Photograph courtesy of Looptopia
What to do first? There are numerous pig-out opportunities, but you can dance off the pizza and ribs at a myriad of music festivals and club shows. And don’t forget the ongoing cultural exhibits–prosthetics or telescopes, anyone?
Food Festivals
First Annual Chicago Caribbean JerkFest
Perhaps not the best place for vegetarians
June 7, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph
Tenth Annual Ribfest Chicago
Get your gnaw on
June 7 and 8, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Intersection of Lincoln, Damen and Irving Park
Twenty-sixth Annual Strawberry Festival
Get your fill of strawberry ice cream and donuts
June 20 to 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Long Grove, IL
Second Annual Pizza Fest
Celebrate the birthplace of deep-dish
June 21 and 22, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Intersection of Racine and Fullerton
Get Your Culture Fix
SAIC Fashion Show
See the new 7th floor exhibition space
in the Sullivan Center come to life
May 1 and 2
Sullivan Center, 33 S. State St., 7th Floor
Looptopia
All-night cultural action in the Loop
May 2, 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Downtown Chicago
Summer Student Exhibition
No, the art does not stop in summer
From May 16 to June 27
Betty Rymer Gallery, 280 S. Columbus Dr.
Ongoing Summer Fun
Wisconsin Cheese Curd Crawl
Take a cheese-based road trip
www.eatcurds.com
Museum of Holography
Get psychedelic
1134 Washington Blvd. Wed to Sun, 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., $4
holographiccenter.com
International Museum of Surgical Science
Ever wondered how ancient Egyptians amputated limbs?
1524 N. Lake Shore Dr., Tues to Sun, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $5
www.imss.org
Far Out Friday: Lectures, telescope viewing and Sky Theater movies
Let’s face it, stars are still amazing, even when you’re no longer nine years old
Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr., first Friday of every month 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., $10 with student ID
www.adlerplanetarium.org
Lizards and the Komodo King
The reign of Faust has been extended at the Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lake Shore Drive 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., open daily $23
(less 25% for residents of Chicago)
www.sheddaquarium.org
Concerts
Spider Bags
Garage meets country twang (and heartbreak and beer)
May 22, Empty Bottle
1035 N. Western
Islands
With their hints of calypso, what better way to welcome summer than with these ex-Unicorns?
June 2, Logan Square Auditorium 2539 N. Kedzie
Wolf Eyes
Don’t forget your earplugs for Detroit’s noisiest
June 6, Empty Bottle
1035 N. Western
Adam Green
Funnyman and ex-Moldy Peach
June 10, Lakeshore Theater 3175 N. Broadway
Donita Sparks and Stellar Moments
See L7 co-founder and original riot grrl
June 13, Double Door
1572 N. Milwaukee
Billy Bragg
Solidarity forever…
June 14, Park West
322 W. Armitage
Marissa Nadler
Catch the queen of ballads
June 20, Empty Bottle
1035 N. Western
Frog Eyes
June 24, The Mansion
2408 N. Kedzie
Weird Al Yankovic
Relive the best parts of your youth
July 5, Star Plaza Theater
8001 Delaware Place,
Merrillville, IN
Music Festivals
Summer Camp Festival
May 23 to 25, Three Sisters Park, Chillicothe
Featuring The Flaming Lips, New Pornographers,
George Clinton, Girl Talk
www.summercampfestival.com
BAM! Belmont Arts and Music Fest
June 23 to 24, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Intersection of Damen and Leavitt
Catch The Redwalls, Bob Mould, The Wrens,
Say Hi To Your Mom, and more
Pitchfork Music Festival
July 18 to 20
Union Park
Featuring Mission of Burma, Jarvis Cocker, Dinosaur Jr., !!!, Animal Collective, Public Enemy
www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com
Lollapalooza
August 1 to 3
Grant Park
Headlining: Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Wilco, Nine Inch Nails
www.lollapalooza.com
