THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – Celebrating a Long Fourth of July Weekend!
Here in Chicago, we take celebrating the Fourth of July, especially a long-weekend one, very seriously! And if you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself!!
The 8th annual Windy City Ribfest takes center stage this 4th of July Weekend at Lawrence Avenue and Broadway Street (4700 N. Broadway St.) in the Uptown neighborhood this Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with an annual attendance of over 40,000. Plenty of music and, of course, lots of tasty slabs of ribs from local and national ribbers, such as Aussom Aussie Australian BBQ, BBQ King Smokehouse, Chicago BBQ Company and others, who compete for the Best Ribs Award, will greet visitors along with arts & crafts and a kids’ activity area making this a must-visit summer fest! After all, Chicagoans don’t take their ribs lightly!!
There’s also the Naperville Ribfest taking place this 4th of July Weekend at Knoch Park (700 S. West St.) in Naperville, a suburb west of Chicago this Saturday, Sunday and Monday with gates opening at Noon. Food, music and fun is a must at this family-friendly festival where 12 rib vendors compete for cash prizes and honors in the categories of Best Ribs, Best Sauce and Kid’s Choice; with this year’s main stage headliners being Sheryl Crow (Sat), Lee Brice (Sun) and the Gin Blossoms (Mon); and with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. on Monday! Miller Lite Tents, a wide variety of food alternatives, desserts and festival fare are also featured at this Ribfest where its claimed to be “the Best BBQ you will ever taste!!”
Another family-friendly festival returning for its 24th year this 4th of July Weekend is the African/Caribbean International Festival of Life at Union Park (1501 W. Randolph St.) in the West Town neighborhood this Saturday, Sunday and Monday.This cultural festival features an array of food vendors, live concerts featuring the best of Reggae, Caribbean, Latin, African, R&B and more, cultural performances, celebrity guests, contests and more for a day of feast, music and fun! So come and check out the hottest entertainment in town this weekend!!
And, our extra weekend day, Monday, offers us the following celebrations:
The 57th annual Fourth of July Celebration at the Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood commemorates our nation’s independence from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with time-honored traditions, family-friendly festivities and a keynote oration by Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin. Patriotic musical performances, reading of the Declaration of Independence and a children’s parade led by the World’s Tallest Uncle Sam round out this celebration! Afterwards, the museum will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.!!
The 3rd annual Freedom Fest at Navy Pier will once again be held on the Navy Pier RoofTop (600 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This Independence Day event features delicious BBQ, a full bar and music by a live DJ keeping the atmosphere festive until the fireworks over Lake Michigan at the absolute best place to watch them! It doesn’t get any better than this!!
Finally, we can wrap-up our Long Fourth of July Weekend celebrations with Fourth of July Fireworks at Navy Pier at 9:30 p.m. with patriotic music complementing the fireworks display! Watch from the Pier, the lakefront, Millennium Park or aboard one of the many fireworks cruises located at Navy Pier for this spectacular finish to a long weekend!!
How Will You Be Celebrating Your Fourth of July “Long” Weekend?
SUE MOSS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
