With summer well underway, Chicago is at its finest. Ask residents about their favorite activities and you’ll get as many different answers as we have people living in the building.
Myron and Karen T. weigh in with two perennial favorites of many of our residents: Millennium Park, which hosts several summerlong music festivals, and the summer music series at Ravinia. Those two venues have proven year after year to be among the best spots for free concerts and entertainment in the country.
Meg N. reports on one of the more unusual events we’ve heard about in a while: the Chicago Duck Derby! Scheduled this year for Thursday, August 4, the family-friendly event features thousands of yellow rubber ducks that will splash down along the Chicago River near the Columbus Drive Bridge between 1 and 1:30 pm. The annual event raises thousands of dollars to support Special Olympics Illinois.
Carol F. is a big fan of the Water Colors summer jazz series at the Lake Stake at Polk Brothers Park overlooking the lake and Navy Pier. Carol reports that the series is a hidden gem that not many folks know about. It’s a bring-your-own-chair or -blanket venue, and the 66 bus will take you directly there; it’s at 600 E. Grand Ave. The concerts, which run from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, begin Friday, July 15, and continue every Friday night through August 25.
Lili L. enjoys visiting Oak Park and River Forest, where she lived for many years. She recommends a visit to Hemingway’s Birthplace Museum and, of course, the Frank Lloyd Wright homes, which can be visited on your own or on a tour, including neighborhood tours that can be done on foot or by bike. Getting to Oak Park takes about 45 minutes. Take the 146 bus toward Museum Campus, get off at State and Lake, and then take the Green Line (Harlem/Lake) to Oak Park, or book a tour through the Chicago Architecture Center.
Whether you love taking your bike out on Chicago’s Lakefront Trail, visiting one of the nearby children’s parks, or enjoy the various art and music festivals, Chicago has endless summer offerings.
For a list of summer activities happening throughout the city, visit Choose Chicago’s Special Event Guide. A full list of Chicago tours available through the Chicago Architecture Center can be found here.
