South Side Summer Festivals

No one needs to be told anymore that Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, but we just can’t help ourselves—the summer, especially, is when our communities shine. Whether it’s a traditional outdoors neighborhood festival thronged with residents and face-painted children, or a low-key, low-priced music fest uniting enthusiasts across geography, or a block party dedicated to your favorite form of local arts and education, these seasonal celebrations draw deeply from what the South Side has to offer.

June

Real Men Cook: Father’s Day

Douglas Park Field House, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr.; Dan Ryan Woods; Hales Franciscan High School, 4930 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Sunday, June 18, 3pm–6pm; 11am–2pm at DPFH. Register to cook by June 10. Super ticket $20. (773) 297-1707. realmencook.com

Celebrate Father’s Day with a cook-out and food tasting, all bought and grilled by “real men” on the South Side—not just limited to biological fathers, the event marks the contributions and commitments of “Father Figures, Babas, Papas, Uncles, and Brothers.” With three South Side locations and others on the south suburbs, the Real Men Cook is entering its twenty-eighth year and boasts the participation of hundreds of men, including Barack Obama when he was a U.S. senator. Proceeds go to Real Men Charities, which provides health and wellness programing in cities across America. (Hafsa Razi)

27th Annual Fiesta Back of the Yards

47th St., between Damen Ave. and Ashland Ave. Friday, June 9, 5pm–10pm; Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11, 12pm–10pm. (773) 523-4416. bnyc.org

Dating in some form back to 1940, when the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council introduced a Free Fair that flourished for forty years, Fiesta Back of the Yards starts off a summer of community festivals with a bang. The event regularly draws over 300,000 people, offers dozens of rides and games for kids of all ages, presents two stages for an array of live performance, features more than one hundred vendors, and raises funds for a variety of BYNC community programs. One of those programs is Ballet Folklorico, which plays a special part in this year’s festival: the second two days of Fiesta will feature the first Mexican polka festival of the Midwest, celebrating Mexican Folkloric dance groups of all kinds. (Julia Aizuss)

Bronzeville Summer Nights

47th St., from Drexel Blvd. to Lake Park Ave. Every third Friday of the month, starting June 16. 6pm–9pm. bronzevillesummernights.com

Bronzeville opens its doors every third Friday this summer, showcasing the neighborhood’s art district and local businesses. Among the festivities and live entertainment, Little Black Pearl will feature their new “juice and experiment bar” while Carver 47th will host music performances and art shows. Hop on the Bronzeville Arts District Trolley Tour and check out the six participating galleries. Organized by the local nonprofit, Quad Community Development Corporation, Bronzeville Summer Nights seeks to spur interest in neighborhood businesses. (David Struett)

Growing Home’s Summer Block Party

Growing Home Inc., 5814 S. Wood St. Saturday, June 24, 11am–3pm. Free. (773) 549-1336. bit.ly/GrowingHomeSummer

As a fresh take on their annual Open House, Growing Home is hosting a huge Summer Block Party! The event will be at their Wood Street Urban Farm in Englewood and include public tours, music, tasty food (involving, presumably, their organic produce), and kid-friendly activities. Word on the street is there will also be a bouncy house for all to enjoy. (Bridget Newsham)

Villapalooza 2017 Fundraiser

Lagunitas Brewing Company, 2607 W. 17th St. Monday, June 26, 5:30pm–8:30pm. $20. 21+. villapalooza.org

Villapalooza, Little Village’s annual grassroots music festival, plans to come back for its seventh year on Saturday, August 26, but they still need a bit of your help. Swing by Lagunitas at the end of the month for “Spread Love Pt. IV,” a fundraiser featuring (presumably Lagunitas) beer, food, music, and a raffle. All proceeds will go towards Villapalooza, as well as “securing safe spaces for arts engagement in Little Village,” which is the free, all-ages festival’s driving mission. Come early, stay late, and don’t forget to do the same for the festival itself later this summer. (Julia Aizuss)

