There’s so much to celebrate in Chicago this June — the start of summer, Pride Month, Juneteenth, Chicago Dance Month, the James Beard Awards, and beyond. Of course, this means a jam-packed schedule of block parties, festivals, concerts, art exhibits, parades, tasting events, outdoor adventures, and more.
Check out these top picks for things to do in Chicago throughout the month of June. Please note that all events are subject to change.
Top events in Chicago this June
Sip a craft beer at Friday Night Flights (June 2): Gallagher Way is hosting the summer’s first Friday Night Flights event, where you can sample sips from over thirty local Chicago breweries.
Enjoy the Gospel Music Festival(June 3): Kick off summer with a day of Gospel music at Millenium Park. Grammy Award winners Karen Clark Shread and Tye Tribbett will be headlining the free fest.
Celebrate Chicago’s acclaimed culinary scene (starting June 3): The James Beard Awards are coming to Chicago, and the city is pulling out all the stops to mark the occasion with unique food-and-drink events.
Visit the Do Division Street Fest (June 2 – 4): Division Street in Wicker Park transforms into one of the summer’s top street fests, featuring two live music stages, food, drink, local vendors, and a multi-block family fun area.
Visit the Puerto Rican Fest and Parade(June 8 – 11): Head to Humboldt Park for a massive festival of Puerto Rican culture, highlighting a plantain cook-off, live music, carnival games and rides, and a celebratory parade.
Check out the Chicago Blues Festival (June 8 – 11): Blues lovers won’t want to miss this annual fest taking over Millenium Park for four days of live music, highlighting the city’s contributions to the genre.
Check out Chicago Pride Fest (June 17 – 18): Enjoy live music, drag performances, and local vendors at this LGBTQ+ celebration like no other, with an expected attendance of over 50,000 people.
Watch an exhilarating race at Sail Grand Prix (June 16 – 17): The two-day sailing spectacle returns to Chicago’s skyline stadium at Navy Pier for high-speed catamaran races on Lake Michigan’s waters.
Head to Hyde Park for SummerFest(June 17 – 18): Music fanatics won’t want to miss Clipse, 2 Chainz, and Lil’Kim headlining this summer festival in Hyde Park.
Chow down at the Taste of Chicago (June 24): The famed summer tradition stops by Humboldt Park in June to showcase some of Chicago’s favorite local eateries.
Watch the Dragon Boat Race in Chinatown(June 24): Racing dragon boats will fill the river at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown for a family-friendly day celebrating Asian culture.
Celebrate at the Chicago Pride Parade(June 25): The Chicago Pride Parade takes over the streets of Northalsted for its 52nd year, with spectators cheering on the joyous procession as it moves south across the city.
More things to do this June
Celebrate all things German at Maifest (June 1 – 4): Head to the heart of Lincoln Square for an epic celebration of German culture and cuisine with classic food, beer, live music, traditional keg tapping, and more.
Attend the annual Uptown Art Week (June 1 – 4): Head up to the Uptown neighborhood to see the new murals going up around the neighborhood, along with the Uptown Art Fair and Clifton Avenue Block Party.
Travel to Greece at the Lincoln Park Greek Festival (June 2 – 4): From traditional Greek food to a live Greek orchestra, the Lincoln Park Greek Festival honors the Hellenic culture with a weekend full of fun.
Chow down at Windy City Hot Dog Fest(June 3 – 4): Portage Park hosts a fest dedicated to this Chicago staple, where local hot dog stands will compete to be named the crowd’s favorite.
Shop the 57th Street Art Fair(June 3 – 4): Hyde Park will be bustling with artists for the 76th annual art fair, showcasing local artists and their work, live music, food, family-friendly activities, and more.
Run for the zoo(June 4): Run past zoo animals, natural areas, and the city skyline during this scenic race that supports the historic Lincoln Park Zoo.
Take a tour of historic Pullman (June 4): Get the fascinating story of Chicago’s only National Monument, the architecturally rich Pullman district.
Enjoy Jazzin’ at the Shedd(starting June 7): It doesn’t get any better than live jazz with a side of skyline views. This favorite event at the Shedd Aquarium happens every Wednesday through the summer.
Watch the Red Clay Dance Company’s performance in Grant Park (June 8 – 10): The local dance company will be premiering Rest. Rise. Move. Nourish. Heal as part of the Art on the Farm in Grant Park.
Enjoy the 57th annual Midsommarfest (June 9 – 11): This Andersonville festival celebrates Swedish heritages and LGBTQ+ Pride with 50 live music performances, kids activities, and food and drinks.
Sample plant-based goodness at Vegandale(June 10): More than 100 vegan vendors will be highlighting all their favorites at the annual plant-based festival in Grant Park.
Head to historic Old Town for its annual art fair (June 10 – 11): Over 200 nationally acclaimed artists will be showcasing their work at this annual summer fest, which also includes a garden walk, live music, and plenty of food and drink vendors.
Shop the Wells Street Art Fest(June 10 – 11): Head to Wells Street in Old Town for a summer festival favorite, with thousands of artist booths, a variety of entertainment stages, kids’ areas, and much more.
