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Things to Do in Chicago
Party / DJ Event / Music Festival
May 25–26, 2013 Chicagoland Speedway (Joliet, IL) 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, Kaskade – with an army of neon-wearing EDM fans dancing ... more
500 Speedway Boulevard
Joliet, IL 60433
Party Earth Review With a list of alums that includes everyone from Bill Murray and Jon Belushi to Steve Carell and Tina Fey, Second City is undeniably one of the most influential comedy theaters in the country. Founded in 1959 by a small group of University of Chicago students, the prolific club and its nightly menu of comics, laughs, and ... more
1616 North Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60614
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May 25, 2013 Three Sisters Park (Chillicothe, IL) Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment and Jam Productions, Ltd. are proud to announce Summer Camp Music Festival is returning this Memorial Day Weekend to Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. This will be the 13th Annual Summer Camp Music Festival ... more
17189 Illinois 29
Chillicothe, IL 61523
Party Earth Review Held the last weekend of the month from February to December, Randolph Street Market is a European-style bazaar with more than two hundred vendors – all hand-picked by festival organizers – hawking an array of antiques, handmade items, and vintage goods. Both an indoor and outdoor event, the market features ... more
1350 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
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May 25–26, 2013 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-Sheffield Music Festival. Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival ... more
Throughout the city
Party Earth Review Despite its unassuming brick façade and location on a desolate stretch of North Halsted Street, George Street Pub has managed to garner a loyal following of area yuppies and affluent locals since opening in early 2011. Situated between the bustling neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and Lakeview, the upscale yet laid-back gastropub ... more
2858 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60657
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May 25, 2013 12:00 pm Mahoney's Pub & Grille 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 Chicago. With craft brews and snacks like bite-sized sausages ... more
551 North Ogden Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
Party Earth Review Navigating a short stretch between Lincoln Park and Lakeview, the Chicago Beer Experience leads adventurous groups of friends and die-hard beer lovers along a half-mile hops-fueled adventure. Beginning in Lakeview at Vaughan's, a cozy Irish pub, the tour runs most Fridays through Sundays (regardless of the weather) and ... more
2917 North Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
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May 25, 2013 10:00 pm Laugh Factory
3175 N. Broadway St.
Chicago, IL 60657
Bar / Brewery / Restaurant
Party Earth Review With treats like bacon fat popcorn, cheddar ale soup, and a lengthy list of freshly brewed beers, Revolution Brewing does little to incite rebellion – and a whole lot to fill the belly. The warehouse-turned-brewpub is easy to spot, both due to its size and the Communist Russia-era logo of a raised fist clutching ... more
2323 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
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May 25–26, 2013 Improv Chicago
5 Woodfield Rd Store K120B
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Party Earth Review One of the first stops along the hopping Division Street stretch, Bangers & Lace is a cozy, hops-focused bar popular with young beer lovers looking for craft brews and the savory sausages to go with them. An intimate lodge décor featuring landscape murals and dozens of taxidermy animals forms the backdrop for the young ... more
1670 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
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What to Do in Chicago by Day or Night
Night
- → Sports
- → Wine Bars
- → Date Ideas
- → Singles
- → Late Night Food
The Windy City is a metropolis that is deeply affected by the weather, but regardless of the season, there are plenty of things to do in Chicago year round.
The nightlife scene is mostly indoors in the winter and the city itself is also a subdued beast locked in a deep freeze during the day. This is not to imply that everyone goes into hibernation (certainly not the shirtless Bears fans at Soldier Field) but crowds at most outdoor locales are comparatively scant.
As soon as the April / May thaw arrives, however, residents shake off their cabin fever and make any excuse to soak up the sun. Runners, bikers, and all-around outdoor lovers blanket the city’s nineteen miles of uninterrupted lakefront paths, and popular Lake Michigan beaches like ritzy Oak Street and rowdy North Avenue become a sea of skimpy swimwear and volleyball tournaments.
The city’s network of more than 550 parks – including Grant / Millennium, Lincoln, and Northerly Island – swell with things to do like softball games, sunbathers, dog walkers, and barbecue gods on any warm day. The carnival rides, events, and major promenade at Navy Pier are an obvious choice for first-time visitors, though the area’s cornucopia of cafés and theaters appeals to long-time residents as well.
Even before the thermometer inches past fifty, people head out in the morning to popular brunch spots and fantastic shopping districts to snatch up everything from haute couture along the landmark Magnificent Mile to quirky and trendy wares in Wicker Park.
And even though there are no traditional happy hours in Chicago, no summer would be complete without a day at one of its ballparks, whether in Bridgeport’s Sox country or sitting in the sun behind the ivy walls at historic Wrigley.
What are you in the mood for?
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Lucas
Sports? Pub crawls? Rowdy bars? Good beer? Then check out these suggestions from Lucas:
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Adriana
Exclusive hotspots? Chic crowds? Bottle service? Posh shopping? Then check out these suggestions from Adriana:
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Jonah
Eclectic crowds? Authentic bars? Live music? Nothing mainstream? Then check out these suggestions from Jonah:
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Emma
Amazing drink deals? Unpretentious crowds? Karaoke with friends? Dancing all night? Then check out these suggestions from Emma:
... or find things to do by interest
- → Sports
- → Live Music
- → High Energy
- → Laid back
- → Beer
- → Students
- → Shopping
- → Exclusive
- → Conversational
- → Sightseeing
- → Budget-friendly
- → Free
- → Dog Friendly
- → Expensive
- → Dancing
Explore Chicago Things to Do by Neighborhood
Free Things To Do in Chicago
- → Oak Street Beach
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→
5th Annual Millennium Art Festival
Arts Festival
- → Navy Pier
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→
Chicago Turkish Festival 2013
Ethnic Festival
- → Magnificent Mile
Recent Articles
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Featured Reviews
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Sweetwater Tavern and Grille
The Loop – Located at the south end of the city’s famously ritzy Magnificent Mile, Sweetwater Tavern and Grille is a cavernous sports bar and restaurant with an upscale... read review
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The Flat Iron
Bar in Wicker Park / Bucktown
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The Violet Hour
Bar / Lounge in Wicker Park / Bucktown
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The Matchbox
Dive Bar in River West