Festivals & special events
Chicago House Music Festival
May 21 – 23, 2020 Free admission • Millennium Park The Chicago House Music Festival is a free, multi-day celebration of the Chicago-born genre. The…
Festivals & special events
Discover the best of the city’s fests.
Blog, Family, Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Holidays, Special events
Your guide to The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival 2019
The holiday season is always an exciting time in Chicago. With countless events across multiple neighborhoods, there are so many ways to celebrate. One event…
Festivals & special events, Special events
What’s new at Chicago Gourmet
Chicago Gourmet is one of the top food festivals in the country — known for bringing together the city’s best and brightest culinary stars for…
Festivals, Festivals & special events, Special events
Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade 2019
Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 It’s turkey time! The Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the holiday season with a fun-filled morning in the heart of…
Festivals & special events
Chicago festival & event guide
Every month is festival month in Chicago. Chicago’s world-renowned fests and events celebrate food, music, culture, art, and history throughout the city. Check out the…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink
Your guide to Chicago’s food festivals
Plan your trip around the city’s biggest foodie events like Taste of Chicago in July and Chicago Gourmet in September. And don’t miss the culinary…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap
Chicago’s free summer music festivals
In the summer, the city’s downtown and lakefront are filled with the sound of sublime songs, slide guitars, haunting violins, and sultry saxes, as revelers…
Festivals & special events, Museums & art
Chicago museums open late for after-hours events
Chicago’s museums are packed with fascinating, immersive exhibits on every topic you can imagine — and the fun doesn’t have to stop when the sun…
Architecture & history, Festivals & special events
Chicago Architecture Biennial
Check back for 2021 dates Free admission • Chicago Cultural Center & partner locations Experience the future of architecture at the Chicago Architecture Biennial. This…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
World Music Festival Chicago
Sept. 11 – 27, 2020 Free admission • Multiple locations The 22nd annual World Music Festival is your passport to musical acts from around the…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Grant Park Music Festival
June 10 – Aug. 10, 2020 Free admission • Millennium Park Experience a summer of extraordinary music with 30+ free classical concerts. The 86th annual…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Gospel Music Festival
May 26 – 30, 2020 Free admission • Millennium Park and Chicago Cultural Center Gospel music has deep roots in Chicago. The city helped transform…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Blues Festival
June 5 – 7, 2020 Free admission • Millennium Park The annual Chicago Blues Festival in June is the city’s largest music festival. More than…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink
Chicago beer festivals and events
Attention all beer enthusiasts! Cheers to Chicago’s booming craft beer scene at the city’s packed calendar of beer fests. Sample craft beers from local, national,…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music, Theatre & performing arts
Chicago SummerDance
Check back for 2020 dates and information Free admission • Grant Park The annual SummerDance festival brings people of all ages and skill levels together…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink
Chicago Gourmet
Sept. 25 – 27, 2020 Millennium Park Welcome to the city’s premier fine dining food festival. Chicago Gourmet, presented by Bon Appétit magazine, features a…
Festivals & special events, Music, Special events
Chicago Jazz Festival
Aug. 28 – Sept. 6, 2020 Free admission • Millennium Park The oldest of Chicago’s free lakefront music festivals boasts an incredibly diverse lineup, which…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink
Chicago Friday Night Flights
Chicago Friday Night Flights is back for our third season with an exciting lineup of local beer tastings that highlight the city’s dynamic craft brew…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink
Taste of Chicago
July 8 – 12, 2020 Free admission • Grant Park Welcome to the world’s largest free-admission outdoor food festival. The 40th annual lakefront extravaganza lets…
Festivals & special events
Taste of Chicago restaurants
Note: the below list is from 2019. Please check back for updated 2020 participating food vendors. Prepare yourself for one massive picnic. Taste of Chicago…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink, Music
Windy City Smokeout
July 10 – 12, 2020 United Center parking lot Country music, barbecue, and craft beer — it’s hard to think of a better way to…
Festivals & special events, Music
Lollapalooza
July 30 – Aug. 2, 2020 Grant Park What started as a single-stage music showcase put together in 1991 by Perry Farrell, lead singer of Jane’s…
Entertainment, Festivals & special events
Chicago film festivals and events
Chicago has a long and illustrious cinematic history: Charlie Chaplin at the Essanay Studios in 1915, ’80s classics like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Blues Brothers, modern day hits…
Architecture & history, Festivals & special events, Museums & art
6 must-see fall art and architecture events in Chicago
Chicago has a long legacy of influential art and architecture. And the city celebrates its creative legacy in a big way each fall. The season…
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