July

Chosen Few DJs Picnic Weekend and Music Festival

Jackson Park, 63rd St. and Lake Shore Dr. Saturday, July 1–Sunday, July 2. 8am–8pm each day. $25 and up. chosenfewdjs.com

Bring a picnic basket, comfortable shoes, a chair, and a blanket for a day filled with lots of dancing and fun. In its twenty-seventh year, the Chosen Few DJs Picnic has grown from a get-together of friends behind the Museum of Science and Industry to an international gathering of thousands of “house heads” and their families. This two-day music festival will feature the sounds of the Chosen Few DJs and special guest DJs, including Alan King, Wayne Williams, Mike Dunn, Tony Hatchett, Terry Hunter, Jesse Saunders, Steve “Silk” Hurley, Ron Trent, and Dee Jay Alicia. (Bridget Vaughn)

43rd Annual Arts & Crafts Festival

DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl. Saturday, July 8–Sunday, July 9, 12pm–10pm. Free. To be a vendor, apply online by June 23. (773) 947-0600. dusablemuseum.org

The DuSable’s ever-reliable summer arts festival will have, beyond the titular arts and crafts, food, entertainment of all kinds, a “children’s pavilion,” and even a beer garden. If you yourself are a young artist, a fine or craft artist, a food vendor, or a writer hoping to hawk your books, there’s still time to apply to be a vendor at this festival that has long celebrated excellence in Black art and history in honor of its founder, Margaret Burroughs. (Julia Aizuss)

So Fresh Saturdays at Englewood Parks

Various Englewood parks. June 24, July 8, July 22, August 5, August 26, and September 23. 3pm–7pm. Free. All ages. (866) 845-1032. chicagoparkdistrict.com/notp/festivals

Billed as “edutainment,” these recurring festivals combine performances by local musicians and dancers, documentary screenings and discussions, and your standard balloon animals and bouncy houses. The So Fresh Saturdays Tour aims to provide safe spaces for youth and families this summer. For the past five years, the Residents Association of Greater Englewood has been “taking over the parks in Englewood in the name of PEACE,” according to their Facebook page. Last Saturday’s kickoff event at Lindblom Park featured performances by DJ Dap and artist-activist Ja’Mal Green. (Hafsa Razi)

Ruido Fest

Addams/Medill Park, 1301 W. 14th St. Friday, July 7–Sunday, July 9. Friday, gates open 3pm; Saturday and Sunday, gates open 12pm. Three-day passes: $129.98; two-day passes: $94.98; one-day pass: $49.98. ruidofest.com

This July, Ruido Fest, “Chicago’s newest alternative Latin music festival,” will return to Pilsen for the third time, feeling more integrated than ever into Chicago’s summer music lineup. The three-day festival will be headlined by Cultura Profética, Molotov—who will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their debut album ¿Dónde Jugarán las Niñas? with a full performance—and Intocable; in total there will be over forty artists with musical genres ranging from Tejano to Reggae, West Coast hip hop to indie pop. This jam-packed weekend is sure to satisfy everyone. Three-day, two-day, and single-day passes are available, for general admission and VIP, which includes extra amenities. (Andrew Koski)

Chinatown Summer Fair

Chinatown Summer Fair, S. Wentworth Avenue between Cermak Rd. and 24th Pl. Sunday, July 16, 10am–7pm. (312) 326-5320. ccc-foundation.org

Celebrate Chinese culture, food, and music at the thirty-eighth annual Chinatown Summer Fair, held in the heart of Old Chinatown. Events and attractions include a Lion Dance procession to kick off the festival, Kung Fu demonstrations, restaurant tastings, and a crafts fair. The fair is regularly one of the largest cultural events in the city, drawing over 40,000 people, and has plenty of family-friendly features, including pony rides and a petting zoo. (Sam Stecklow)

