High on the extensive list of reasons why summer in Chicago is the best is the urgency with which Chicagoans go outside. There’s so much to do and so many people craving the sun that the city feels uniquely alive and present. To help prepare for the season, we’ve curated a master list of the best happenings around Chicago this summer. Activities are organized by topic: street and neighborhood festivals, music festivals, film and television, and theater related events. You can find the full list with breakouts for each event linked here.
Music Festivals:
- Chicago House Music Festival and Conference (May 30-June 2)
- Chicago Blues Festival (June 6-9)
- Andersonville Midsommarfest (June 7-8)
- Summer Smash Festival (June 21-23)
- Pitchfork Music Festival (July 19-21)
- Ravinia Music Festival (July 26-27)
- Grant Park Music Festival (June-July)
- Chosen Few Picnic (July 13)
- Millennium Park Music Series (July 1-Aug 8)
- Lollapalooza (Aug 1-4)
Film/TV Events:
- Weekly Filmmaker Networking Event (Wednesdays, June-July)
- Music Box Garden Movies(June)
- Women in Film Night (June 1)
- Sundance Film Festival (June 28-30)
- Millennium Park Film Series (July 16-Aug 20)
- Chicagoland Shorts (Aug 23)
- Movies in the Park (all summer)
- Women in Cinema 60 (all summer)
Street and Neighborhood Festivals
- Chicago Cultural Center Open House (May 30)
- Do Division Street Fest (May 31-June 1)
- Windy City Hot Dog Fest (June 1-2)
- Urban Queer Art Show and Market (June 5-9)
- Puerto Rican Festival and People’s Parade (June 6-9)
- Old Town Art Fair (June 8-9)
- Taste of Randolph (June 16-18)
- Chicago Summer Dance (June 15-Sept 8)
- Sundays on State (June 16-July 14)
- Pride Fest (June 22-23)
- Millennium Art Festival (June 28-30)
- Logan Square Arts Festival (June 28-30)
- Pride Parade (June 30)
- African/Caribbean International Festival of Life (July 4-7)
- Windy City Smoke Out (July 11-14)
- Fiesta del Sol (July 25-28)
- China Town Summer Fair (July 27-28)
- Bud Billiken Parade (Aug 10)
Plays / Theater Events:
- Black Sunday (TimeLine Theatre Co.; May 8 – June 29)
- English (Goodman; May 10 – June 16)
- The Singularity Play (Berger Park Coach House; May 19 – June 22)
- Black Power Series (Various Locations; May 23 – June 10)
- Six the Musical (Nederlander Theatre; June 4 – July 14)
- The Kite Runner (CIBC Theatre; June 11- July 23)
- Port of Entry (Albany Park Theatre Project; June 20 – July 27)
- Little Bear Ridge Road (Steppenwolf; June 13- July 21)
- The Hot Wing King (Writers Theatre; June 21 – July 21)
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Goodman; June 25 – Aug 4)
- Jersey Boys (Mercury Theatre; July 29)
- Lord of the Rings (The Yard @ Chicago Shakespeare; July 19- Sept 1
- Back to the Future the Musical (Cadillac Palace Theatre; Aug 13, Sept 1)
- Death, Let Me Do My Show (Steppenwolf; Aug 14-24)