Chicago’s Best Summer Outdoor Festivals: Fun Music, Food, Dance

Joyful summer months pleasures and treasures are now in the air! Across the United States, our peak festival time kicks off now. In Chicago — a mecca of songs, food items, drink, crafts, art, dance — its 2022 outdoor merrymaking has shifted into mega-significant equipment. In excess of the following 3 months, extra than a rating of big events, moreover dozens of neighborhood fairs and festivities, salute the Windy City’s colossal cultural and culinary abilities. It can be happily head-spinning to choose from so lots of spirit-soaring goings-on, have to-see greats and cost-free enjoyable. Examine Pick out Chicago for a lively line-up, as effectively as other practical travel-setting up specifics. Introduced by the Chicago Division of Cultural Affairs and Specific Activities, the full routine is at MillenniumPark.org. Here’s the lowdown on a handful of preferred highlights.

Chicago Blues Pageant

Chicago Blues Festival (June 9 to 12). The place: The Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, as well as at numerous neighborhood levels. Most effective Bets: This citywide blues-enhance is the largest admission-totally free blues collecting in the planet, hailing Chicago’s blues-born legacy. Applaud a luminous assemblage of masterful musicians, these kinds of as Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, Eric Gales (also recognised as Raw Dawg), Grady Winner, Joanna Connor, Rico McFarland, The Kinsey Report, The Mike Wheeler Band, Thornetta Davis and Toronzo Cannon. On every of the 4 days, a different tribute topic is also unfurled, cheering the achievements of unique artists: Erwin Helfer and The Boogie Woogie Ensemble, Bob Stroger & Buddies, Chicago Soul and Girls in Blues.

Grant Park Audio Pageant

Grant Park New music Festival (June 15 to August 22). The place: The Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park seated ticket expenses, as very well as free of charge locations obtainable. Most effective Bets: Just say, “Wow!” This astounding application uplifts aplenty and has been heralded as a transformative arts extravaganza. It showcases stunning classical pieces, this sort of as Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Elegance and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, as effectively as common present-day choices at the Independence Day Salute and Lights on Broadway. Its Cirque Goes to Hollywood spotlights are living aerialists reaching remarkable feats over the stage.

Millennium Park Summer time Tunes Series

Millennium Park Summertime Songs Collection (June 20 to August 18). In which: The Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park totally free. Very best Bets: Get established to get psyched by the rousing roster of American and global artists, these kinds of as DakhaBrakha, a folk-fusion quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine Femi Kuti, a Nigerian Afrobeat saxophonist the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, a 12-piece ensemble expressing musical flair reaped from all around the globe Cimafunk, an Afro-Cuban voice who deftly mixes funk with Cuban tunes and African rhythms Abigail Washburn, an Illinois-born, Nashville-primarily based singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player Jeff Tweedy, an American songwriter and musician, ideal known as the guitarist and singer of the band Wilco and Samantha Crain, from Oklahoma, a Choctaw singer-songwriter, poet and musician, who is a two-time Indigenous American Tunes Award winner.

Chicago SummerDance

Chicago SummerDance (July 6 to September 17). Where: Pop-up happenings downtown and citywide totally free. Best Bets: This beloved collection, steered by specialist dance instructors, teaches attendees of all ages and talent-sets how to move out and stage in. Understand unforgettable moves: Afrobeat, Bachata, ballroom fundamentals, East Coastline swing, hula, line-dancing, kizomba, merengue, polka hop, salsa and far more. Count on loads of smiles and rhythmic revelry.

Flavor of Chicago

Style of Chicago (July 8 to 10). Where by: Grant Park together with the Buckingham Fountain, that includes extra than 30 vendors no cost admission. Best Bets: Meals galore! Enjoyment is on tap, also: 3 phases with no cost music performances, which include Aterciopelados (a rock band from Colombia), Generate-By Truckers (an American rock band dependent in Athens, Ga) and Sadie Woods (Chicago artist and DJ) — as very well as dance periods and family members diversions. In addition, a series of 3 Flavor pop-up gatherings unfold on consecutive Saturdays in the Chicago neighborhoods of Austin (June 11) with Caribbean bites, tacos, gumbo Pullman (June 18) with ribs, artisanal sandwiches, connoisseur sausages and Minor Village (June 25) with Mexican-design and style ice pops, mac & cheese, gazpacho, among the other delish dishes.

Hearty appetites flock to this feast-a-thon, established in 1980. It fires up legendary Midwestern morsels as well as introduces revolutionary treats. Chicago’s bustling and vast-ranging restaurant scenes are represented, between them: Arun’s Thai Cafe, Auntie Vee’s Kitchen area, Barangaroos Aussie Pies, BJ’s Market & Bakery, Buona Beef, Chicago’s Doghouse, Churro Factory, Basic Cobbler Baked Goods Organization, Connie’s Pizza, Cynthia’s Gumbo Express, Decadent Flavor, Doom Street Eats, Eli’s Cheesecake Enterprise, Esperanza Kitchen area Delights, Haire’s Gulf Shrimp, Healthy Compound, Josephine’s Cooking, La Cocinita Foodstuff Truck, Mr. Quiles Mexican Food items, Mr. E Chef Catering, Ms. Tittle’s Cupcakes, Original Rainbow Cone, Key Tacos, Franco’s Ristorante, Robinson’s No.1 Ribs, Seoul Taco, Taco Chic, Tandoor Char Residence, The Sole Ingredient Catering, Whadda Jerk and Yum Dum. Thirst-quencher reward: a beer hall, wine tent and cocktail lounge.

“After an all-digital Style in 2020 and neighborhood pop-ups in 2021, we are thrilled to provide Style again to Grant Park and again into our neighborhoods in 2022,” suggests Division of Cultural Affairs and Distinctive Gatherings Commissioner Erin Harkey. “There’s a thing for absolutely everyone to love at this year’s Style, through the town.”