Festipalooza strikes again this weekend with 10 festivals serving a variety of interests. For a cultural experience, hit El Gran Festival Colombiano, world music fest Celebrate Clark Street Festival or McDonald’s Chinatown Summer Fair. Never short of food fests (beer totally counts as food too), choose from Taste of River North, SausageFest and Chicago Craft Beer Fest. Catch some of the year’s biggest names at Pitchfork Music Festival, or, for music in the street, try the Sheffield Music Festival & Garden Walk. For a mixed bag of art, food and music, check out BenFest or Southport Art & Music Fest. Consider your weekend booked.
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Taste of River North
When: 5–10 p.m. Friday, noon–10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday
Where: A. Montgomery Ward Park (630 N. Kingsbury St.)
How much: $5 suggested donation
The skinny: More than a dozen neighborhood restaurants, including Taco Joint, Kinzie Chophouse and The Melting Pot, bring tasty treats to the 14th annual food fest. Take your pick of cover bands, such as ‘Stache, putting twists on rock and pop tunes from the ’80s to today (6 p.m. Friday), and The Hot Sauce Committee, with ’90s dance hits (4 p.m. Saturday), or check out Waters from San Francisco with original rock jams (6:30 p.m. Sunday).
Pitchfork Music Festival
When: Gates open at 3 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday and Sunday
Where: Union Park
How much: Sold out
The skinny: The first of three major music fests this summer celebrates 10 years with a killer lineup of Chance The Rapper, Sleater-Kinney, Wilco and more. The Chicago Diner, Estrella Negra, Black Dog Gelato and 13 others serve up good eats all weekend. Between sets, meet artists and vendors in four areas inside the fest: Scope posters from artists from across the nation at Flatstock; browse vinyl selections from labels, stores and independent sellers at the CHIRP Record Fair; shop locally designed jewelry, paper goods and more at the Coterie Chicago Craft Fair; and peruse books from independent publishers and presses at Book Fort. Also check out RedEye’s Pitchfork preview by music section duo Josh Terry and Matt Pais.
BenFest
When: 4–10 p.m. Friday, 1–10 p.m. Saturday and 1–7 p.m. Sunday
Where: St. Benedict Parish (2215 W. Irving Park Road)
How much: $5 suggested donation
The skinny: Get your fix of food, live music and crafts at this annual North Center church fundraiser. Catch disco-dancey Libido Funk Circus on Friday (8 p.m.); Supercrush, who put a rock spin on Top 40 hits, hip-hop, country and more, on Saturday (8:30 p.m.); and Movement Revolution dance crew on Sunday (4:30 p.m.). Chow down on ribs, curry chips, Guinness mac ‘n’ cheese and pulled pork from Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro, smoothies, waffle cones and shaved ice from Hey Brothers Ice Cream and more.
SausageFest
When: Noon–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: The Cubby Bear (1059 W. Addison St.)
How much: $5 entry fee
The skinny: Yup, that’s actually what it’s called, and the fest, in its fifth year, is back in Wrigleyville after moving to Old Town last year. Sample traditional English bangers from Spencer’s Jolly Posh Foods, bacon sausages from Big Fork Brands, sweet Chinese sausage with hoison mayo and chow mein noodles from Paulina Meat Market and other encased meats from five more vendors. Travel back to the early 2000s with Trapt (remember “Headstrong”?) on Saturday (8:30 p.m.), and catch locals including Sidewalk Chalk and the Chicago Players on Sunday (6 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively).
El Gran Festival Colombiano
When: Noon–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Copernicus Center (5216 W. Lawrence Ave.)
How much: Single-day admission: $10. Two-day admission: $17. Tickets: colombianfestchicago.com
The skinny: Celebrate Latin American culture with food, music and art at this Jefferson Park fest with headliners Tardes Llaneras, Puerto Rican Power and Ely Holguin, whose tunes include a bilingual version of Cascada’s “Everytime We Touch.” Grab grub from Las Tablas Colombian Steakhouse and others or a pina colada from El Campeon, and don’t miss the car show.
Sheffield Music Festival & Garden Walk
When: Noon–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Sheffield and Webster avenues
How much: $7–$10 suggested donation
The skinny: Stroll through neighborhood gardens on your own (noon–5:30 p.m.) or take a guided tour (3:30 p.m. both days) at the 47th annual fest. Catch live music on two stages, including Pittsburgh ’90s rockers Rusted Root (8:25 p.m. Saturday, Main Stage), Talking Heads tribute Start Making Sense (8 p.m. Saturday, Fullerton Stage), Florida rock group Sister Hazel (8:15 p.m. Sunday) and Dave Matthews tribute band Trippin Billies (8 p.m. Sunday, Fullerton Stage). New this year is an art and crafts fair where festgoers can browse fine art by more than a dozen artists.
Chicago Craft Beer Festival
When: Noon–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (tasting times run from 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m. daily)
Where: Sheffield Avenue between Webster and Fullerton avenues
How much: $40 in advance, $45 at the gate (if available). Tickets: eventbrite.com
The skinny: Running in tandem with the Sheffield Music Festival & Garden Walk, this beer fest in its fourth year brings 75 breweries, both local and national. Sample pours from visiting brewers, including Indiana’s Upland Brewing Co. and California’s Anderson Valley Brewing Co., and from local outfits such as Vice District Brewing, Ten Ninety Brewing and Illuminated Brew Works. Admission includes 15 sampling tickets and a 3-ounce souvenir cup.
Southport Art & Music Fest
When: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (music scheduled until 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday)
Where: Southport and Waveland avenues
How much: $5 suggested donation
The skinny: Local artists showcase their work, from oil, acrylic and watercolor to sculpture, jewelry and photography, at this art and music festival. Though the art walk ends at 5 p.m., stay for live music from Hairbangers Ball (8 p.m. Saturday) and Wedding Banned (7 p.m. Sunday).
Celebrate Clark Street Festival
When: 1–11 p.m. Saturday and 1–10 p.m. Sunday
Where: Clark Street between Morse and Estes avenues
How much: $5 suggested donation
The skinny: See world music and dance acts on two stages at the Rogers Park cultural music fest. Along with an art market and live mural painting, check out an eclectic array of bands, such as Systema Solar, a Colombian collective combining music from the Caribbean region of the country with hip-hop, house, techno and other styles (9 p.m. Saturday, Morse Stage), and Megitza Quartet, in which Polish singer-songwriter-double bass player Megitza delivers music influenced by Balkan, Highlander, reggae and other roots (4 p.m. Sunday, Estes Stage). Roberts Cycle also will be on-site for cycling festgoers who want a free bike check.
McDonald’s Chinatown Summer Fair
When: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday
Where: 200 W. Cermak Road
How much: Free
The skinny: Chinese culture is the focus at the annual fest in the neighborhood, which celebrates its 103rd anniversary this year. See the Lion Dance Procession at 12:45 p.m., then watch martial arts demos (1:30, 2 and 3:30 p.m.), Japanese drumming (4 p.m.) and breakdancing by local Brickheadz dance crew (4:45 p.m.).
Fest survival tip 10
Invest in fest boots. I’m looking at you, music festgoers—a good pair of waterproof combat boots can save your entire festival experience, especially in the very likely event that it rains. Not only should they be comfortable to keep your feet from getting tired, but puddle jumping and mud-pit hopping will be worries of the past with some badass boots keeping you dry.
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