Chicago style Year round
It’s always a great time to visit Chicago. Each season brings something new, from a magical holiday market in the winter to massive music festivals in the summer, cool architecture events in the fall to the Chicago river dyeing in the spring. Explore things to do and see in Chicago all year long.
Winter
A magical time to visit Chicago
Chicagoans never let a little cold cramp our style. When the temperature dips, the city stays warm with magical parades, holiday markets, culinary celebrations, and more. Check out things to see and do during winter in Chicago.
ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo
ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo
Each winter, Chicago’s free zoo is transformed into a Winter Wonderland with over 2.5 million twinkling lights, live ice-sculpting, photo ops with Santa, hot chocolate, and more.
Caroling at Cloud Gate
Caroling at Cloud Gate
Join in local carolers for this annual holiday singalong under the stunning city skyline and holiday lights reflect by The Bean.
Fifth Third Bank Winter WonderFest at Navy Pier
Enjoy winter fun without the chill at Winter WonderFest, an indoor holiday carnival with rides, giant slides, ice skating, and more at family-friendly Navy Pier.
One of a Kind Show Chicago
It’s the winter edition of theMART’s shopping extravaganza, with over 300 artists and makers filling three days with unique shopping finds.
Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island
Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island
Beat your cabin fever on this snow-dusted island, where you can meet wolves and birds of prey, explore on snowshoes, make winter crafts, and sip hot cocoa.
Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival
Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival
Laugh out loud at the largest sketch comedy fest in the world, featuring more than 200 shows from the country’s best comedy troupes over eight days.
Chicago Restaurant Week
Chicago Restaurant Week
Get a taste for Chicago’s acclaimed dining scene with special prix fixe menus at over 300 restaurants throughout the city.
First Bites Bash
First Bites Bash
Kick off Chicago Restaurant Week with bites and sips from dozens of the city’s most-celebrated chefs and restaurants.
Cubs Convention
Celebrate all things Cubs at this three-day convention, where you can meet the team, collect autographs, take photos with your favorite players, and more.
SoxFest
Hit a homerun at the Chicago White Sox’s annual fan celebration. Meet your favorite baseball players, take part in Q&A sessions, try interactive exhibits, and more.
Chicago Theatre Week
Chicago Theatre Week
Experience fearless Chicago theatre for a discounted price. Choose from show-stopping musicals, drama, comedy, and more on stages across the city.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Ring in Chinese New Year with cultural, musical, and culinary events, including lantern processions and traditional parades.
Chicago Auto Show
Chicago Auto Show
It’s the largest auto show in North America, with the newest models, experimental concepts, antique and collector cars, and more.
Spring
Experience Chicago in bloom
Our city is bursting with life in the spring. River cruises set sail, baseball fans pack the bleachers, and thousands gather to watch the river turn green for St. Patrick's Day. Check out the best of spring in Chicago.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Dyeing of the Chicago River
St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Dyeing of the Chicago River
Chicago goes green (literally) for St. Patrick’s Day. The annual parade is one Chicago’s biggest events of the year, and the Chicago River dyeing is one of the world’s most famous holiday traditions.
Chicago Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier
Chicago Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier
Each spring, Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier transforms into a colorful showcase for all things floral, like landscape displays, interactive workshops, and a plant marketplace.
Art on theMART
Chicago is home to the world’s largest digital art projection, which takes place on theMART at dusk from March through December. Watch the breathtaking light display along the scenic Riverwalk.
C2E2: Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo
Come celebrate with your fandom at the Midwest’s largest pop culture event. Nerd out over advanced screenings, autograph signings, and cosplay contests.
Chicago Beer Festival
Chicago Beer Festival
Sip on craft beers alongside dinosaur bones and ancient Egyptian tombs at the Chicago Beer Festival. This annual tasting event includes more than 70 local brewers at Chicago’s Field Museum.
Chicago Latino Film Festival
Chicago Latino Film Festival
This international film festival has been highlighting the best in Latino filmmaking for more than three decades, with 10 days of international movie screenings.
Chicago Dance Month
Chicago Dance Month
Join in the ultimate dance party. April brings an entire month of free and discounted dance events throughout the city.
Chicago’s First Lady Cruises
Chicago’s First Lady Cruises
Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady sets sail from the Riverwalk, giving you a glimpse into the fascinating history behind over 50 iconic buildings.
Tuesdays on the Terrace at MCA
Get in the groove with live on the contemporary museum’s terrace. The show is free every Tuesdays throughout the summer.
James Beard Awards
The best and brightest of the culinary industry will gather in Chicago for the annual “Oscars of the food world” through 2027.
Summer fireworks at Navy Pier
Summer fireworks at Navy Pier
The night sky lights up with a spectacular fireworks display every Wednesday and Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Catch the show from Navy Pier, a boat cruise, or along the lakefront.
Chicago Riverwalk season opening
Chicago Riverwalk season opening
We love the Chicago Riverwalk any time of year, but it really comes to life in May. Boat tours, public art displays, and waterfront patios let you enjoy food, drink, and the view.
Chicago Friday Night Flights
Chicago Friday Night Flights
Get a taste of the top city for craft beer with this neighborhood tasting series featuring a dynamic lineup of local breweries in the areas they call home.
Chicago House Music Festival
Chicago House Music Festival
Experience house music in the city where it was born. This free, three-day fest features live bands and DJs in the heart of Millennium Park.
Chicago Gospel Music Festival
Gospel music has deep roots in Chicago. Come celebrate the genre’s past and present with free shows from both traditional and contemporary performers.
Illinois Craft Beer Week
This week-long celebration of all things craft beer brings events, drink specials, tap takeovers, tastings, and more to venues all over Chicago.
Fifth Third Bike the Drive
Fifth Third Bike the Drive
Take a ride down iconic Lake Shore Drive during this annual biking event. Pedal down 30 miles of scenic lakefront, completely car free.
Summer
Chicago heats up in the summer
Catch live music at a street fest, sip craft beer by the water, watch a movie under the stars, or dig your toes in the sand along our sun-soaked lakefront. Here’s a few things to do during summer in Chicago.
Chicago Blues Festival
Chicago Blues Festival
No one sings the blues quite like Chicago. Come celebrate over 35 years of performances by the world’s all-time greats and the city’s legacy as the birthplace of amplified blues.
Grant Park Music Festival
Grant Park Music Festival
The nation's only free, summer-long outdoor classical music series, with 10 weeks of shows by the acclaimed Grant Park Orchestra.
Millennium Park Summer Music Series
Grab a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or spread out on the Great Lawn from June through August for free weekly concerts across genres.
Pride Fest / Pride Parade
Pride is the biggest party of the year in Chicago. The annual fest is a massive LGBTQ+ celebration in historic Boystown, followed by one of the biggest Pride Parades in the country.
Chicago SummerDance
Chicago SummerDance
Bust a move at this outdoor summer dance party in Grant Park, where instructors offer free lessons and live bands provide the beat.
Beach season begins
Beach season begins
Soak up the sun at one of Chicago’s 25 beaches, which opens for the summer Memorial Day weekend. Lay in the sand, play volleyball, paddleboard, kayak, jet ski, and more.
Chicago Ale Fest
Chicago Ale Fest
Craft beer takes over Grant Park each summer with more than 175 brewers, live music, food trucks, and more.
Jazzin’ at the Shedd
Jazzin’ at the Shedd
Enjoy live jazz, cocktails, city views, and a fireworks show on the Shedd Aquarium’s lakefront terrace on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer.
Chosen Few Picnic and Festival
This laid-back festival celebrates house music, a genre created right here in Chicago, with live DJ performances in beautiful Jackson Park.
Taste of Chicago
Experience the world’s largest free-admission food festival, where you can sample the best bites from more than 80 local restaurants in lakefront Grant Park.
Windy City Smokeout
Windy City Smokeout
This annual outdoor fest brings country superstars to Chicago, along with some of the country’s best beer and barbecue.
Pitchfork Music Festival
Pitchfork Music Festival
Discover what’s cool on the music scene during Pitchfork, a three-day music festival showcasing taste-making acts from alternative rock to hip-hop to dance music.
Chicago Blackhawks Convention
Chicago Blackhawks Convention
Meet all your favorite players at this fan-favorite event.
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
One of the country’s biggest music fests takes over Grant Park for four days with a star-studded lineup that includes 170 bands across eight stages.
