Taking It
OUTSIDE
From fine wine to rock music, Chicago’s warm-weather
festivals offer something for everyone.
BY JOANN GRECO
OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTO BY ADAM ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF CHOOSE CHICAGO;
THIS PAGE: PHOTO COURTESY OF CHOOSE CHICAGO
T
he Windy City may as
well give itself a new
moniker: the City of
Big Festivals. Over the
last three decades or so,
Chicago has carved out a reputation
as a leader in food and music events
that draw millions, as well as specialty festivals dedicated to everything
from kites to bikes. “What started as
a catalyst for enlivening downtown
has blossomed into a citywide commitment to bringing populations and
communities together,” says Michelle
T. Boone, commissioner of the city’s
Department of Cultural Affairs and
Special Events. “We’ve built a proud
legacy of producing high quality—and
mostly free—platforms for residents
and visitors alike to experience the very
best of Chicago arts and culture, along
with some really unusual events.”
Bikes to Flights
The event schedule fills as the weather
warms. For a family-friendly outing, don’t miss the Chicago Kids and
Kites Festival in May. “This event
notifies the city that summer is officially here, and that festival season has
begun,” Boone says. Spectators enjoy
deft displays from sport kites, and kids
receive free kits so they can design and
build their own creations. The fun
is centered at Cricket Hill, near the
intersection of Lake Shore Drive and
Montrose Avenue, and comes complete with food vendors, face-painters
and balloon artists.
Planes fly over Lake Michigan during the Chicago Air & Water Show.
In June, Bike Week gets in gear
with seven days of tooling around
on two wheels that culminates when
thousands participate in the Bike to
Work Rally. Visitors to town will want
to take advantage of the city’s bike
share program, Divvy.
A 24-hour pass is just $7 and allows
for unlimited 30-minute trips—the
timer resets whenever a bike is docked
at one of the hundreds of stations
located around the city.
One of the oldest events in the
city, the Chicago Air & Water Show,
takes off in August. It was first held
in 1959 when the Lake Shore Park
department used a budget of just $88
to assemble a program that included
water skiers, diving competitions and
even a rescue demonstration.
Today, the two-day event has
morphed into the largest free show of its
kind in the nation. It attracts more than
2 million visitors each year, who come to
gasp and cheer for an array of daredevil
stunts and jaw-dropping maneuvers.
For a jump on the proceedings,
book Friday lunch at the Signature
Room, located on the 95th floor of
the John Hancock Center, to enjoy
a bird’s-eye view as flyers, gliders
and paratroopers rehearse before the
weekend kicks off.
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