Summer is a busy time for Chicago music lovers and visitors, with one free festival following the other. The Chicago Gospel Festival, Blues Festival, Country Music Festival and The Grant Park Music Festival, which features classical music, are all free in Grant Park in June. The Latin Music Festival takes place in August, while The Chicago Jazz Festival closes out the summer with free jazz in September, also in Grant Park.
City parks become movie theaters from June through September when the Chicago Park District presents free outdoor screenings of more than 100 films throughout the city. Movie classics and newer films begin at dusk. Bring the kids, a blanket and popcorn, and sit back and watch the show.
Learn to samba, salsa, mambo or waltz in Grant Park during Chicago's summer dance festival. The 11-week dance fest offers free dance lessons in Latin, jazz, ballroom and other dance forms to anyone ready to learn. Dancers can take a free one-hour lesson, then show off new skills during two more hours of live music. The festival takes place throughout the summer in the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park.
If you own or can borrow a bike, cycling offers a free way to reach all of Chicago's summer events as well as a means to explore the city while getting fresh air and exercise. Chicago has 50 miles of bike paths, including the scenic 18-mile lakefront path along Lake Michigan. The waterfront trail follows the shore and offers views of the city's beaches, Navy Pier, Soldier's Field and other sites. "Bicycling" magazine named Chicago one of the best cities in the nation for cycling, according to the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau.
