871-6604). El: Brown to Paulina. Bus: 80 Irving Park, 152 Addison. $9.25. Also Saturday.

FILM - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
For those who like their timeless musicals en français. 11:30am. Music Box, 3733 N Southport Ave between Grace St and Waveland Ave (773-871-6604). El: Brown to Paulina. Bus: 80 Irving Park, 152 Addison. $7.25. Also Saturday.

GAY & LESBIAN - Poetry Slam
Chicago Windy City Black Pride offers up an evening of slamm’ good spoken word with a cash purse  worth $400. 6:30pm. Circuit, 3641 N Halsted St between Addison St and Waveland Ave (773-325-2233). El: Red to Addison. Bus: 8 Halsted, 152 Addison. $7.

MUSIC - Taste of Chicago: Gomez + Old 97’s + Alejandro Escovedo
Despite winning England’s esteemed Mercury Music Prize ten years ago, Brit rockers Gomez has descended into feel-good folk-rock. Though, that shouldn’t surprise too many fans considering it’s been signed to Dave Matthews’s label, ATO Records, since 2005. It also may explain why Gomez concentrates its U.S. tours on the jam-band circuit, where creative evolution has never been much of a concern. Alt-country careerists the Old 97’s and Alejandro Escovedo open tonight’s installment of the Taste. 3pm. Grant Park, Petrillo Music Shell 235 S Columbus Drive, at Jackson Blvd, Printers Row/South Loop, Chicago (312-744-3315) FREE!

SATURDAY

DANCE Paris-Buenos Aires
Five couples from the Broadway show Forever Tango slither and slice around the stage, while the Paris-based band Tanguisimo and singer Jose Luis Barreto provide accompaniment. This is part of the Chicago Tango Week 2008 Festival. 8pm. North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie (847-673-6300, centreeast.org). El: Yellow to Skokie, then bus: 97 Skokie (Old Orchard). $50–$60.

FILM -  In a Lonely Place
Gloria Grahame covers for, then falls for, a screenwriter (Humphrey Bogart) with a dark past. He may even be a murderer. Set your masterpiece alert to "on."  8pm. Bank of America Cinema, 4901 W Irving Park Rd between Lavergne and Lamon Aves (312-904-9442). Bus: 54, 54A, X80, 80. $5, seniors and kids under ten $3.

GAY & LESBIAN - Black Party
Clubhouse Productions busts out a smokin’ hot hip-hop and house party featuring DJs Anton, Kenae and Craig Loftis as part of Chicago Windy City Black Pride’s weekend of Pride parties. 10pm. Congress Theater, 2135 N Milwaukee Ave between Maplewood Ave and Rockwell St (773-486-6672). El: Blue to Western. Bus: 49, 56, 73. $20.

MUSEUMS & CULTURE - Bristol Renaissance Fair
Jousters, jesters and wenches convene at the Wisconsin border for this Elizabethan-style fair. Eat turkey legs with your hands, shop the artisans’ wares, take in the ancient bagpipe and dulcimer performances and relive other aspects of the 16th century, without all the nasty diseases and poor sanitation. New this year is RenQuest, a live-action role-playing game that lets visitors interact with the fair’s period performers to compete for points. I-94 and State Line Rd, I-94 and State Line Rd, Kenosha, WI (847-395-7773, renfair.com/bristol). 10am–7pm; $18.95, advance $15.95, kids 5–12 $9.50.

MUSEUMS & CULTURE  - Fourth of July Fireworks at the Pier
The post–Independence Day set joins the city’s display for a banging good time until 10:15pm. Stick around afterward for a ride on the Ferris wheel or a beer on the terrace. 9:30pm. Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave at Streeter Dr (312-595-7437). Bus: 29, 65, 66 (24hrs), 124. FREE!

MUSIC - B-Girl Power Party
This annual gathering of local female hip-hop performers and supporters celebrates an underrecognized segment of the Chi-town scene (no thanks to you, Psalm One). Ang 13, godmother of sorts to the scene, performs alongside Amina and several other MCs and B-girls. Ang in particular is one facet of Chi-town hip-hop that still doesn’t get enough love. A showing and Q&A of Enough is Enough, a documentary on the B-girl scene by the Wonda Women project, begins the evening at 5:30, and the musical performances begin at 10pm. 5:30pm. Elastic 2830 N Milwaukee Ave, at Woodard St, Humboldt Park/Logan Square, Chicago (773-772-3616). Donation.

