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Festivals in Chicago
Wine Festival
May 14–25 ... more By the time summer rolls around, you’ve been dieting and working out and it’s time to give yourself a break. There’s no better way to break your insane diet for
Throughout the cityBeer Festival
May 16–26 ... more Chicago celebrates great brews at the annual Chicago Craft Beer Week. Held for eleven days in May, the 2013 Chicago Craft Beer Week takes place at over 250 participating bars throughout
Throughout the city
May 23–26 Three Sisters Park (Chillicothe, IL) ... more Music lovers from all over the Greater Chicago area head to the annual Summer Camp Music Festival. Held for four days in May, the 2013 Summer Camp Music Festival takes place at Three
17189 Illinois 29
Chillicothe, IL 61523
Ethnic Festival
May 24–27 Chicago Gaelic Park ... more Chicago has a thriving Irish-American culture and community. To celebrate the city’s Irish heritage, culture hounds head to the annual Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Fest. Held
6119 West 147th Street
Oak Forest, IL 60452
May 24–26 Chicagoland Speedway (Joliet, IL) ... more Beats are in full bloom at the Electric Daisy Carnival. The three-day spinfest books some of the biggest names in electronic music – Tiesto, David Guetta, Armin van Buuren
500 Speedway Boulevard
Joliet, IL 60433
Ethnic Festival
May 25–26 ... more Believe it or not, Cinco de Mayo is about more than downing margaritas. The annual celebration of Mexican-American culture is also very much about Mexican food, which helps soak
Throughout the cityParade / Holiday Event
May 25 ... more Memorial Day unofficially marks the start of the summer season in America. Furthermore, it recognizes and celebrates the contributions of countless men and women who have selflessly
Throughout the city
May 25 Mahoney's Pub & Grille ... more Beer lovers and foodies pack out the annual Mahoney’s Lager Jam. Held on a day in May, the 2013 Mahoney’s Lager Jam takes place at Mahoney’s Pub & Grille in
551 North Ogden Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
Arts Festival / Fashion Event
May 25–26 Randolph Street Market ... more The Randolph Street Market Festival is home to the world-renowned Chicago Antique Market, Indie Designer Market, Modern Vintage Chicago and the Holiday Market. As seen in Travel
1350 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
May 25–26 ... more If there’s something you can always count on Chicago to provide in the summer, it’s a really good music festival. Every May, thousands of denizens head to the Belmont
Throughout the cityStreet Fair
May 31–Jun 2 Division Street ... more There are few cities in the entire world that know how to throw a better summer party than Chicago. One of the Second City’s finest summer festivals is the Do-Division Street
1600–2100 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
Ethnic Festival
May 31–Jun 1 Pioneer Court ... more Chicago is a perfect microcosm of the melting pot that is America. Every May in the Second City, hundreds of Chicagoans celebrate one of the many heritages that make up the city
401 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Annual Festivals in Chicago
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HoZac BLACKOUT Fest
Music Festival
Every year in May
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Summer Camp Music Festival
Music Festival / Concert
Every year in May | Next: May 23–26, 2013Add to Calendar
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Dillo Day
Concert / Festival
Every year in May/June | Next: Jun 1, 2013Add to Calendar
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Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival
Music Festival
Every year in May | Next: May 25–26, 2013Add to Calendar
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Bach Week Festival
Festival / Music Festival
Every year in April and May
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International Mr. Leather
Party
Every year in May | Next: May 24–27, 2013Add to Calendar
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Do-Division Street Fest
Street Fair
Once a year | Next: May 31–Jun 2, 2013Add to Calendar
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Green Festival (Chicago)
Conference / Convention
Every year in May
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Mole de Mayo
Ethnic Festival
Every year in May | Next: May 25–26, 2013Add to Calendar
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Chicago Anarchist Film Festival
Film Festival / Festival
Every Year in April or May
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Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Fest
Ethnic Festival
Every Memorial Day weekend | Next: May 24–27, 2013Add to Calendar
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Mayfest Lakeview
Community Festival
Every year in May
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Chicago Turkish Festival
Ethnic Festival
Once a year | Next: May 31–Jun 1, 2013Add to Calendar
Chicago Festivals Overview
As the third largest city in America, Chicago is home to countless festivals and parades throughout the year. So if you’re looking for great food, drinks, music, film, or the arts, there are few better places to celebrate them all than in the Windy City.
There are so many festivals in Chicago, that it would be tough to name them all. But for starters, the music festivals are truly second to none. Two of the biggest music festivals in the city, and really the country, are Lollapalooza and Pitchfork. Created in 1991, Lollapalooza posts up in Grant Park and hosts over 150,000 people over a three-day period and has featured every A-list artist on the planet. Pitchfork, meanwhile, has a more alternative bent and has hosted the likes of Bon Iver, The Hold Steady, The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, and Vampire Weekend since 2005.
Of course you can’t forget the Chicago Blues and Chicago jazz festivals, which have featured the most legendary names in the business and continue to be the seminal festivals in America for both genres.
For food lovers, there’s nothing quite like Taste of Chicago. The world’s biggest food festival, Taste of Chicago is a ten day smorgasbord featuring 50+ vendors serving every kind of food imaginable.
If you’re looking for film or art, there are plenty of festivals to choose from as well from the Chicago International Film Festival to Art Chicago.
No matter what you’re looking for, there will never be a shortage of Chicago festivals to choose from. So bring your appetite, lawn chairs, picnic baskets or whatever else you need, because the Windy City festivals will have you staying awhile.
Videos of Chicago Festivals
Popular Chicago Neighborhoods
Recent Articles
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Red, White, and Brewski: Best American Spring and Summer Beer Fests
Perfecting the art of drinking responsibly is a noble goal. After all, the older you get, the less socially acceptable it is to play 10 games of beer pong after a record-breaking keg stand. While ... read full article
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Stage Signals: Radio’s Best Spring and Summer Concerts
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School’s Out for Summer: May’s Top Global Events
Upcoming concerts in Chicago
May 22 Of Monsters and Men
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May22Of Monsters and Men
@Aragon Ballroom
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May23For The Fallen Dreams
@Mojoes (Joliet, IL)
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May24Summer Camp Music Festival 2013
@Three Sisters Park (Chillicothe, IL)
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May25An Evening with Rickie Lee Jones
@S.P.A.C.E. (Evanston, IL)
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May26Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago 2013
@Chicagoland Speedway (Joliet, IL)