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…
Chicago Like a Local blog
Unique perspectives on the city from the people who live here.
Blog, Music, Special events
Celebrate the Year of Chicago Music with a new city-wide music festival
Aug. 19 – Sept. 19, 2021 Citywide Celebrate the Year of Chicago Music (and the return of festival season) with the new Chicago In Tune…
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
Free admission • Millennium Park Gospel music has deep roots in Chicago. The city helped transform the genre, propelling it onto a world stage. The…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Blues Festival
Free admission • Millennium Park The annual Chicago Blues Festival in June is the city’s largest music festival. More than 500,000 blues fans gather in…
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 9 – 11, 2021 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 29 – Aug. 1, 2021 Grant Park What started as a single-stage music showcase put together in 1991 by Perry Farrell, lead singer of…
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
Chicago knows how to party for Pride. The annual LGBTQ+ celebration takes over the city each June, with street fests, concerts, parties, and a massive…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap
Chicago Air and Water Show
Free admission • Chicago lakefront Starting in the summer of 1959, the Chicago Air and Water Show has grown to be the largest and oldest…
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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