SPORTS & REC - 2008 Chicago Street Soccer Cup
We’re sure most of you have played some variation of “street soccer,” with a couple of jackets on the ground to mark the goalposts or out-of-bounds territory. So this two-day tourney should draw from a healthy field. Organizers expect to dole out $4,000 in prizes to the best team. The games are played on smaller fields between teams of four and feature loads of fancy footwork. 9am. Chicago Indoor Sports, 2323 W Pershing Rd at Western Blvd (773-376-2900, chicagostreetcup.com). Bus: 30, 48, 49 (24 hrs). FREE!

SPORTS & REC - Social Ride: Ride for Climate A.K.A. the Green Ride Part II
We know, we know: Most every ride you take on a bike makes it a green ride (especially if you’ve chosen to leave the motor car in the garage). But this ride, led by our favorite Cycling Sister, Kathy Schubert, will cruise by “recycling, wind turbines, solar panels, permeable alleys, a riverbank reclaimed by citizens, a state-of-the-art bicycle station and much more.” With gas topping $4 a gallon, this might be the tipping point that helps you ditch the fossil fuels. 8:30am. Location TBD (R.S.V.P. to Kathy Schubert at 773-248-5499, chicagocyclingclub.org). FREE!

THEATER - Superior Donuts
On the heels of Tracy Letts’s Tony win for August: Osage County comes the premiere of his new play set in a donut shop in gentrifying Uptown. 7:30pm. Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N Halsted St between North Ave and Willow St (312-335-1650). El: Red to North/Clybourn. Bus: 8 Halsted, 72 North. $20–$68. 3,

SUNDAY

DANCE - Videodance Part III
These dance videos from the collection of the Pompidou Center in Paris give us Chicagoans a view of what kind of creative excitement contemporary choreographers can generate when they have really good funding. This week’s installment includes pieces by the fabulous Meg Stuart, Mathilde Monnier, Merce Cunningham and DV8 Physical Theatre; as well as by Europe-based choreographers who will probably never tour here such as Robyn Orlin, Seydou Boro, Catherine Bay and others. Noon–5pm. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S Cornell Ave at 51st St (773-324-5520, hydeparkart.org). Bus: 6, 15, 28. Metra: Elec Main to 51st/53rd St.

FILM - Top Hat
Fred Astaire dons top hat and cane and romps with Ginger Rogers through a bunch of fake-looking Hollywood sets (supposed to be Europe). 5:15pm. Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State St at Randolph St (312-846-2600). El: Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple (rush hrs) to State/Lake; Red to Lake; Blue to Clark/Lake. $9, students $7, members $5, SAIC students and faculty $4.

GAY & LESBIAN - Angels and Queens
Gay-friendly Fall Out Boy bassist (and Ashlee Simpson hubby) Pete Wentz’s new club promises to bring plenty of rock and roll attitude to River North. Tonight’s weekly queer night is hosted by Jenae Williams of LBC’s immensely popular women’s party Dirty Girl Thursdays. 10pm. Angels and Kings, 710 N Clark St between Huron and Superior Sts (312-482-8600). El: Red to Chicago. Bus: 22 Clark (24hrs). FREE!

SPORTS & REC - Mid-Season Picnic Ride
Though we are going to argue that summer ain’t nowhere near halfway done (especially with the Sox and Cubs set to play some meaningful ball for quite some time), we would like to implore you to join the Chicago Cycling Club for a social ride along the lakefront, followed by a potluck picnic at a “bucolic location to be determined by the ride leader.” Call ahead to find out what kind of eats or drink you can bring to ensure there’s something for everyone. 9am. Waveland Clock Tower, 3600 N Recreation Dr between Addison St and Irving Park Rd (contact Michael Wasserman at 312-719-9191, chicagocyclingclub.org). Bus: 80, 144, 146, 148, 151 (24hrs), 152. FREE!

THEATER - Barbara Cook
The 80-year-old Broadway legend (a Tony winner for the original production of The Music Man in 1958) has had a long second career as a cabaret performer; she returns to Ravinia’s indoor Martinis at the Martin series for the first time in seven years. You can only get a seat inside as part of the obnoxiously expensive series package, but listening to her on the lawn is still just ten bucks. 7pm. Martin Theatre, Ravinia, 418 Sheridan Rd, Highland Park (847-266-5100). Metra: Union Pacific N to Ravinia Park. Indoor $225 (series), lawn $10.