Warm weather happenings put the go in Chicago as local venues and artsy organizations offer outdoor concerts, air-conditioned events, al fresco festivals, landmark tours, and other opportunities to enjoy summer in the city.
Tuesdays on the Terrace (June 24-Aug. 26) returns to the Anne and John Kern Terrace Garden at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) . Organized by Assistant Curator Laura Paige Kyber, the popular series features free evening concerts with Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few (June 24), Twin Talk (July 1), Kouri Hall (July 8), Shaunee Dez (July 15), Rotary Connection 222 (July 22), NADIMA (July 29), Family Junket (August 5), Tromblau & Friends (August 12), Bethany Pickens’ Soulful Coalition (August 19), and Corey Wilkes (August 26).
Thanks to curator Subterranean, more than 50 local and national acts will perform original music at Wicker Park Fest 2025 (July 25-27). “It’s Wicker Park Fests’ 21st birthday and we can’t wait to celebrate it with our incredible talent lineup this year,” says Pamela Maass, executive director of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. “This fest is a cherished staple in the Chicago community, and we hope to keep it that way.”
Far South Community Development Corporation is throwing its annual Juneteenth Festival (June 21) at Maple Park Marketplace in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood. The free event features family fun, live music, small business and housing workshops, and food from local Black-owned restaurants from The Cajun Connoisseur to Whadda Jerk.
Honey Pot Performance (HPP) hosts Fifth City Juneteenth Celebration (June 19); Chicago Black Social Culture Map: Chicago Memory Keepers (June 20); Chicago Black Social Culture Map: House Dance Battles of the Late 1980s (June 21); and Chicago Black Social Culture Map: Everybody Get Up (June 28) — all at First Church of the Brethren.
Music Box Theatre is making the most of its patio with a Garden Movies series. The outdoor screenings include comedies — 1995’s Party Girl (June 18-19) and 2001’s Wet Hot American Summer (June 23-25) — as well as the 1996 horror flick Uncle Sam (July 2-3).
Songs from Hello, Dolly! to Hamilton are featured in Porchlight Music Theatre’s free summer concert series Broadway in your Backyard at Waterfront Cafe (July 14), Northcenter Town Square (July 15) Ping Tom Memorial Park Pagoda (July 16), Portage Park (July 21), Welles Park (July 22), and Washington Square Park (July 23), while the Grant Park Music Festival fills Millennium Park with live music on Wednesdays and Fridays through August 16.
After Deeply Rooted Dance Theater puts on the Summer Dance Intensive Showcase (July 11) at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago, the Music Institute of Chicago will present the 37th year of the Chicago Duo Piano Festival (July 13-20) with four concerts and a master class at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston.
In Glencoe, Superbloom (July 25-27) comes to Nichols Hall at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The multimedia show incorporates dance by The Seldoms and music by Finom with visuals by painter Jackie Kazarian and video artist Liviu Pasare. “We are thrilled to partner with The Seldoms to bring Superbloom to the Garden,” says Chicago Botanic Garden’s Rachel Lockett, “We’re excited for our visitors to see this captivating performance.”
During its Free Community Day (July 12), the Driehaus Museum hosts storytelling with artist Laura Smetana, who will create hands-on demonstrations based on her book “My Love for You is Like a Garden” (2023). While at the museum, visitors are encouraged to check out the exhibition Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature (through August 17).
Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood is blooming with Flowering Grecian Urns (through May 2026). Inspired by the Greek goddess Chloris, the outdoor exhibition features more than 30 Grecian urn sculptures decorated by established and emerging artists.
With the Big Bus Tours’ 10th anniversary comes a special sightseeing Sunset Live Tour (through Oct. 18). The 1-hour and 45-minute live-guided journey lets passengers hop on and off at 360 Chicago; the Adler Planetarium; Chicago Riverwalk; Hilton Chicago and Grant Park; Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago; the Magnificent Mile; Museum Campus; Navy Pier; River North; Sheraton Grand and Loews Chicago Hotels; Skydeck Chicago and Willis Tower; and Water Tower. “This is the most visually stunning tour in Chicago. There is nothing like Chicago in the golden hour,” promises Big Bus Tours Senior Vice President and General Manager John Curran. “Whether you’re a local or a traveler, the exceptional top deck views from high above street level—especially at sunset—combined with the rich history and captivating stories shared by our live guides, create an unforgettable way to experience and learn about the city.”
On June 21, the Chicago History Museum (CHM) and Paseo Boricua Tour Company offer a 90-minute walking tour of public art displayed along the six blocks of Division Street in Humboldt Park. Meanwhile online, CHM curator of religion and community history Rebekah Coffman details the differences between various Chicago neighborhoods in Mapping Chicago and Beyond: What are Chicago’s Neighborhoods, Community Areas, and Wards? The blog sets the stage for the museum’s upcoming exhibition Aquí en Chicago.
As part of the current Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) on the College of DuPage (COD) campus is throwing Hokusai Japan Fest (June 21). The outdoor event features traditional Japanese music and dance as well as demonstrations in everything from marital arts to calligraphy and flower arrangement. Later, the art of printmaking will be highlighted at the MAC’s Great Wave Print Fest (July 19). This fresh air fair showcases the work of 20+ Chicago-area woodblock print artists. “We’ve partnered with experts from the Japan Culture Center and curators around the country to secure the best talent to present a wide variety of programming for those looking to dive deeper into ukiyo-e art history, celebrate Japanese culture, try hands-on artistic activities or simply be entertained,” says MAC Director Diana Martinez. “Much of the programming is free with presentation of a ticket stub to the exhibition.”
