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…
Chicago Like a Local blog
Unique perspectives on the city from the people who live here.
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, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Gospel Music Festival
Check back for 2020 dates 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
Check back soon for 2020 dates and details. The annual Chicago Blues Festival in June is the city’s largest music festival. More than 500,000 blues…
Food & drink, Free & cheap
What to eat at Taste of Chicago 2019
This year’s Taste of Chicago, the world’s largest free-admission food fest, will feature 82 local restaurants, including 24 pop-ups and 17 food trucks. That adds…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink, Music
Windy City Smokeout
July 10 – 12, 2020 Country music, barbecue and craft beer — it’s hard to think of a better way to spend a summer weekend…
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…
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…
Festivals & special events, LGBTQ+
Celebrate Pride month in Chicago
Check back soon for 2020 dates and details. Chicago knows how to party for Pride. The annual LGBTQ+ celebration takes over the city each June,…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap
Chicago Air & Water Show
August 17 – 18, 2019 North Avenue Beach & Chicago & Lakefront Free admission Starting in the summer of 1959, the Chicago Air and Water…
Festivals
Chicago summer festivals: the ultimate guide
In Chicago, fest season is the best season. The city’s social calendar is packed with street fairs, music festivals, pop-up markets, outdoor concerts, food fests,…
Dining, Festivals, Special events
Come “Rock the Fork” at two of Chicago Gourmet’s new events
Food and music – they’re a fabulous pair, and “two of Chicago’s most beloved cultural institutions,” says Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois…
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