Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Jazz Festival
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 2023 Free admission • Millennium Park The oldest of Chicago’s free lakefront music festivals boasts an incredibly diverse lineup, which…
Festivals & special events
Discover the best of the city’s fests.
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
World Music Festival Chicago
Sept. 22 – Oct. 1, 2023 Free admission • Multiple locations The annual World Music Festival is your passport to musical acts from around the…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music, Theatre & performing arts
Chicago SummerDance
July 15 – Sept. 10, 2023 Free admission • Grant Park and parks citywide The annual SummerDance festival brings people of all ages and skill…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink, Music
Windy City Smokeout
July 13 – 16, 2023 United Center parking lot Country music, barbecue, and craft beer — it’s hard to think of a better way to…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Gospel Music Festival
June 3, 2023 Free admission • Millennium Park Gospel music has deep roots in Chicago. The city helped transform the genre, propelling it onto a…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Blues Festival
June 8 – 11, 2023 Free admission • Millennium Park and beyond The annual Chicago Blues Festival in June is the city’s largest music festival.…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap
Chicago Air and Water Show
Aug. 19 – 20, 2023 Free admission • Chicago lakefront Starting in the summer of 1959, the Chicago Air and Water Show has grown to…
Festivals & special events, Music
Top summer music festivals in Chicago
Music lives big in Chicago, on neighborhood streets, in downtown parks, on stage at the stunning Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and along the lakefront in iconic…
Architecture & history, Festivals & special events
Chicago Architecture Biennial
Sept. 21 – Feb. 11, 2023 Free admission • Chicago Cultural Center & partner locations Experience the future of architecture at the Chicago Architecture Biennial.…
Festivals & special events
Chicago festival and event guide
Every season is festival season in Chicago. Chicago’s world-renowned fests and events celebrate food, music, culture, art, and history throughout the city. Check out the…
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…
Blog, Family, Festivals & special events, Holidays, Special events
Your guide to The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival 2022
The holiday season in Chicago is always an exciting time. With countless events across multiple neighborhoods, there are so many ways to celebrate. One event…
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