Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
21
long winter 's sleep . F rom M emorial
Day to Labor Day, Navy Pier also hosts
twice-weekly fir eworks sho ws Wed-
nesday nights at 9:30pm and S atur-
day nights at 10:15pm. M ay thr ough
October.
Wright Plus Tour,
at the F rank Lloyd
Wright Home & S tudio (
&
708/848-
1976;
www .wrightplus.org). G limpse
inside the brilliant mind of Frank Lloyd
Wright on this annual tour , which fea-
tures 10 buildings in Oak Park, includ-
ing F rank Llo yd Wright's home and
studio, the U nity Temple, and sev eral
other notable O ak P ark buildings in
both Prairie and Victorian styles. Tick-
ets go on sale M arch 1 and can sell out
within 6 w eeks. Third S aturday in
May.
J
UNE
Ravinia Festival,
Ravinia Park, in sub-
urban Highland Park, north of Chicago
(
&
847/266-5100
for ticket r eserva-
tions; www .ravinia.com). S ummer
wouldn't be summer without Ravinia, a
Chicago tradition. Basically, it's an out-
door concer t v enue with a co vered
pavilion and plenty of lawn seating.
Offerings range fr om classical to pop .
Kids can enjo y a picnic on the lawn
while parents revel in the music of the
Chicago S ymphony O rchestra. P ack a
picnic, jump on the M etra commuter
railroad, and join the cr owds sitting
under the stars on the lawn.
One warn-
ing:
Ravinia is so popular that many of
the first-rate visiting or chestras, cham-
ber ensembles, pop ar tists, and dance
companies sell out in adv
stars (including some who ar e the off-
spring of blues greats, such as Shamekia
Copeland, daughter of J ohnny Cope-
land). A shuttle bus will take y ou from
the park to blues clubs. Call for infor-
mation. First week in June.
57th Street Art Fair,
at 57th and Kim-
bark streets in Hyde Park (
&
773/493-
3247;
www.57thstreetartfair.org). This
is the oldest juried ar t fair in the M id-
west—in 2007, it celebrated its 60th
anniversary. Kids will especially enjo y
the arts and crafts pr ojects and the fun
rides. First weekend in June.
Chicago G ospel F estival,
P etrillo
Music Shell, at J ackson and Columbus
drives in G rant P ark (
&
312/744-
3315
). This is the largest outdoor, free-
admission event of its kind. B lues may
be the city 's mor e famous musical
export, but Chicago is also the bir th-
place of gospel music: Thomas Dorsey,
the “ father of gospel music, ” and the
greatest gospel singer ev er, M ahalia
Jackson, w ere S outhsiders. This 3-day
festival offers music on three stages with
more than 40 per
2
formances. Early
June.
Printers Row Book Fair,
on Dearborn
Street from Congress to Polk (
&
312/
222-3986
). One of the largest free out-
door book fairs in the countr y, this
weekend-long ev ent featur es r eadings
by childr en's-book authors, book sign-
ings, and panel discussions on ev ery-
thing fr om writing y our first no vel to
finding an agent. Also on offer are more
than 150 booksellers displaying ne w,
used, and antiquarian topics for sale; a
poetry tent; and special activities for
children. Early June.
Old Town Art Fair,
historic Old Town
neighborhood, at Lincoln P ark West
and Wisconsin S treet (
&
312/337-
1938;
www .oldtowntriangle.com).
Children's ar t activities abound at this
fair; adults can appr
ance. J une
through September.
Chicago Blues Festival,
Petrillo Music
Shell, at J ackson and Columbus driv es
in Grant Park (
&
312/744-3315
). The
lineup looks better ev ery y ear at this
festival. Admission is free, but get there
in the afternoon to stake out a spot on
the lawn for the ev ening shows. You'll
discover y oung up-and-coming blues
eciate the mor e
