Famous for its bold, cutting edge architecture, Chicago is perhaps only dwarfed by New York as America’s most visually striking metropolis. And like all great urban centres, the city is also teeming with cultural events, with a richly diverse range of festivals and fairs taking place throughout the year. Below are ten of the finest coming up this Fall.
EXPO CHICAGO
Navy Pier Festival Hall, 22 – 25 September
Chicago is a thriving gallery town, with districts dotted across the city dedicated to showcasing art of every style and genre. But once a year, local talent takes more of a back seat as the city adopts a broader outlook in its celebrations of the global art scene. The backdrop for this is EXPO CHICAGO, a huge event that in 2016 will draw some 145 leading galleries representing 22 countries and 53 cities from around the world. Now in its fifth year, the event has gone from strength to strength during this time and is now a major landmark on the arts calendar. New this year is an Art Critics Forum, which will highlight significant issues in arts journalism today through the voices of national and international art critics, and OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, a cutting edge city-wide public art initiative, presented by EXPO CHICAGO and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events featuring such contemporary artists as Sanford Biggers, Rashid Johnson and Vik Muniz.
(Photo: EXPO CHICAGO)
(Photo: EXPO CHICAGO)
Oyster Fest Chicago
Shaw’s Crab House, 30 September
Don’t be fooled by the name – not only does Oyster Fest feature plenty more ocean-based delicacies than mere oysters, but it also serves up some of the finest blues music the city has to offer. Fish, crab, lobster, clams and plenty more will be on the menu, while an exciting line-up of four local blues bands will be on hand to provide fantastic music throughout the evening. What’s more, for 2016 the event is teaming up with Michigan brewery Founder’s Brewing Co. to offer a selection of top notch beers to savour, and there’ll also be two bespoke cocktails available for your enjoyment. (Photo: Anjali Pinto)
Hyde Park Jazz Festival
Venues across Chicago, 24 – 25 September
Hyde Park has been a major hub for arts and culture in Chicago for many years, but never more so than when it hosts its annual Jazz Festival. Held each year since 2007, the two-day event draws visitors from far and wide to enjoy a fantastic line-up of local and national jazz artists and performers. Free to enter, it is now well established as Chicago’s premier music festival and its growth is further demonstrated this year with a bolstered programme that will mean even more music to the ears of the 20,000+ jazz lovers expected to attend. As well as its musical offerings, there’ll also be an outdoor dance floor, a wide choice of food and beverage vendors and a picnic area. (Photo: Marc Monaghan)
Randolph Street Market
Plumbers Union Hall, 24 – 25 September
What better way to get to know a city than by strolling through a market, featuring one of a kind finds from over 300 vendors. In Chicago, there’s no more charming, exciting or characterful market than the one held indoors and outdoors at Plumbers Union Hall in the city’s historic West Loop neighborhood on the last weekend of each month. This September, Randolph Street Market, home of the Chicago antique market, features an array of antiques houseware, furniture, vintage, ephemera, clothing, jewelry and much more on display. Plus it’s their Choice for Charity market where the city’s top designers and editors have curated their favorite finds with a portion of proceeds going back to their charity of choice. In addition to the amazing retail vendors, food and drink vendors will be grilling on site offering brunch and lunch goodies and desserts. (Photo: Randolph Street Market)
Ear Taxi Festival
Venues across Chicago, 5 – 10 October
Creativity and innovation are the watchwords at this brand new Chicago festival that features music concerts, sound installations, lectures, webcasts, artists receptions and a whole lot more over six days in early October. The festival was set up to support and promote Chicago’s composers and performers of classical contemporary music. The city’s most prominent cultural venues play host the festival, including the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Mana Contemporary exhibition space, the University of Chicago, and The Chicago Cultural Center, as Chicago’s rich musical and cultural heritage is celebrated in front of a captive audience.(Photo: Ear Taxi Festival)
Northalsted Halloween Parade
Boystown, 31 October
There’s nothing that captures the imagination quite like Halloween. Whether it’s carving a pumpkin or dressing up in ghoulish costumes, it’s an enchanting time of year. In Chicago, Halloween is celebrated in fabulous style with the annual Northalsted Halloween Parade that attracts thousands of visitors from far and wide. Many revellers choose to dress up for the occasion, with over 2,000 entries into this year’s Costume Contest. Drag queens, kids, pets and anyone else who wishes to get involved tend to turn up for this magical occasion, which has become a major highlight on Chicago’s calendar. (Photo: Northalsted Halloween Parade)
SOFA Art + Design Fair
Navy Pier Festival Hall, 3 – 6 November
Chicago’s longest-running and most popular art fair returns for 2016 with nearly 80 national and international galleries displaying the very best in sculpture, objects, functional art and design. Last year, over 36,000 people attended the event, with major works exhibited by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Hunt Slonem, Tip Toland, John Chamberlain, Lino Tagliapietra, Sheila Hicks, Jonathan Boyd, and more. The 23rd edition will once again showcase the best of the best, with more than 80 prestigious galleries with works by both emerging and established artists in ceramics, wood, glass, fiber, jewellery, metal, design, painting, photography and works on paper. The fair will also feature special exhibits, lectures, and demonstration areas. (Photo: K Jordan via Flickr)
Open House Chicago
Venues across Chicago, 15 – 16 October
The Chicago Architecture Foundation hosts the sixth annual Open House Chicago this October, a free event that takes the public behind the scenes of more than 200 of the city’s and near suburbs’ greatest spaces and places. The event is designed to encourage locals and visitors to explore new neighborhoods, open more eyes to Chicago’s world-renowned architecture, raise awareness of the role design plays in creating a vibrant and liveable city and foster civic pride in neighborhood landmarks, histories and cultures. In 2015, 85,000 people participated in the two-day event, generating an economic impact of $7.9 million throughout Chicago. (Photo: Open House Chicago)
Chicago Gourmet
Millenium Park, 23 – 25 September
For one glorious weekend, Chicago’s Millennium Park becomes the staging post for a celebration of the city’s gastronomy scene. Now in its ninth year, the festival brings together Chicago’s best restaurants, wineries, spirit purveyors, and breweries who shine a light on the city as an international culinary destination. Top chefs show off their techniques and share stories during lively demos, while there’s also interactive wine and cocktail seminars. (Photo: Chicago Gourmet)
Oktoberfest
Southport & Lincoln Ave, 23 – 25 September
Chicago’s version of the iconic Bavarian festival returns for its 15th year, once again featuring a mouth-watering array of brews (including beer tasting sessions) as well as plenty of activities and entertainment for kids and families. The festival’s origins are honoured by many of the revellers getting dressed up in authentic lederhosen for the occasion, while there’s also plenty of German snacks to enjoy including bratwurst, pretzels, as well as German music. (Photo: Oktoberfest)