Soulful Chicago Book Fair

Soulful Chicago Book Fair, E. 61st St between S. Cottage Grove Ave. and S. Martin Luther King Dr. Sunday, July 16, 10am–8pm. (646) 359-6605. soulfulchicagobookfair.com

Celebrate Chicago’s Black authors and literary history at the second Soulful Chicago Book Fair, taking over a stretch of 61st Street in Woodlawn for a full day in July. The fair’s creator, Asadah Kirkland, told Weekly columnist Karen Ford last year, on the event of the inaugural fair, that she was inspired to create an event to celebrate the city’s Black authors after attending the Printers Row Lit Fest in the South Loop and noted the near-complete dearth of Black writers. Her efforts to celebrate and educate about the work of writers of color include a youth essay contest, with winners chosen by historian Dr. Timuel Black, which is also returning for the second year. There are performances as well; this year promises to feature “Grammy-level artists, two stages, puppet shows, workshop, and more.” The Fair’s website continues, “This event is our way of countering negative stereotypes of the Black community with uplifting, educational activity.” (Sam Stecklow)

Fed Up Fest 2017

Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219-21 S. Morgan St. Friday, July 28–Sunday July, 30. Workshops in the afternoons, music in the evening. $10–$20 sliding scale daily donation, reduced price for a weekend pass. fedupfestchicago.com

Chicago’s queer and trans punk Fed Up Fest proudly and loudly brings the fringe to the center with the fourth installment of its anti-capitalist celebration. By day, workshops and readings discuss radical approaches to issues like mass incarceration, sex-ed, and mental health. At night, the music kicks off, with queer hardcore bands from around North America inciting mosh pits in this uncommonly accepting space. All proceeds go to benefit El Rescate, a Chicago nonprofit that provides housing, education, and employment opportunities to homeless youth. (Sam Clapp)

Chicago Poetry Block Party

19th Str. and Wolcott Ave. Saturday, July 29, 2pm–9pm. Free. (312) 787-7070. poetryfoundation.org

In partnership with the Poetry Foundation, Crescendo Literary, and the National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA), the Chicago Poetry Block Party will return this year for a second time. Billed by the NMMA as a “Community Fiesta” block party, this is a showcase of young, emerging poets, the culmination of a four-day Emerging Poets Incubator program led by Crescendo Literary. Think of their performances as a clash between the poet’s creative practice and a call to action. This festival fuses activism, community awareness, music, and art for a day filled with beautifully ingenious wordsmithing; by the end of last year’s inaugural block party, the Weekly wrote last year, “there was little distinction between performer and audience, or artist and consumer.” Don’t miss it! (Bridget Vaughn)

August

Morgan Park Roots House & Soul Festival

Ada Park, 11250 S. Ada St. Saturday, August 5, 1pm–8pm. Free. bit.ly/MorganParkRoots

A free one-day festival with an emphasis on community togetherness, Morgan Park Roots House & Soul Festival will host a day of “‘HANDS UP’ for Peace, Love and Unity through music” in Ada Park. The festival will feature local R&B bands, House DJs, a “Line Dance Party in the Park,” health and wellness programs, food, and children’s activities, including face painting, arts and crafts, and organized youth sports. Bring a chair and enjoy the fun, music, and food! (Andrew Koski)

Slow&Low: A Community Lowrider Festival

600 W. Cermak Rd. Sunday, August 6, 8am–11pm. $5 on site, kids under 13 free. Register early if bringing customized motorcycle or car. chicagolowriderfestival.com

Lowrider enthusiasts can spend years and thousands of dollars scavenging for rare parts and putting the finishing touches on their cars. The result is a work of art and a joy to drive and show off. The sixth annual Chicago Lowrider Festival, organized by the Chicago Lowrider Preservation Project and art gallery Chicago Urban Art Society, brings together lowriders and the people that make this pastime possible—mechanics, artists, and master craftsmen—in celebration of camaraderie in a family-friendly environment. Come see the cars, enjoy local food, and stay for a special awards ceremony that crowns the best lowrider of them all. (Adam Przybyl)