Chicago Jazz Festival
Hear jazz greats from Chicago and around the world during Chicago’s original free music festival in scenic Millennium Park.
Chicago Air & Water Show
Turn your eyes to the sky at the nation’s oldest and largest free-admission air and water exhibition, held at North Avenue Beach.
Bud Billiken Parade
Bud Billiken Parade
Celebrate black culture during the nation’s largest African American parade in historic Bronzeville and Washington Park.
Northalsted Market Days
Northalsted Market Days
Boystown, Chicago’s LGBTQ+ mecca, hosts the largest street festival in the Midwest, with a weekend lineup of live music, drag queens, food and drink, DJs, and dancing.
Fall
See Chicago in color
In Chicago, autumn brings gourmet food fests, major art fairs, spooky parades, and groundbreaking architecture exhibits that keep the city buzzing all season long.
Chicago World Music Festival
Chicago World Music Festival
Hear musical acts from around the world at the annual World Music Festival, the largest and longest-running international music festival in the country.
Chicago Gourmet
Chicago Gourmet
Mingle with celebrity chefs and try some of Chicago’s best bites at this fine-dining food festival put on by Bon Appétit.
Hyde Park Jazz Festival
This free, multi-venue fest celebrates the finest in local jazz, plus appearances by national and international acts.
EXPO Chicago
Check out the latest in contemporary and modern art presented by leading international galleries at Navy Pier.
Riot Fest
Riot Fest
This three-day fest is known as a music mecca for all things, alternative, punk, hip-hop, and rock, known for its reunions and full-album performances.
North Coast Music Festival
North Coast Music Festival
Dance the day (and night) away at this beachfront music festival featuring top electronic acts, DJs, and art installations.
Reeling Film Festival
Reeling Film Festival
This is the second longest-running film festival of its kind, bringing audiences 10 days of the LGBTQ+ films from around the world.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Get ready to race or cheer from the crowd. One of the six World Marathon Majors, the Chicago Marathon takes runners through 29 neighborhoods.
Open House Chicago
Get behind-the-scenes access to over 250 Chicago buildings, including many that aren’t typically open to the public, during this free, city-wide architecture fest.
Historic Pullman House Tour
Tour private homes in the historic Pullman neighborhood, including many century-old landmark buildings.
Arts in the Dark
Arts in the Dark
This surreal evening parade celebrates Halloween with a procession of fantastical floats, puppets, and performances by local artists from every field.
Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
A can’t-miss for film buffs, this is the longest-running international film festival in America, with 12 days of film screenings and events.
Boo! at the Zoo
Boo! at the Zoo
Head to Brookfield Zoo for a fun-filled weekend of haunted hayrides, a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, pumpkin carving, a creepy carousel, and a costume parade.
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Experience an authentic Día de los Muertos with this free celebration at the National Museum of Mexican Art, featuring live music, face painting, art activities, traditional foods, and more.
SOFA Chicago
This critically acclaimed art fair puts a spotlight on 3D art and sculpture, exploring the boundary between fine art and decorative objects.
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Catch this century-old tradition light up Millennium Park, which marks the beginning of the holiday season with the lighting of the city’s official Christmas Tree.
BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
Two days of free family fun leads up to the annual parade, which illuminates more than one million twinkling lights along one of Chicago’s most iconic streets.
Thanksgiving Day Parade
Thanksgiving Day Parade
This annual parade is a classic Chicago tradition, featuring marching bands, equestrian acts, ballerinas, giant helium balloons, and a visit from Santa Claus, all along Chicago’s State Street.
Ice skating at Millennium Park
Ice skating at Millennium Park
Hit the ice for free beneath Cloud Gate, aka “The Bean”, at Millennium Park or wind around the Skating Ribbon at neighboring Maggie Daley Park.
Christkindlmarket Chicago
Christkindlmarket Chicago
Wander a charming German holiday market in Daley Plaza, where you can find mulled wine, baked goods, hand-blown ornaments, artisan woodwork, and more.
Wreathing of the Lions at the Art Institute of Chicago
Kick off the holidays with a beloved Chicago tradition — adorning the iconic Art Institute lions with giant evergreen wreaths.
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