Taste of Chicago, John Mulaney at Wrigley Field and Windy City Smokeout Headline a Packed Chicago Weekend of Food and Music
CHICAGO, IL — Chicago is leaning all the way into peak summer with a weekend lineup built for food lovers, music fans and families looking for something outdoors. From major festivals to neighborhood markets and a big comedy milestone, there is no shortage of options across the city and nearby suburbs.
Several of the biggest draws are free or low-cost, making it easy to turn the weekend into a choose-your-own-adventure around Grant Park, the United Center area, Wrigley Field and beyond.
Taste of Chicago and Windy City Smokeout anchor the city’s biggest food-and-music crowds
Taste of Chicago returns to Grant Park with its mix of food vendors, pop-up stands and live performances. The five-day festival is free to enter and remains one of the city’s signature summer events, giving visitors a chance to sample a wide range of eats while catching acts throughout the park.
Just west of downtown, Windy City Smokeout is also back outside the United Center with live music, barbecue, concessions and festival activities. Together, the two events give Chicagoans a full weekend built around the city’s biggest summer appetite: food first, then music.
John Mulaney brings a hometown stop to Wrigley Field for a comedy first
Among the weekend’s most talked-about events is John Mulaney’s Mister Whatever Tour stop at Wrigley Field. The Chicago-born comedian is set to make what is being billed as the first comedy show ever hosted at the Friendly Confines, a notable booking for a venue best known for baseball and concerts.
For fans, the show adds a distinctly local twist to an already busy slate. Mulaney’s return to a marquee Chicago stage gives the weekend a headline event with hometown appeal and a rare venue-first to match.
Neighborhood festivals, races and family outings fill out the rest of the slate
Beyond the major headliners, the weekend also includes a broad mix of community events. Peruvian Festival Chicago, Southport Art Fest, Square Roots Festival, Chosen Few Picnic & Music Festival and Barrio Arts Fest all bring music, food and cultural programming to different parts of the region.
Families can also choose from options like Dinos After Dark at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Japan Fest Chicago in Skokie, SAUCED Night Market, the Belmont Cragin Vintage Market and the BTN Big 10K and 5K at Soldier Field. For fans of live music, Jack Johnson’s SURFILMUSIC Tour stop rounds out a schedule that makes this one of the busiest weekends of the season.
Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.