Pilsen Fest

18th St. and Blue Island Ave. Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20. (773) 517-1616. pilsenfestchicago.com

Pursuing, as ever, the celebration and embrace of “diversity, solidarity, and unity,” Pilsen Fest, which usually draws about 50,000 people, will feature its signature mix of local musical acts along with all kinds of other arts, from theatre to poetry to crafts, as well as food and educational seminars. This year features a poster designed by muralist Héctor Duarte, a Friday kick-off with a classical music concert and photography exhibition, and an extra addition to the yearly music lineup: whoever wins the inaugural Pilsen Battle of the Bands. Come out for a deep dive into Pilsen’s pool of cultural talent. (Julia Aizuss)

Englewood Back to School Parade

Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine Ave. Saturday, August 19. Registration 8:30am–10am, parade 10:30am–3:30pm. Free. (773) 619-7247. englewoodparade.org

Join the procession from 57th and Halsted through Ogden Park to celebrate the end of summer and prepare for the start of school. Now entering its fifty-fifth year, the Englewood Back to School Parade is the second oldest African-American parade in the city. Come for the live music and performances, the food, or the free school supplies for kids. Groups can register to participate in the parade for free as well. (Hafsa Razi)

Or Does It Explode: Black and Brown Punk Show Festival

ChiTown Futbol, 2343 S. Throop St. Saturday, August 26–Sunday, August 27. facebook.com/blkandbrwncollective

“WE’RE BACK THIS SUMMER WITH MORE HEADBANGING AND TURNING THE FUCK UP AGAINST THE SYSTEM,” declares the Black and Brown Punk Show Collective, who put on a festival every year to showcase Chicago’s black and brown, queer and trans DIY punk scene. Besides a sixteen-band lineup featuring bands like legendary hardcore group Los Crudos and the anarchxpunk Californian band Sin Quince, the fest will feature tablers and vendors like Black Lives Matter Chicago and Brown and Proud Press selling records, shirts, and zines. In the remaining months, and to prepare for the July 8 fundraiser, read up on Assata’s Daughters and the BTGNC Collective, this year’s beneficiaries. (Julia Aizuss)

September

79th Street Renaissance Festival

79th St. between Racine Ave. & Loomis St. Friday, September 8–Sunday, September, 10. 10am–8pm each day. Free. gagdc.org

In its twelfth year, this family-friendly festival is the one of the longest running neighborhood festivals in Auburn Gresham—and was dubbed “Best End-of-Summer Block Party” in the Weekly’s 2016 issue of Best of the South Side. Imagine a huge block party lining 79th Street showcasing all that is great about the community. Performances of all genres will take place, including modern and traditional dance, as well as musical performances by talented local artists. Community food vendors, retailers, nonprofit organizations, and providers will market their goods and services. Due to its overwhelming popularity, this year’s festival has been expanded to two days. (Bridget Vaughn)

Hyde Park Jazz Festival

Various locations in Hyde Park and Washington Park, including Rockefeller Chapel, Logan Center for the Arts, and DuSable Museum of African American History. Saturday, September 23–Sunday, September 24. Free. hydeparkjazzfestival.org

As one of Chicago’s favorite music festivals concluding the summer music festival season, this year’s highly anticipated jazz fest features an eclectic lineup of local, national, and international jazz musicians. Don’t miss award-winning flutist Nicole Mitchell and Ballake Sissoko performing Bamako*Chicago Sound System. This world premiere performance will feature Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble and Malian musicians including kora player Ballake Sissoko, balafonist Fassery Diabete, and vocalist Fatim Kouyate mixing Chicago’s modern jazz with the traditional sounds and instrumentation of Bamako, Mali. (Bridget Vaughn)

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