Summer Guide: Chicago-area festivals offer music, food, art, family fun and more

It’s festival season! There’s no better way to spend summer than with local bites, brews and tunes at festivals across Chicago.

Each neighborhood has something unique to offer, from music on the lawn to a foodie’s paradise. Make the most of summer by attending some of our favorite fests in and around Chicago:

June

Do Division Street Fest: Enjoy live music from 30 bands, food, local art vendors, family fun, fashion shows and more. June 3-5. Division St. from Damen Ave. to Leavitt St. $10 suggested donation; do-divisionstreetfest.com

Pivot Arts Festival: The showcase features dance, theater, opera, music, film and more from artists who have demonstrated creativity and resilience. June 10-18. The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway St. Tickets $10-$35; pivotarts.org

Old Town Art Fair: Discover 200+ art vendors, live music, a garden walk, family-friendly activities and more in the Old Town Triangle District. June 11-12. 1763 N. North Park Ave. $12 suggested donation; oldtownartfair.org

Ravenswood on Tap: Sip on a selection of beverages from breweries and distilleries across the iconic Malt Row community, like Half Acre, KOVAL Distillery and more. Food trucks, axe throwing and live music are also on tap. June 11-12. Ravenswood Ave. and Berteau Ave. Suggested donation; ravenswoodchicago.org

Wells Street Art Festival: Visit the happening Wells Street corridor in Old Town to shop a selection of artists and 20+ food & drink vendors, enjoy music, entertainment and family fun. June 11-12. Wells St. from North Ave. to Division St. $8 suggested donation; wellsstreetartfest.us

Artists of the Wall Festival: Over 150 murals are painted each year on the sea wall at Loyola Beach to celebrate community and creativity. Listen to 12 live bands and watch this year’s theme, “World of Tomorrow,” come to life. June 18-19. Loyola Beach, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave. Suggested donation; loyolapark.org

Chicago Pride Fest: Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with live music, DJs, drag shows, food & drink, 100+ art vendors and more. June 18-19. Halsted St. and Waveland Ave. $15 suggested donation; chicagoevents.com

Festival on the Square: Theatre performances, live music and more showcase Black creativity on Juneteenth. Special guest performers include Melody Angel Ayodele Drum & Dance. June 19. Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W 35th St. Free; congosquaretheatre.org

River North Live Music Festival: The inaugural riverfront festival kicks off with a three-day event. Headliners include The Calling, Emo Night Brooklyn, Michigander and Baysik. June 24-26. River Park at theMART, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza. Tickets $10-12; rivernorthlive.com

Strawberry Festival: Get your strawberry fix with sauces, jams, smoothies and more. Carnival rides, complimentary children’s activities and live music will go on all weekend. June 24-26. Historic Downtown Long Grove, 308 Old McHenry Rd., Long Grove. Free for children 12 and under, $5 for adults; longgrove.org

Friday Night Flights: Sample craft beers from the South Side, the West Side and the North Side in Bridgeport, the Chicago Brewing District and Ravenswood. June 24, Aug. 26 and Sept. 16. Citywide. Tickets $25; chicagofridaynightflights.com

Courtesy Special Events Management – chicagoevents.com

July

African/Caribbean International Festival of Life: Celebrate the 4th of July at this vibrant Hyde Park festival with fabulous food, family fun, reggae, R&B, jazz and more. July 2-4. Washington Park, 55th St. and Cottage Grove Ave. Free for children 12 and under, $20-$175 for adults; internationalfestivaloflife.com

Rogers Park Music & Art Fest: Tune in to the diverse music and art scene of Rogers Park. Headliners include Sarah Potenza, Satellite Union and Choctaw Wildfire. July 8-9. Flatts & Sharpe Music, 6749 N. Sheridan Rd. Free; flattsandsharpe.com

Square Roots: Craft beer and unique tunes flow freely at this Lincoln Square festival. Headliners include Bob Mould, Guided by Voices and Dehd. Grab a brew from Half Acre, Dovetail Brewery, Begyle Brewing Co. and more. July 8-10. Lincoln Ave. from Montrose Ave. to Wilson Ave. $5-$10 suggested donation; squareroots.org

Southport Art Fest: Explore art of many mediums and interactive kid-friendly activities right down the road from Wrigley Field. July 9-10. Waveland Ave. and Southport Ave. Free; starevents.com

West Loop Summer Fest: Dip your toes in the sand as you enjoy tropical jams, yacht-rock and refreshments from local vendors. July 9-10. Washington Blvd. and Sangamon St. $10 suggested donation; chicagoevents.com

Horner Brew Fest: Sample over 40 beers, eat at local food trucks and catch live tunes while supporting sustainability initiatives on the North Side. July 15. Horner Park, 2741 W. Montrose Ave. Tickets $10-$45; hornerbrewfest.org

Taste of Lincoln Avenue: Grab a bite from local food vendors and explore arts & crafts, main stage music and fun for the whole family. July 22-24. N. Lincoln Ave. from Fullerton Pkwy. to Wrightwood Ave. $10 entry; chicagoevents.com

Wicker Park Fest: This music-centric festival features a lineup handpicked by Subterranean, local eats, retail and art. July 22-24. Milwaukee Ave. from North Ave. to Paulina St. $10 suggested donation; wickerparkfest.com

