Maybe it's the joy of surviving yet another long winter, or maybe people in Chicago just love an excuse for food and fun… Regardless, once the weather gets warm, the Windy City heats up with tons of summer festivals. Music, food, art, ethnic heritage — you name it, it's here, making Chicago a great choice for a summer vacation.
Most of the biggies highlighted here are downtown in and around Grant Park, so you can book a Chicago hotel in the Loop/Millennium Park/Grant Park area and walk. If you want to experience summer in Chicago like a local, though, hop on the El and try one of the many neighborhood fests. Retro on Roscoe is a fun event in a cute Northside neighborhood, Lakeview Music Fest features food and music in the shadow of Wrigley Field, and there are many others.
57th Street Art Fair June 5-6: Painting, sculpture, photography, jewelery, ceramics and much more. Billed as Chicago's oldest juried art fair, this one happens in President Obama's old neighborhood (Hyde Park). FREE.
Chicago Gospel Music Festival June 6-7: The first of many multi-day concert events held in Grant Park throughout the summer, this one features more than 50 acts on three stages. FREE.
Chicago Blues Festival June 12-14: Same idea as Gospel Fest, with a different genre. Eddie C. Campbell, Bettye LaVette and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are the headliners. FREE.
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By Robin Gallagher
