Edition: Summer Fun in Chicago
Quintessential Chicago
Author: Rachel Azark
Quintessential Chicago
Get Festive
Grant Park hosts some of the summer’s hottest festivals—from Blues Fest (6/7- 6/10) and Country Music Fest (6/30-7/1) to the famous Taste of Chicago (6/29-7/8), where patrons can sample ethnic items, family favorites, and Chicago specialties. The Old Town Art Fair (6/9-6/10) bills itself as the “oldest and most prestigious juried art fair of its kind.” But no summer event brings it all together quite like Venetian Night (7/28). It’s Chicago’s longest-running lakefront festival: A parade of artistically lighted boats that begins with an orchestral concert in Grant Park and concludes with an amazing display of fireworks over the lake. Music and entertainment have been on tap at Ravinia, an open-air amphitheatre hosting a wide range of musical acts throughout the summer, since opening in 1904. Though owners have come and gone, this more-than-100-year-old festival (the oldest in the country) keeps plugging away to add sweet notes to summer on Chicago’s North Shore.
Editor's Tip: At the Taste of Chicago, make sure to grab a Rainbow Cone. This multi-flavor cone is trademark of Chicago's South Side. Also available at the Park Grill Cafe.
Picnic Picks
Long ago are the days of Chicago’s famous summer gardens and picnic groves of the early 1900s but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. Enjoying a romantic dinner for two at a park is still a feasible option. So, put a blanket under your arm, pack a bottle of wine and some sandwiches, and go stake your spot. Starting on 7/17 and following every Tuesday of the month, Grant Park transforms into an outdoor movie theatre displaying a 50’x34’ screen showing classic movies at dusk for free during the annual Chicago Outdoor Film Festival. So pack your picnic basket and snuggle with your sweetie under the stars while enjoying a one-of-a-kind city experience.
If sitting on the grass isn’t your cup of tea, enjoy the benches and picnic tables around Buckingham Fountain as a place to eat your meal. Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes a 150-foot water geyser sprouts from the fountain, which feels refreshing on a hot day. At dusk, the geyser is accompanied by a music and light display. Not the most common spot for a picnic, but the tree-lined street and the steps leading down to Lake Michigan outside the Adler Planetarium offer a quiet area to picnic while taking in one of the best views of Chicago’s skyline.
