From Taste of Chicago to Lollapalooza, the Windy City knows how to throw a good fest. Don’t forget to mark these standout summer festivals on your calendar.
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Multiple Locations / Website
Date: Fri., May 3 - Fri., May 10
Support local breweries and indulge in unique Illinois brews at this weeklong craft beer festival. This year’s vendors include Pilot Project Brewing, Twisted Hippo, Illuminated Brew Works, Crystal Lake Brewing, Illuminated Brew Works and more. Registration is required for each event and can be done here.
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1000 W. Armitage Ave. / Website
Date: Fri., May 17 - Sun., May 19
Located in the Historic District of Lincoln Park, this festival will feature two stages with live music from artists including The Ron Burgundys, 7th Heaven, Atomic, Jagged Little Pill and more. The heart of the event is the Armitage Art Show, which showcases local visual artists and features live interactive demonstrations. A $15 cash-only donation is suggested and can be made at the gate.
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Division Street, Between Ashland Ave. & Leavitt St. / Website
Date: Fri., May 31 - Sun., June 2
Enjoy three days of live music programmed by local venues The Empty Bottle and Subterranean and accompanied by food trucks, a fashion presentation and family-friendly events for guests of all ages.
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201 E. Randolph St. / Website
Date: Thurs., June 6 - Sun., June 9
The annual Blues Festival is a summertime must for music fans, with three stages and over 35 performances from more than 250 artists. Pay tribute to the city’s oldest musical tradition and listen to some of the best blues, soul, R&B, gospel, rock and hip-hop creators in Millennium Park, including Chicago icon Buddy Guy, Grammy-nominated band Southern Avenue and award-winning artist Shemekia Copeland.
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5217 N. Clark St. / Website
Date: Fri., June 7 - Sun, June 9
Celebrate Swedish culture with three days of street revelry, including live music, unique vendors, food stands and activities for the whole family. All proceeds from the event go toward local nonprofit organizations, including the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, the Peirce and Chappel Elementary Schools, the Chicago Women’s Health Center, the Brave Space Alliance and more.
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1763 N. North Park Ave. / Website
Date: Sat., June 8 & Sun, June 9
This neighborhood festival features an artist gallery, food vendors, a garden walk, a children’s corner and live music performances from artists like Fifth Star Band, Soulbillys, North Park Strummers and more. The event showcases fine art from more than 200 artisans in mediums like drawings, painting, photography, mixed media, printmaking, glasswork, ceramics, fiber, jewelry and woodwork.
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4000 N. Lincoln Ave. / Website
Date: Fri., June 14 - Sun., June 16
Celebrate the art of barbecue with this event, featuring 50,000 pounds of pork, more than 15 food vendors and over 60,000 attendees. Roam the vendor-filled streets of Lincoln, Damen and Irving Park Road and enjoy some of the world’s best barbecue, accompanied by live music.
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Halsted Street, Near The Intersection of North Halsted St. & West Addison St. / Website
Date: Sat., June 22 & Sun., June 23
Get a head start on Pride with this festival, which takes place one weekend before Chicago’s Pride Parade. Explore three live music stages, food and drink vendors, drag shoes, pet parades and over 150 vendors selling fine arts and crafts.
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1901 W. Madison St. / Website
Date: Thurs., July 11 - Sun., July 14
With country music and barbecue from the city’s top pitmasters, Windy City Smokeout is a guaranteed good time. Headliners this year include big names like Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett, Parker McCollum, Cody Johnson and more.
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1501 W. Randolph St. / Website
Date: Fri., July 19 - Sun., July 21
Pitchfork is an annual tradition at Union Park. This year’s headliners include 100 Gecs, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Black Pumas, Brittany Howard and many more, along with performances from up-and-coming artists, specialty record vendors and unique poster stands. Guests can enjoy tasty offerings from 18 food vendors, including vegan spot Soul Veg City, sausage shop Cevapcici, fried chicken and waffle seller Avrom Farm, popsicle vendor Chillwaukee, soul food eatery Josephine’s Cooking and meat food truck Sausage Fest, among others.
See also: The 9 Best Parks To Visit In Chicago
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337 E. Randolph St. / Website
Date: Thurs., Aug. 1 - Sun., Aug. 4
Chicagoans and visitors worldwide couldn’t get enough of Lollapalooza—so they added a fourth day in 2016. The iconic annual Grant Park fest always offers a stellar lineup on all nine stages and some of the city’s best bites. This year, more than 170 acts, including headliners SZA, Tyler The Creator, Blink-182, The Killers and Stray Kids, are on the roster.
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Halsted Street from Belmont Ave. to Addison St. / Website
This year is the street festival’s 42nd iteration, and it features a half-mile of five stages and more than 250 vendors selling arts, crafts, food and drinks. Performers this year include Betty Who, Shea Coulee, Boyfriend and more.
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1600 N. Lake Shore Drive / Website
Date: Sat., Aug. 10 & Sun., Aug. 11
Chicago’s Air & Water Show is a beloved tradition that draws thousands to the lakefront each year, featuring military performers, including the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight Demo Team, the U.S. Navy Super Hornet Demo Team and more. This action-packed event thrills with spectacular plane maneuvers and boat shows.
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201 E. Randolph St. / Website
Date: Thurs., Aug. 29 – Sun., Sept. 1
To bring awareness to the art of jazz and provide access to all, the Chicago Jazz Festival has hosted some of the best musicians in the biz for over 40 years and is a perfect way to close out the summer. This year will include performances from Billy Valentine, Urban Horizons, Tammy McCann, Brandee Younger and more.
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Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain Plaza / Website
Date: Fri., Sept. 6 - Sun., Sept. 8
Since 1980, this Grant Park food festival has offered guests the chance to try eats and drinks from some of the best Chicago restaurants. This year, there will be three live music stages and food from over 30 city eateries, including Billy Goat Tavern, The Original Rainbow Cone, Cumin Club Indian Kitchen, Tacotlan and more.
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Multiple Locations / Website
Date: Fri., Sept. 20 – Sun., Sept. 29
The World Music Festival Chicago has been a cherished event for over twenty years, featuring musicians from more than 22 countries annually. Well-known instrumentalists and emerging artists will perform at venues throughout the city this year, including the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park and Navy Pier.
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Douglass Park at The Corner of Ogden Ave. and Sacramento Dr. / Website
Date: Fri, Sept. 20 – Sun., Sept. 22
With an emphasis on rock, punk, alternative, hip-hop and metal music genres, this festival will feature American thrash metal band Slayer as a headliner this year. Visit to enjoy live performances, carnival rides, food vendors, merchandise booths and more.
See also: The 10 Best Farmers Markets In Chicago
Photography by: Gary Miller / Getty
