Our picks for events in and around Chicago this Labor Day weekend.
Sound & Gravity Festival
Need to expand your musical horizons? Look to the Sound & Gravity Festival. Conceived by Pitchfork Music Festival co-founder and drummer Mike Reed as an event by musicians, for musicians, it offers opportunities to dip into a broad range of music that’s difficult to categorize. The deep lineup includes Marc Ribot, Grouper, Tyondai Braxton, Dagmar Zuniga, Joan Shelley, and dozens more. Through Sept. 6 in various locations; tickets from $30 at soundandgravity.org
Bike the Drive
For the 25th year, DuSable Lake Shore Drive closes to cars to make way for bicyclists. Ride that wonderful ribbon from Bryn Mawr Avenue to the Museum of Science and Industry. Bike all 30 miles or just part of it. But be sure to plan your route — including entry points, rest stops and potholes. The main gathering point and festivities will be at Grant Park’s Butler Field. 6:30 a.m. Sept. 6 at Butler Field, 235 S. Columbus Drive; adult registration from $78 at bikethedrive.org
Chicago Jazz Festival
It’s Labor Day weekend, so it must be time for the Chicago Jazz Festival. Headliners at Jay Pritzker Pavilion include Grammy-winner Paquito D’Rivera, pianist and producer Robert Glasper and Miles Electric Band celebrating the Miles Davis Centennial. But that’s just a sliver of what you’ll find across the four stages in Millennium Park. And, as usual, it’s all free. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sept. 4 and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sept. 5-6 in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St.; details on the free event at jazzinchicago.org
ARC Music Fest and North Coast Music Festival
If you crave the pulsing thump of EDM, this is your weekend. ARC Music Fest takes over Union Park for a house music festival — yet another chance to immerse yourself in the music in the genre’s birthplace. It promises a range of house artists, ranging from up-and-comers to originators like Lil’ Louis. Or, head south to Bridgeview for a broader range of EDM at North Coast Music Festival. And if a whole festival is too much, look for afterparties all over town. ARC runs through Sept. 7 in Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St.; tickets (ages 18+) from $169 at arcmusicfestival.com. North Coast runs through Sept. 6 in SeatGeek Stadium, 7000 S. Harlem Ave., Bridgeview; tickets (ages 17+) from $170.59 at northcoastfestival.com.
Omar Courtz
Omar Courtz’s Chicago show has been moved from the Aragon Ballroom to the United Center — but even there, the only way to score a ticket is on the secondary market. The show is one of nearly 20 stops on the Puerto Rican singer-rapper-songwriter’s “Por Si Mañana No Estoy” tour. 8 p.m. Sept. 5 in United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; tickets at unitedcenter.com
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Chicago Labor Day Parade
Celebrate the city’s contributions to the labor movement with a parade on the Southeast Side. It returns to the 10th Ward this year after a stint in the Historic Pullman District. The parade will be followed by Eddie Fest, named for United Steelworkers leader Edward Sadlowski, along Lake Michigan in Steelworkers Park. Parade steps off at 11 a.m. Sept. 5 from 112th Street and South Avenue F before heading north up Ewing Avenue to 106th Street; Eddie Fest follows from noon-5 p.m. in Steelworkers Park, Lake Michigan and East 87th Street; details on the free events at chicagolaborparade.com
IndigiFest 2026
Take in a range of performances featuring West African, Hawaiian, Quechua, Aztec and Native cultures. Learn about Indigenous communities through a series of exhibitions presented at IndigiFest 2026. A Native powwow will feature dancing, drumming and singing. And, of course, a festival wouldn’t be complete without food. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 5 in Grant Park Grove 5, Balbo Drive at Columbus Drive; details on the free event at chicagoparkdistrict.com
Noir City: Chicago 2026
Binge on nearly 20 classic crime and mystery films during Noir City, a festival presented by the Music Box Theatre and the Film Noir Foundation. This weekend alone, see Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak and Elvis Presley on the big screen in such films as Howard Hawks’s “To Have and Have Not” (1944), Otto Preminger’s “The Man With the Golden Arm” (1955), and Michael Curtiz’s “King Creole” (1958). Plenty more to pick from; check out the full schedule. Through Sept. 10 at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.; tickets $15 at musicboxtheatre.com
“That’s Weird, Grandma’s 25th Birthday”
For 25 years, the adults of PlayMakers Laboratory have performed a sketch show written by kids. The ideas that come out of kids’ heads are weird, yes, and so much fun. This weekend is your last chance to catch a special anniversary installment of the show featuring sketches from throughout the program’s run as well as past members of the company. Proceeds from the show support the Laboratory’s work to promote creative writing and literacy in Chicago schools. 2 p.m. Sept. 5-6 at Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave.; tickets from $15-$25 at playmakerslab.org
Kori King
Perhaps best known for her appearance on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Kori King performs this weekend at the Den Theatre. Expect the Boston native to offer a blend of stand-up and drag on her “Black Barbie” tour. 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.; tickets from $28 at thedentheatre.com
Have something to do around Chicago? Email events to [email protected].