(Chicago Blues Festival / Facebook)
1. Groove
Soak up spring greens and summer blues during the three-day Chicago Blues Festival in Millennium Park, billed as the largest free blues event in the world. Highlights of the 34th annual fest include Rhymefest, Billy Branch & The Son of Blues (Friday); Theo Huff and the New Agenda Band, William Bell (Saturday); and Rhiannon Giddens, Gary Clark Jr. (Sunday). Food is available for purchase. Click here to find out what you can bring (folding chairs) and can’t bring (alcohol—although beer and wine are available for purchase).
Details: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St. Free. | MAP
2. Toast
Get a flavor of Sweden—by way of Clark Street—at Midsommarfest. Dozens of local restaurants and food and drink vendors set up food stalls along the street, along with tents stocked with handmade crafts and seasonal merchandise. Five stages include performances by bands To the 9s, 16 Candles (Friday); Catfight, ABBA Salute, The Hits with DJ Laura B (Saturday); 7th Heaven, Chicago Jazz Orchestra (Sunday). Extras include kids activities, dance performances, DJs and a pet parade and costume contest (noon Saturday). Also: A Chicago Equality Rally kicks off at 11 a.m. Sunday at Clark Street and Balmoral Avenue.
Details: 5-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday along Clark Street, from Foster to Catalpa avenues. $10 suggested donation. | MAP
(Andersonville Midsommarfest / Facebook)
3. Celebrate
Ride your way into the weekend at Fiesta Back of the Yards, featuring 25 carnival rides and games, plus live music, dancers and more than 100 vendors. New this year: the “First Polka Festival of the Midwest.”
Details: 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday along 47th Street, from Ashland to Damen avenues. Free admission; fees for food and rides. | MAP
4. Pig out
Ribfest Chicago boasts 27 tons of pork, 19 hours of live music and the Midwest’s only professional rib-eating competition. Music highlights: Magic Giant, Banditos (Friday); Diane Coffee, Susto (Saturday); Grizfolk, Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line (Sunday). A family area (Lincoln and Belle Plaine avenues) includes inflatables, games, dancing, mini-golf and more.
Details: 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday along Lincoln Avenue, between Irving Park Road and Berteau Avenue. $10 suggested donation. | MAP
Treat dad to a meaty weekend at Ribfest Chicago. (Beking Joassaint / Beking Joassaint Photography)
5. Double up
Hundreds of artists showcase their work at this weekend’s serene Old Town Art Fair along lovely tree-lined streets and the slightly more rowdy Wells Street Art Festival. Both feature hundreds of juried artists, food and drink vendors, and live music. The Old Town art fair also includes a garden walk.
Wells Street Art Festival: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday along Wells Street between North Avenue and Division Street. $7 suggested donation. | MAP
Old Town Art Fair: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday centered at the Old Town Triangle Association Building, 1763 N. Park Ave. $10 suggested donation. | MAP
(Old Town Art Fair / Facebook)
6. Get lit
The annual Printers Row Lit Fest brings booksellers from across the country to the city, where they display and sell new, used and antiquated books. Free panel discussions highlight authors, journalists and novelists, including U.S. Sen. Al Franken, author Jonathan Safran Foer and former NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Family events include storytelling, costumed characters, performances and more.
Details: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday along Dearborn Street, from Congress Parkway to Polk Street. Free; some events require tickets. | MAP
More than 100 book vendors are on hand at Printers Row Lit Fest. (Ginny / Wikimedia Commons)
7. Go green
It’s all about staying local and sustainable at the ninth annual Wicker Park Green Music Fest. A people-powered bicycle stage, ecologically crafted beers by Lagunitas and a ladybug release mark the sustainably minded festival. Music highlights include JD Mcpherson, Nothing (Saturday); Lucero, July Talk (Sunday). Local vendors showcase retail, arts, crafts and food. Family activities and a pet fest take place both days from noon-6 p.m.
Details: Noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday along Damen Avenue between North Avenue and Schiller Street. $10 suggested donation. | MAP
8. Listen up
Sit back and take note as performance-based installation artist and writer Viktor Le. Givens discusses his work and conducts an improvisational reading from “MO’ LASSES,” his recently published book of folklore and mythology.
Details: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday at the DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Place. $8. | MAP
Viktor Le. Givens (DuSable Museum of African American History / Facebook)
9. Explore
Tour the interiors of several landmarked private homes, including the Joseph Coleman house, at A Walk Through Time. The homes, constructed between 1868 and 1894, feature carved wood moldings, leaded glass windows, elaborate fireplaces and more. A courtyard reception follows the tour and includes live jazz, appetizers and a silent auction.
Details:1-4 p.m. Sunday at the Glessner House Museum, 1800 S. Prairie Ave. $50. | MAP
10. Order
Take advantage of Chicago’s Secret Menu Promotion. In partnership with Yelp, 42 Chicago spots offer never-before-seen items on their menus, such as panini made with Nutella, green apple, brie and arugula at Café Ballou; a specialized pizza at Connie’s; and a new ramen dish at Strings.
Details: Prices and times vary. Promotion runs through June 17.
Connie’s Pizza is one of 42 restaurants participating in the secret menu promotion. (Connie’s Pizza / Facebook)
Events listed are subject to change. We recommend double-checking times and locations before you head out the door. Want to share your upcoming events with us for consideration in a future roundup? Send us an email.
