It’s a lobster! It’s a plane! It’s this weekend’s festival lineup. Chow down at the Great American Lobster Fest at Navy Pier, watch planes do flips at the Chicago Air & Water Show or get your pasta fix at Festa Italiana. Head to Edison Park for a good ol’ neighborhood street fest (bingo, cover bands and bags tourney included) or hit Rogers Park for the Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest.
Chicago Air & Water Show
When: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: North Avenue Beach between Fullerton Avenue and Oak Street
How much: Free
The skinny: Sixteen aerial teams perform over Lake Michigan at the 57th annual show. Catch the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and four more military teams, as well as 11 civilian teams, including France’s Breitling Jet Team—a seven-plane team with jets that can reach speeds up to 565 miles per hour—in Chicago for the first time.
Festa Italiana
When: 5–10 p.m. Thursday, noon–11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon–10 p.m. Sunday
Where: Ashland Avenue and Taylor Street
How much: $5 suggested donation
The skinny: Become fully immersed in Italian culture at this Little Italy fest. Along with traditional food and meatball- and cannoli-eating contests, catch three stages of Italian and Italian-American acts, including guitarist Alfonso Ponticelli (8:30 p.m. Thursday, Center Stage), a Rat Pack tribute with an 18-piece orchestra led by Michael Andrew (8 p.m. Friday, Festa Stage), Fratelli Carani, with Italian classics (6 p.m. Saturday, Center Stage), and jazz singer Lisa Roti (4 p.m. Sunday, Festa Stage). Plus, take trolley tours through Little Italy and watch Rossella Rago, host of “Cooking with Nonna,” cook with two pre-chosen festgoers.
The Great American Lobster Fest
When: 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Navy Pier
How much: Festival area is free and open to the public, but access to live music in the Grand Ballroom is $10. Food is individually priced.
The skinny: Snack on all things lobster, including rolls, tacos, mac ‘n’ cheese, bisque and more at the second annual event. For market price, get a 1.25-pound steamed lobster with corn on the cob, potatoes, lemons and butter dipping sauce (pre-purchasing recommended, if available: americanlobsterfest.com). The Original Wailers, created by former Bob Marley guitarists, headline each day (8:30 p.m. Saturday and 7:15 p.m. Sunday). And catch performances by Nashville country singer Stephen Carey and local rock group Honey and the 45s on Saturday (3 and 6:30 p.m., respectively) and country-rockers Cowboy Jukebox and The Leaders of the Pack, with hits by major female artists from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, on Sunday (1:50 and 3:05 p.m., respectively). The Air & Water Show, which can be seen from Navy Pier, is an added bonus, as well as the fireworks Saturday evening.
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Edison Park Fest
When: 5–11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Northwest Highway between Oshkosh Avenue and Oliphant Avenue, Oshkosh Avenue to Olmsted Avenue and Olmsted Avenue to Oliphant Avenue
How much: $5 suggested donation
The skinny: Come hungry for food and tunes—this street fest has that and more. Chow down on local eats from BBQ King Smokehouse, Giordano’s, Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro and others while watching local acts such as 97Nine, with classic rock covers (5:30 p.m. Friday), bluesy hard rockers Sons of Mary (4 p.m. Saturday), and Tanqueray Mist, with a mix of country and rock ‘n’ roll (6 p.m. Sunday). Or partake in some bingo (noon–5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) or in the bags tournament, which gives you a chance to win up to $1,000 (1 p.m. Sunday, $50 entry fee per team, including one beer per person).
Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest
When: 6–10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Glenwood Avenue between Lunt and Farwell avenues
How much: Free
The skinny: More than 100 artists, including jewelry-makers, sculptors, painters, fiber and textile artists, glassworkers and more come together for the 14th annual Rogers Park fest. Grab a bite from 5411 Empanadas food truck, The Amazing Kale Burger, The Growling Rabbit and other vendors, and catch live tunes on three stages.
Fest survival tip 14
Want a view of the Air & Water Show without dealing with the crowd at North Avenue Beach? Sounds like a good excuse to hit up a rooftop or bar nearby. The J. Parker at Hotel Lincoln is a prime location, but others include North Pond in Lincoln Park and 360 Chicago (or The Signature Room, both in the John Hancock Center), to name a few.
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