Neighborhood News – Chicago Park District, Chicago Loop, Lincoln Square, River North, South Loop

So many events…so little time!

We love our summer in the city. Where else can you find the variety of activities that Chicago provides? How many cities can host an All-Star Game and Taste of Chicago in one weekend? Or multiple music festivals? Chicago can! The second weekend in July is full of events for the whole family. Enjoy them together. And treasure a city that embraces culture, art, music, and sports in equal measure. 

Get to a MovieMovies in the Parks continue with free screenings throughout Chicago Park District locations.Screenings typically begin at 8:30pm. On Thursday, July 7, bring a blanket and snacks to Portage Park’s Dunham Park, 4638 N. Melvina Avenue, as they present the children’s classic Sing 2. Also on Thursday, at Abraham Lincoln Park, south of the Belmont Harbor South Parking Lot at DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Belmont Avenue, learn about the world of Tomorrow. A special Christmas in July presentation deserves notice: Wear your best ugly Christmas sweater, bring cocoa and all the fixins’, and head south to the Beverly neighborhood for a screening of the holiday classic White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, at Beverly Park, 2460 W. 102nd Street. For a complete list of movies and parks, click here.

Get to a Broadway Concert … At Jay Pritzker Pavilion, on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9,  at 8pm, the Grant Park Music Festival continues with Lights on Broadway! You’ll be dazzled as Broadway veterans Capathia Jenkins and Sam Simahk join the Grant Park Orchestra for a salute to Pulitzer Prize-winners of musical theater. Conductor Kimberly Grigsby makes her Festival debut, such landmark shows as “Hamilton,’ ‘South Pacific,’ ‘A Chorus Line,’ ‘Rent ‘and more. One singular sensation, for sure! A pre-concert lecture begins at 7pm. For a complete schedule and more information, click here.

Get a Taste of Us After a month of neighborhood pop-ups, Taste of Chicago returns to Grant Park, Jackson Boulevard and Columbus Drive on Friday, July 8 to Sunday, July 10 from 11am-9pm daily. A generation of Chicagoans have grown up since the first Taste in 1980, gaining worldwide attention by providing top-notch musical entertainment and showcasing the city’s culinary excellence and diversity. Musical artists headlining the free concert stages include rapper Nelly, Zion, Illinois’ own Local H, and southern rock’s Drive-By Truckers. Families can choose selections from 21 restaurants and 11 food trucks, including Eli’s Cheesecake, which celebrates its birthday onstage Saturday afternoon, The Original Rainbow Cone, Robinson’s #1 Ribs, Connie’s Pizza, Tandoor Char House, Arun’s Thai House, and so many others! NOTE: Unlike previous years, cash or credit cards will be accepted by all food vendors. No food tickets will be sold. For schedules and more information, click here.

Get to the Square Root… Just north of Taste of Chicago Lincoln Square’s Square Roots Festival, on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson in Lincoln Square, running Friday, July 8, from 5pm-10pm, Saturday, July 9, noon-10 p.m. and Sunday, July 10, noon-9 p.m. The festival promises to bring together “the best of Lincoln Square, Chicago, and beyond, with live music, family fun, local restaurants and vendors, and the best craft beer showcase of any Chicago street fest.” They deliver! The musical lineup includes alternative rocker Bob Mould, indie group Guided by Voices, and singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt. For kids, the Wiggleworms, Little Miss Ann, and the Sullivan Sisters are among the performers. A suggested donation of $10 benefits community organizations and music programs throughout the area. For more information, click here.

Get to the Bastille … Marché, Marché, Marché! Saturday, July 9, from 3pm-5:30pm, storm River North’s Alliance Française de Chicago, 54 W. Chicago Avenue for a family-friendly Bastille Day Afternoon Celebration! Enjoy bubbles and balloons to cupcake decorating, arts and crafts, face painting, musical acts, and lots of other activities to enjoy. Crepe stations, live entertainment, and other Young Francophiles like to rip and run or play at a slower pace, they’re bound to have fun with us at the Alliance this summer holiday! Tickets are $25 for members, $30 Non-Members, $10 for children and pre-teens, ages 6-12, and FREE for children ages 5 and under. For more information, click here. 

Get to the (All-Star) Game… For the first time in many a year, Chicago is playing host to All-Stars! The 2021 WNBA Champion Chicago Sky are hosting the2022 WNBA All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena on Sunday, July 10 at noon. But there’s more, much more for the host city! On Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10, from 10am-4pm, at McCormick Place’s Outdoor Space at West Building, Gate 41, the WNBA plays host to a free, two-day festival bringing together basketball, entertainment, music, and culture. The immersive experience includes a Chicago Sky Meet & Greet with 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper and Azurá Stevens, a Youth Basketball Clinic, Viewing Parties for the Skills Competition and All-Star Game, and a discussion on Title IX, moderated by WNBA legend Taj McWilliams-Franklin. A proud advocate of women in sports, fans will have the opportunity of learning more about the importance of Title IX, gender equity and the future of women’s sports.  The discussion will feature legends of the WNBA, including the New York Liberty’s Betnijah Laney and the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier. To register, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago