Chicago Area Outdoor Concerts and Summer Events Stay on Pause as Wildfire Smoke Forces More Cancellations

CHICAGO, IL — Wildfire smoke drifting in from Canada and Minnesota kept a long list of Chicago-area outdoor events in limbo Friday, with beaches, pools, theme park attractions and some concerts still shut down or moved indoors. The haze lingered for a second day, leaving organizers watching air-quality forecasts and waiting to see whether evening shows could go on.

Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor in Gurnee stayed closed for the day, while the Chicago Park District kept beaches and pools closed again and moved day camps indoors. The district also said Osaka Garden, the Garfield Park Conservatory and the Lincoln Park Conservatory would remain closed.

Theme parks, park district sites and local festivals felt the biggest hit

The cancellations spread well beyond the city limits. The Forest Preserve District of Will County called off its Surf-N-Turf Concert at Monee Reservoir and canceled the Friday edition of Kickin’ It at the Iron Works at Joliet Iron Works Historic Site.

In Aurora, Sixteen Candles’ planned performance at RiverEdge Park was canceled, and the Roscoe Village Burger Fest pushed back its opening until 11 a.m. Saturday. The disruptions showed how quickly summer programming can unravel when smoke pushes air quality into the hazardous range.

Ravinia, Grant Park and Huntington Bank Pavilion still hoped to keep the music going

Not every show was scrapped. Ravinia Festival said a Friday night Paul Simon concert was still on, with organizers expecting conditions to improve later in the day. Simon, 84, is set to play two concerts at Ravinia’s newly renovated Hunter Pavilion as part of his Quiet Celebration tour behind his 2023 album Seven Psalms.

The Grant Park Music Festival canceled its public rehearsal in Millennium Park but kept Friday evening’s concert on the schedule. On Northerly Island, Lil Wayne’s outdoor show at Huntington Bank Pavilion was also still planned, and Live Nation said masks would be available for concertgoers.

Some shows already fell to the haze, and more decisions were still pending

The smoky skies had already knocked out several events the night before. A Black Keys concert planned for the Salt Shed Fairgrounds was canceled shortly before showtime, with the band later saying it would follow the city’s advice and move the performance to indoor dates on Oct. 20 and 21.

The Millennium Park Summer Music Series was also called off Thursday night. With officials expecting the smoke to clear from northern Illinois sometime Friday afternoon, festivalgoers and concert promoters were left waiting for the next air-quality update before making final calls.

Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.