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Chicago 2014 Summer Festivals Guide

By DNAinfo Staff on April 26, 2014 6:00pm  | Updated on June 6, 2014 4:11pm

 Music, food on a stick, beer, crafts. It's festival season again in Chicago.
2014 Chicago Festivals
View Full Caption

From ribs to Greek food, music and art, north to south, this weekend's festivals pack a punch. Check ‘em out here.

MAY

Chicago Craft Beer Week
May 15-25
Various locations

Hyde Park Garden Fair
May 16, 17
Hyde Park Shopping Center, Lake Park Avenue and 55th Street
Free

Mayfest
May 16-18
3100 N. Ashland Ave.
$10 admission

Third Rail Music Festival
May 24-25
560 W. Grand Ave.
$19-$131

Randolph Street Market Festival
May 24-25
1340 W. Washington St.
$8, $10 at the gate

Maifest Chicago
May 29-June 1
Leland and Lincoln
Free

Millennium Art Festival
May 30-June 1
Lake Street at Michigan Ave.
Free

Do-Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale
May 30-June 1
Street fest: Division Street from Damen Avenue to Leavitt Street
$5 suggested donation

 The Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park on the Near West Side
The Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park on the Near West Side
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Bill Whitmire

Festival del Taco
May 30-June 1
26th Street and Kostner Avenue
Free
(Read more about Festival del Taco)

 

JUNE

Chicago Kosher BBQ Festival & Competition
June 1
3751 N. Broadway
$3 suggested donation

 

Midsommarfest
June 6-8
Clark Street in Andersonville
$10 suggested donation

Fiesta Back of the Yards
June 6-8
47th Street between Ashland and Damen Avenues

Ribfest Chicago
June 6-8
Lincoln Avenue/Irving Park Road/Damen Avenue
$5 suggested donation

Lincoln Park Greek Fest
June 6-8
Sheffield between Diversey and Schubert
Any donation accepted

Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival
June 7-8
Sheffield, from Belmont to School
Suggested $5 donation

57th Street Art Fair
June 7-8
57th Street, Kenwood to Woodlawn
Free

Pivot Arts Festival
May 28-June 14
Various locations in Uptown and Edgewater
Free - $30

 

Chicago Blues Festival
June 13-15
Grant Park
Free

Puerto Rican Parade & Festival
June 12-15
Humboldt Park
Free, but with a suggested donation of whatever attendees can afford

Taste of Randolph Street Fest
June 13-15
Randolph Street from Peoria Street to Racine Avenue
$10 suggested donation

Artist of the Wall Festival
June 14-15
Loyola Park Beach
Free

Six Corners BBQ Fest
June 14-15
Irving Park Road, Milwaukee Avenue and Cicero Avenue
Free

Old Town Art Fair
June 14-15
The main gate of the Old Town Art Fair is located at Lincoln Avenue & Wisconsin Street. Other gates: Lincoln Park West & Wisconsin; Sedgwick & Menomonee: Sedgwick & Wisconsin; Menomonee & Wells; and North Park & Willow.

Wells Street Art Festival
June 14-15
Wells Street from North Avenue to Division

Spring Awakening Music Festival
June 14-16
Soldier Field
$170-$300

Pride Fest
June 21-22
Halsted and Waveland

Free

Pride Parade
June 29
Halsted to Broadway

Free

Wicker Park’s Green Music Fest
June 21-22
Damen Avenue between North Avenue and Schiller Street
$5 suggested donation

Gold Coast Art Fair
June 21-22
Grant Park
Free

World’s Largest Block Party (Old St. Pat’s)
June 27-28
Desplaines Street between Madison and Adams streets
$75 for both nights, $45 at the gate

Chicago Gospel Music Festival
June 27-29
Millennium Park | Chicago Cultural Center | Ellis Park
Free

Chicago Summerfest
June 28-29
Clark Street at Armitage
$5 suggested donation

Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival
June 27-29
Milwaukee Avenue from Kedzie to Diversey avenues
TBD

Chicago SummerDance
Grant Park
June 27 – Sept 14
6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Thurs-Saturday, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Sundays 
Spirit of Music Garden, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Free

JULY

Hyde Park 4th of July Parade
July 4
Nichols Park
Free

Windy City Ribfest in Uptown
July 4-6
Lawrence and Broadway
$5 suggested donation

The Chosen Few Picnic Weekend
July 3-6
Jackson Park, 63rd Street and Hayes Drive
$20-$1,000

Taste of Lakeview
July 5-6
Lincoln and Belmont
$5 suggested donation

Taste of Chicago
July 9-13
Grant Park
Free, but seats at musical acts could cost up to $50

Bastille Day 5K and 8K Run, Walk and Block Party
July 10
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Cannon Drive at Fullerton Parkway
$30-35 registration, $5 entrance to block party

Square Roots
July 11-13
Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson
$10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families

Windy City Smokeout
July 11-13
Bub City 435 N. Clark St.
$25-30 per day, $75 three-day pass

Summer on Southport
July 12-13
Southport at Waveland
$5 suggested donation

Bucktown Tree and Garden Walk
July 12-13
Private gardens throughout Bucktown

Roscoe Village Burger Fest
July 12-13
Belmont and Damen
$8 suggested donation

West Fest
July 12-13
Chicago Avenue from Damen Avenue to Wood Street
$5 suggested donation

BenFest
July 18-20
2215 W. Irving Park Road
$5 suggested donation, kids 5 and under are free

Celebrate Clark Street
July 19-20
Clark Street between Morse and Estes avenues
$5 per person or $10 per family suggested donation

