Dinner & drinks before your easel
Most of our Chicago venues are full bars and kitchens, so come hungry. Grab a bite and a drink before your easel, then settle in — your supplies are already waiting at your seat.
Grab a drink, follow a local artist step by step, and leave with a canvas you painted yourself. No experience needed — it's a night out first, an art class second. Here's what's coming up in Chicago.
4.8 average ratingPaint Nite in Chicago is the city's favourite paint and sip night — a guided painting party hosted right inside local Chicago bars and restaurants, not a formal art studio. A local artist walks you and your group through a featured painting over about two hours while you enjoy a drink of your choice. Everything you need is included: easel, canvas, paints, brushes and an apron. You just bring your people.
Whether you're planning a date night, a birthday, a team social or a low-key evening out, our Chicago events run across the most popular neighbourhoods in and around Illinois. Browse upcoming nights by date, venue or artist below, grab your seat, and check out online in under a minute — no experience required, and you take your canvas home.
New to it? Most first-timers are genuinely surprised by what they paint. The whole point of Paint Nite is that anyone can do it: your artist breaks the painting into simple, guided steps and works the room the entire time. Prefer to stay in? We also run live virtual and on-demand classes you can paint from home, anywhere in Illinois.
We host inside real neighbourhood bars and restaurants — explore the rooms, then pick your night.



Welcome to Smokin BBQ, where the aroma of slow-cooked meats fills the air and the warmth of Southern hospitality wraps around you like a cozy blanket. Nestled in the heart of Mundelein, IL, our venue radiates a laid-back vibe that’s perfect for gathering with friends, family, or colleagues. Smokin BBQ isn't just known for its mouthwatering barbecue; we've been recognized locally for our unique flavors and commitment to quality, earning awards that speak to our dedication. Whether you’re hosting a birthday bash, corporate event, or family reunion, our spacious layout can accommodate any gathering, large or small. At Smokin BBQ, we believe every event should be memorable, filled with laughter and great food. Come experience the warmth and charm of our venue, and let us help you create an unforgettable event!
Welcome to Smokin BBQ, where the aroma of slow-cooked meats fills the air and the warmth of Southern hospitality wraps around you like a cozy blanket. Nestled in the heart of Mundelein, IL, our venue radiates a laid-back vibe that’s perfect for gathering with friends, family, or colleagues. Smokin BBQ isn't just known for its mouthwatering barbecue; we've been recognized locally for our unique flavors and commitment to quality, earning awards that speak to our dedication. Whether you’re hosting a birthday bash, corporate event, or family reunion, our spacious layout can accommodate any gathering, large or small. At Smokin BBQ, we believe every event should be memorable, filled with laughter and great food. Come experience the warmth and charm of our venue, and let us help you create an unforgettable event!








Top Shelf is an Ice Arena with a Bar/Grill inside! It is located at Gurnee Mills Mall, one of the outside facilities! (Bring a sweatshirt...just in case!)





Most of our Chicago venues are full bars and kitchens, so come hungry. Grab a bite and a drink before your easel, then settle in — your supplies are already waiting at your seat.
Candlelit wine bars and skylit lounges make Paint Nite one of the most-booked date nights in Chicago — a low-pressure, high-charm evening that beats another dinner-and-a-movie.
Our larger Chicago venues seat big groups, and we can run a private party just for your crew — no strangers at the table. It breaks the ice better than any escape room.
Nearly every Chicago venue is a short walk from transit or has parking nearby, so the whole group can get there easily — and get home easily after.
Every night is run by real local people — an event planner, a host artist, and a neighbourhood venue. Here's who makes it happen.
A local event planner books the venues, lines up the artists and builds the Chicago calendar — running it like their own small business.
A vetted local artist leads the room, teaching the painting step by step and keeping the night fun. Every host is a real person from your area — trained and quality-reviewed, never a script-reading franchise employee.
We don't own a single building. Every Chicago night happens at a real neighbourhood bar or restaurant with a full bar and kitchen.
Show up, paint, sip and laugh. Leave with a canvas you made yourself — no experience needed.
Bars and restaurants across Chicago fill seats and sell drinks on slow weeknights by hosting Paint Nite. We bring the artists, the supplies and the crowd — you bring the room.
The faces behind the easels
Love art and a good crowd? Become a Paint Nite host artist, set your own schedule, and get paid to lead the most fun night in town.
Can't make it out? Paint from home with a live virtual class led by a real artist, or grab an on-demand class and paint whenever you like.
Paint Nite is a social painting event hosted at bars and restaurants across Chicago — not an art studio. A local artist guides you and your group through a featured painting over about two hours while you enjoy a drink. It's a night out first and an art class second: no experience required, and you take your canvas home.
Most in-person Chicago events include your easel, canvas, paints, brushes, an apron and your artist for the night. Food and drinks are purchased separately at the venue. Virtual and on-demand classes are priced lower since they're location-independent. Check any event below for its exact price.
We host inside local bars and restaurants right across Chicago and the surrounding Illinois area. See the venues and map below — nearly every spot is easy to reach by transit or has nearby parking.
Not even a little. The whole point is that anyone can do it. Your artist breaks the painting into simple, guided steps and walks the room the entire time. Most first-timers are genuinely surprised by what they take home.
It's one of the most-booked date nights in the city. You get a drink, a relaxed room, something to actually do together, and a keepsake from the evening.
Yes. We run private Paint Nites for birthdays, bachelorettes, team socials and corporate events around Chicago — at a venue or at your office. You get the whole room, your own artist, and a custom painting option.
Find an event by date, venue or artist on this page, hit "Grab a Seat," and check out online in under a minute. You'll get an email confirmation with the venue address and everything you need to bring (which is basically nothing).
Yes. Live virtual Paint Nites are streamed by a real artist so you can paint from home with a kit, and on-demand classes let you paint anytime at your own pace. Both are location-independent — perfect for a quieter night in.
Paint Nite is the original. Same energy, same local artists, same take-home canvas — now under PaintNite.com. If you painted with us under another name in the past, you're in the right place.
Absolutely — we run events across United States. Scroll to "Nearby cities" to jump to your area.