Festivals & special events
Chicago House Music Festival and Conference
Free admission • Millennium Park and beyond The Chicago House Music Festival is an annual celebration of the Chicago-born genre that has revolutionized dance music…
Festivals & special events
Discover the best of the city’s fests.
Festivals & special events, Food & drink
Chicago Gourmet
Harris Theater Rooftop • Millennium Park Welcome to Chicago Gourmet, one of the country’s most distinguished food festivals. Each year, Chicago Gourmet celebrates the city’s…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Grant Park Music Festival
Free admission • Millennium Park Experience a summer of extraordinary music with dozens of free classical concerts. The Grant Park Music Festival, one of the…
Festivals & special events, LGBTQ+
Chicago Pride Parade and more Pride celebrations in Chicago
Chicago knows how to party for Pride. The annual LGBTQ+ celebration takes over the city each June, with street fests, concerts, parties, and the iconic…
Entertainment, Festivals & special events
Chicago film festivals and events
Chicago has a long and illustrious cinematic history: the filming location for Charlie Chaplin at the Essanay Studios in 1915, ’80s classics like Ferris Bueller’s…
Festivals & special events, Food & drink, Music
Windy City Smokeout
July 10 – 13, 2025 United Center parking lot Country music, barbecue, and craft beer — it’s hard to think of a better way to…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
World Music Festival Chicago
Free admission • Multiple locations The annual World Music Festival is your passport to musical acts from around the globe. This free, city-wide festival features…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Gospel Music Festival
Free admission • Millennium Park Gospel music has deep roots in Chicago. The city helped transform the genre, propelling it onto the world stage. The…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Blues Festival
Free admission • Millennium Park and beyond A legendary Chicago event since 1984, the Chicago Blues Festival is the world’s largest free blues festival. Each…
Festivals & special events, Free & cheap, Music
Chicago Jazz Festival
Free admission • Millennium Park The oldest of Chicago’s free lakefront music festivals boasts an incredibly diverse lineup, which includes free neighborhood concerts leading up…
Festivals & special events
Chicago festival and event guide
Every season is festival season in Chicago. Chicago’s world-renowned fests and events celebrate food, music, culture, art, and history throughout the city. Check out the…
Festivals & special events, Museums & art
Chicago museums open late for after-hours events
Chicago’s museums are packed with fascinating, immersive exhibits on every topic you can imagine — and the fun doesn’t have to stop when the sun…
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