Chicago Craft Beer Festival
July 19-20
Sheffield Avenue between Fullerton and Webster
$40

Sheffield Garden Walk
July 19-20
Sheffield Avenue between Fullerton and Webster
$7 donation

Taste of River North
July 18-20
Ward Park (Kingsbury & Erie)
$5 donation, $8 after 5 p.m. Saturday

Chinatown Summer Fair
July 20
Wentworth Ave. from Cermak Road to 24th Place

Jeff Fest
July 25-27
Jefferson Memorial Park, 4822 N. Long Ave.
Admission is $5 before 5 p.m., $7 after 5 p.m., or $15 for all three days. Children ages 12 and under are free

Taste of Lincoln Avenue
July 26-27
Lincoln Avenue between Fullerton and Wrightwood
$10

Wicker Park Fest
July 26-27
North and Milwaukee avenues


Fiesta Del Sol
July 31-Aug. 3
1400 W. Cermak Road (Between Morgan Street and Ashland Avenue)
Free

 Fans were out in full force for the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2012.
Fans were out in full force for the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2012.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Bill Whitmire

AUGUST

Lollapalooza
Aug. 1-3
Grant Park
$100 and up

Wrigleyville Summerfest
August 2-3
Roscoe and Seminary
$5 suggested donation

Taste of Latin America
August 2-3
Armitage Avenue from Central Park Avenue to Avers Street
Free

Edgewater Edge Fest
Aug. 2-3
North Broadway, from Thorndale Avenue to Ardmore Avenue
$5 suggested donation

Ginza Festival
August 8-10
435 W. Menomonee Street
$6 adults, $5 student, free for children under 12

Bud Billiken Parade
Aug. 9
Martin Luther King Drive, 35th to 51st
Free

Market Days
August 9-10
Halsted between Belmont and Addison

Retro on Roscoe
Aug. 9-10
Roscoe and Damen
$10 suggested donation

Glenwood Ave Arts Fest
Aug. 15-17
Glenwood and Morse avenues
Free

Edison Park Fest
Aug. 15-17
6730 N. Olmstead Ave.

Festival Cubano
Aug. 15-17
Riis Park, 6100 W. Fullerton Ave.

Albany Park World Fest
Aug. 16-17
Lawrence and Kimball
$5 suggested donation

Chicago Air & Water Show
August 16-17
North Avenue Beach
Free

Taylor Street Festa Italiana
Aug. 21-24
Taylor Street between Ashland and Racine avenues
$5 suggested donation

New Orleans Festival
Aug 23-24
Division and Damen

Bash on Wabash
August 23-24
1400 S. Wabash

$5 suggested donation

The Boulevard Festival
August 22-24
Logan Boulevard and Whipple Avenue
$10 suggested donation

Bucktown Arts Fest
Aug. 23-24
Senior Citizens Memorial Park (2300 North Oakley Ave/2300 West Lyndale St.)

Chicago Food Social
Aug. 23-24
Kendall College Parking Lot 900 N. Branch St.
$5 admission

Taste of Greektown
Aug. 23-24
100-400 S. Halsted St.
Free

Ukrainian Days Festival
Aug. 23-24
Smith Park, 2526 W. Grand Ave.
$5 donation

Chicago Fringe Fest
Aug. 28-Sept. 7
Cost varies

Chicago Jazz Festival
Aug. 28-31
Millennium Park

Free

Taste of Polonia
Aug. 29-Sept. 1
Copernicus Center, 5216 W Lawrence Ave.
Free

North Coast Music Fest
Aug. 29-31
Union Park
$149-$279 (three-day passes)

Around the Corner Arts Festival
Aug. 30
Irving Park Road, Milwaukee and Cicero avenues

Remix Chicago
August 30-31
Milwaukee Avenue between Fullerton and California avenues
Free

SEPTEMBER

German-American Fest
Sept. 5-7
Lincoln/Leland/Western
Free

Windy City Wine Festival
Sept. 5-6
Buckingham Fountain
$30 in advance, $38 at the door

Guinness Oyster Fest
Sept. 6
Roscoe and Damen
$7 suggested donation

Ukrainian Village Fest
Sept. 6-7
Oakley and Superior
$5

World Music Festival
Sept. 11–Sept. 21
Various locations, including Chicago Cultural Center
Free

Little Village Festival
Sept. 12-14
26th and Kostner streets
Free

Riot Fest
September 12-14
Humboldt Park
Regular tickets not yet on sale, $70-80 three-day Early Bird passes are sold out

Crush in Old Town
Sept. 14-15
Wells Street between North and Schiller
$7

Apple Fest
Sept. 20
Lincoln Avenue between Lawrence and Leland
Free

Logan Square Beer Festival
Sept. 20
Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie
Tickets TBD

Design Harvest Festival
Sept. 20-21
Grand Avenue between Damen and Wood Streets
$5 suggested donation

Sam Adams Lakeview Taco Fest
Sept. 20-21
Southport between Addison and Newport

Children’s Book Fair
Sept. 21
Nichols Park, 55th and Kimbark Ave.
Free

Oktoberfest
Sept. 26-28
Southport and Lincoln avenues

Hyde Park Jazz Festival
Sept. 27-28
Various locations

Edgewater Fall Art Fair
Sept. 27-28
Granville Avenue between North Broadway and Kenmore Avenue
$5 suggested donation

OCTOBER

Ravenswood ArtWalk Tour of Arts and Industry
Oct. 4-5
Ravenswood Avenue between Addison and Lawrence
Free