Soak up the Chicago Soul Festival (June 10 – 11): Head to Navy Pier’s beer garden and Polk Bros performance lawn for a weekend full of live musical performances, spotlighting the soul scene of Chicago.
Check out Tuesdays on the Terrace (starting June 13): The Museum of Contemporary Art’s summer concert series kicks off in June, highlighting jazz, hip-hop, house music, blues, and more performances on a weekly Tuesday basis.
Watch The Who’s Tommy at the Goodman(starting June 13): Snag tickets for The Who’s Tommy musical, which reinvents The Who’s 1969 rock album.
Step aboard the Bronzeville Art Trolley Tour(June 16): Art lovers won’t want to miss the opportunity to tour multiple galleries throughout the Bronzeville neighborhood with hop-on/hop-off double-decker buses.
Try the best of the West Loop at Taste of Randolph (June 16 – 18): Over 16 famed Chicago restaurants will be showcasing their top dishes at the popular street fest in the foodie favorite West Loop neighborhood.
Savor craft brews at Lincoln Park Zoo(June 17): Enjoy an adults-only evening at the zoo with a craft beer festival highlighting over 100 craft beers and ciders.
Stop by the Juneteenth Village Fest(June 18): Head to Douglass Park for a celebration of Juneteenth, featuring live musical performances, carnival rides, family-friendly activities, food and drink vendors, and more.
Enjoy a picnic with live music at Millennium Park(starts June 22): Millennium Park’s Summer Music Series is back, so pack a blanket and settle in for a variety of musical performances at Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Browse the Logan Square Arts Festival (June 23 – 25): Logan Square is bringing 30 bands and 70 local artists to this summer celebration, located in the heart of this vibrant neighborhood.
Don’t miss the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash (June 23 – 25): Kid Cudi is headlining this summertime music festival at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.
See a free performance by the Joffrey Ballet (June 25): Joffrey for All is a free public performance by the acclaimed Joffrey Ballet, taking place in Millennium Park.
Party at Pride in the Park (June 24 – 26): Zedd and Saweetie are the top acts for this jam-packed music fest taking place at Grant Park during Pride Month.
Honor Black Music Month (through June): From complimentary film screenings to art exhibits and morning jazz, Overflow Coffee in the South Loop is hosting a variety of events to celebrate Black Music Month.
Taste the world at Flavors of Albany Park(June 21): Eat your way through Albany Park with a restaurant crawl across the neighborhood, featuring over 70 restaurants with cuisines from around the world.
Catch a viewing of Tony-winning Hadestown (June 20 – 25): Broadway favorite Hadestown heads to Chicago for a five-night engagement at the CIBC theater.
Sample rosé at a waterfront club (June 24): It’s the summer of rosé and Shore Club at North Avenue Beach is highlighting multiple varieties in a stunning beachfront venue.
Soak up live tunes at Jazz’n on the Steps(June 25): The Southside Jazz Coalition hosts Jazz’n on the Steps, a free community concert held on the steps of St. Moses The Black Parish church.
Watch West Side Story at Lyric Opera (through June 25): The iconic musical comes to the Lyric Opera stage, featuring over 100 artists, including a Broadway ensemble of singers and dancers.
Enjoy the sounds at Grant Park Music Festival(through June): The Grant Park Orchestra will be offering free live performances all summer long, from classical orchestra concertos to a Cirque du Soleil-inspired show.
Catch the return of Rhinoceros Theater Festival (through June): The Rhinoceros Theater Festival is the city’s longest-running fringe festival, taking over four different venues across Chicago.
Enjoy live music at Ravinia(through June): There’s so much to love about Ravinia, the outdoor music venue in Highland Park. June brings multiple shows, including Lauryn Hill, Chicago, Charlie Puth, and more.
Admire Impressionist masterpieces (through June): The Art Institute of Chicago is debuting a new exhibition that features the innovative works of Vincent van Gogh and his fellow luminaries.
Find the best deals at Maxwell Street Market(various dates): The annual Maxwell Street Market is a Chicago tradition filled with live music, family activities, plenty of shopping from local artisan vendors, and lots of food, drink, and fun.
Be dazzled by the Navy Pier fireworks(various dates): It’s not summer in Chicago without the Navy Pier fireworks, located right on the lakefront.
Play Pixar Putt at Navy Pier (through June): Enjoy a round of mini-golf at this Pixar-themed pop-up with 18 holes of movie-inspired magic.
Catch a free movie outside Wrigley Field (various dates): Free movie nights return to Gallagher Way this month, featuring family-friendly films.
Immerse yourself in nature at the Morton Arboretum (through June): Artist Olga Ziemskawill be debuting her largest and newest exhibit, a sculpture series created exclusively for the arboretum.
Be mesmerized by Art on theMART(through June): The nightly art and light installation returns this spring with special works from artist Derrick Adams.
Check out the Harry Potter: Magic at Play(through June): Fans of Harry Potter will want to swing by Water Tower Place for the Magic at Play exhibit that brings the magic of Harry and Hogwarts to Chicago.
