You know what they say about chefs—they’re always trying to win The Hunger Games. While we can guarantee that it’s nearly impossible to go hungry at Bon Appetit’s Chicago Gourmet, we can’t do anything about the food and wine hangover that will inevitably follow. Fest season goes out on a high note with lots of food, music and art at Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Goose Island Urban Block Party, AAHH! Fest by Common and EXPO Chicago art fair. Though summer fests are on the outs, Oktoberfests are in full swing, including St. Alphonsus’ and others this weekend. For more on that, click here. Until next year, festing friends.
Hyde Park Jazz Festival
When: 1 p.m.–midnight Saturday and 1–7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Midway Plaisance Park (1130 Midway Plaisance) on Saturday and Sunday and various locations in Hyde Park on Saturday
How much: $5 suggested donation
The skinny: Stroll from one venue to the next to hear jazz greats and emerging artists at this 10th annual event. Major acts include composer and pianist Randy Weston with a solo performance of African sounds (11 p.m. Saturday at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.), Iraqi-American trumpeter Amir ElSaffar (5:15 p.m. Saturday at Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Performance Hall, 915 E. 60th St.) and Chicago native and experimental saxophonist Matana Roberts (4 and 6 p.m. Saturday at Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Performance Penthouse, 915 E. 60th St.). The fest takes place on 11 stages Saturday, only two on Sunday, including acts such as trumpeter Marquis Hill Blacktet (2 p.m. Wagner Stage), vocalist Denise Thimes Quartet (4 p.m. Wagner Stage) and Chicago Jazz Orchestra (5 p.m. West Stage).
Bon Appetit’s Chicago Gourmet
When: Noon–6 p.m Saturday and noon–5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Millennium Park
How much: Saturday main event sold out. Sunday general admission: $185. Tickets: chicagogourmet.org
The skinny: Celebrate food and wine with hundreds of all-star chefs, mixologists and beverage purveyors. The main attraction features tastings, cocktail seminars and cooking demos with favorites such as Frontera Grill’s Rick Bayless, Moneygun’s Will Duncan, Girl & the Goat’s Stephanie Izard and Fat Rice’s Abraham Conlon. If you can’t make it to the main event, there are still tickets available for related parties, including Late Night Gourmet, where guests can mingle with chefs and tastemakers over cocktails and snacks (9 p.m.–midnight Friday at The Underground, 56 W. Illinois St. $50) and The Tao of Tacos, hosted by Bayless, who highlights tortilla creations from 12 chefs paired with tequila cocktails and Lagunitas beer (8–11 p.m. Saturday at Harris Theater Rooftop, 205 E. Randolph Drive. $95).
EXPO Chicago
When: 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Navy Pier
How much: $20 daily, $30 three-day pass. Tickets: expochicago.com
The skinny: Browse contemporary and modern art from 140 international galleries from South Africa, Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore and beyond.
Goose Island Urban Block Party
When: 5–10 p.m. Friday and 4–10 p.m. Saturday
Where: Goose Island Fulton Street Brewery (1800 W. Fulton St.)
How much: $10 suggested donation
The skinny: Sip $3 pours of 312 Urban wheat ale and specialty beers, including Sticky Feathers wet-hopped American IPA brewed just for the event, at the brewery’s party with Main Stage headliners Against Me! (8:45 p.m. Friday) and Dawes (8:30 p.m. Saturday). Happy Lobster Truck, The Tamale Spaceship, Hot Doug’s and others provide the eats. Akasha and Meat Wave own the Local Stage on Friday (7:40 p.m.) and Saturday (7:30 p.m.), respectively. Other acts include Beach Slang (6:15 p.m. Friday, Main Stage), Whitney (4:30 p.m. Saturday, Main Stage), Jr. Jr. (5:45 p.m. Saturday, Main Stage) and Al Scorch (6:10 p.m. Saturday, Local Stage). Guests can also visit the jorts station, where they can choose from a variety of jeans and have them cut onsite for a $5 donation to charity.
AAHH! FEST by Common
When: 11–3 p.m. Saturday and 1–11 p.m. Sunday
Where: Union Park
How much: General admission: $15.90 Saturday, $45 Sunday. Tickets: aahhfest.com
The skinny: After taking a year off, the South Side native rapper’s fest returns to the Near West Side park with acts such as J. Cole, Vic Mensa, Jeremih and The Roots taking the Main Stage Sunday. Saturday features rapper Tink, Taylor Bennett and a slew of local acts on the Community Stage.
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