Chicago’s summer festival season may be winding down, but it’s never too early to start making plans for next year. Throughout the summer, immigrant and diaspora communities hosted festivals celebrating their cultures through food, music, art, and more. Here are a few to mark on your calendar, and proof that you don’t have to leave Chicago to experience cultures from around the world.
Lincoln Square Maifest
I didn’t actually intend to end up at Maifest Chicago. I came across the festival while riding my bike west down Leland Avenue, one of my usual favorite routes for aimless wandering. I realized the road was blocked off for some kind of street fair. As I looked around, I noticed that this was no ordinary neighborhood block party; there were women in flower crowns and dirndls, men in lederhosen, German-language rock music onstage, and lots and lots of beer and sausages. Even the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile was there.
I’d stumbled into Lincoln Square Maifest, a German festival held each May in this historically German neighborhood of Chicago. What a delightful surprise it was to discover this celebration of the beginning of summer and of Chicago German culture – and, unlike many festivals of its kind, admission was free, which made it perfect for a spontaneous detour.
Andersonville Midsommarfest
Also on the North side, Andersonville became a hub for Swedish immigrants to Chicago during the 19th and 20th centuries, especially after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While Andersonville’s Swedish community has dwindled, many traces of this heritage remain, from Svea Swedish restaurant to the Swedish American Museum. Naturally, this neighborhood also hosts Chicago’s annual Swedish Midsommarfest. Don’t worry, though, Ari Aster fans: nobody gets sacrificed in a bear costume in the real-world version of this tradition.
Linda Westergren-Muhr has a history of dancing at Andersonville Midsommarfest with the Nordic Folk Dancers of Chicago. But her dance group also performs at Polish, Chinese, and Vietnamese festivals around Chicago. “We are promoting culture and heritage,” said Westergren-Muhr. She continued, “Whether it’s Swedish culture, or anyone’s culture, we want people to realize, every culture has something to offer.”
Greekfests
If you’re not careful, you might get a little mixed up trying to coordinate plans at the Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park Greek Fests, held on two consecutive weekends in similarly-named neighborhoods on the North side of Chicago. (I will not confirm or deny whether this happened to me.) Like snowflakes, no two Greekfests are exactly alike, and it’s worth visiting more than one.
I thought Lincoln Square had a better and more uniquely Greek selection of vendors, whereas Lincoln Park has more of a participatory attitude – at Lincoln Square Greek Fest, my friend and I got to watch beautiful performances of traditional Greek dance, but at Lincoln Park, we were invited to participate and taught a dance ourselves.
One thing both Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park Greek Fests had in common? A healthy dose of filoxenia, the prevailing attitude of hospitality toward the stranger that is such an important part of Greek culture.
If you missed these festivals, don’t fret; there are still plenty of cultural celebrations from around the globe to attend throughout the year. A few good choices coming up include Taste of Greektown at the end of August; El Grito, which takes place in Grant Park on September 12 and 13 and showcases Mexican culture to celebrate Mexican Independence Day; and African/Caribbean International Festival of Life in Union Park, from September 25 to 27. And, of course, Chicago’s massive Polish diaspora hosts Taste of Polonia, the largest Polish festival in the US, over Labor Day weekend.