Fiesta Del Sol: The eight-block Latinx festival features a Ferris wheel, over 100 vendors, tacos, tamales and two entertainment stages for its 50th anniversary. July 28-31. Cermak Rd. from Ashland Ave. to Morgan St. Tickets $55+; fiestadelsol.org

Lincolnwood Fest: Live music, old-time carnival rides and games, food & drink, family fun and more return to the annual community festival. July 28-31. Proesel Park, 6915 N. Kostner Ave., Lincolnwood. Free; lincolnwoodil.org

Chinatown Summer Fair: The 43rd annual festival will feature performances, artisans, family activities and Asian cuisine to celebrate Far East culture. July 30-31. Wentworth Ave. from Cermak Ave. to 24th Pl. Free; ccc-foundation.org

August through Labor Day

Dancing in the Streets: Bring your dancing shoes, jam to bands and cool down with refreshments from the Chicago Brewing District. Aug. 5. Hubbard St. from Paulina St. to Wood St. $10 suggested donation; westtownchamber.org

Northalsted Market Days: Hop around Halsted to peruse performances across six stages, 250+ vendors, food & drink, DJs, dancing and more. Aug. 6-7. Halsted St. from Belmont to Addison. $15 suggested donation; northalsted.com

Illinois State Fair: The fairgrounds feature rides, attractions, competitions, food, music, horse racing and more. Attend concerts at the Grandstand for an additional cost. Headliners include Sam Hunt, Demi Lovato, Willie Nelson & Family and Shaggy & TLC. Aug. 11-21. Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon Ave., Springfield. Free for children 12 and under, $3-$10 for adults; illinois.gov

Clark After Dark: Food, drink, music and more will light up the annual River North block party in appreciation of Illinois’ military personnel. Aug. 18. Hubbard St. from Clark St. to LaSalle St. Tickets $10+; starevents.com

Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest: Shop from over 120 art vendors, view art demonstrations, listen to live music and indulge in street food and craft beer in Rogers Park. Aug. 19-21. Glenwood Avenue Arts District, Glenwood Ave. and Morse Ave. Free; glenwoodave.org

Oak Park Microbrew Review: Drink sustainably from an array of local craft breweries at this zero-waste festival. Aug. 20. Marion St. from Lake St. to Pleasant St., Oak Park. Tickets $60-$250; sevengenerationsahead.org

Chalk Howard Street: All are welcome to decorate Howard Street with chalk drawings, appreciate chalk artistry and explore the shops and cuisines of Rogers Park. Aug. 27. Howard St. from Paulina St. to Ashland Ave. Free; howardstreetchicago.com

Port Clinton Art Festival: Downtown Highland Park hosts 260 artists from around the country, live music and food from neighborhood spots. Aug 27-28. 600 Central Ave., Highland Park. Free; portclintonartfestival.com

Rockin’ in the Park: This free concert series features tribute bands galore and a fireworks show. Highlights include Departure, Yachtley Crew, Deadfest and Elton Rohn. Through Sept. 1. Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Pl., Rosemont. Free; rosemont.com

Chicago Jazz Festival: Get jazzy at the return of this beloved festival. Concerts will pop up in Millennium park and across Chicago neighborhoods. Sept. 1-4. Millennium Park, Pritzker Pavilion, Michigan and Randolph and citywide. Free; chicagojazzfestival.us

City of Chicago, Patrick L. Pyszka

The Best Foodie Fests

Taste of Chicago: Explore Chicago cuisine at the ultimate foodie and music festival. Pop-ups will grace three neighborhoods — Austin, Pullman and Little Village — in June and the traditional three-day festival will take place in July. June 11, 18 & 25 and July 8-10. Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St. and citywide. Free; tasteofchicago.us

Roscoe Village Burger Fest: Dig in to some of Chicago’s best burgers as you relish in live music and family fun. Attendees get to vote for Chicago’s Best Burger. July 15-17. Belmont Ave. and Damen Ave. $10 suggested donation; chicagoevents.com

Taco Crawl: Clark Street restaurants are serving up the finest tacos in Rogers Park at this community-focused event. July 21. Clark St. from Devon Ave. to Rogers Ave. Tickets $20-$30; rpba.org

Pizza City Fest: Pizza fanatics will gain access to 10 different types of all-you-can-eat pizza from 40 pizza makers, panels and seminars, merchants, music and more. July 23-24. Plumbers Hall, 1395 W. Randolph St. Tickets $59-$249; pizzacityfest.com

Festa Italiana: Savor Italian cuisine, wine, music and more. And, don’t miss the meatball eating contest on Saturday! Aug. 5-7. Naperville Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Free for children 12 and under, $5-$25 for adults; starevents.com

Ribfest Chicago: Ribs, ribs and more ribs! Enjoy beer, entertainment and family fun as you snack on a slab. Aug. 19-21. Lincoln Ave., Irving Park Rd. and Damen Ave. Suggested donation; ribfest-chicago.com

Taste of Greektown: Delight in Mediterranean flavors from Greektown eateries and celebrate Greek culture with live music and games. Aug 26-28. Halsted St. from Van Buren St. to Adams St. Suggested donation; tasteofgreektown.com

Chicago Food Truck Festival: Grab lunch every Friday from an assortment of Chicago’s finest food trucks. Through Oct. 7. Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. Free; thedaleycenter.com