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Five Things To Do Outside: Oysters, Pierogi and Vikings on Bikes

 An estimated 30,000 people are expected to flock to downtown Jefferson Park over the Labor Day weekend for Taste of Polonia, the largest festival of Polish food, culture and beer in North America.
An estimated 30,000 people are expected to flock to downtown Jefferson Park over the Labor Day weekend for Taste of Polonia, the largest festival of Polish food, culture and beer in North America.
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Coperincus Center

CHICAGO — It's gonna be a balmy, long and sunny weekend in Chicago. Here are five ideas to help you max it out.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Pierogi: An estimated 30,000 people are expected to flock to downtown Jefferson Park over the Labor Day weekend for Taste of Polonia, the largest festival of Polish food, culture and beer in North America. More than 35 bands are expected to play on four stages during the four-day festival that starts at 5 p.m. Friday at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave. Admission to the festival is $7 for adults. Children 12 and younger are free. The festival takes place from 5-10:30 p.m. Friday, noon-10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and noon-10 p.m. Monday.

Go ‘Biking Like A Viking’ And Get Free Ice Cream: If you want to pack in a lot of outdoor fun in one day, then check out Go Edgewater’s Biking Like A Viking event. Grab all your cycling essentials (helmet, lock, water bottle) and head on over to the Swedish American Museum parking lot in Andersonville to meet Frej the Viking. There, students from North Park University will be waiting to decorate bike helmets together before embarking on a 2.5 mile ride to Albany Park. Those who make the trek will be rewarded with glory and free ice cream. Swedish American Museum, Ashland and Foster, Saturday Sept. 5, 12:30 p.m., Free.

Groove to Smooth Rhythms and Thumping Beats: The African Festival of the Arts kicks off Friday night at 5:30 p.m. with some Chicago steppin' and a performance by Femi Blackup at 7:20 p.m. as lead in to the weekend-long music fest in Washington Park. Headliners include Aleph Beatz, Abraham Mellish, Phenom, Jeffrey Osborne and more. A full line-up is available on the festival's website10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Monday, Washington Park. Tickets prices vary frm $15 for a day pass to $40 for the whole weekend.

People Watch Outside the Flat Iron:  The 3-day-long Around the Coyote Arts Festival returns to Wicker Park, bringing in over 30 visiting artists to join the several dozen who work full-time in the iconic corner building.  Stay outside on the sidewalk to people watch or go indoors for tours of resident artist's studios, live music and theater. The "First Friday" opening reception is from 6 to 10 p.m. Other fest hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.   Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave.  Entry is $5 suggested donation.

Celebrate the Fact You're Not Laboring By Eating $1 Oysters:  If hotdogs and hamburgers aren't your thing, Frontier is having a "Drunken Oyster Labor Day Party" in its all-weather beer garden.  Revelers with the day off from work can enjoy $1 raw oysters and $4 Abita beer pints and one dozen oysters plus a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck champagne for $50, while supplies last. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday, seating on a first-come basis. Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave. 

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