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Articles Tagged ‘Grant Park’

Enjoy free concerts at Taste of Chicago

Friday, June 13th, 2008

Tasteblog1
By Polly Fitz

Taste of Chicago is known as a food fest — and for good reason: pizza, cheesecake, ribs and lots of "food on a stick" make for an almost overwhelming smorgasbord. But you may not know that Taste is also a music festival — with free concerts every day. Here are some details for this year’s festival.

Taste of Chicago runs June 27 through July 6 in Grant Park. Admission is FREE, but food tickets are $8 for 12 tickets (plus a $2 surcharge). Specialties from more than 65 restaurants are on the menu. Not surprisingly, there’s pizza (from at least 7 restaurants), and some of the other highlights include:

  • Gyros and baklava from Costa’s restaurant
  • Polish sausage sandwich with sauerkraut from Polka Sausage & Deli
  • Fried dough, toasted cheese ravioli from Harry Caray’s
  • Rainbow ice cream from the Original Rainbow Cone
  • Guacamole and chips, pork tacos from Adobo Grill

Tasteblog3
Every night, Taste of Chicago offers free concerts in the Petrillo Music Shell. Here’s a partial lineup:

  • Friday, June 27 — Chaka Khan
  • Saturday June 28 — Stevie Wonder
  • Sunday, June 29 — Josh Kelley
  • Tuesday, July 1 — Joss Stone
  • Friday, July 4 — Gomez

Here’s a tip: Chicago celebrates the Fourth of July early — with a concert and fireworks show on July 3. (There are more fireworks on the 4th.)

Many Chicago hotels are within walking distance of the Taste of Chicago, so you can be close to all the action. Hotel Burnham, Club Quarters Wacker at Michigan and Hotel Blake  are just a few of the hotels close to Grant Park.

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Polly Fitz is an editor for CheapTickets.

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Summer in the city: Free fun in Chicago

Friday, May 16th, 2008

Chicagoblog
By Polly Fitz

During the summer in Chicago, you can get expensive-feeling entertainment for FREE. Here’s a look at just some of the free things you can do on your Chicago vacation:

Music: Blues Fest (June 5-8), Latin Music Fest (August 23-24) and Jazz Fest (August 28-31) are the biggies. And they’re great if you like crowds. But if you just want to relax with some music at the end of the day, The Grant Park Music Festival (in Millennium Park) is your ticket. Free concerts under the Frank Gehry-designed pavilion run Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. (times subject to change) from June 11 through August 16. FYI: There are plenty of Chicago hotels close to Millennium Park, including the Hard Rock Hotel and The Hyatt Regency.

Dance: Learn how to polka, belly dance, salsa… You name it, they’ve got it at Chicago SummerDance. From June 12 – August 24 the Spirit of Music Garden (between Harrison Street and Balbo Avenue) in Grant Park is transformed into an outdoor dance floor. Free lessons and live music run 6 – 9:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 4 – 7 p.m. Sundays. FYI: The Hilton Chicago is one of the closest Chicago hotels to the Spirit of Music Garden.

Movies: The Chicago Outdoor Film Festival is like a drive-in without the cars. Spread out on the lawn at Grant Park, take in views of the lake and skyline, and enjoy the movie. Movies start at dusk Tuesdays, July 15 – August 26. For movies with a foreign flair, check out the International Summer Screenings Program at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Wednesdays, June 4 – September 10. Movies start at 6:30 or 7 p.m.

Events: Chicago’s lakefront shines in the summer, so it’s no surprise that many big events take place on the water. The Chicago Air and Water Show, featuring the spectacular Blue Angels, takes place August 15-17. This year, for the event’s 50th anniversary, the show starts Friday at 3 p.m., with the Blue Angels and Golden Knights Parachute Team, followed by a concert and fireworks show. The best place to watch is at North Avenue Beach.

Venetian Night July 26 is like a festival of lights. Decorated boats parade along the water just north of the Shedd Aquarium. When the parade is over, there’s a fireworks show set to music.

There is so much to see and do — and so much of it is FREE. So book your Chicago vacation now, and enjoy summer in the city.

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Polly Fitz is an editor for CheapTickets.

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