Chicago is at its prime right now! Chicagoan’s bear the cold for months just to take advantage of the summertime. The best part about the sunny season? All of the events happening! Have you ever been to a festival in Chicago? Well, if you have then you know for a fact that it’s something to look forward to every year.
Below is a list of Chicago festivities you have to make an appearance at this year:
- May 2015:
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra Spring Festival, May 7 – 23
- American Beer Classic, May 9, Soldier Field
- Mayfest, May 15 – 17, Lakeview, Ashland and Barry
- Chicago Craft Beer Week, May 14-24, various locations
- Chicago Memorial Day Parade, May 23, noon, State Street from Lake to Van Buren
- Mole De Mayo, May 23, 24, Pilsen
- Navy Pier Summer Fireworks, May 23 – September 5: Wednesdays & Saturdays
- Randolph Street Market Festival, May 23, 24, 1350 block W. Randolph and 1340 W. Washington Street between Ada and Ogden
- Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival, May 23, 24
- Bike the Drive, May 24, Lake Shore Drive
- Maifest Chicago, May 28-May 31, Lincoln Square at Lincoln Ave. and Leland Ave.
- Millennium Art Festival, May 29 – 31, Lake Street at Michigan Avenue
- Chicago Gospel Music Festival, May 29 – 31
- Do Division Fest, Saturday and Sunday, May 30, 3, 12-6pm on Hoyne between Crystal and Potomac and on Crystal between Hoyne and Damen
- Fiesta del Taco, May 29 – 31, Little Village, 2600 S. Kostner (at 26th St.)
- Chicago Veggie Pride Parade, May 30, noon, Grant Park
- June 2015
- Taste of Mexico, (new) June 5-7, 3000 W. 26th Street (at Sacramento)
- 57th Street Art Fair: June 6-7, Hyde Park
- Remix Chicago: Chicago’s Recycled Art Fair, June 6 – 7, Logan Square, Milwaukee between Fullerton and California
- Printers Row Lit Fest, June 6, 7, S. Dearborn and Polk
- Andersonville Midsommarfest, June 12 – 14, Andersonville
- Ribfest Chicago, June 12-14, Lincoln/Irving Park/Damen
- Spring Awakening, June 12-14, Soldier Field
- Chicago Blues Fest, June 12-14, Grant Park, Millennium Park
- Brew to Be Wild, (new), wine tasting event, June 13, Lincoln Park Zoo
- Ravinia Festival, June 13-September 12, Highland Park (northern suburbs)
- Old Town Art Fair, June 13, 14, Old Town
- Naked bike ride, June 13
- Wells Street Art Festival, June 13, 14, Wells Street, between North Avenue and Division Street
- Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, June 17 to June 21, various venues including Millennium Park
- Grant Park Music Festival, June 17 – August 22, Wednesdays, Fridays, 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, free
- Fiestas Puertorriqueñas and Puerto Rican Parade, June 18-21, Humboldt Park, Division Street
- Taste of Randolph, June 19-21, Randolph and Peoria St., West Loop
- Oakley Festa Pasta Vino, June 19-21, 2400 S. Oakley
- Windy City Lake Shake, (new) June 19, 20, 21, Northerly Island
- Elkhart Jazz Festival, June 19, 20, 21, downtown Elkhart, IN.
- Millennium Park movies, June 23 – Aug. 25, 2015 (Tuesdays)
- 6 Corners BBQ Fest, June 19-21 (expanded), Portage Park, 4000 N. Milwaukee Ave. (at Irving Park Rd./Cicero Ave. to Belle Plaine)
- Wicker Park’s Green Music Fest, June 20, 21, Damen betw North and Schiller
- Gold Coast Art Festival, June 20, 21, Grant Park’s Butler Field at the corner of Monroe and Lake Shore Drive
- Chicago Pride Fest, June 20 – 21, Halsted and Waveland
- Make Music Chicago, June 21, various locations
- World’s Largest Block Party, June 27, 28, Old St. Patrick’s Church, 700 W. Adams
- 2015 Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy, June 27, Ping Tom Memorial Park, 300 W. 19th Street
- Sausage Fest (new), June 27, 28, Elston at Grace
- Randolph Street Market Festival, June 27, 28, 1350 block W. Randolph and 1340 W. Washington Street between Ada and Ogden
- Summerfest, June 24-28, June 30-July 6, Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee
- Pride Parade, June 28, North Broadway, Boystown
- Navy Pier Summer Fireworks, Wednesdays & Saturdays, all month
- July 2015
- African/Caribbean International Festival of Life, July 3-5, Union Park
- Windy City RibFest: July 3-5, Uptown, Lawrence and Broadway
- Naperville RibFest, July 2-5, Knoch Park in Naperville, western suburb
- Summerfest, July 1-July 6, Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee
- Fare Thee Well, Grateful Dead concert, July 3, 4, 5, Soldier Field
- Fourth of July Fireworks, July 4 at Navy Pier
- Chosen Few Picnic, July 4 in Jackson Park, 63rd and Hayes Drive
- Taste of Chicago, July 8-12, Grant Park
- Square Roots Music Festival, July 10-12, Lincoln Square
- Michigan Avenue Art Festival, July 10-12, Pioneer Court
- Irish American Heritage Festival, July, 10-12 , Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox
- Windy City Smokeout, July 10-12, at Grand Avenue and the Chicago River
- Taste of Lakeview, July 11, 12, Lincoln at Belmont
- Survive Paint Wars (Outdoor Paint Party), Saturday July 11, Hawthorne Race Course
- Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, July 11, from Navy Pier and Columbia Yacht Club
- Roscoe Village Burger Fest, July 11,12, Belmont and Damen
- West Fest: July 11, 12, West Town, Chicago Ave. from Damen to Wood
- Green City Market Chefs BBQ, July 16, Lincoln Park
- Taste of River North: July 17-19, River North, Kingsbury and Erie Street
- BenFest 2015, July 17-19, St. Benedict’s, 2215 W. Irving Park Rd.
