Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Street Beach, along the Gold Coast.
Admission is free. Mid-August.
Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festi-
val,
Petrillo Music Shell, at Jackson
Drive and Columbus Drive in
Grant Park (
&
312/744-3370
).
Salsa, mambo, and the latest Latin
rock groups hit the stage for this free
festival. Last weekend in August.
Chicago Jazz Festival,
Petrillo
Music Shell, Jackson Drive and
Columbus Drive in Grant Park
(
&
312/744-3315
). This festival
features Chicago-style jazz, with
several national headliners always
on hand. The event is free; kids are
welcome. Late August to early Sep-
tember (Labor Day weekend).
September
Boulevard Lakefront Bike Tour.
This 10-mile leisurely tour espe-
cially for families lets you explore
the city, from neighborhoods and
the lakefront to Chicago's historic
link of parks and boulevards. It
starts and ends at the University of
Chicago in Hyde Park, which hosts
the annual Bike Expo, with vendors
and entertainment, the same day.
Contact Chicagoland Bicycle Fed-
eration at
&
312/42-PEDAL.
A
Sunday in mid-September.
Mexican Independence Day
Parade,
along Dearborn Street
between Wacker Drive and Van
Buren Street (
&
312/744-3315
).
Chicago is home to the nation's sec-
ond-largest Mexican-American
population, and that makes for a
great parade. Another parade is held
on the next day on 26th Street in
the Little Village neighborhood
(
&
773/521-5387
). Saturday in
mid-September.
World Music Festival Chicago,
various locations around the city
(
&
312/744-6630
). This relatively
new and enormously popular festi-
val is a major undertaking by the
city's Department of Cultural
Affairs. Call ahead for tickets,
because many events sell out. The
festival is held at venues around
town—notably, the Chicago Cul-
tural Center, Museum of Contem-
porary Art, Old Town School of
Folk Music, and Hot House. You'll
see top performers from Zimbabwe
to Hungary to Sri Lanka perform-
ing traditional, contemporary, and
fusion music. Shows are a mix of
free and ticketed ($10 or less)
events. Call for information and to
receive updates on scheduled per-
formances. Late September.
Celtic Fest Chicago,
Petrillo Music
Shell, Jackson Drive and Columbus
Drive in Grant Park (
&
312/744-
3315
). The city's newest music fes-
tival celebrates the music and dance
of Celtic traditions from around the
world. Late September.
October
Chicago Marathon
(
&
888/243-
3344
or 312/904-9800; www.
chicagomarathon.com). Whether
or not you or your kids are runners,
cheering on the harriers is an uplift-
ing experience. Sponsored by
LaSalle Bank, Chicago's marathon
is a major event on the interna-
tional long-distance running cir-
cuit, with some of the world's top
runners competing. It begins and
ends in Grant Park, but can be
viewed from any number of vantage
points along the race route. Second
Sunday in October.
Spooky Zoo Spectacular,
Lincoln
Park Zoo, 2200 N. Cannon Dr. at
Fullerton Parkway (
&
312/742-
2000
). Dress your tots in their Hal-
loween finest for the free treats that
are dispensed at various animal
habitats. Bozo the Clown—himself
a Chicago native—kicks things off
with a parade through the zoo
grounds. Late October.