- Pitchfork Music Festival: July 17-19, Union Park
- Summer on Southport, July 18, 19, Southport and Waveland
- Sheffield Garden Walk & Festival: July 18,-19, Lincoln Park, Sheffield and Webster
- Chicago Craft Beer Festival, July 18-19, Sheffield and Webster
- Celebrate Clark Street Festival, Saturday, July 18, 19, between Morse and Estes Avenue
- Chinatown Summer Fair, July 19, Wentworth Ave from Cermak Road to 24th Place
- North Dearborn Street Garden Walk, July 19, starts Latin School, 45 W. North
- Jeff Fest Arts and Music Festival, July 24-26, Jefferson Park, Lawrence and Long Avenues
- Chicago Hot Sauce Fest (new) July 25, 26, Avondale neighborhood (Belmont & Elston)
- Bloody Mary festival, July 26, downtown Highwood, northern suburb
- Taste of Lincoln Avenue, July 25 – 26, N. Lincoln Avenue between Fullerton & Wrightwood
- Randolph Street Market Festival, July 25, 26, 1350 block W. Randolph and 1340 W. Washington Street between Ada and Ogden
- Wicker Park Fest, July 25-26, Milwaukee Avenue Between North Avenue and Paulina Street
- Fiesta del Sol: July 30-August 2, Pilsen on Cermak between Morgan and Ashland
- Lollapalooza, July 31 – August 2, Grant Park
- Navy Pier Summer Fireworks, Wednesdays & Saturdays, all month
- August 2015
- Fiesta del Sol: July 30-August 2, Pilsen on Cermak between Morgan and Ashland
- Lollapalooza, July 31 – August 2, Grant Park
- Taste of Latin America, August 1, 2, Armitage and Central Park (3600 W.)
- Edge Fest: August 1, 2, Edgewater, 5900 N. Broadway at Thorndale Ave.
- Chicago Hot Dog Fest, August 7-9, Chicago History Museum, Clark and LaSalle
- Ginza Holiday, August 7-9, Midwest Buddhist Temple, Old Town
- Retro on Roscoe, August 7- 9, Damen Avenue and Roscoe Street
- Bud Billiken Parade (and related activities), August 8, 35-55th & Martin Luther King Drive, 10 a.m.
- Wrigleyville Summerfest, August 8, 9, School Street and Seminary Avenue
- Northalsted Market Days, August 8, 9, Halsted Street and Belmont Avenue
- Taste of Andersonville, August 12, dinner crawl
- Festa Italiana, August 13-August 16, Little Italy, Taylor St.
- Edison Park Fest, August 14-16, Chicago’s northwest side, Oshkosh and Olmsted
- Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest: August 14-16, Rogers Park
- Windy City Carnival, August 15, Midway Plaisance park
- Chicago Air & Water Show, August 15, 16 (rehearsal August 14) North Avenue Beach
- Great American Lobster Fest, August 15–16, Navy Pier
- Reggae Fest Chicago, August 15 – 16
- Clark After Dark, Thursday, August 20, on Hubbard Street between Clark and LaSalle, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Albany Park World Fest, August 22, 23, Lawrence & Kimball
- Chicago Food Social, August 22, 23, Kendall College parking lot
- West Loop Arts Fest ,August 22, 23, Washington St., West Loop
- Taste of Greektown, August 22, 23, 400 S. Halsted St. at Van Buren
- Chicago Dancing Festival, August 25 – 29, various locations
- SausageFest Chicago, August 28-30, Old Town
- The Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival, August 28-September 7, North Michigan Avenue
- Bucktown Arts Festival, August 29, 30, Bucktown
- Chicago Fashion Fest, August 29-30, Division St. from Wolcott to Paulina
- Randolph Street Market Festival, August 29, 30, 1350 block W. Randolph and 1340 W. Washington Street between Ada and Ogden
- Taste of Highland Park, August 29, 30, art, food, entertainment, downtown Highland Park, northern suburb
- Transamerica Chicago Triathlon, August 30, Lake Michigan, Monroe Harbor and the lake
- Festival Cubano, Riis Park, Fullerton and Narragansett, August, TBA
- Bash on Wabash, Wabash between 13th and 14, August, TBA
- Navy Pier Summer Fireworks, Wednesdays & Saturdays, all month
Which events are you planning on attending? Most of these are free admission which is awesome! If your neighborhood is having a festival, go out and have some fun!
